Oh most definitely. Between the adrenalin and excitement, you are both distracted and pumped up. Recoil is non-existent. I hate target shooting with hunting rifles. I use a very nice gun vise to sight them in, then any ‘target’ shooting I do is standing and shooting something that gives me a sense of satisfaction that I hit it, like an unopened can of Bud Light. The noise however is another thing. Even out in the boonies, when I fire a round through the 340, I am tone deaf for quite a while. That’s not a good think in Alaska because a round shot in many parts of the state is a dinner bell for brown and grizzly bears. Not hearing them comeing to find dinner is not a good thing.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at your story with getting whacked by the shotgun. I have a scar above my eye from a scope. Back in the day before I found out that everyone was lying to me about “how good sheep and goat meat tasted” I bought a custom ultra light mountain rifle. With scope it was about 6 pounds and chambered in a 30-378 Weatherby. I never did get used to this rifle. It just never felt right to me. Well anyway, I stalked a ram all day and finally got a shot off. I was so excited I just pulled up and fired without taking the time to position the rifle and got scope bit, bad. Sold the gun after that……. I don’t hunt sheep anymore either. I think the meat tastes like crap. I think everyone just says it’s good because they put so much effort and money into bagging it they don’t want to admit the truth.
