please learn how to shoot

[frenchiectfd2203]

I haven’t deer hunted for years. But I love my turkey hunting. Come on spring!!

 

[Twangbanger]

Thank you friends. That's what I was trying to get across. When they passed the .410 regulation change, they did it for all the wrong reasons.

I had neighborhood kids that sat in uncle bubba's tree stand that had shot their newly bought .410's 3 or 4 times. Maybe once with a slug, never at paper to "sight in" their bead.

There is a battery-powered Realtree kiddie SUV in the yard in front of that house. I just know it.

 

[Hookeye]

When .410 became legal a guy took his daughter hunting and she shot a pretty big buck at 50 yards.
Didn't go far as she put 'er where she should.

.357 magnum in PCR proly more popular.

But a H&R .410 gunsmithed for a scope base and a reddot, could serve as a decent close range rig for smaller hunters.

But yeah, a bunch of people proly tossed a break open to a beginner w a handful of slugs and said "go get em".
But then they do that w 20 and 12 ga too.

Bet they half arse a lot of other activities and aspects in/of their lives.
Nothing wrong with killing.
But it is serious business and ought to command a bit more respect IMHO.

The bore sight the night before the opener thing.................feel sorry for the guys working retail in gun shops.

 

[Rookie]

I know a guy who was happy with an eight inch group at 50 yards shooting from a lead sled, but couldn't figure out why he couldn't hit a deer at the same range.

 

[ChalupaCabras]

When I was in Elementary school, One of my close friends owned 10 acres on the edge of a large Christmas tree farm. He was the smallest kid in class by a mile, but that didn't stop him from deer hunting with dad.

He used one of the old Winchester single shot bolt action .410 shotguns - the kind that had a front bead, but also a rear notch. His dad set him up on quite a high tree stand along one of the trails that crossed their property, and he took his buck every year. Shots were WELL under 50 yards, probably more like 25.

.410 works ... like 32acp or 380 works - just about everything else is better, but it will do its part if you do yours.

 

[two70]

Same diameter slug as a .41cal, and usually a heavier projectile.
I've taken a doe with a .410.
Not my round of choice, but if you do your job. it will suffice.

Typically, .410 slugs are 1/4 ounce or about 109 grains and .41 caliber handguns typically shoot a minimum of a 170 grain bullet so the .410 is really not in the same league. Additionally, the .41 caliber handgun typically either has a well designed controlled expansion hollow point bullet or a heavy for caliber hard cast lead bullet while the .410 slug is just soft lead.

I doubt the .410 is responsible for all that many wounded deer though. A lot of factors can lead to a wounded deer, from shotguns with nothing more than bead "sights" to lack of practice to insisting on using the bare minimum legal caliber to poor bullet selection, etc. However, sooner or later most people will wound a deer if they hunt long enough, there's so much than can go wrong and sooner or later something will.

 

[ghuns]

I hate to brag but...

In 30 years of deer hunting with firearms/muzzleloaders I have never missed a deer. I never shot more than ONE time at a deer. I have never had to track a deer.

It's not that I'm that good. I'm just lazy. Tracking a wounded deer and retrieving it from a difficult to access place, cause that's where wounded deer always seem to end up, sounds too much like work to me.

If I don't have 100% confidence in a shot, I don't take it. I'm sure I could experience an equipment failure at some point that could lead to a bad shot, but I won't knowingly take one. I guess I could get a bad case of buck fever and whiff, but that hasn't happened yet either.

I just decided long ago NOT to be the guy we've all heard during gun season.

You know the guy. He goes, BANG...(2-3 second pause) BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG. And if you're close enough, all that's followed by, CLICK.

Don't be that guy.

 

[Sigblitz]

Typically, .410 slugs are 1/4 ounce or about 109 grains and .41 caliber handguns typically shoot a minimum of a 170 grain bullet so the .410 is really not in the same league. Additionally, the .41 caliber handgun typically either has a well designed controlled expansion hollow point bullet or a heavy for caliber hard cast lead bullet while the .410 slug is just soft lead.

I doubt the .410 is responsible for all that many wounded deer though. A lot of factors can lead to a wounded deer, from shotguns with nothing more than bead "sights" to lack of practice to insisting on using the bare minimum legal caliber to poor bullet selection, etc. However, sooner or later most people will wound a deer if they hunt long enough, there's so much than can go wrong and sooner or later something will.

I have more shot placement confidence in my LC Smith bead sight rifle than I do my ffp scoped 700. I'll chalk it up to looking right at it than above it.

 

[T.Lex]

If the wound was front shoulder, my first inclination would be sympathy for the hunter that took the correct shot, but it didn't work out. That happens sometimes in hunting, you do everything right, but don't get the harvest.

The ones that **** me off are things like "head shots" or that kind of thing that clearly are not aimed at a merciful, high percentage kill. (I recently heard someone advocate for a "neck" shot, which was surprising. I'd never think of trying one of those.)

 

[Leadeye]

The bucks with parts of their antlers shot off are what amazes me, that's a difficult shot.

 

[russc2542]

The other weekend at our local range during an event, a doe stumbled in at the far end with an bad gut shot. Buddy took it out of it's misery. got a few lbs of meat from the front but she'd been wandering around like that long enough to ruin most of it.

 

[phylodog]

I whole heartedly agree that everyone who steps in the woods or fields to hunt owes it to the game to practice and make every effort to make a clean, quick kill. I have quite an extensive background in training and I work with my equipment until I feel as if I cannot miss. That said, I made an absolutely horrible shot on my buck last year and I still have no explanation for what went wrong. I don't get overly excited and everything felt right with the shot but my arrow missed it's mark by 18" to the right of where I intended it to go. I'd been struggling with not being able to practice as much as I wanted due to my shoulder but still felt confident. That's the last animal I'll take with a bow. As much as I love bowhunting, the animals deserve better so I'm now using a crossbow.

 

[Hookeye]

The bucks with parts of their antlers shot off are what amazes me, that's a difficult shot.

They just shot where they were looking.

 

[Hookeye]

The process for me is to pick the shot, make the shot.
And add another if need be (if any question- boom).

I'm a decent shot, maybe take some others won't. But I grew up on ranges and have burned a lot of powder over the years.
Yes my shot selection has changed due to physical, am not as good in vision as used to be (aim small miss small).

I don't shoot "at" animals. I shoot fully expecting my bullet or arrow to hit right where I want.
Also know I aint perfect and that my luck pretty much sucks.
So tend to hedge my bet more and more as the years click on by.

Shot my deer this yr at 25 yards. Big whoop dee doo. Was gonna shoot him head on, at 50, with me scrunched to slide it past 2 trees.
But he moved and made things easier.
He was dead no matter what.

My rifle setup so good, fits so good...........it kinda evaporates into just being a tool. An absolute.
Guess that's what one would want........but man, it makes it so easy.
Kinda takes out the fun.
Now it's just meat and antler shopping w a bullet.

So I had to buy another rifle

 

[AtTheMurph]

The bucks with parts of their antlers shot off are what amazes me, that's a difficult shot.

That's my older brother! He's shot the antlers off of at least 2 deer. He's also head shot at least one other and has wounded more deer than any person I know. When we (my younger brother) and I talk to him about hunting we always refer to it as 'deer wounding season'.

Every year when I hear him shoot I cringe because I know what's coming. He'll call and say, "I shot a big buck!!" I always ask if he needs help gutting it. His response has always been, 'after we find it'. We never do - ever.

He lives in New York City.

 

[two70]

The bucks with parts of their antlers shot off are what amazes me, that's a difficult shot.

I have a friend who is an excellent shot and extremely lucky to boot. He once shot the tail off a deer... that was facing him head on.

 

[JimH]

When I was in Elementary school, One of my close friends owned 10 acres on the edge of a large Christmas tree farm. He was the smallest kid in class by a mile, but that didn't stop him from deer hunting with dad.

He used one of the old Winchester single shot bolt action .410 shotguns - the kind that had a front bead, but also a rear notch. His dad set him up on quite a high tree stand along one of the trails that crossed their property, and he took his buck every year. Shots were WELL under 50 yards, probably more like 25.

.410 works ... like 32acp or 380 works - just about everything else is better, but it will do its part if you do yours.

Don't believe Winchester ever made a bolt action shotgun...

 

[Sigblitz]

Don't believe Winchester ever made a bolt action shotgun...

Yes. Several, including 410.

 

[Restroyer]

I whole heartedly agree that everyone who steps in the woods or fields to hunt owes it to the game to practice and make every effort to make a clean, quick kill. I have quite an extensive background in training and I work with my equipment until I feel as if I cannot miss. That said, I made an absolutely horrible shot on my buck last year and I still have no explanation for what went wrong. I don't get overly excited and everything felt right with the shot but my arrow missed it's mark by 18" to the right of where I intended it to go. I'd been struggling with not being able to practice as much as I wanted due to my shoulder but still felt confident. That's the last animal I'll take with a bow. As much as I love bowhunting, the animals deserve better so I'm now using a crossbow.

I applaud you for doing that. A lot of people would not switch over. You are doing the right thing for the animal.

 

[deo62]

I believe some folks need to learn to "hunt" as well as shoot. The art of the actual hunt is being lost to longer range shooting. Hookeye, in my book you did your part as a hunter by getting in close. The shot was always anticlimactic (correct spelling?) to me.