I'm not saying I'm the best shot in the world, but I've never missed a game animal. They say it happens to everyone if you hunt long enough and I guess my luck ran out Saturday.

I missed a whitetail at about 300 yards. It was by far the most difficult shot I've ever attempted, with the deer standing in some tall broom weed that left only his back, shoulder and head exposed.

The wind I was shooting across was blowing something like 25 and gusting to 40+, and I was in a somewhat precarious shooting position.

But the worst part is after my shot the deer stood there looking around and (wait for it)....


I missed him again.


The scenario has been replaying non-stop in my head since Saturday morning. I still feel sick to my stomach and my confidence is shaken.

I know there is nothing wrong with my set-up as I went to the range on Friday and put 5 shots dead center at 100 yards.

This was the longest shot on game I've taken and I've never shot in wind conditions like those. I should probably cut my self a little slack, but I can't shake the feeling that I really screwed the pooch.


Thoughts, advice, sympathy?

Well - depending on what cartridge you are using - if you caught the 40 mph gust, you probable had 12+" of drop and 24+" of wind drift. That is figured on a BC of .363.

Out here ranges of that distance and wind conditions can be the norm if you are hunting the "prairie." I carry small hand held wind meter (anemometer), laser range finder, and have bipod and range chart on rifle with target turrets on the scope. Takes a little time to do all the computations/adjustments, but you usually have that at longer ranges.

Practice on prairie dogs, jack rabbits, etc. in the off season helps a lot.

a not so subtle (though perhaps, sublime) reminder that none of us are "the chosen one."

Happy Advent

friar

Strong gust can drift bullets a ridiculous amount at 300.

Hope you have better luck next time. Don't feel too bad, we've all missed or will miss if we stay after them long enough.

Good Luck

Reloader

WOW! Wished I could say that I missed shots at 300. Most of the ones I miss on are embarrassingly close inside 100 yards. I hunt in some pretty windy country and judging wind can be a bitch. Don't get too discouraged, just go hunt the next deer you shoot will wipe away all of those misses.

quote:

I'm not saying I'm the best shot in the world, but I've never missed a game animal

If you have never missed a shot until now, I'd go out on a limb and say you probably haven't hunted much. Do you really expect anybody to believe that from the moment you first picked up a gun, you never missed any animal you shot at? Every rabbit, bird, deer etc... you ever shot at has perished at your hand. Sorry, I don't buy it. Nobody is that good.

Hey, misses happen. At least you had the guts to admit it here in front of everyone! Just look at it this way, you'd probably rather have missed both of those shots than have the wind blow them off target and wound the deer. I'd rather kill it or miss it totally given the choice. Now you've got an entertaining miss story to tell at camp.

First off, if you have a 'precarious shooting postion' for a 300 yard shot, don't shoot.

You need a lot to go right at that yardage when there is a lot of wind, for a clean killing shot. As Reloader said, that much wind can move a bullet incredible amounts at 300. You stated your rifle 'put em dead center at 100' if your rifle is zeroed at 100, you are dealing with probably 12" or so of drop at 300, and if you missed the yardage by 30 yards or more, the numbers just compound making it very easy to miss.

If the deer was something like 16" in height through the vitals broadside, you miss the yardage a bit, and flinch it off just a tiny bit, easy to have a miss.

If you knew your rifles drop and windage adjustment, you were probably within your limitations, if you didn't, the actual adjustments needed can surprise you. The difference between 300 and 350 yards of distance (didn't recall if you lasered the yardage--or knew it for sure by some other method)-- can be +/- 6" with 'typical' cartridges, say -06 or such, so there is another variable that makes it tricky at least.

Don't sweat it too much, at least you had the balls to tell on yourself, just think of all the intel you can, and be prepared to make that shot next time!

Good luck--Don

Meant to say first miss on a big game animal.
I've missed more dove, ducks, rabbits and such than I care to remember.

I'm usually more picky about my shots, and I certainly learned something about my limitations.

Thanks for all the constructive input.

It was a dumb-assed hot dog shot to attempt in the first place. Have a little respect for the game you stalk. Maybe you ought to consider golf.
And that's the clean version of what I think of people like you.

Keep saying good morning, keep hunting and you will miss. No issue as long as you made sure it was a miss.

quote:

Originally posted by Wise1:

Thoughts, advice, sympathy?

I think there are not many folks who could consistently hit a 10 inch target at 300 yards with a precarious position and 25 - 40mph winds.

I think you are probably fortunate to have missed completely and not wounded the animal.

If you had it to do over, would you change anything?


Tim

stillbeeman - Thanks for keeping it clean. Frankly, I think you're right. This is just the kind of crap I frown upon too. The golf comment cut deep cause that's the same insult I use. It never feels good to get dressed down, but I deserved it.

tarbe - You asked if I would change anything. You bet. I would have passed on the shot. No question.

The more I think about this the more I am happy I missed and the more foolish I feel for even attempting the shot.

Thanks for your support, advice, sympathy and criticisms.

Posting on this forum is a little like talking to your old man. You get all of his possible responses in one place. The good, bad and ugly.

quote:

Posting on this forum is a little like talking to your old man. You get all of his possible responses in one place. The good, bad and ugly.

That is one of the best quotes I have heard in quite a while.........And for the record, I love long range hunting and carry a 2 handicap. Jim R

Everybody is a critic!

join a range and go shoot in all different kinds of weather,wind is never no ones friend,thats why the buck stood for the second shot if i read you rite. shoot prone, use that sling shoot useing a rest , shoot kneeling with that sling,practice makes prefect ,learn from your mistake and apply good advice given. i still sea last years missed bull elk when that movie plays in my head. be your best friend and don''t BS your self.regards

i humbled myself at the end of the deer season this year. had three deer with three shots in the opening days of the season with scoped rifles (25-06 and 338 lapua) so i thought it would be fun to take one with the sks. had an unexcusable miss (3 shots) with that rifle. the deer just stood there at well under 150 yards. i just quit shooting and let it go. my pride has prevented me from going to the range -- i am sure it is shooting great at 100 yards from the bench. ouch.

While were on the subject, kinda It is amazing to me how deer will react to the sound of a shot. I have had deer in my view and heard shots so close that I jumped but the deer payed them no mind. I once shot a buck at 300 yards that was chasing a doe and she turned and sniffed him!

Wise1, misses happen and as long as it was a clean miss, no harm no foul.

One thing you left out was the caliber and grain weight of the bullet you were hunting with.

On a late season doe antelope hunt outside of Craig Colorado one time, the wind was blowing as you described and the 85 grain "X" bullets out of my wifes 257 Roberts were getting blown all over the place.

After the 6th. shot that was a miss, I pulled out my 35 Whelen and 250 grain Rem. Core-Locts, those did the job.

Missing a shot is what keeps us trying to improve our abilities in both the shots we take and learning which shots to pass on.

Better luck next time.

Merry Christmas.

SteveM70, it is amazing how many folks think that the sound of a gun shot is going to spook all the deer in the area.

My question is what happens during a thunderstorm and it really starts doing some loud thunder claps, do all the deer just go to running blindly into stuff???

From my experience, unless the shot whistles past their head, or hits close enough to knock dirt up on them, deer usually don't do anything more than lift their head up and look around. JMO.

quote:

Originally posted by Wise1:
...I know there is nothing wrong with my set-up as I went to the range on Friday and put 5 shots dead center at 100 yards. ...

Hey Wise1, That is fine, but how does it actually shoot at 300yds?

Nothing at all wrong with taking a shot at distance " if " the person has actually practiced at that distance. Performing the routine of the long distance Practice teaches a person more about actual shooting than anything. The more you shoot at distance, you will begin to understand the actual Trajectory and how the Wind affects the Bullet.

I see folks mention running a "Software" Drop Chart for a Load, sighting in at 100yds and then go Hunting. Missing is the most probable outcome, wounding about the same, but there will be an occasional fluke Kill which convinces some of the folks this method works.

quote:

...with the deer standing in some tall broom weed that left only his back, shoulder and head exposed. ...

Could also have been deflected by the Weeds. Some can be a bit farther from the Deer(closer to you) and the scope will cause you to "look through them" due to Parallax or if it is just slightly out of focus.

quote:

The wind I was shooting across was blowing something like 25 and gusting to 40+, and I was in a somewhat precarious shooting position.

Had you actually Practiced at 300yds, in these conditions, then your first hand experience would have told you - this was not a shot to attempt.
-----

The way to keep it from happening again is very simple - Practice at the actual distances you intend to take shots at Game, in the same weather conditions, and the knowledge gained will resolve these issues.

Good Hunting and clean 1-shot Kills.

Well, it does happen to us all.

Heck, this year I didn't get ANY deer! In the Nebraska rifle season, my neck hurt so bad I couldn't turn my head fast enough without spooking the deer (did miss a shot on a doe who say the big orange pumpkin turing his whole body to take a shot). That was also my first miss on a deer also. Not counting the tons of ammo I spent on rabbits as a kid!

In the Iowa 2nd shotgun season, I only saw a few deer either just out or range or on what I thought was the wrong property. Turned out it was still on the property I had permission to hunt on. That hurts more than anything!

wise1
My hats off to you..difficult admission took heat and you handled it with total class. Sometimes being human we will (ALL) make mistakes its how we deal with the aftermath that makes a differance.
Thanks for posting this and hope you get a big ass karma boost cuz of it.