What’s Wrong with This Picture?
Click image to zoom full-screen.
What’s wrong (or right?) with this picture? Does the “F” in F-class stand for “Fauna”? Look carefully at this Bisley Range photo taken by Australian R. Hurley while looking downrange through his March 8-80X scope. The photo was taken earlier this year at the Bisley National Shooting Centre in the UK.
The Story Behind the Photo
British shooter T. Stewart reports: “I was there when this photos was taken. All I can say was that Mr. Hurley was firmly reminded that should said deer accidentally jump in front of his bullet … he would spend five years “At Her Majesty’s Pleasure”. That morning we had five deer moving across the targets, literally blocking the V-Bull. Since we were on the 900-yard Firing Point, and elevated for such, obviously the bullet would pass well above them. But they do NOT move or flinch at the noise or passing bullets since they are not hunted on the Bisley Ranges. Earlier this year we saw a herd of 20 or so deer grazing slowly across the Range.”
More Fauna Findings…
Apparently Bisley is not the only place were “the deer and the antelope play”. In Canada, on the Connaught Ranges near Ottawa, Ontario, shooters often encounter a variety of wildlife. William McDonald from Ontario says: “Animals are a common sight on the Range. Along with deer we see geese, turkeys, and coyotes on a daily basis.”Likewise, E. Goodacre from Queensland, Australia often sees ‘Roos on his home range: “I shoot at Ripley, Australia, and shooting is regularly interrupted by kangaroos. Our last silhouette match was delayed by an hour while 30 ‘Roos dawdled across — silly buggers!”
R. Hurley wasn’t the first fellow to view deer through his F-Class rifle’s scope. After seeing Hurley’s photo from Bisley, B. Weeks posted this image, saying: “Been there, done that!”
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Tags: Bisley, Deer, England, F-Class, Grazing, Hurley, UK, Wildlife
I had a bobcat move in front of a target at a 200 yd match before. Had to sit there and wait for him to leave. Luckily I was had only 2 targets left and not up against the clock.
My first two matches at Williamsport a bobcat went through about 200 yards out..
holy crap 5 years in jail for shooting a deer!?!?
see that all the time at the range I frequent in KY. between the river and the woods, they cross back and forth every day. I see better deer at the range than when I’m hunting!
Matches at Range 117, Camp Pendleton, CA, are occasionally interrupted by bison on the range. They usually take their time leaving and are unimpressed by yelling and arm waving. There is a small herd on board Camp Pendleton and they largely do what they want.
Here in Sydney Australia, there was a horse riding club on the range, and the horses were smart enough to open their pens when the riders weren’t present. They didn’t bat an eyelid either with projectiles passing overhead… @Chase, here in Oz, rifle ranges are gazetted sanctuaries so I guess the 5yr term for knocking over a deer at Bisley would be for a sanctuary violation.
We get mule deer and wild burros at Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club in Mesa, AZ. A cool sight to see……as long as you can get them to move along!
Was in the pits at a match in Batavia, Ohio a couple years ago when a doe walked in front of a hospital target causing much anxiety. I finally winged her with a rock that got her attention so we could continue the match.
2012 FCNC in Raton were interrupted by speedgoats. I actually deer hunt on our home range.
Bisley Camp carries a ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’ status.
The deer run free. It’s their local habitat.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/762_photo/2706232292/in/album-72157615669248028/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/762_photo/3756674848/in/album-72157616985633817/
Her Majesty’s Prison Coldingley, is adjacent, the local prison to Bisley Camp.
The 5-years in the ‘slammer’, is just a stone’s throw away.
Merry Christmas to all my readers. AK
Many years ago, we had to “pause” for a small herd of dairy cattle that turned up for a casual stroll across the old Gatton range.
We were in the middle of a grenade shoot, M-79s and M-203s.
The Australian military range complex at Greenbank, Queensland, is home to a substantial number of apparently bulletproof kangaroos and HORSES.
The horses are just a nuisance on the firing ranges, but a serious hazard when they casually step out in front of vehicles using the “ring” road. Collect one with your nice new Mercedes Gelandewagen at reasonable speed and it can end up inside the cab; VERY nasty!
Was at Piedmont Sportsman’s Club rifle range in Virginia about 5 years ago. After walking down to the 200 yard berm and setting up targets, A buddy and I got our rifles set up on benches and ready to shoot. We were both looking through our scopes, about to shoot, when a 6 point buck’s head popped up right behind the target!! He had been grazing with his head down behind the berm!
We were shooting at the back of the house on my private range, 7 mag, 270 and others, wife hollard out of the house to shoot the deer, 5 of them about 30 yds just passing through, acting like it was just another day.
I recall one year at our local (Michigan) club when we were having our annual “sight in days”. A young buck was chasing 3 does back and forth across the range. The range master had to call “Cease fire” on at least 4 occasions. The gunfire had zero effect on his love-making attempts.
Illinois only 1,000 yard range is a little notorious for cease-fires called for wandering [i]cattle[/i].
South of the Quad Cities it’s a club range with the firing line on a built-up fenced off berm in the middle of a pasture. Cattle can wander freely between shooters and the pits, not to mention foxes, turkeys, a coyote once….