I concur with you Tasunk. There are far too many people who take shots only hoping they might hit an animal. I find myself hunting alone or with one buddy who feels the same as me. I get sickened by many guys as they will open up on animals knowing full well they are not likely to hit it well if at all. They're also the ones who chastize me because I don't take shots unless I'm sure I'm going to kill the thing. An animal is not something we should be using for target practice. I try my utmost not to have a trail of wounded and maimed animals like many others do.

The toughest shots are after a long climb or challenging hike. Trying to control my breathing or heart rate after that much exertion can really take it's toll. As for shot angles, elevation doesn't bother me much, but I normally don't try head-on or Texas heart shot style angles, I prefer as broadside as possible, then visualise the bullets path through the vitals so I can be sure I'm going to get what I want.

Tough shot angle...hows this:

Just getting out of the truck about a 25 minute walk from hunting spot. Whip it out to take a leak. Rifle (unloaded) leaning up against truck. Shoot left handed. Look over left shoulder after hearing leaves shuffle, about 75 yards away. See big buck licking big doe's butt about to mount her.

Tough angle: attempting to keep urine flow while leaning back with one hand, grab rifle, load it (still peeing), all the while trying not to get any on camo pants/boots, buck is now mounting doe, I am dribbling, while aiming back and to the left, shoot across bed of truck free handed and free peter, kill buck before either of us tucks peter back where it belongs. Now that was tough...but do-able. Here he is 8 months post mortem:

The toughest shots are always the ones made when you have the wrong gun in hand for the job.



Your pump single shot is only good for contact shots.

i don't want anyone to take this as judgemental, because we don't need to start down that road, but frankly, i will most likely NOT take a shot at a deer unless it is broadside or only very slightly quartering one way or the other. IN MY EXPERIENCE, a person only has to wait a moment, and the animal will present a better shot, usually.



if you scare one up, and it is trotting or running away, then this is obviously a time to make a decision. a mule deer can many times be stopped by a shout or a whistle. i do not know if this is the case with an elk or whitetail. an antelope will probably not stop, but will almost ALWAYS make a big, wide circle right back to where it started.



in nearly all cases, a little patience will result in a good presentation. last week i had a doe that i spotted at a distance somewhere between 300 and 350 yards. she presented herself in various angles, but the distance was beyond the confidence that i have in myself (in my rifle, i have PLENTY of confidence), so i planned a stalk and halved the distance. when i got into position, she was quartering away from me, and i was able to wait a few moments until she turned broadside and stayed that way. unfortunately, the first shot flew high and missed. even though i figured that i was done for the day, since she started walking away, i did not seriously consider another shot as she was moving and angled away. my point in all of this is that even as i was thinking this thought, she stopped, turned broadside again, and stood there just as beautifully as i could ever ask for. i squeezed of a second shot, and nailed her right into the lungs (well, one lung at elast....in any case, she pretty much died right there).



by exercising patience and not rushing a chancy shot, i was able to improve my percentages drastically, first by stalking in closer, then by waiting for a broadside shot. additionally, i was using a very solid rest, and due to the fact that i had managed to keep her relatively unaware of my presence, the shot was completely unhurried. a final underscore to all of the factors above is that i knew that if i did not take a deer that day, then i still had plenty of time to hunt again when better opportunities would present themeselves.



the bottom line in all of this is that, in my opinion, hunting is like buying stuff on ebay. you might find somethng you like, and in your efforts not to let it get away, you run the risk of losing it or screwing it up big time (ebay=paying way too much, hunting=a gutshot or losing a wounded animal); however, if you use patience, timing and other things to your advantage, you will score well and it will be easy as pie. above all, if you miss THIS opportunity, there will always be another one coming down the line.

I'm thinking that isn't what the post is about, though I agree with you.

My toughest two shots were 1) Whitetail from a tree stand. He was to my right rear quarter and I took the shot standing, left handed over a limb while hanging onto the tree with my right. It was a rested hold, heart shot. 2) A bobcat, also from a tree stand. She was to my left rear chasing mice. Another one handed shot, this one with the gun under my left arm, butt not on my shoulder. One shot to the neck and it was skinning time. Both were taken with a Mod 94 Trapper, Williams Receiver sight, 30-30, distances around 20 yards.

Contortions-be-us. Expect it, practice for it.

steve -

sorry about having the point of your original post fly right over my head!

i would ahve to agree with mickey that the toughtest situation, no matter what the angle, would be after a hard hike or climb. at that point, it is very hard to hold steady on anything.