Isn't that being phony? Why bother saying anything at all if it isn't heartfealt and honest?
I don't think so. I usually do have some regard for the accomplishment just not nearly as much as I do with a bow kill. However, the fact that they have done something that they themselves are happy about is in and of itself worthy of congratulations. If you are happy then I am happy for you that doesn't mean I have to hold the accomplishment in great regard. That's like when my wife killed her first deer. It was a yearling do that she killed with a gun. I was very genuinely happy for her but that doesn't mean that I held the deed in great regard. However, I was very happy that she was happy about the kill.
Then why do you hunt with a rifle?
For the most part I don't. I have gun hunted 2 times in five years and both of those times I just carried a shotgun. I almost went ona rifle hunt a couple of weeks back but I backed out and took my bow instead.