In the Field Failures

[Deleted member 103481]

Has your equipment ever failed in the field? Trigger failures, bolts jamming, scope rings loose, scope failures binoculars full of water.

How did you fix the problem or did you?

 

[david g ranes]

In the field failures have always been me not my epuipment. David

 

[just_jon]

I had a 03 Springfield firing pin freeze up once while attempting to dispatch a whitetail buck. Poor maintenance on my part. Thirty plus years later, I can still picture that buck looking up at me as I'm cycling rounds out of the box magazine.

 

[Gwine]

A new to me AR wouldn't go into battery on a coyote hunt. 10* below zero. Not sure what oil was on it, but it was like tar when cold.

 

[dok7mm]

I was hunting in Idaho in deep snow & ice, when I spotted a very good mulie buck dropping off in a canyon. I was following him along the rim, trying to get a shot, when I slipped on a hidden limb and snapped my stock at the tang.

I was lucky not to go over the edge, but unlucky to see him standing broadside, trying to figure what the noise was.

Back in those days, I didn't have a backup rifle and it cost me a ruined hunt.

 

[aushunter1]

No failures as such.
I have stubbed my barrel into the ground & filled up with dirt.

That's why I always carry a bore snake or pull through as you might call them for each rifle with me wherever I go so I can clear it.

Some people use tape over the muzzle which also works as a preventative but doesn't always stay on!

 

[Montana73]

After not taking a shot at a nice Mulie buck, I opened my bolt to eject my shell and bullet stayed in lands and dumped powder into my magazine. Tried to bump the stock on ground to dislodge but wouldn't budge. lost the entire day of hunting for that buck. At camp pulled out cleaning rod and a little bump dropped the bullet.

Now I carry a breakdown cleaning rod in my backpack in case it ever happens again. Lesson learned.

 

[J E Custom]

There are many things that you should check before the hunt to prevent this from happening that should be performed. (Much like a pilot checking his plane before take off) So far I have not had a problem while hunting, However, I have found issues before I left the camp that I solved there. (Some Rounds wouldn't chamber and a lose scope that I was able to correct (Site in) before I went hunting.

Good care and checks will help, but won't totally prevent things from happening. With luck, it won't happen during a hunt and ruin it if you are prepared. I have never needed it but I always carry a spare firearm just in case.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Pulpwood]

In the field failures have always been me not my epuipment. David

Me too !

 

[Pulpwood]

On drop camp or walk in type hunts you can't do this but on other type hunts I've always taken two guns as to have a backup . I had a shoulder strap come loose and my rifle fell off my shoulder onto concrete the night before season . I haven't needed them yet but I don't worry about it anymore, it also gives me an excuse to shoot that rifle before going on the hunt

 

[YZ-80]

I had a debacle with my 10 point crossbow last rut season. I shot a nice 8 point at 40 yards. He did not seem to react but about a minute after, laid down in some tall grass right where I shot him. I waited about 20 minutes climbed down and recocked the bow with the safety in the wrong configuration, Inadvertently activating the anti-dry firing
mechanism. I crossed the little creek and came up the small bank on the other side to find the buck laying in the grass, head up looking right at me - perfect opportunity to finish him with a neck shot but my bow was locked up!! I backed out of there and being new to the bow, crouched by my tree and watched a YouTube video on how to deactivate the anti-dry firing mechanism. By the time I got my act together, the buck had dried up, gotten up and walked away. He had been skinned across the brisket with my first shot.

When I got home, I checked the bow over and it was hitting 3" low at 30 yards. Seems as a new crossbow owner, I was not aware that these things are not designed for the kind of recreational shooting that a compound bow Is designed for. I shot the crap out of the thing practicing since early September and it appears I wore the string and cables out.

As for the buck, I spotted him 1.5 hrs later chasing a doe. So I plan on seeing him
again.

 

[snox801]

When I first got into hunting I took out a 20 gauge with scope. Was right on target at 50 yards. Shot at a doe at 20 and hit extremely low. Never found her. The next day I went back and shot groups. It would shoot one or two in the bullseye and then one or two 8" low. And would go back and forth. Checked and everything was tight. Swapped scope and problem solved.
My dad had one two years ago while using his Burris eliminator scope. It was about -17 and he went to range a deer and range finder would not work so he didn't take the shot at that time. We were culling does. So he reached in his bag and taped extra hand warmers to the scope and in about 45min to an hour his range find was back working.

 

[Canhunter35]

Had lubricant get into the trigger on my sako av, then I was hunting in sand hills and the trigger started to fail, and I sent one into the dirt at my feet, when I tried to unload it. Lighter fluid fixed the problem.

I've also had ice freeze across my scope lenses from blowing snow in a blizzard, now I use scope caps if that looks to be an issue.

At a match my 700 failed to cock, it was repeatable if I slammed the bolt. Tightened the sear on my trigger and problem fixed.

I was stalking a deer years ago before I got into long range, got into positions and somehow I had gotten sand into the action on my 99, wasn't able to get a shell loaded.

I had an 11-87 quite cycling shells while goose hunting, needed a new o ring for the gas valve.
there's probably other instances but those come to mind

 

[mod 700]

A couple come to mind, once in the 70's was hunting in the snow, spotted a buck and raised my gun, the old k4 weaver had fogged up to a point of zero chance to shoot. Last hunt with that scope. Another about 10 years ago opening morning in the rain, just getting light enough to glass, had my old 700 leaned against a small burned snag, with the bark gone, the wind was howling and the snag moved enough that the gun fell over, the bell of the Leupold landed on a rock, bending it down to where it was contacting the barrel. Bad way to start the season, and a stark reminder of where not to lean your gun.
Mike