help please...!!!

[soundwaves]

went hunting twice this month and had 2 oportunetys to shoot but both times l missed one miss was from 104 meters and the other from 270 meters. l am geting very upset now and every time l go hunting l cant get the thought out of my mind that lm gonna miss again. what should l do? l have to calm down and stop thinking l m gonna miss. l need to get my confidance up again. verry verry upset.

 

[NomadPilot]

Did you fire the gun between the misses at paper to check zero? Sounds like the only answer is very simply: more range time. Everyone misses. Go to the range and figure out if the cause was the rifle, the ammo, or you.

 

[soundwaves]

l did just that checked the zero on a dove at 187 meters and the dove exploded. but when it comes to the İbex l think l just get too excited. and forget abut trajectorys shooting at 45 to 50 degrees of angle

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Take your time on the shot. Do not hurry. If the shot takes too long, then it was not meant to be. Just relax and squeeze your shot. Just like at the bird. I don't think your shots were long enough to be bothered by angles. I always try to shoot prone in a hunting situation, off my backpack or shooting sticks. What shooting position were you in?

Steve

 

[shootinfool]

Go out and take some agression out on some rocks. Start picking some rocks out and putting shots on those. After a while, you will regain your confidence in the gun and in yourself, that is if everything with the gun is in order first.

 

[winmagman]

Sounds like you're getting good advice, get plenty of practice from actual hunting positions, not off the bench unless thats how you hunt.

Also a little trick that helps me out. Pick a spot on the animal you want the bullet to impact, high shoulder, heart/lungs, whatever your preference is. Focus on that spot only, that way you're not shooting the animal(figuratively) you're shooting a very specific spot. Seems to keep me concentrating more on where I'm placing the bullet instead of what I'm shooting.

Chris

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Sounds like you're getting good advice, get plenty of practice from actual hunting positions, not off the bench unless thats how you hunt.

Also a little trick that helps me out. Pick a spot on the animal you want the bullet to impact, high shoulder, heart/lungs, whatever your preference is. Focus on that spot only, that way you're not shooting the animal(figuratively) you're shooting a very specific spot. Seems to keep me concentrating more on where I'm placing the bullet instead of what I'm shooting.

Chris

Aim small miss small.

Steve

 

[HUAINAMACHERO]

We have all missed!!!, dont let those misses let you down.
The last buck I missed was 18 yards away, I just had buck fever and plainly missed, and then took another one at 200 yards, DRT. It is normal to miss, just relax next time, and concentrate in the procedure of shooting. Good solid rest, proper cheek weld, good sighting the aim spot on the buck, breathing properly, squeeze your trigger and good follow through of your shot. If you can practice that in the range, you will be sure of yourself again, and in the process confirm everything in your rig is OK.
Good luck.

 

[Chas1]

Relax, I think your being to hard on yourself...pick the sport and no one's a 100% a 100% of the time...not every pitch is a strike and not every pass is a touchdown soooo not every shot is a hit. Do your math how many hits do you have and now 2 misses...probably a very low %. You've already been given some excellent advice on shooting technique so I won't reiterate. Remember misses are ok we all have them...Not having fun isn't ok. Take care.

 

[azsugarbear]

"Visualization" is a technique that has been used in the sporting world for years. It is the practice of visualizing something over and over in your mind until it becomes routine. In soccer - it is kicking the winning goal; Basketball - making that free throw with time expiring; going over the bar in highjump, etc. With hunting, it is calmly acquiring that big bull elk, ibex, etc. and slowing crushing the trigger until the gun goes off and then seeing the trophy drop. Do it over and over in your mind and you will be prepared mentally when the real thing happens. Your training will kick in and you will not get nervous or experience the negative effects of "buck fever".

In case you have developed a flinch, or other bad shooting habbit (like not following through after the shot, jamming the trigger, etc.), try going through the entire firing sequence, including follow-through, but do it without ammo. The practice of "dry firing" may not be good for some rifles, so check with your local gunsmith before proceeding with this. Snap caps are now available in several calibers. Just like the mind, the body learns through repetition. "Muscle memory" is often used in combat pistol training - especially in the drawing and firing sequence.

Good luck. Let us know how things turn out.

 

[winmag]

I agree with most all the above ststements, lots of good advise.
But I do have a question....40 to50 degrees of angle.Thats hard to practice unless you have a place to(as stated earlier in another good comment) shoot rocks at various ranges and angles. Were you using a rangefinder to tell you the yardage or pacing it off? The reason I ask is that most modern range finders have a built in compensator, ie; line of sight vs aim point yardage. Combine a mistaken yardage(reading the l.o.s. vs aim point) with a rifle sighted 3" high at 100 yds on a 40 to 50 degree angle at 270 yds, and shooting right over the top would be easy to do on accident.
Take your rangefinder w/you to shoot rocks so you can dope your rifle and what your rangefinder tells you all at the same time. Your confidence will SOAR when you get the two on the same page you are on. YOULL GET IT BACK SOON with some shootin time to bring you to your ''zen'' place. Weve all been there. GOOD LUCK

 

[liltank]

2 summers ago was the first time that I had ever tried hitting a target past 100yrds with a rifle. Up until that point it had only been steel plates at various distances to 200yrds. I tried plugging some groundhogs all that summer with no success. My greatest hit was up the butt of a Fox Squirrel at 200yrds. That was my only success at that distance that summer. Last summer I had only two hits. One at 630 yards (bullet skipped off the ground through the vitals) and 605 yards through the head. I just got lucky that day. The rest of the summer again were misses. I did come to find out however that some of it was the rifle. My barrel had gone south and was giving me all kind of accuracy issues with temp change. So, now I am back to square one with a rifle that needs a new barrel and an owner that needs the money to do it. Luckily I have a backup .308 that works pretty good. I have that one squared away to 700yrds right now. Don't give up, and keep on shoot'in.

Tank

 

[soundwaves]

giving up will be the last thing l do. l love hunting and l live for it. my life is set around hunting. going to the saim spot this sunday and lm gona get my self that ibex. l some how have to get rid of this fustration and anger building up inside of me because of the misses l have had. but l cant stop thinking what if l miss again. l think l need an RPG or something for back up incase l miss again. that will shure blow em up.

 

[liltank]

giving up will be the last thing l do. l love hunting and l live for it. my life is set around hunting. going to the saim spot this sunday and lm gona get my self that ibex. l some how have to get rid of this fustration and anger building up inside of me because of the misses l have had. but l cant stop thinking what if l miss again. l think l need an RPG or something for back up incase l miss again. that will shure blow em up.

That a boy!!!

Tank