I bought a package rifle from savage for my wife to shoot. I decided I would try it out and fill my cow tag. At a range of 130 yards on 3 different days I missed. Point blank range, cross hairs right in the kill zone. Nothing. Yesterday I pulled the trigger on a lead cow, cross hairs right where they need to be. Nothing. Pull up again, try to put another toward her boiler room. Nothing. Fine, I'll shoot her in the head. Nothing. She turned ass towards me so I aimed at her opposite shoulder and tried to zip one up her. Nothing. Needless to say this has never ever ever happened to me. My hunting partners were pretty fed up with me missing when they push elk on top of me. I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure if there is parallax in the scope or if it doesn't hold sight or what. Super frustrated.

I would have probably headed to the range after missing at 130 yards to check zero.

MachoKing - how much range time did you put in with the rifle before you took it in the field?

Did it shoot well for you then?

If I knew I did my part and never touched them - I would be shooting at paper to verify things before I went into the field a second time.

Shot 30 rounds at the range. After I missed the first time I checked the zero and it was fine. I'm not rushing my shots and at that range it should hit. My trigger pull is 3 lbs so I doubt I'm jerking it.

Did you check to make sure there wasn't blood after you shot? Elk are good at absorbing hits without reaction.

I usually shoot a rem model 700 7mm RM. When I shoot at critters they go down. No issues. Just, trying to figure out if it's me or the gun.

Yeah I always check for blood. I don't want to toot my own horn but I'm a pretty decent tracker.

I've killed around 12 elk with zero issues until this year. Hell, maybe I was getting excited. Still wouldn't explain all the misses.

Sounds like if the gun was good at the range after the first miss that its all on you.

All I can think is maybe I was flinching or blinking. Hard to remember what happened in the heat of the moment.

Either that or I'm mildly retarded. I think I need to do a little clay shooting and target shooting to get my confidence vack. Right now it is completely shot.

adrenaline will do that.....

What's a "package rifle"?

You miss the boiler room and then try a head shot??? Then a Texas heart shot? You need to settle down and refine your shooting. If the rifle is zeroed, you need more practice. Were those misses in field positions, off hand or?? and then did you just shoot off the bench at the range????

I would say that right there was/is the problem "heat of the moment"
I encountered the same problem about 20 years ago. I got all heated up at the appearance of the animal. I started "throwing" my shots at them. when I had missed my 4th deer, I sat down and really had a talk with my self. I made a conscious effort to become icy calm after that. I imagined I was operating on a brain. cold, calm, precise. shoot like you are trying to hit one hair. worked for me. about 60 or so critters later and a equal number of rounds.

My guess it is one of those deals where you get the whole "package" for one low price like $499. Base model rifle, throwaway scope/rings.

These were all off hand shots. Couldn't get a rested shot because of a berm in between me and the animals. I think it was just my nerves. It's been a couple years since I even saw anything to shoot at. I think it's what deer stalker said. My bad. Better luck next time I guess.

Why do so many guys say we shoot smaller cartridges better? I thought only magnum lovers missed everything they aim at, or it goes in the gut yada yada yada... . I'm also wondering what scope you are using, since you think it might be a parallax issue?? Are you getting buck fever? Cow fever? How does the rifle shoot at the range in field positions?

It's a nikon pro staff bdc. I'm gonna call it cow fever. First time it's ever struck me.

I suck at tracking, that's why I make the first shot count...

Practice your offhand shooting and see what kind of groups you shoot at that range ("130 yards"). Then consider a little adrenaline, heavy breathing and maybe some muscle fatigue and the groups open even more. Try practicing with different rifles too, you might be surprised at the difference in group size from one rifle to another. Hopefully you didn't wound any of the cows you were shooting at and better luck next time..

Trolling..

[quote=MachoKing Better luck next time I guess. [/quote]

a little practice will boost the luck factor I guess.....

Caught a few whoppers.

Chitty chooting runs in the family?......

seems that feller is smarter than I thought.......after that fiasco

You'd think it should......

That was pretty much my thoughts from the git go....

Haha. Normally I am an excellent shot I have just had a really off year.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang???

bingo....

Quit. Sell the guns and join a chess club, or something.

For sure. At the least, borrowed a junker.

I would say there's 3 dead cows out there, or R Loco is right. Probably the latter.

My vote is still that this is likely the bullchit thread of the week.

It has all the markings doesn't it!

You sure there was actually elk in the scope?

Bet that's the problem. How often do you really practice off hand shooting? Therec is a lotvof aur sround an elk and hustling the shot it's easy to jerk (flinch) clear off the vitals vBulletin of an elk.

If you cannot "call" the shoot...have a photo stop memory of where the crosshairs were when the hammrr fell despite the urgency and adrenalin you need a lot more practice.

Don't mind Don. He's just mad 'cause you missed with his favorite, the .260.

He probably thinks you would've nailed it with an '06.

Title of the thread makes it sound like the caliber had something to do with the bad experience. Sounds like just poor shooting on your part. Offhand at over 100 yards is pretty tough. Only guys that shoot a lot and from that position can usually pull it off.

Salvage, .260, package deal, ass shot, etc. etc..

Gotta have an 8/0 hook to load all of that bait.

Punch your tag and wait for next year. You've shot this years quota.

I agree!!!!

And they keep swallowing the hook.

yep.

I've made shots like this off hand before. I guess I am out of practice. And no, I will not be selling all my guns! I've shot enough animals to know that when I miss, there is something incredibly wrong going on. I was just looking for some *helpful* advice. There were a few people that echoed my same thoughts. I was probably flinching and dipping the rifle.

I tracked each animal for 2-3 hours to be sure. I am not one to leave game in the field.

It is salmon season so...

You caught a few.

I'm honestly not trying to troll. For once in my life.

Shouldn't you be in school?

Vinny?? Is that you?

I had the same problem with my .260 on an antelope this week. Except that the gun shoots under a half inch at 200 yds with anyone shooting it.........
I would check to see if the as issued from savage scope is junk first , I don't believe the scopes on most package deals are worth giving a five yr. old to play with let alone hunt with......

YGBFSM. You are either a bs troll or you are crazy, or both. On not one occasion could you kneel and shoot off a knee or shoot from a sitting position or get a rest on the side of a tree?

Yep, RL called it

Hook,line & boat

What kind of bullets are you using in that.260?

wax.....

I took my .260 out hunting this weekend. Big buck jumped up and I couldn't get a shot off in time.

I'm having .260 problems too!!!

Mines been carried for a month, and I can't even find an elk to miss once, let alone 3 days/3 times. Talk about the luck....

So...A little update. Went to take the scope off to put on a new Leupold and heavens to betsy, I could turn the scope easily by hand and the mounts were even loose. FML. THIS is why you never trust a factory mount job.

Heavens to betsy!!

thank goodness you didn't wait a whole year to look at it.

Been there.
Several years ago, I took a bad fall on loose shale and really dinged up my scope. I shot it several times and it seemed fine. But then, I shot an elk from about 150 yds. I hit way to the left and spined it. I got within 10 yds for a kill shot but I could just barely fit a bullet through the brush to her neck. It took me 4 shots to hit it in the neck, and that was from a solid rest.

Back to the range. I could put 3 or 4 inside an inch but then it would jump 4" to one side or the other. I screwed with it a long time then replaced the scope. Same thing. It took me a long time to figure that one out.

The rifle has Leupold bases & rings - the type with a dovetail on both sides of the rear ring and a cupped screw on each side to adjust windage. When I fell, part of the dovetail on the ring sheared off. I couldn't move it by hand so I couldn't feel movement but the recoil of the 300 WSM sure could shift it. It would shoot great for several rounds, then move a little. I replaced the rings and voila', it was back to a MOA rifle. I probably fired 100 rounds from the bench before I solved that one.

What's wrong with that? I look at my rifle every year, usually when I go to Cabela's to buy my box of ammo. for that year.

Sounds like Lonny made the call.

If you were any kind of rifleman, a box would last you more than a year.

I bought a box 19 years ago... Need to start looking for a replacement..

Makes a lot of sense as to why I resighted it at elk camp and had to make some pretty significant adjustments at 100 yards. Then riding the 4 wheeler/hiking probably boogered it all up again. I love the rifle though. The .260 is very enjoyable to shoot, low recoil, NORMALLY goes where you want it (unless your scope is looser than a Vegas stripper.)

4 wheeler..

Where do you hunt again?

Holyt K-riste in a handbasket! You can sight in a rifle and not notice the scope mounts AND the scope is loose????

I had to read the entire thread twice before I believed this.

Careful what you say on this forum.

As for the 4 Wheeler comment, no I don't hunt from a 4 Wheeler. I ride to the end of the road and then walk in another 5 miles. 2. The scope was just tight enough to make a nice group from the bench. 3. Some people are a little too presumptuous.

god I hope it's not montana..

Please tell me you're from texass and hunt in colorado.. please, please, please..

When you guys buy a computer, a truck, or an ATV, do you go over every bolt to make sure it's torqued right? When you buy something, you expect it to be assembled right. Most of the package guns are done well and bore sighted. He appears to have got the exception.

C'mon, apples and oranges.. Anyways, he experienced a malfunction, and didn't check what anyone would have checked. On a rifle or a truck..

Damn, I read 8 pages of BS and the OP waits two months to finally decide to do what he should have done after the first miss and that was to thoroughly check the scope, rings, and bases! He's a MatchoKing alright, LOL, and I hope he doesn't hunt in Wyoming!

I think the only malfunction is people taking him seriously.

You know what. I didn't grow up with someone to teach me about guns. I have had to learn on my own. Sometimes these lessons are learned the hard way. It's awesome that the rest of you are so perfect. Or a bunch of crotchety old bitches. I am not from Texas, I'm from Idaho. Now get off your high horse.

And between training and the constant deployments I don't get much of a chance to hunt or shoot for that matter. I'm just looking for advice and assistance and it seems like I won't get that here, just a bunch of snarky comments.

you're fulla chit.

bye..

With the "constant deployments," it looks like the ragheads are pretty safe from MachoKing's boolits.

Prolly might learn something from his gunny Sergeant, for sure.

Steve

Me either. But I know BS when I see it. Learned that all by myself.

If you can shoot the 7Rem. Mag 2with out flinching how are you
going to be flinching with a 260 which has less recoil??
Some thing wlse is going on here loose rings, base not tight but something is just not right! Good lock in sorting it out. Cheers NC

This train wreck has likely run it's course, but these two quotes jumped out for me. "Constant deployments" sounds military to me, but then "I didn't grow up with someone to teach me about guns" seems like a big contradiction.

Regardless - whether MachoKing is military or not, I never let anyone mount scopes on any of my rifles. I've had reputable shops offer to do so with a rifle purchase and always decline. I always take the time to degrease threads, blue Loktite the base screws, check ring alignment with steel bars and lap if necessary, and position the scope for proper eye relief. I wouldn't trust any shop to install a scope and go through the same process I do myself.

Let's see 5 miles hiking in elk country - that's minimum 2-1/2 hours in and 2-1/2 hours out. Got it.