The rifle without the QLA has a scope mounted on it and doesn't have a ruined barrel.









Doing what i did to the rifle hurt me. I have never talked about it with anybody; can't handle the pain. Today, i was able to write about it for the first time, only because the rifle still shoots reasonably well even though the barrel is ruined.

That day was one of a kind in my hunting life. Me hunkered whilst them deer came ever closer even with a perfectly wrong wind. I ruined the rifle being excited, but i think more so because i deviated from the norm. What i did was lay the ram rod on the ground beside me, thinking i might be able to reload more quietly if i didn't have to take the ram rod out of the thimble. Changing the habit of the way i reloaded led to my missing the last deer, and ruining the rifle. In a way it is kind of nice that i still get so excited when the kill shot looms.

Yes, i know ram rod firings should be immediately brought to the attention of the group; it took me seeing the rifle work OK before i could write/talk about it.

Perhaps as i mature, i will be better able to share future ram rod firings.