Why we miss?

[Jcalder]

All good and valid reasons to help but I'll add that we sometimes don't look through the shot from barrel to our target especially in the wooded scene. We don't think our bullet will miss if it hits a small limb or even a twig but it will ! If the deer is not clear and about to be out of your life at times we will take a chance at a bad shot . I've caught myself looking at the deer in the scope not realizing that I hadn't aligned up the crosshairs to my intended target .

People don't realize how much a twig can change the course of a bullet. Even big heavy bullets like a 45/70

 

[Tenntrapper]

At one time I had a few trashcos. They worked fine, until they didn't. I won't ever advocate for not checking your stuff, but think in this. You have a rifle and scope combo. You sight it in when you purchase it. You hunt with it and it's fine. Next year you get it out and have to crank on dials cause it's off. Why is it off? You mean it lost zero sitting in the closet? A 2" zero shift probably isn't gonna matter to most. It wasn't that long ago and pie plate accuracy was acceptable. But when you start compounding errors it adds up. Another point. I can remember the days of sighting in a rifle. You turn your knob and it takes it a shot or two to get the darn thing to move. How many have ever turned a knob and tapped the turret afterward. Or bumped the stock to make sure it moved lol. And no, you don't need $1000 optics. But you need to buy quality optics that do exactly as they're supposed. They're a sighting device. And any shift not caused by an adjustment is a failure somewhere down the line.

I will agree tho, skill and experience are keys to success.

I get what you're saying...and agree, but it wasn't till just a few years ago that I could afford anything more than a 100 dollar scope... sometimes less. And I've NEVER had a scope malfunction. I did have a ring malfunction that caused a few missed deer...and they were Leupold rings... actually failed several times. I just couldn't wrap my mind around how such a big name brand could be failing in about 4 rounds...but they were. Switched to a different/cheaper brand and never had another failure. @mike243 has mentioned several times on here about premium bullet failures....and although I don't think I've had a failure per se, I do think most are over rated. Honest to God....I've had more inconsistencies with nosler than any other company....and how many people swear by them? A .25 cent Speer cup and core will kill deer just as dead as a 1.25 partition, just put it where it goes and it's game over. I guess my point is...you don't need the most expensive stuff to be good at this hobby. I hate to use this example....but just look at Catman. I truly hate to think about the money I've needlessly pissed away on high dollar junk.

 

[philsanchez76]

Buy quality equipment. From the rifle, to the mounts, to the scope, ammo. If you have to twist on your scope year after year, it's junk and it's time to upgrade. If you have a 10 pound trigger, it's time to get that down. If your weaver rings keep coming loose, throw them in the trash and buy quality rings. Number one thing most people do, or don't, is actually practice. Get your rifle out and shoot it. And not 3 times at paper and put it up. Actually shoot it. Get a good group. I've started doing 5-10 shot groups. You get a much better representation of what you, and your rifle are capable of. I couldn't tell you how many rifles I've sighted for various people thru the years. People buy beautiful rifles and have trashco scopes on them that don't hold zero and you can't half see out of them. Why?!? You and your rifle deserve to have quality components that reduce the likelihood of failure! People miss because they don't put the time in. And sometimes, buck fever is real! No one to blame but yourself.

Agree 100% with this! And this goes hand in hand with having some decent quality stuff (note it doesn't have to be top quality). When I first started I had hand me down rifles with cheapo scopes and I killed deer with them for sure! But over a long enough time line the misses came into play. I still don't have $1000's of dollars invested into my weapons and scopes, but having a decent gun with a good trigger and a nice clear scope has made me enjoy shooting so much more than I used to! Practicing is enjoyable at that point. And I know my weapon so much better than I used to.

Another thing that's helped me get better is teaching other shooters how to get better. When you have to explain/teach something, you are forced to know exactly what youre talking about and it really benefitted my shooting as well. And watching someone making all the mistakes that you are likely still liable to make helps too.

 

[Iglow]

Rushing out of fear the opportunity will get away is the reason for most misses, I'd guess. At least that's the case with my misses.

 

[Jcalder]

I get what you're saying...and agree, but it wasn't till just a few years ago that I could afford anything more than a 100 dollar scope... sometimes less. And I've NEVER had a scope malfunction. I did have a ring malfunction that caused a few missed deer...and they were Leupold rings... actually failed several times. I just couldn't wrap my mind around how such a big name brand could be failing in about 4 rounds...but they were. Switched to a different/cheaper brand and never had another failure. @mike243 has mentioned several times on here about premium bullet failures....and although I don't think I've had a failure per se, I do think most are over rated. Honest to God....I've had more inconsistencies with nosler than any other company....and how many people swear by them? A .25 cent Speer cup and core will kill deer just as dead as a 1.25 partition, just put it where it goes and it's game over. I guess my point is...you don't need the most expensive stuff to be good at this hobby. I hate to use this example....but just look at Catman. I truly hate to think about the money I've needlessly pissed away on high dollar junk.

I'm slowly learning with leupold, you're buying a name, not the best product.

 

[beefydeer]

Most misses are the humans fault. Jerking the trigger, flinching, etc... The equipment will do its job, we have to do our job.

 

[WilcoKen]

I've seen the word patient listed above. To me that is most helpful. I got on a bad run a few years ago--like 3 bad shots that fall. Finally, I had a very nice buck come in to field and I had a shot but made myself wait for a minute or so. I made a good shot after that. I need to remember that thought pattern every time and lose the wing shooter (instinctive) tendencies.

 

[Remi]

People don't realize how much a twig can change the course of a bullet. Even big heavy bullets like a 45/70

You mean "brush busters" is actually a myth? lol


I've seen it first hand. The only 2 bullets Ive ever had turned were a 200gr RN .35 and a 300gr .45. One off a small pine limb I didn't see and one off a briar.

 

[Tenntrapper]

I've seen the word patient listed above. To me that is most helpful. I got on a bad run a few years ago--like 3 bad shots that fall. Finally, I had a very nice buck come in to field and I had a shot but made myself wait for a minute or so. I made a good shot after that. I need to remember that thought pattern every time and lose the wing shooter (instinctive) tendencies.

Agreed...at least try to wait till that initial adrenaline dump has calmed down. It's much easier said than done though... . I grew up hunting rabbits...got to be quick.. .

 

[Remi]

I get what you're saying...and agree, but it wasn't till just a few years ago that I could afford anything more than a 100 dollar scope... sometimes less. And I've NEVER had a scope malfunction. I did have a ring malfunction that caused a few missed deer...and they were Leupold rings... actually failed several times. I just couldn't wrap my mind around how such a big name brand could be failing in about 4 rounds...but they were. Switched to a different/cheaper brand and never had another failure. @mike243 has mentioned several times on here about premium bullet failures....and although I don't think I've had a failure per se, I do think most are over rated. Honest to God....I've had more inconsistencies with nosler than any other company....and how many people swear by them? A .25 cent Speer cup and core will kill deer just as dead as a 1.25 partition, just put it where it goes and it's game over. I guess my point is...you don't need the most expensive stuff to be good at this hobby. I hate to use this example....but just look at Catman. I truly hate to think about the money I've needlessly pissed away on high dollar junk.

The problem guys see with premium bullets "failing" is people shoot a harder premium bullets into soft tissue and you don't get the same bullet upset. Hard bullets require a hard target like bones or heavier animals than a 130lb whitetail. If you're a rib shooter then better results typically come from softer bullets.


A friend was using 180gr Barnes from his .308 Win. A whitetail buck just wasn't much resistance for heavy, slow premium and just wasn't expanding much. I could not get him to understand just because it may be a good elk or moose bullet doesn't mean it's a good whitetail bullet.

 

[Tenntrapper]

The problem guys see with premium bullets "failing" is people shoot a harder premium bullets into soft tissue and you don't get the same bullet upset. Hard bullets require a hard target like bones or heavier animals than a 130lb whitetail. If you're a rib shooter then better results typically come from softer bullets.


A friend was using 180gr Barnes from his .308 Win. A whitetail buck just wasn't much resistance for heavy, slow premium and just wasn't expanding much. I could not get him to understand just because it may be a good elk or moose bullet doesn't mean it's a good whitetail bullet.

Although I've used 180g bullets in a 308, it really is too much. Just not enough gas to make them work correctly. In any of the 300 mags... absolutely. Most 308s would do better with 150-165g.... especially at any distance. Likewise, a soft 150 fired from a 300 might give less than stellar performance...blowing up on impact at close range. That same bullet may also be perfect at 300 yards though.

 

[Remi]

Although I've used 180g bullets in a 308, it really is too much. Just not enough gas to make them work correctly. In any of the 300 mags... absolutely. Most 308s would do better with 150-165g.... especially at any distance. Likewise, a soft 150 fired from a 300 might give less than stellar performance...blowing up on impact at close range. That same bullet may also be perfect at 300 yards though.

Yep, I finally talked him into dropping down to the 130ttsx, I actually wanted him to the 110ttsx, but the 130 has performed considerably better on deer.

 

[deerhunter10]

Didn't read all of them. But a few reasons. Bad equipment, no practice, never sighted in (this one blows my mind all the time) something in the way of the shot that you can't see through the scope, buck fever of course, bad technique, not paying attention to how the deer is standing mainly bad hits on this, rushing shots, and a bunch of others.

 

[Tenntrapper]

Yep, I finally talked him into dropping down to the 130ttsx, I actually wanted him to the 110ttsx, but the 130 has performed considerably better on deer.

There is also a 125g partition...just saying...

 

[Remi]

There is also a 125g partition...just saying...

For .30 cal?


They make a 125 Accubond but I've never seen the 125 .308 partition



I'm not a huge partition guy. They can be made to shoot good but I've had to work harder to get good accuracy. With Barnes it's pretty much load and god for me

 

[Tenntrapper]

For .30 cal?


They make a 125 Accubond but I've never seen the 125 .308 partition



I'm not a huge partition guy. Try can be made to shoot good but I've had to work harder to get good accuracy. With Barnes it's pretty much load and god for me

You are probably correct....I must have been thinking of 264

 

[DeerCamp]

After reading a number of threads about missing or miss hitting deer, it got me thinking that we can help one another by offering suggestions.

If the ultimate high is seeing that target buck hit the ground or making a great shot on a whitetail, the lowest of lows is to miss or wound a deer for us deer hunters. I've known of hunters who quit hunting as the result.

We all have missed or will miss if we haven't so let's be kind. It happens.

I'll start with this. Know your weapon and check everything to make sure it's functioning properly. Don't trust it from year to year without testing it. Take nothing for granted!

There are some unknown number of factors that go into making a good shot, and you can mess up 1 or a few and still kill a deer, or mess up the wrong one and totally miss.

The last time I missed a mature buck, I had a misfire. I had already had a misfire out of that box of American Whitetail during target shooting. Figured it was a fluke. It wasn't.

Rifle misfired. Instead of just recocking it, I ejected the shell, which fell down and smacked wood. The buck looks up and trots off. I put another shell in and this time when I look up, my contact had shifted and now instead of 1 crosshair I see 3, along with 3 deer bodies. I aimed at the middle one, rushed at the shot and saw him flinch. Later got a picture of him and I had apparently shot right into the top 1" of his back and left a pretty good scar.

I could make the argument that it wasn't my fault the contact shifted. Maybe it also wasn't my fault that the deer heard the ejected shell hit the one piece of wood on the ground below me.

But it was absolutely my fault for assuming that a misfire was a fluke. Will never make that mistake again.

 

[muddyboots]

What does this mean?

Aim at a hair. Not the deer

 

[DaveTN]

Shoot…. Target shoot at around 100 yards or more throughout the year with the same set-up you are hunting with. If you know your equipment is good…its you. But chances are if you shoot throughout the year with the same equipment you are hunting with your deer will drop when you shoot it.

 

[Tenntrapper]

Someone very recently said to me...the center of a watermelon is the same size as the center of an aspirin. Took me a second, but he was correct.