When I was in the Army, going through my initial employment training, we were conducting a night shoot at the range, using night vision, and at some point during the shoot, a kangaroo hopped onto the range. All firing ceased and we waited for the animal to hop away, but after a few minutes, it became apparent that it was settling in for a feed. One of our instructors was in the Sniper Corps so he was called up to 'take care of the situation'.
Like me, he was left-handed, so he asked to borrow my rifle, and lay at my station. Because we were using night vision, we all had front row seats to a sniper in action and were expecting big things. I fixed my gaze on the kangaroo, expecting to see its head disappear at any moment, but when the corporal next to me fired, something quite unexpected happened.
The round, just happened to be a tracer, which made it very easy to track through the goggles we were wearing. It passed by the kangaroo, mere millimetres from its head. The animal looked around before bounding off the range. I remember asking the corporal if he missed and he smirked at my naivety.
He hadn't missed - he'd placed the round exactly where he'd wanted it to go.
And I learned a valuable lesson that day.
Knowing when to pause is the distinction between mindlessness and care. Choosing not to kill in a job that has a grounding in killing points to an operator with a noble mindset. I'd say congratulations on making a decision that highlights care in your work.
That's a good story indeed. It's a brave kangaroo that stays for a second round of 7.62 after the first has zinged past its head.
I've shot (and marginally missed) things that have stayed in place but generally at great distance and after the bullet has gone transonic as the sound a bullet makes is different in the transonic range than supersonic.
Anyway, the ability to kill doesn't always mean one must kill, especially so when there is no threat. I'm content with the decision I made.