ATN HUNT STORY: Silent Strike - Gobblers in Virginia's Early Morning
Location: Virginia
ATN Prostaff, Hunter: Josh Shepherd
ATN Product: ATN X-Sight 5 LRF 3-15x
The dawn was barely touching the Virginia skyline, casting a faint silver glow over the dense woods where silence ruled, except for the occasional rustle of leaves underfoot. The air was crisp, the kind of morning where every sound carries farther than usual.
We were armed with our Ranger Model 300 Blackouts, outfitted with ATN X-Sight 5 LRF 3x Optics. The tranquility of the morning was perfect for employing our 194 Grain Maximum Expansion Subsonic bullets.
The terrain was challenging, with thick underbrush and undulating hills that tested our stealth. Positioning ourselves 17 yards from an anticipated strutting zone, we nestled into the brush, our camo blending seamlessly with the early spring foliage. The suppressors on our rifles promised a hunt with minimal disturbance, a crucial element when targeting the sharp-eared gobblers of Virginia.
As the sun rose, casting long shadows and painting the woods in hues of gold and green, the gobblers began their morning calls, a natural symphony heralding the start of a new day. The ATN X-Sight scopes providing clear, sharp images of our surroundings, enhanced by the built-in laser rangefinder to precisely gauge the distance.
The effectiveness of the subsonic rounds combined with our precision optics was apparent. The gobblers fell almost simultaneously, each hit with a clean headshot that left no room for suffering. The silence of the woods was barely disturbed, the faint sound of our suppressed shots dissipating as quickly as it had erupted.
