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Hitting Deer on Your Second Shot
dreher
Member Posts: 8,862 ✭✭✭✭
My favorite deer rifle is a Browning 78, 243. When carrying a single shot rifle, I squeeze the trigger, go gather up my deer. I am always totally aware of the fact that I only have one shot. I take my time, do it carefully. Mentioned this at my favorite man cave/gun store. One guy said he wouldn't go hunting with out second shot capability. That made me think about anytime I have ever had to take a second shot. I can't remember missing with the first shot, hitting the second. I can remember rolling one over first shot, then as the deer gets up hitting and finishing the deer off. How many of you have cleanly missed a first shot, hit with the second shot? I have a feeling it's pretty rare. Makes me think that second shot capability is over rated. But I could be wrong.
Comments
If I missed a deer, i dont think I'd try for a second shot if it was moveing, and ofcourse it would be most likely.
I am very careful with that first shot.
lucky.
I say stick to the single round, you make all the other guys look like chumps when they are snapping in their 4 or 5 round magazines and putting that partial box of ammo in their pocket.
Would love a Browning Hi-wall, peep site, in 7-08.
I DO get a kick out of some dove hunters that seem to have the full auto shotguns- they never can seem to shoot once- its BLAM-BLAM-BLAM, and the doves keep flying. Once in a while I will get a double. But a miss on the first is usually a miss on the second.
Used to do a fair amount of dove hunting. Always used pumps. A very good shooting (he didn't miss much) buddy of mine buys a semi-auto. First dove hunt using that gun, he couldn't hit anything on the first shot. He had a little better luck on the second shot and was deadly with the third. He went though a lot of shells and heckling that day. It was clearly all in his head. He as since recovered.
A couple years later, that same buddy and I were deer hunting. Out trots a nice buck at about 50 yards and he proceeds to put two slugs in it (with his semi-auto 12 G) about an inch apart just as fast as he could pull the trigger. Of course the deer is very dead and I'm very impressed.
So naturally the next year I was determined to do the same thing with my semi-auto. So along comes a cooperative buck, I get him in my sights and yank that trigger as fast as I can, twice. Missed both times of course since I was way more concerned with putting two holes in him than one good one. As I mentioned he was cooperative - he stopped about 40 yards away to try to make sense of all the noise and fortunately the 3rd shot worked fine.
I have pretty well come full circle by now and hunt primarily with a muzzeloader. I fully understand that the 1st shot is almost always going to be the best one - make it count. Do second shots happen? Of course, we're all human. The first prey to fall to my ML was a coyote. And of course a second coyote came along after the first one fell. No, I couldn't get reloaded fast enough. Now I do typically carry a pistol as backup when the season allows it.
Ruger #1 in .270. One in the pipe, one in the palm, and five in the pocket.
Oh, yeah, I've never heard of a single shot jamming.[:I]
Hell yes I miss. I miss deer, elk, coyotes, birds, rabbits on and on and on.
Sometimes it's helpful to have a couple extra in the mag. I don't always need them but occasionally I do.
I have yet to meet someone whom hasn't unloaded their gun and come up empty handed, at least a few times in their life. I still get buck fever from time to time. I don't always shoot from the prone position. In fact most of my elk are taken off hand.
Sometimes I jerk the trigger, sometimes I hit the invisible branch and sometimes I flat out miss.
I probably go though 20rds of 300wm ammo every three years. I certainly dont kill 20 animals every three years with that gun. I dont blame my gun, it's the one pulling the trigger.
Kudos to the one shot, one kill, I never miss guys. Youre better than me.
Florida muck farm. There were three trees on the farm
so long shots were the norm. We were young and not as
responseble as a hunter might should be.
so shooting half a mile with a spotter was not unusual
an old Rem. 760, 30/06 with a twenty dollar scope on it
was not the optimal tool for the job, but we did take a
few after two or three shots.
P.S. for the record, that was twenty five years ago and
being a more responsible hunter now than then, I wont
take shots like that anymore. Hell I cant see that far
anymore.
Just because your gun only holds one round doesn't mean your pocket won't.[8D]
Oh, yeah, I've never heard of a single shot jamming.[:I]
well your about to [B)][:D] my nephew started hunting with a NEF 243 single shot and lost his 1st deer because it would not eject the spent case [:(!] had to take a cleaning rod to get it out [B)]
for some reason it would stick every time he used fed. ammo but not remington or winchester go fig. [:D] gun was even sent to a gunsmith.
Now myself I like using my single shot 7-08 encore [}:)][:D][:D]
never has given any problems and always 1shot 1 kill [:D] so far anyways [:D]
As bpost stated wind drift can be a problem, a repeater is very quick about compensating for it without having to re cheeck weild.
I think if you cant shoot a semi well, you have a mental block or lack discipline or skill that you can only attain with regular practice.
Never needed a second shot but do carry a quick charge in my pocket .
I also started hunting with an Ithaca model 66 single shot lever gun . Found out early that the first shot was the best an to make it count .
6 or 7 seasons ago I shot a whitetail at about 200 yards. Down it
went. I walked down to the deer. Nice Buck, gave it a kick then went
back for the truck. Buy the time I got back with the truck the deer
was gone. Never found him.
Most of my deer hunting is with a single shot as we primarily us shotguns with slugs here in Indiana and the H&R's with a scope are very nice. Lately an Encore handgun in .270 (yes it's legal in IN), I have also killed more game with a single shot than I ever will with anything else. However If I was on a hard hunt covering a lot of ground, say a mountain elk hunt, with cold weather gear on, I beleive I would want some extras in the magazine, just in case. Hunting doesn't follow a scripted plan, I would not like fumbling for shells while a hard won opportunity walked away, especially if I wounded it, and let's face it it happens occasionaly.
Edit: Just read my post, yes I too have missed some deer that I did not get another shot at during 35 years of hunting. That number went down when I got better gear, like scoped, rifled slug guns instead of the smooth bore no sites ones we used as a kid. Age seemed to help as well. For actually numbers on my H&R single shot slug gun I've fired 33 rounds resulting in 30 dead and recovered deer. I shot one twice, I probably didn't need to but I did, hit a limb once and plain missed a head shot, the deer dropped it's head, or maybe I just missed either way it lived and it was a shot I probably shouldn't have taken. I'm not perfect like some of you boys.
I filled out two farm tags last year within fifteen minutes of my first hunt. I was walking to my hide when I spotted a doe, shot it in the head, then another doe walked up to the one I'd dropped and sniffed it, shot it in the head too. I hunt with an AR-15.[:D]
lucky.
I quit taking head shots at deer when I was 15.I had a mod 12, 12ga and knocked a doe down at 30 yds, she got up and stood there for a second shot and just shook her head. I put the 3rd in her neck and she stayed down. The first shot took her lower jaw off, the second took an ear off. That was my last head shot.
The shots I can recall missing, were mostly at 300+yds when I was first getting into long range shooting. Now, they seem like simple shots, but you have to start somewhere.
quote:Originally posted by quickmajik
I filled out two farm tags last year within fifteen minutes of my first hunt. I was walking to my hide when I spotted a doe, shot it in the head, then another doe walked up to the one I'd dropped and sniffed it, shot it in the head too. I hunt with an AR-15.[:D]
lucky.
I quit taking head shots at deer when I was 15.I had a mod 12, 12ga and knocked a doe down at 30 yds, she got up and stood there for a second shot and just shook her head. I put the 3rd in her neck and she stayed down. The first shot took her lower jaw off, the second took an ear off. That was my last head shot.
That sounds awful. I have never had problem with the headshots I have taken. I have taken lung and heart shots with the AR-15, but I like head shots better. Those two last year were about 60-80 yards away.
A gym whistle or grunt is a good way to get a grazeing doe to present for a good head shot.
Wow, all you guys are amazing shots.
Hell yes I miss. I miss deer, elk, coyotes, birds, rabbits on and on and on.
Sometimes it's helpful to have a couple extra in the mag. I don't always need them but occasionally I do.
I have yet to meet someone whom hasn't unloaded their gun and come up empty handed, at least a few times in their life. I still get buck fever from time to time. I don't always shoot from the prone position. In fact most of my elk are taken off hand.
Sometimes I jerk the trigger, sometimes I hit the invisible branch and sometimes I flat out miss.
I probably go though 20rds of 300wm ammo every three years. I certainly dont kill 20 animals every three years with that gun. I dont blame my gun, it's the one pulling the trigger.
Kudos to the one shot, one kill, I never miss guys. Youre better than me.
I have never done that...perhaps it's b/c I'm a bow hunter. I honestly believe that bow hunters are better hunters. I have however missed with a bow and had a follow up shot with another arrow. I do have well over 100 whitetails under my belt as well. I killed my first two deer with an old single shot Ithaca and 20 ga pumpkin ball, two days apart and the next year I went to a bow.
well, since we can literaly take some 30+ deer here, I quite often use all 4 rounds. However, that most always means 4 deer.
The shots I can recall missing, were mostly at 300+yds when I was first getting into long range shooting. Now, they seem like simple shots, but you have to start somewhere.
+1
I have missed some long range shots, but I've never emptied a whole mag on a deer...and by long range, I mean well over 300 yards.
You ain't gonna' get a second shot at a deer in Texas, so why worry!
Funny thing about Texas deer, they are quick learners and they don't stick find out what happened.
My worse miss, I was 11 years old spotted a deer. I shot three times, the deer never flinched. Come to find out later, Dad said i was shooting well beyond the ability of my .243. I showed him where the deer was and he drove me to where the bullets were hitting.
Other than that, I cannot truly recall missing a deer. Not bragging. I was taught to shoot in the neck, and I alsways have with great success.
Now I shoot for * when dove hunting. Its like shooting pool. I can make the hard shots, but the easy ones get me everytime.
quote:Originally posted by JustC
well, since we can literaly take some 30+ deer here, I quite often use all 4 rounds. However, that most always means 4 deer.
The shots I can recall missing, were mostly at 300+yds when I was first getting into long range shooting. Now, they seem like simple shots, but you have to start somewhere.
+1
I have missed some long range shots, but I've never emptied a whole mag on a deer...and by long range, I mean well over 300 yards.
So you guys are saying you have never missed the same animal 3 times.........ever?
I would have to say that the average shot I take on deer is 250 yards. I usually hunt the hay fields along the river bottoms providing long, rested shots. I'm ok with those, doing about 95%.
Elk hunting offers me shots from 15yrds out to 500yrds. The shot opportunity may come while watching them feed out of the timber into a park. Giving me plenty of time to calm my nerves.
Here's a little example of what I put my self through.
I've cut a bulls tracks in the creek bottom. He's heading up one side of the draw so I try to parallel him on the other side. There he is disappearing into the trees.
After tying up the horses and then a 100 yard dash through knee deep snow, wearing about all the clothes I own. Out of breath and all amped up for the shot. The bull is trotting through the christmas trees on the face of the next ridge. He stops about half way up the ridge and looks at me.
I look desperately for some kind of rest, anything. Nothing but the tops of sage brush in the deep snow. I take a knee to do my best. "How far is he? The crosshairs are dancing all over the bull. Looks like 300 yards.....thats too far without a rest." Now I'm rolling around in the snow trying to get a comfortable shooting position and keep the snow out of the scope.
Not going to work. He's still there but he's looking uphill now. Not much time. I run up the hill about 50 yards and find a small dead pine tree for a kneeling rest. The bull has started walking up the ridge. "You have to shoot NOW!" Flip the safety off and squeeze the trigger. BOOM. The shot echos across the mountain. I regain my sight picture and the bull is just standing there looking at me. "Did I hit him?"
I cycle the bolt and watch the empty disappear in the snow. "Where did the first shot go? Is he further than that?"
Still fighting for breath, I squeeze the trigger again, now expecting to see a reaction from him. This time I see him flinch and take a step forward. "Did I gut shoot him? No, don't tell me that. Last shot, make it count." Now I'm worried that hes wounded and going to get away.
The bull starts up the hill again as I touch the trigger to quickly, rushing the shot and certain I've missed. "Wasted the last one."
Now in a panic I dig through all of the clothing for my gun belt. Finally pulling out a single round and chamber it. Very intent on the shot I put it high on his shoulder and settle the crosshairs and squeeze the trigger. As the 300 win mag recoils I can see the bull dropping through the scope. And a second later I can hear the dull WHACK of the bullet. He's down....finally.
This is about the same panic attack mixed with adrenaline I experience every year. It's no wonder I miss so much.[:I]
And yes, I do talk out loud to myself!