Would you take this shot?

I just finished confirming my zero at 100Y and I see that little bird on top of the target stand. I’m alone, the rifle is zeroed and deadly accurate.

What would you do? Kill the bird or not?


I didn’t take the shot. When I was younger I would have (hey, I wonder what those 147G ELDM bullet would do to that little bird….let’s see). But as I get older I don’t see myself blowing up living stuff for fun anymore.

I’m not against ethical hunting. So let’s not make this a hunting debate.

With the exception of hogs and coyotes I don't shoot anything I don't plan to eat.

I wouldn't. No reason to kill the bird and there's a decent chance it's illegal to kill it anyway. It would be interesting to put up a post card about the size of the bird at that spot and shoot at it. That would at least tell you if you would have most likely hit the bird.

I wouldn't take it either. Don't see a need or any good out of it.

I might shoot the post it's sitting on though.

No need for that. Those little dots are 1", the rifle is easily sub 0.5" at 100Y. I know that my hit probability would be 100% (well...99.999%)

No, there is no need to take life or cause suffering without good cause.

To those who say no they wouldn't....what about when you were younger? You still wouldn't?

In da faccccce

Only if it was a mockingbird that was mocking me. I do not put up with that chit.

Jack rabbit, coon, rat, possum, armadillo, coyote heck yeah but prob wouldn't shoot a bird except maybe an annoying raven.

Nope. Let the bird bee but shoot all the hogs on site.

I did some stupid things when I was young...and no I wouldn't shoot it. If you want a challenge take a shell casing and/or golf ball and see what you can do. I've tried it at 200 yards and it's fun.

Yes, when I was younger I killed for fun and anyone that says they didn't is either lying to themselves or to us, prolly both!
Now a days only if it was a mud Martin.

No today.
Sadly, would have been yes as a kid/youngster. I murdered a lot of birds.

Sounds like a Cliff Swallow.

Setting aside the fact it is a federal offense, why?

When I was younger, probably yes. Now, I wouldn't do it.

When I was young I sniped a Beautiful woodpecker off my back yard fence afterwards I felt bad and threw it where I thought my dad wouldn't find it, well he w=found it and he wasn't happy. Prob one of the few times my dad actually seemed to have some type of morals.

If that bird is a grackel. I'm killing it.

Grackle or crow, yes, but only those.

Other birds land on my targets all the time. I just ignore them.

Me too.........

Nope now! Nope then!

Yep. However, as a teenager I was a critter killer. I am proud to say I have raised my sons not to be.

I shot a bluejay one day with an air rifle. It didn't die immediately and it made me sick to my stomach when I walked up to it. Since then I've never shot another non-game bird.

Never have and never will. As a kid I was a soft-ie. If I don't plan on eating it, or if leaving it be leaves no damage, it gets a pass any day of week. I will teach my kids the same

I probably wouldn't have noticed it was there.

Same thing when zeroing a 10/22. Bee landed on target. A buddy and his kid had just finished and were watching me finish through their scopes. I popped it for them and immediately felt remorse. Won't do it again.

We have a confession

I have seen many guys shoot meadowlarks and wrens during dove season. I warn them of the consequences and they quickly stop. I seems that most grew up with a BB gun and their first taste of hunting was popping sparrows. I know our cat loved us for it.

its that mentality "I want to kill something"

When I was a very young kid every year I would visit my grandparents on the farm and BBguns were my favorite. We shot everything that flew. I was a dead on shot at 9-10 years old. I admit it.

When I was a very young kid every year I would visit my grandparents on the farm and BBguns were my favorite. We shot everything that flew. I was a dead on shot at 9-10 years old. I admit it.

Wait a minute, I know a Bigfoot from Houston. How's T-Rex?
The Bigfoot I know would need at least 4 shots to score 1!

are you being serious?

Bees are important, without them the human race will perish.

I once shot a bird on a clothesline with a BB gun. Instead of it falling off it swung upside down, hanging by its feet. Before I could do something about it my mom came out with a load of laundry to hang. I was scolded, got the bird and took care of its broken wing until it could fly. I never did anything like that again to a wild bird.

I killed thousands of birds when I was a kid with a BB gun. I killed some every day. There were swarms of sparrows around our barn. I never thought anything about it then, and still don't.

No I wouldn't waste a centerfire rifle bullet to kill a bird, unless it was a hawk or roadrunner.

I generally don't shoot anything that I am not going to utilize in some form or another. I say generally because I will shoot hogs and let them lay and let the kids shoot gophers. I will say that during my childhood, I did not necessarily see it that way and shot alot of sparrows and other birds.