Red, The best way to "ruin" a potential hunter is to allow them to go hunting with an underpowered tool that fails to kill quickly and efficiently. I've seen this happen all of my life with well intentioned but sadly misinformed mentors (usually Dad's, uncles and brothers) who encouraged the young charges to go afield with underpowered (usually a .410 shotgun) hunting guns. Their reasoning being that the shooter friendly, mild recoiling .410 is more appropriate for kids and small frame shooters. After all, hasn't the .410 shotgun been touted by many outdoor writers as a great "first" gun for the youths for many decades they reason? Well the sad but real truth is because it's a lighter payload and has a more limited effective killing range a novice hunter is more likely to not kill but rather simply wound and not recover the squirrel they shoot at with it.When a novice or young shooter shoots at live game and doesn't quickly dispatch the quarry the result can be trumatic and emotionally scarring to the point of hunting becoming a huge turn-off The real truth is the .410 shotgun is better suited to a veteran shooter (expert) who knows the limitations of his gun and carefully selects which shots to take. The exact same principle applies to our beloved air rifles. We all know how effective a well placed shot from any mid power airgun can be on small game such as squirrels.But all veteran airgunners acknowledge the limitations that are inherent in a low energy projectile. We know we have to be pretty much perfect with our shot or things can get messy. In hunting situations with low energy air rifles, our personal discipline in shot selection is CRUCIAL if we are to maintain our dignity and perhaps our sanity as hunters. I guess what I'm trying to say is shake it off and learn something positive and not something negative from this bad experience. Low energy air rifles and we all love them I know, are wonderful for target shooting and even hunting but all veteran airgunners should encourage newcomers to this sport to complete a proper hunter safety course and get educated and confident before taking any shots at live targets.We can see what happens when babes are thrown to the wolves and none of us want to see that happen. Whenever we airgunners consider shots at live targets we should be mindful of the moral and ethical implications of taking life.We need a good reason to pull that trigger or we can't really call ourselves Sportsman. Don't feel badly though for very long. Dust yourself off and get back in the race. The best hunters I've ever known were wise stewards of their resource and were likewise very knowledgeable about the natural world they tromped around in.They understood the circle of life and the role they played in it. They were people you would admire if you could spend a little time with. They had an advantage in that they came from rural areas and had been raised in semi-agricultural wooded areas where hunting was as natural as growing up.Hard to get that kind of background if you live in the city I suppose. It is my sincere hope that you won't be so traumatized by this potential life changing event that you become an anti-hunter but rather instead blossom into a woods wise expert on all things hunting. Here's a good tip. If you haven't already, join (TODAY), The National Rifle Association.You'll be glad you did.
