Posted: 2/14/2003 9:30:57 AM EDT
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I intended to post this about a month ago. While hunting over the winter, I used my .40 to shoot a squirrel in a tree. (I had left my shotgun back in camp, I was hungry.) After making the shot, and without thinking about it, I holstered the pistol behind my back. It was second nature. When I got back to camp, I removed the pistol and saw that the slide was locked back. I had checked the magazine before the hunt and I knew it had been full of ammo. A locked back slide? Odd. The chamber was empty. What had happened was a build up of dirt in my magazine, along with the odd bullet profile of some 180 grain Federal Personal Defense ammo had caused a round to jam in the magazine itself. I could hear the sound of dirt, grit and grime in the magazine. I cleaned it and I have not had any other feeding problems. Just a reminder, clean the gun, and clean the magazines too... |
Actually, I don't shoot horses. I once shot a cow, by mistake, but I blame the dove, and the birdshot probably did not break the skin. Seriously, I hunt alot. I come home empty handed more often than not. When I shot the squirrel it was during a my SHTF Survival Camp. I ate 6-7 squirrels over a 4 day campout. A package of rice and some crackers to supplement the fare. As for the question about 'was there any meat left?', yeah, there was plenty. It was a head shot. Actually three headshots, on the SAME squirrel. I suck so bad. The first round hit low and blew wood chips into the squirrel's eye, partially blinding it. The second shot, also a trademark shot, managed to blow half the squirrel's lower jaw off. But it still was alive. The final shot, thankfully, was almost point blank and dispatched the little critter. I seldom hunt squirrels without a shotgun. I don't think I would recommend a pistol for the chore. If I had not been so hungry I would have never taken the first shot. Hungry sucks. TRG |
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