Reminds me of a true story I read in Jim Corbett's "Maneaters of Kumaon". Corbett was hunting a man-eating tiger through the Indian jungle. At one point, believing that he had lost the animal's trail, he and his native guide were (IIRC) returning to camp. Corbett, an amateur egg collector, had found the nest of a rare bird and was carrying some of its eggs in his left hand; he gave his heavy rifle to the guide and was carrying a lighter rifle (I don't remember the calibre but I don't think it was a .22) in his right hand. At some point, he turned - I think to say something to his guide/bearer, and suddenly found himself face to face with the man-eater he had been tracking for days.

He said that three things, which at first would appear to be very bad luck, actually saved his life. First, the animal was a man-eater; a normal tiger would have been spooked and would instinctively have attacked, but the man-eater, having lost its fear of humans, didn't. Secondly, had he not been carrying the eggs in his left hand, he would instinctively have reacted himself; this would definitely have caused the tiger to attack, and at such close range Corbett would have had no chance to defend himself. Thirdly, the fact that the rifle in his right hand was small and lightweight meant that he could carefully bring it around, aim it, and fire it with one hand, whereas with a heavier rifle he would have had no chance.

His first - and only - shot went through the animal's brain, killing it instantly.

(IIRC, his first act after confirming that the tiger was dead was to return the eggs to their nest, as an offering to whatever deity had been watching over him.)

It's been many years since I read "Maneaters of Kumaon" but that scene has always remained vivid in my memory.