I find that leads on movers are a lot easier to remember if they're thought of in angular measure rather than linear measure.


You can calibrate your scope to some degree for use in angular measure. For example, a straight 6 X 42 Leupold M8 scope has a Field Of View (FOV) of 17 feet at 100 yards. This would also mean that from the center of the scope, the crosshair, to one edge at 100 yards = 8.5 feet. Halfway from the center crosshair to the edge (1/4 of the distance across the entire FOV) is 4.25 feet at 100 yards. This 4.25 feet is real close to the lead required for a 30 mph mover at 100 yards with a projectile flight of about .1 second (you'll need to calculate your actual time of flight to get things more exact).

So, if I were to have a deer traveling at full run (~30mph) 90 degrees to me I could use the point on the reticle that is 1/2 way from the crosshair to the edge of the FOV as my aiming point using that scope...place that reference point on the chest of the deer and pull the trigger.

Would this same 1/2 way across the reticle reference point also work at 200 yards??? Yes it will, and this is made possible because it's an angular reference point. As the distance to the target increases the linear distance from what the crosshair covers to what the 1/2 way reference point covers also increases. At 200 yards the FOV of this scope doubles to 34 feet, that also increases the distance from the crosshair to the edge of the FOV to 17 feet and now 1/2 way from the crosshair to the edge of the FOV is 8.5 feet, not 4.25ft.

Would this 8.5 ft of lead be enough for a running deer 90 degrees to me at 200 yards??? The bullet now takes about .2 second to cover the distance to the deer. Deer is moving at ~44 feet per second so .2 x 44 = 8.8 feet (8'10") and the reference point distance of 8.5 feet (8' 6") is pretty close.

If the deer is moving away at a 45 degree angle full speed run we use a reference point only 1/4 the distance from the crosshair to the edge of the scope FOV as we only need 1/2 the lead.

The standard .1 sec per 100 yards works pretty well to a about 200 yards for a projectile speed of 3000-3100 fps.

This is just food for thought and you'll need to get the correct numbers for your rifle to make it precise.

With a standard duplex reticle (non calibrated system) it's difficult to get things correct. Use a calibrated reticle and the aiming points are easy(ier) to remember. I use MilDot reticles, they're real nice for shooting movers as the dots are fixed reference points.

Shooting a 30mph mover is not easy, then again neither is shooting 3 mph mover with precision. It takes a bit of practice but there is a method to help get it correct. I simply find it a whole lot easier to remember a fixed value angular lead for the entire distance range than a series of linear measurements dependent upon target range.

Swede, that's pretty close to the million dollar question. All of my experience on moving targets is either with a shotgun or a 30-30. Obviously the shot/bullet are slower, and the ranges were/are much closer. With the possible exception of snipe or related birds, most fly a fairly straight path. Deer tend to have some up and down in their travel(running/bounding) so that compounds the issue. That you got two is a big plus and indicates basic appreciation for the situation of your shot. The missed one, well who knows? Perhaps a deflection by an unseen branch, or maybe you stopped your swing as you shot? Failure to follow through is the single biggest reason people miss moving targets. YOU HAVE TO SWING THROUGH THE SHOT.

If you know the speed, and aspect of your target, and the ballistics of your rifle you can calculate it easy enough after the fact. Before the fact you might want to practice a bit and/or do some calculating on different scenarios. As an example, if the circumstance is the same in all regards except that one deer is a 90* aspect and the other is 45*, then the relative velocity of your target is reduced by 50% on the second deer. TOF for your load at 100 yards is somewhat less than .1 sec I'm guessing. An object moving at 30 mph is making 44 fps, so about 4.4 feet for the 90* aspect. TOF is not linear as range increases, ie. double the distance, maybe triple the time.

Anyway, that's a rough idea how I think about it prior to the fact. When it's happening you need to rely on practice and experience. One of the Norwegian countries requires hunters to shoot at and qualify on moving targets, a moose silhouette I believe. I hear there are some that don't cut the grade.....

There are basically two methods to shoot movers: trapping (ambush) or tracking.

As I see it, folks that use the tracking method are the ones suggesting the come from behind continue to swing and shoot with follow through.

Saeed is probably using the trapping (ambush) method (I use this method on ocassion too). All that's required is to select the correct spot in front of the target and shoot that spot letting the target walk/run into the path/impact of the bullet.

Either way works but there are times when one is better than the other IMHO.

the amount of lead will depend on how fast you're swinging through the deer with your rifle barrel. On a broadside 125 yard deer, I swing through quickly and pull the trigger as you would a shotgun, when about three feet in front of the shoulder. I don't use a sustained lead, pull through, shoot with the gun moving, with this method you won't have to lead as much. Don't attempt to be too precise and second guess the shot, I think that's most people's problem with running game. When the game is moving you have to shoot a rifle like a shotgun. A 125 yard shot shouldn't be too hard to make with a little practice on running targets.

Saeed,

You are an accomplished claybird shot, no doubt. But hitting a deer broadside, with its up-and-down, and sometimes herky-jerky gait is a lot different. Claybird shooting is skill; running deer shooting is mostly luck; especially at distance.

"...How far does one need to aim in front of a running deer?..."

Depends on lots of factors.

How fast is he running, how far is he, what angle is he running at.

I have shot lots of game on the run. From jackals to cape buffalo. Some were just walking, and some were runnign at full speed.

It is no difference to shooting birds or clay pigeon. Each angle has its own lead.

i'm not good at it, so i don't do it, but i can tell you that a very fundamental and important rule is to FOLLOW THROUGH as and after you pull the trigger.

In my opinion, the 6.5x-20x scope would not be a help on running game either, 3-4x or less makes it a lot easier.