Buckshot, Bullets and Bows

I do not hunt regularly. At least I do not hunt game animals regularly. To a certain extent, we are all hunters; we just choose different prey. I have been hunting less than ten times in my life, but I have lots of friends who are hunters. I know about guns and have been around them more frequently than I have been hunting. I have taken a couple of classes to familiarize myself with them. 

Hunters most often use a shotgun, a rifle, or a bow. The game that you are hunting and the season you are in will determine the weapon of choice. Each one of these weapons uses a different type of ammunition. There are variations of each type of ammo, but for general terms, a bow uses arrows, a shotgun uses shells with some kind of buckshot or “shot,” and a rifle uses a cartridge or bullet. Each one has its benefits and requirements. You can’t use them all for every situation. You need to know which one to use for each task.

The same is true of many of our ventures in life. We have to make the right choice of weapon; otherwise, we will spend time trying to accomplish something we can’t do or could be done much quicker and easier if we chose the right tool. Let’s take a look at how this might play out.

Buckshot

A shotgun shell has powder to explode, and it propels buckshot from the opposite end of that shell. The buckshot leaves the end of the gun barrel and sprays or scatters in a broad pattern. This effect is great for small game animals like birds or rabbits but not very effective with large game. It also does less damage to the object it hits. It will have multiple penetration points.

There are things we tackle in life that need a shotgun approach. We need a broader spray field to make sure we hit the target. We may need to be a little more careful with the target, or it may be small enough that we need some margin to make sure we hit it. If the target is small, quick, and not very clear, a shotgun approach to the situation may be the best method. Sometimes multiple options are the best solution. 

Bullets

Rifles and pistols use bullets or cartridges. These are single projectiles that either hit their target or not. A shotgun may have some buckshot that hits and some that don’t. It may even hit and not hit the most vulnerable spot, and the game may move on and never be harvested. A cartridge has more power and can take down large game, but it also requires a higher degree of accuracy. 

Larger projects, goals, and purposes in our lives require more powerful solutions. They have to be focused. If they miss the mark, they can be useless, but they can bring enormous rewards when on target. I see people with big dreams and little skill spraying ideas everywhere but never taking anything down. The most unfortunate thing I see is people taking 50 caliber rifles to a squirrel hunt. They have high skills with low ambition, and nothing in life seems fulfilling. The larger your goal, the more precision you will need and the longer distance it will require.

Bows

Bows have less range and less force. They require high accuracy and skill to use effectively. The variety of animals a hunter can kill with a bow is limited. Bows also offer a more significant challenge to the hunter. A novice should not use a bow, and you do not want to put yourself in a life-threatening situation with only a bow. Bowhunting can offer a thrill to the hunter, but it is not the best device for self-defense. 

Bow adventures are fun in life. They allow us to exercise our skill with an added thrill, but they do not make good tools for building a long, purposeful life. Life should have its thrill-seeking and adventure moments,  but people accomplish great purposes in the mundane daily devotion. Nietzsche calls this “a long obedience in the same direction.” 

Life has lots of situations we must master and conquer. Knowing what tool to use and the requirements are critical for the success of each of those ventures. Every target has its required ammunition if you want to be most effective.