what's your excuse?

[rscott5028]

All my rifles are sub-1/4 MOA rifles. ...when I do my part that is.

Unfortunately 99% of the time I've got a perfectly good explanation why 100% of my shots don't reflect that.

So, which shots do you count? Which ones do you disregard?

My young son was recently shooting along side a gentleman who was ringing steel at 500yds. The conversation between the guy and his spotter went something like this...

Bang...ding
spotter, "2 o'clock white"
shooter, "good. that's just about where I was aiming"
Bang...ding
spotter, "7 o'clock black"
shooter, "super. that's right where I was shooting"
Bang...ding
spotter, "3 o'clock red"
shooter, "perfect. Dead on!"

It was about a 12 inch group @ 500 and my son was cracking up. I'm not saying 2 MOA is bad. But, it was like the guy was serious. ...and, he had a high dollar rifle and scope.

Now, I know all you guys are excellent marksman like me. But, what are some of the excuses and stories you've heard from others regarding the 2 holes cutting each other @100yds and that 3rd hole about 1.5" high and right?

Or, pay no attention to what looks like a shotgun blast. Have a look at this cluster here in the middle.

(Lest my dry humor go unnoticed, this is meant to be light hearted.)

Thanks!!
Richard

 

[Don Ward]

I've never missed, but if and when I do, I'll explain what happened

Sometimes you know you pulled one, other times everything seems perfect and you have no reason to doubt the gun, load, or rest. You can't replay it but I usually chalk it up to something I did wrong or just different than the two that are in the same hole.

Cheek pressure? Hand position? Did a sling stud make contact with the front rest? Was my "perfect" squeeze not really perfect?

According to 90% of the groups posted on the internet, folks rarely shoot bad groups...or when they do, the camera is broken

 

[liltank]

I always blame the wind, or my loads. Forget the fact that I have to pee! It's amazing how much better I shoot after I go!

Tank

 

[IDAHOHUNTER]

Usually when I throw one , its to make my buddie feel better about his group . It makes him feel better!!

 

[rscott5028]

I always blame the wind, or my loads. Forget the fact that I have to pee! It's amazing how much better I shoot after I go!

Tank

Funny you should mention having to take a leak.

On several occasions, my son danced around when the big buck appeared and said he had to pee. Seriously! You couldn't go 30 minutes ago? He marked his territory and then claimed his trophy.

After shooting a doe at over 500 yds (one shot, cold bore), a few weeks later he missed a nice buck at about 140yds. I'm pretty sure the bullet hit a dragon fly at about 117yds and exploded. I don't know how else to explain it. ???

 

[flyin lizard]

It never fails , I will have a great bug hole group forming and during the flight of the last shot the bullets smashes into a big ol bumble bee and that results in the inch an a half high and left....

 

[pablo]

I try not offer one. After shooting in what some long range shooters call "point blank benchrest" with some really fine equipment. I am very aware of what wind light or mirage can do to a very good group. Many moons ago in Midland I fired a shot that hit on my neighbors sighter target because of the wind change between relays. The one thing I'm sure of is that making a significant first shot holdoff on a large game animal is an act of faith. Success is a combination of reading all the variables correctly. It ain't easy.

 

[paphil]

I almost never shoot bad groups , buy one time I thought I did. I was shooting the 500 yard target using my trusty 22-243 with my Huskamaw scope and after the third shot, I could see holes way up in the white to the right and another way down low to the left, about a 15 inch group. I walked out to look at the target and the "holes" were flies sitting on the target ! I got so mad on the way back to the bench that I decided to use those flies as targets ! Got both of them with the next two shots!

Also got some ocean front properity........

 

[venom600]

I'm.....uuhhhhh.....doing "load development". Guess I can cross that load off the list.

 

[ReachnOut]

I've never shot a bad group except when undergoing extreme stress with my wife standing by complaining that my gun safe is larger than her refrigerator .....

 

[WyoElk2Hunt]

Someone or something moved the target, dang it, I hate when that happens. Target jumped the shot.

 

[BMcKell]

"Well it still would have killed an elk" Thats the one I use when I make a crappy shot. I've heard Best of the west use that one before.

 

[Broz]

"Sun spots."

"Magnetic fields and copper jackets."

"Inconsistant coriolis effects."

"Got Him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was going for that fly on the target. It was a head shot"



Jeff

 

[DT7]

I didn't know you could pick and choose which shots to include in a group. . . Wow I'm better than I thought