The Long Shot

octagon · Post by **octagon** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 5:02 pm

Back in the late 70s my Dad and I were shooting a lot of trap including regular fun shoots at the Goodfellow Rod and Gun Club. One of the events Dad always killed em on was the wolf chase, where a bunch of guys lined up way back of the 27 yard line, and if a fellow shot after you broke the clay target he was out. Dad would let the bird get way way out there before he would shoot and he had this long shot down to a fine art - his friends did not call him Deadeye for nothin.
The old man had been killin em at the local trapshoots with an old BT 99' and decided to try the big zone shoot in Odessa Texas. After a few days of shooting and whipping hundreds of shooters, he found himself in the final shoot off in the handicapped division against a fella shooting an expensive ore choked gun. They both shot two rounds cleanly without miss, and during the break I told Dad he had to break the guys rhythm to win the day, and he should do the wolf chase long shot to shake him up a little. Dad said that was a crazy thing to do in a shoot off but as I was his coach he said he would do it...
About 15 birds into the third round Dad called for the bird. It flew and flew WAY out there and the big crowd clapped a bit when it broke just a bit above the grass. The other fella missed the next two birds and Dad had the day. He had bet a pile on himself to win in the Calcutta, and left with a load of loot and a new Browning BT 99 which he gave me on
the spot.
I never saw a shooter shoot a shot with more testicular fortitude than that one, and thought you fellas might like the story of Deadeye's Long Shot.

My old Dad passed last December age 78. We had a lifetime of hunting, shooting and
beings best bros. No son could have asked for better.

SargeMarlin · Post by **SargeMarlin** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 5:20 pm

Love the story octagon. I imagine there's a pile more, but it would be tough to top that one.

SM

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 6:12 pm

SargeMarlin wrote:Love the story octagon. I imagine there's a pile more, but it would be tough to top that one.

SM

+1

DixieBoy · Post by **DixieBoy** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 6:18 pm

octagon - Thanks for letting us all in on that experience. Priceless stuff.

I'll share one with you, one of my more memorable times with Dad and shooting. Back in 2001 I'd gone through a cancer surgery and my folks wanted to do something with me on my birthday. Surgery had been at the end of August and my b-day is Dec. 11th. I asked if it would be alright with Mom for the both of them to come up to my shooting range and us go shooting. Mom was definitely not a gun person, but bless her heart, she knew better than to stand in the way of her guy passing this along to his sons.

Dad grew up on a farm with rifles and shotguns but pistols were never part of his shooting experience. We shot .22 rifles for a while and then I broke out a .22 Ruger MkII and a .357 revolver that I'd brought some .38 Special wadcutters along for just this occasion. Dad was 83 by this time and I didn't want to knock him over with the .45 handguns or the .308 or .45-70 rifles I owned.

We had targets set out at 50 feet, and at first Dad was off to the left with the Ruger MKII. But his group was really tight, and he knew that he could master this after all. On just his second magazine with the MKII he shot a really tight 2-3 inch group, and this was his first experience with a handgun ! He shot up that magazine, set the pistol down, and turned around and smiled at me, and I snapped a photograph. I gave him his target to show all the boys at the weekly poker game. Boy did he get a kick out of that. Even Mom smiled at that one.

It's still one of the best times I ever had with him and Mom, and my favorite photograph of him too. Definitely my best birthday as well. - DixieBoy

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 7:43 pm

COOL STORY!

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:00 pm

Pitchy wrote:
SargeMarlin wrote:Love the story octagon. I imagine there's a pile more, but it would be tough to top that one.
SM
+1

+2

Ben_Rumson · Post by **Ben_Rumson** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:21 pm

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:27 pm

Great memories - sounds like some great dad's around, too. . .

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:43 pm

Thanks for posting that account. I enjoyed it.

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:05 pm

A toast to Deadeye! Cheers!

earlmck · Post by **earlmck** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:28 pm

Coupla' great dad stories, Octagon and Dixieboy. Thanks much for sharing.

WoodrowC · Post by **WoodrowC** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 7:46 am

octogon said:
My old Dad passed last December age 78. We had a lifetime of hunting, shooting and
beings best bros. No son could have asked for better.

A great story, well told. Thanks.

hfcable · Post by **hfcable** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 10:57 am

wonderful!! you guys just made my day for sure! thanks.

Post by **Hobie** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:15 pm

It is always a pleasure to read of such things. Thanks for sharing...

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:07 pm

Nothing better than a good story...thanks for sharing, and a tip of the hat to Deadeye

Nath · Post by **Nath** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 3:34 pm

Excellent

Nath.

Alphawolf45 · Post by **Alphawolf45** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 4:43 pm

Those stories sorta remind me of how I did'nt have it coming up..You fellows had it good.

.Dirty-.Thirty · Post by **.Dirty-.Thirty** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 9:26 pm

These kind of posts are my kind of reading!! Thanks! .DT

samb · Post by **samb** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 11:40 pm

Loved you sharing that story! My little guy who is four leaned in real close and whispered so his mother could not hear, " Dad when I grow up I wanna be your brother". I replied " son you will be ".

I am glad to hear you were "best Bros" with your Dad. Read an interesting article today http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/06/14/fathers-day/

1894c · Post by **1894c** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 11:43 pm

Hobie wrote:It is always a pleasure to read of such things. Thanks for sharing...

+1 -- i have to agree....makes me miss my dad (--insert tear here--)...that is a great story... :)

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 7:05 am

Great story. My dad is not a gun person. Perhaps I should try to take him to the range before I dont have the opportunity. Thanks for the stories guys

octagon · Post by **octagon** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:28 am

Glad you guys enjoyed the story. Sorry for the slow response as I have been at the ranch for four days doing chores. There are no phones or computers out there. Blew up 3.5 pounds of TANNERITE this trip wired to a steel T post. Bent it back 30 degrees. Fun, but is is starting to get Hot out there.
I started to tell this tale a few times before, but it has taken me six months time to tell it without chokin up too bad. I enjoy telling the story, and certainly Deadeye never got tired of hearing it!

COSteve · Post by **COSteve** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:46 am

Hobie wrote:It is always a pleasure to read of such things. Thanks for sharing...

+1

getitdone1 · Post by **getitdone1** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 7:07 pm

Nice stories about your dads.

My dad didn't care for guns but he quite willingly helped me build my first reloading table.

It's for sure, parents want their kids to be happy. Most of the time the reverse is also true.

Don

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