Originally Posted by
Grizzly
Shooting rats? There were plenty to shoot since our compound was on a small tributary of the Mekong River. If we used full power loads, the report while on guard duty would raise questions, not to mention disturb those trying to sleep. There was enough background noise as it was. I used to say while everyone back home slept to the sound of crickets, we heard .50's going off in the distance as well as small arms.
So some of us would pull the bullets, dump some of the powder and then push the bullet back in. I always brought my cleaning rod with me in case the bullet didn't make it out the barrel. (I read years later in a reloading manual that the H110 powder that was probably used in the carbine round should not be used with a reduced load). That happened one night when I tried to shoot one of those huge rats we sometimes saw. I still remember wanting to shoot the rat so bad and looking at the M60. Some guys would do that and then not own up to it causing the whole compound to go on alert. Then I'd have to light the sky up with my 81 mortar flares for an hour or so until they let us go back to bed.
Sometimes i'd get shotgun shells from the gate guards and then cut up the buck shot into small pieces for the rats. I'd reduce the powder charge, lay a layer of melted wax down, then the shot and another wad. they worked pretty good but not as good as the load I made with my dog tag chains. I still remember that rat jumping about a foot straight up, flipping over and landing on his back dead. I should have had Dad mail me some #9 shot. Just something to do when I was not playing the harmonica along that river or watching the small boats go by at night.