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The Shotgun Expert
My friend was a member of the Club 30 Hunting Club, which was in Up-state New York near Lake Ozonia. He invited myself and another co-worker to come to the Hunting Club as guests. He paid our guest and food fees. We stayed in the main camp, which many might call a shack, but it was clean and comfortable.
It was a hunting camp. It had gas lights and a wood cooking stove with oven. It had a separate "cold room" for food, and a bunk room area with a potbelly wood stove for heating. It was close enough to the lake road to hear vehicles and had a creek within "spitting" distance. I enjoyed it. I became a member.
My early years of hunting were in the Southern tier. There, I hunted mostly rifle country. When I moved to Fulton only shotguns were allowed. When I joined Club 30 I only had my shotgun with me.
I preferred the accuracy of a rifle, but Club 30 didn't have that many places where a rifle was really needed, and on occasion a shotgun slug will go where a rifle bullet will get deflected. All in all, I was happy until that lone shotgun in the rack started to draw a few snickers.
To make a long story short, comments were made, an empty Budweiser can was placed upside down in front of a tree. It was on a small branch sticking up and through the drinking hole. There is still some argument as to whether it was 35 yards or 75 yards away from where I was to stand, so I will say around 60 yards. I was then encouraged to "try and hit that."
With out any hesitation I lifted the shotgun, pulled the trigger and placed a slug dead center in the can leaving a hole about an inch in diameter. There was silence. There was also a smile.
Then there was another comment. "I bet you can't do that again." Well, I would have made the same bet, but as before, I didn't hesitate. I pulled the shotgun up pulled the trigger and the can wiggled. Someone said, "You missed."
I thought I had seen the hole change immediately after I shot, but now I wasn't sure. Then I said, "I've got a $20 bill that says if you dig into that tree behind the can, you will find two slugs, one on top of each other. However, if no one wishes to take that bet we will consider it a hit and leave it as it is."
There were a couple of comments, but each was cut short with, "Put your money where your mouth is". We soon adjourned inside to more important things like the card table and a cold beer.
I never dug into the tree, and I do not know if any one else did. It doesn't matter. I think I made that shot, and if it was my imagination, those there respected my "leave it as it is."
Could I do it again? I think so. Would I bet $20? No way.
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