Hunters or target shooters who miss their shots never...

[Deleted member 115360]

"You miss 100% of the shots that you don't take"

Now, I know that the quote wasn't meant to be about hunting, but I have missed alot. I'll take what many people consider a risky shot on an animal, and it doesn't always work. I will shoot at a deer in a dead sprint if the conditions are right. I don't always hit them, but sometimes I hit them bad and they slow down enough to finish them. I'd say that a person who isn't taking some difficult shots at animals is probably missing some opportunity, but as long as they are operating within their own morality, so be at. If I get a chance at a trophy and I've got to quickly snap shoot through trees on a moving animal or have zero chance of the kill, I'll take them. Now, this happens much less for me every year as I continue to develop my hunting strategies to prevent these rushed opportunities, but I won't apologize for being an aggressive hunter. Aaaannnd sometimes I just miss. Especially when small game and predator hunting. I'll take any opportunities at coyotes. I'll shoot at a coyote in a dead run at 1,000y with a hurricane between us if it is the only shot opportunity I will have. Misses build character

 

[Rifleman97]

I missed an easy shot on a standing broadside deer this year because I failed to check my zero the day before. When I went home to double check after missing the shot my POI had moved 12moa down and 3MOA right. After re zeroing, I went back out and got a bigger deer than the one I originally shot at, however it's been a recent lesson of mine to always double check zero.

On the topic of missing... Ive has a few instances where I've missed and it's my fault. Once on a Wolf because I jerked the trigger in excitement. A few times on coyotes because I got antsy for a shot when they were running around being restless. Many times on deer when I didn't wait long enough to get a proper shot. A few times on various animals at long range I forgot to change the weather conditions on my ballistic calculator app to match the conditions outside. Many times I've had bad trigger pulls that make me miss. As I've matured I've gotten a lot more patient, and although I still miss sometimes, I've learned that it's better to take longer to make sure the shot is right, than to risk missing the shot because you're scared they're going to suddenly run away. Because once you miss and they hear the shot, (if they're close enough to, I haven't gotten THAT long of a range yet and I don't shoot suppresses) they're actually going to run away for real. Make it count.

But my recent experience with failure to double check zero is a lesson that should be shared, even with a good scope and quality mounts and being careful, you should always double check zero. And to make sure to slow down, and make the shot count. The benefit to long range is we can take a bit more time to make the perfect shot, since they aren't typically close enough to hear or smell us.

 

[SArnold30]

Two years ago on opening day my buddy and I got a chance at a double on two bucks (his was at 364, and mine at 358 yards). He connected on his, but I missed mine. I was struggling to get a good sight picture, so he shot before I was ready to. Then the bullet's impact and death of his buck spooked mine, so I rushed a shot on a running buck before it disappeared from view. Also, I'd put a new scope on my rifle 10 days prior and hadn't practiced shooting any further than 200 yards with it until that moment.

I still cannot decide which of my mistakes is the most at fault, they were all my own foolish errors resulting in poor marksmanship. It is the only deer I've ever missed (so far), and I remind myself that a clean miss is always better than a bad hit. My buddy and I are still young-ish hunters in age, but we are not inexperienced hunters; nonetheless we vowed after that day that we were never again attempting a double.

 

[Deleted member 115360]

Two years ago on opening day my buddy and I got a chance at a double on two bucks (his was at 364, and mine at 358 yards). He connected on his, but I missed mine. I was struggling to get a good sight picture, so he shot before I was ready to. Then the bullet's impact and death of his buck spooked mine, so I rushed a shot on a running buck before it disappeared from view. Also, I'd put a new scope on my rifle 10 days prior and hadn't practiced shooting any further than 200 yards with it until that moment.

I still cannot decide which of my mistakes is the most at fault, they were all my own foolish errors resulting in poor marksmanship. It is the only deer I've ever missed (so far), and I remind myself that a clean miss is always better than a bad hit. My buddy and I are still young-ish hunters in age, but we are not inexperienced hunters; nonetheless we vowed after that day that we were never again attempting a double.

If you hadn't taken that shot, you would have regretted it, or at least I would have. You had a clean miss, use it to increase your lethality if you can, but you didn't do anything wrong. You shouldn't feel guilty. If you had blown both front legs off and 4 seconds later put one through his lungs, you would have done just fine. Dont let it scare you from taking risks. Now, I don't mean safety risks, but I promise you that hunters from the first guy to throw a rock up until television hunters started to bracket what they believe is or isn't a moral shot opportunity, everyone was taking shots that they weren't sure would work out. When the cameras aren't on Stephen Rinella, I'm certain that dude will arc one out there at a moving animal

 

[Bravo 4]

Almost sounds like you are encouraging taking bad or iffy shots. One of the biggest things I think guys/gals need to learn is when not to pull the trigger, this goes for professional and recreational shooters alike. Not judging, I had to learn this lesson myself.

 

[Deleted member 115360]

Almost sounds like you are encouraging taking bad or iffy shots. One of the biggest things I think guys/gals need to learn is when not to pull the trigger, this goes for professional and recreational shooters alike. Not judging, I had to learn this lesson myself.

No, but I don't believe there should be a stigma surrounding taking a risky shot. When you miss, you shouldn't feel guilty about it. Everything about hunting involves taking chances and calculated risks. There seems to be this artificial, (and very modern) aversion to taking a chance while hunting. Every time you decide the location you hunt you are making the best calculation you can and hoping you are right. Now, I'm not talking about people trying to take down a deer with a pellet gun at 800y, but like the young man above who attempted a double, got a clean miss and appears to be dealing with guilt over it. Hell, more than once in my life I've done everything right, had everything dialed, trained to death, had the right gun in the right place with the right ammo, and wounded an animal that I never recovered. If you bow hunt and pretend you are above taking a chance with an animal's life, you aren't being honest. If you shot and lost 3 deer a year with a bow, nobody would attempt to make you feel guilty, but missing a deer in what sounds like a rushed shot in an attempt to double up is wrong?

By the way, I am also a former B4

 

[Bravo 4]

I understand risk, as you should know. But restraint should be just as big a virtue as any. I know when I was a young hunter I would take just about any shot presented, I was also unsupervised and un-mentored. I have also wounded animals with the intent of slowing them down for follow on shots. I grew out of that phase and have passed on shots that I just didn't feel right with, I don't regret taking those shots as much as I wanted to. I do regret taking some shots on animals. I am a very aggressive person, patience and restraint sometimes are not my strong suits (which may sound odd given my profession). Something that needs to be put in check is one's emotions and how you react to them.
Again, not attacking you. I also understand that some believe me taking a 1000 yard shot (or 500 for that matter) at an animal is a risk.

 

[Deleted member 115360]

I understand risk, as you should know. But restraint should be just as big a virtue as any. I know when I was a young hunter I would take just about any shot presented, I was also unsupervised and un-mentored. I have also wounded animals with the intent of slowing them down for follow on shots. I grew out of that phase and have passed on shots that I just didn't feel right with, I don't regret taking those shots as much as I wanted to. I do regret taking some shots on animals. I am a very aggressive person, patience and restraint sometimes are not my strong suits (which may sound odd given my profession). Something that needs to be put in check is one's emotions and how you react to them.
Again, not attacking you. I also understand that some believe me taking a 1000 yard shot (or 500 for that matter) at an animal is a risk.

See, that's the problem with conversations about morality, it is 100% subjective. What you find immoral other people will not and vice versa. It doesn't make anyone correct, and if you aren't doing anything illegal, then you shouldn't subject yourself to guilt based on someone else's individual morality. I used to walk around wondering how other people perceived me and how they viewed my actions. I can tell you truly that I don't tread on anyone, and I don't depend on anyone. I care about the moral judgment of very few people, especially as it relates to hunting. From 1989 to about 1999 I averaged about 50 whitetail deer a year. Now, these days I kill 10-20 a year, because I'm not feeding as many people and it is far from a neccessity for my family, but we really enjoy it. I've seen about every scenario surrounding the killing of a deer that you can imagine, and if I've learned anything it is that you can do everything correctly and still end up making a mess of it. Too many variables exist to pretend that you will ever be in a perfect situation to kill an animal. I mean, I guess if you have a feeder sitting 20' from a stand with nothing between you, you probably don't have too many variables to worry about. That's the most boring way to hunt that I'm aware of, and the results would be unrewarding to me. I hunt national Forrests and wildlife management areas by choice. I went to the mountains in East TN in November and December to hunt in an area that I'd never laid eyes on, in a terrain that I had zero experience with and killed a mountain monster at 3,500ft elevation on the side of a mountain that you can't stand on. I was still hunting and shot offhand at 225y with a split second to make the shot before I would never see him again. He wasn't still, I didn't have a rest, there may have been some limbs between us, and I was breathing pretty hard. I took the shot, hit him perfectly and killed the best buck of my life. Now, I could have stood there contemplating the morality of that shot, or taken a risk. I'll take the risks. I may not take them the way I did 10 or 20 or 30 years ago, but I will always take risks. If hunting ever became so sanitized that there wasn't a degree of risk involved, I'd probably take up shuffle board, or whatever the kids are into these days..

 

[Bravo 4]

The problem with morality is that some have none (no that wasn't a poke at you). In some instances what one might call morality I might call maturity.
Again not an attack on you, you voiced your opinion and I voiced mine.
About your hunting story and without knowing you or how/if you still train: most will say you are not your average hunter and more inclined to make such shots, not as risky a shot for you as it is most. Congratulations on the trophy.

 

[Deleted member 115360]

When did you get your B4? I'm curious if we know each other

 

[imyourhuckleberry]

I love people who blame it on their equipment. I buy it cheap from them and sell it for a profit. When it comes to misses in hunting it is my fault. What I did was change my shooting style. When I go to the range, I train with my 52C Winchester and my 513T Remington at 200 yards shooting standing and free hand shooting in a seated position or kneeling. Can't do prone my belly gets in the way and if there is a breeze it spins me around. Problem is people shoot all year long from the bench but I hardly see anyone with a bench when hunting. You have to know your limitations and adapt accordingly.

 

[Deleted member 115360]

I love people who blame it on their equipment. I buy it cheap from them and sell it for a profit. When it comes to misses in hunting it is my fault. What I did was change my shooting style. When I go to the range, I train with my 52C Winchester and my 513T Remington at 200 yards shooting standing and free hand shooting in a seated position or kneeling. Can't do prone my belly gets in the way and if there is a breeze it spins me around. Problem is people shoot all year long from the bench but I hardly see anyone with a bench when hunting. You have to know your limitations and adapt accordingly.

Bro, when my brain painted the picture of the wind spinning you on your belly, I cackled out loud.

 

[SArnold30]

I wouldn't say I feel guilty, more like a "you should've known better, dummy" moment. That said, as a younger man I found myself an inviting target to the Taliban many more times than I'd prefer, I never once balked at pulling the trigger in return because we needed immediate suppression, and I never morally wrestled with it because I was just doing what someobody else was already trying to do to me. Aside from that, the most dangerous game I've ever hunted is black bear, so I've always felt it is my responsibility to be methodical and try to deliver the singular most precise shot to humanely dispatch my quarry. In this instance I was remiss in that, as well as being unfamiliar with my equipment, so I just felt twice as silly, and I'm just glad there weren't any repercussions from it other than general harassment for missing.

 

[Boatninja]

So, are you saying that if I dust off my lenses and buy some spectacles, I'll never azzshoot another deer?

Texas headshot, hehehehe