Playing out the hand you’re dealt

LAST WEEK, I WATCHED a YouTube video that showed a fellow who calls himself a trick shooter cut a playing card in half. It was facing edge towards him at 10 yards. On the face of it, it was impressive.

He was using a high-end .22 air rifle, much like the one I just bought and, naturally, I thought I should give this a try. So, I set up a playing card at 17 yards and took a good rest and shot it in half three out of four times. The other time, I’m guessing the pellet got deflected off a passing mosquito. It missed by a smidge.

If this sounds like bragging, it isn’t. I was shooting an extremely accurate pre-charged pneumatic air rifle off of a solid rest and I have a darn good scope on it too. I’m fairly sure most experienced shooters could do the same thing with this rifle.

So if it isn’t bragging, what is it? Well, it’s a public service: In case no one has ever told you, never cheat at cards with a guy who owns a good air rifle.

I’ve been having a lot of fun with this rifle ever since I got it. For instance, I discovered I can kill any mosquito that lands on my target out to 17 yards. I’m not kidding either. Admit-

tedly, this is an expensive way to deal with mosquitoes but it is also a very demoralizing for them. Ants and beetles that have foolish enough to linger on my target have met similar fates.

When I bought this air rifle, the owner of the shop warned me about this sort of thing. He said, “You’re going to soon find out that this rifle is boringly accurate. You’re going to need to challenge yourself with it.”

I replied, somewhat naively, that I love shooting and never tire of accuracy.

Well, it turns out he was right.

When you get a rifle like this, you start shooting tight groups at a target at 17 yards and it makes you smile. Then you graduate to placing five shots in one hole – and soon find out it’s not that difficult. Then you start cutting cards. After that, you snipe at mosquitoes.

After you have exhausted all the challenges at close range you extend the range. I’ve now got to the point that, with a good rest, I can place 10 shots in a circle the size of a toonie at 50 yards. I’ll keep doing that for a while until I am consistent and bored with that. Then I might try to cut a card in half again, which will largely be a matter of guesswork since I probably won’t be able to see it even on high magnification at that range. But I figure if I line it up with a bull’s eye and shoot for the centre I stand a good chance.

If I can do that, then I’ll start big game hunting for wasps. For an air rifle hunter, these classify as dangerous game. If you can stand your ground and shoot at a charging wasp, you’ve got more nerve than me.

I know this sounds crazy. But then again, as you might have gathered from this column, I’m no longer playing with a full deck.