Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game To shoot or not to shoot, what say you?

What percentile of confidence of making a shot to the vitalsdo you consider necessary before taking a given opportunity to shoot at a game animal? Stated another way on any given shot do you have to feel I can make that shot 98 times out of 100, 95 times out of 100 ,75 times out of 100 etc. before you will attempt or pass on a shot at game.

I don't put numbers on it. I just have a gut feeling, and it's pretty conservative.


Okie John

Basically 100%. I guess there could be some freak occurrence like a mis-charged cartridge or freak 30mph gust of wind out of nowhere or the animal mysteriously bolting at top speed right when I shoot or whatever. But if there's a chance I miss due to hold instability or inability to read the wind, I don't shoot.

I don't shoot unless I'm certain of the shot. I'm truly amazed when I miss. We owe it to our game to provide a quick, painless death if all possible.

This and this.......



While it is true that I have not shot/kilt a 'lot'............

To date/knock on wood, I have yet to miss with a center-fire rifle....................

Back in November of '83 I thought I had missed, I was stunned, it was a 14yd shot, astonished at the way he hopped the fence and ran..... but he was there, about 50 yds away, piled up just out of sight.

Yes I realized when I asked the question i really didn't know if I could really put a number on it , but I didn't know how else to quantify it. I can't really say 100% though I'd like to. I realize there is always some risk of pulling the shot , the target moving, hitting an unseen branch other wise no one would ever miss. But still like you I'm pretty conservative.

That's where I am. Last year I missed a good buck, he was standing statue still broadside less than 150 yds. Totted off unalarmed. I looked for sign for 2 hours --- nothing, nada, zip, zilch....still stunned (me).

Why ? you ask, "overconfident". The last few have been spread out over several years but EVERY one was from over confidence.

Jerry

Some years ago I passed on a shot at a really nice mulie buck. He was at about 200-250 but there was a fierce cross wind, gusts maybe up to 30. The only rest I had was a bush that was moving as fast as the wind. I had a 270 with 150 gr bullets but there was no way I could hold it steady. He was sure pretty to look at, though.

I can't put numbers on it in the field when I'm actually hunting. All I can say is, if I don't have confidence I can make the shot I don't take it.




So it stands to reason that you've never missed a shot then?

I missed three times last year. Twice on hogs at 120 yds in the last 12 months of so, out of say 60 shot. One I'd knocked the scope off and it was shooting about 4" high. The other I just plain missed. Had a good rest and a good squeeze. Went back and checked and the rifle was dead on. Amazing!


The buck I missed was down hill at 175' yds. in a small clearing. Fog blowing in and out. The scope was a Swarovski 4-12 with the BRH reticle. As an aside, that reticle is too busy to use in blowing fog and you're trying to make out the critter. Damn frustrating when you can see the buck in your binocs, and then look thru your scope and he's not there. Watched this guy on an off for about an hour before the fog lifted just enough to take a shot. I could have sworn I heard a "whap". Bummer, I prefer a "whop". Got down to where I suspected the point of impact to be. Found about a dozen cut white hairs. Looked for over an hour and nothing. After three misses, I was beginning to think I'd lost my "mojo".

Ya!

GWB

I don't shoot at the distances you folks are used to. Ohio has been a shotgun state for a long time, and only a rifle state for a few years, so I'm used to 100-150yard shots with a gun, and no more than 45-50yards with bow or crossbow.
I've missed scoped shots with a sabot shotgun, but haven't missed since going back to iron sights.

On big game, only one time. I took a shot at a feral pig that was about 550y away across a canyon. It was moving fast, so I ranged it with my reticle and did so badly and held for 375y. Missed low down by its feet. Didn't get a 2nd shot. A good lesson.

On predators, small game and birds, different story.

Question fer you guys,

if ya get several twofers (two with one shot) does that make up for the misses?










JAPPFT,



GWB

Naw, That's just show off stunt shooting. Cool story material though I've never managed that with a rifle but have pulled it off a couple of times with a shotgun. So what's the skinny on that nice full stock rig .

I don't shoot unless I KNOW I"m good, I like to use the figure 200% sure.

But I never know if I'm going to shoot, I never know when exactly the shot will break in the process and a few times animals have walked off before the gun went off... no biggy though, I'd rather them walk than me muff a shot.

Last 2 times I missed was around 350 yards, and later I found that the scope had died and was not moving off of its 100 yard zero....

Beyond that I actually have a hard time recalling a miss. Back up to the teen years.... yeah, back then I missed a few times. But my mentor was such that I actually was trying to aim at a single hair and as such shots took time to develop and even back then it was rare for me to miss.

All that said, one of the first shots, if not THE first shot I had at a deer, was, no chit, about 2-3 feet from the muzzle and dad whispered point at its head and pull... I"m pretty sure I just pointed, closed my eyes and yanked... I did not hit the deer... there were 3 of us surprised as heck that cold morning... The next one I had my own rifle and it got better from then on out..

Something I do and taught my kids to do; when I have a killing shot I take it. When I don't have a killing shot, I pass.

I gots a few of those, I generally try to avoid those on deer.... but my wife walked away one night, while I was messing around with some pigs, trying to get a 2fer head shot... it took a LONG time, but it finally worked. I have missed the 2nd head a few times too. 2 fer in the ribs, generally isn't to hard. But timing has to be good, never known a feral pig to be slow about moving. 2 fer with arrows means I have to be on the ground to start with and then both lucky and good.

I like Sakos, I've had the good fortune to score two of the Sako Bavarian Carbines. That one is chambered in 30-06 Springfield.




This one is chambered in the 308 Winchester. Not a two-fer, but two in the same evening.

JAPPFT,


GWB

I've had confidence on deer with shots past 350, and no confidence on elk at 50-60 yards. Every situation is different.

I'll allow for shooting at moving animals, but a miss there is easy to play off. The miss that comes at a still animal well within range is a real shock though. I've missed easy shots a couple of times and just sat there shocked and confused as to how that just happened.

^^^THIS^^^

I hate wounding animals. It's a PITA too when you have to track them and mess around for hours. Then when you do find them, dead or alive, the meat will taste like schit.