Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Moving shots…..

c: 25 to 50%, but these are walking or trotting. Only one running, but that was a second shot. Both hit. The white tail buck didn't know where I was, and ran back toward and past me after the first shot. I swung the 9# Mauser with a 28" barrel on him as he went past, aimed for the shoulder. I hit him in the neck and he dropped in his tracks. The range was 10 feet.

At deer and elk; very very rarely do I shoot at them as they are moving. This is mostly due to the majority of my shots being in the 4-5 hundred yard range, on average. If I happen to be under a couple hundred yards, I will reassess. It's all about low percentage shots vs high percentage shots for me.

The flip side is that I've shot (and shot at) a bunch of coyotes who were in various stages of unassing the area...

I passed on a stodding muley. 19 points and over 200 inches. My first and last muley hunt with a rifle ever. Would have been a heck of a thing to take home.

The kid that killed him clean a few days later was happy though.

And I was elated that I had chosen to pass, and not risked wounding a deer.

Crud of it was that I could have easily smacked him at 500 or 600 yards in his bed no problems... I just am not a moving target shooter and thats how he and I met each other one afternoon, at about 150 yards. I went to sitting and slung up, but by the time I was good and solid, it was too late.

I have zero regrets.

B, not counting coyotes. I've shot at more running coyotes than I can remeber. Pretty good at hitting moving deer/elk whatever, coyotes I generally feel like I'm just making noise.

This is probably one of the most important parts, besides practice.

The ability to remain ice cold calm, and methodically make the shot. What probably gets a lot of us, and I would be included since I don't practice movers, is the thought of running out of time, missing the shot and going home empty handed.

So you speed up to insure you get a 2nd chance.

Like missing doves with a repeater, and then moving back down to a single shot... I always would have better ratios with gramps old break open. Even when I stuck the 410 insert in there....

My experience in Michigan woods hunting has been 25% of my deer shot have been moving.

On the low end of "b" for me. I try to hold out for stationary animals, but I actually have a pretty good record on running critters. I honed my technique on running coyotes during my formative years.

The only miss on big game that I can remember in the last twenty years or so was a kudu running flat out in Namibia--shot just in front of him and there was no second chance. I made up for it later by shooting a duiker juking at full speed, with a .375 H&H. Hit just far enough back to save the cape.

My average is definitely above 50%....probably closer to 75-80% (if you count game that is walking or feeding slowly). Only occasionally is a shot taken with the animal at a full run....although it does happen from time to time. A dead still, standing shot is just as rare.

Even in the years past when we hunted deer with dogs was a shot taken at an animal that was going full-bore. We hunted with beagles to deliberately avoid high-speed shots that were common with bigger walker and bluetick hounds (one man described a deer crossing a logging road ahead of hounds as "shooting at a buckskin string....stretched"). Most were taken while they just eased along far ahead of the dogs or slipping out, but not being chased.

I hunt in an area where 90% of my shots are at 100 yards or less and visability is limited. Most deer (even undisturbed) seen are traveling through or feeding. A standing shot is the exception and is just luck when the deer decides to stop for a minute.

I could probably get more standing shots when hunting over a food plot....if I was willing to wait them out. However, I learned long ago that waiting for a "better" shot was a good way to have the deer decide, for whatever deerish reason, to leave the area and not get any shot at all. I tend to take the first "good" shot that is presented. Most are at a slow walk or slowly feeding along.....not running.

I think if most were to actually think about it, and count deer that are feeding along slowly of walking, the average hunter also takes 50% or more "moving" shots. The exception might be those who habitually take deer over feeders where the deer will most often stand in one place to get a bite.

It is amazing when I think a coyote is going full speed, then miss him, they seem to find a way to go even faster.

we used to practice for archery and riflery by putting a target inside an old tire and rolling it down a hill.

Course, I'm 62 years old. Probably get in trouble for doing it now, and there's surely already an app for it.

I would have to say 75%+, I learnt to shoot on running rabbits with a .22 RF, it's a very common practice here in Australia, then we moved on to foxes and other vermin like pigs, goats and wild dogs. Running shots come natural to me, just like swinging on ducks with a shotgun, only with a rifle.
I mostly only shoot deer these days and I never pass up a running shot. I once heard the saying 'an animal is just as big running as it is standing still' I think this is very true every day of the week.
Meat in the freezer is important to me.

Cheers.

I generally wait for the animal to stop. They don't always cooperate, in which case I usually I let them walk.

Close to "a" but definitely a "b".

B for this old coon.

Probly 1/2 the deer I shoot are moving at some pace. If your waiting on the "perfect" broadside shot where I hunt your gonna wait a while and I doubt its a good buck. Seems like the good ones are always bumping a hot doe or cruising.

I shoot a LOT of shotgun sports year round and feel that really helps on moving deer.

Shooting moving game can be done if you practice, its no different that the guy who who shoots game at 800 yards. If you practice the shot its not that big of deal and there are lots of people that should not do it.

C but seldom running full throttle.

Probably low B. Caribou like to be moving along as they graze. Alone of in a group if they are moving and you want one you better shoot. Of course sometimes you get lucky and they are just milling around. Moose I've shot have been standing around.

Eyeball, I just now noticed this, sorry.

350 yard whitetail was a 3-4' lead if I remember correctly.

Shot 4 times but judging by the snow/blood trail the first shot was lucky enough.


Walking mule deer buck was at 415 yards, rutting, no idea I was nearby. Shot prone, great rest, easy shot. Straight into the gut, buck humped up and big whop on the shot so I knew what happened. He kept walking(slowly) and I did it again. Just could not mentally bring myself to lead him(one foot?), chalk it up to inexperience.


Waited until he stopped and dropped him.