How often do you miss big game with a scoped rifle?

[jimh406]

Just a quick poll ...

 

[JohnJohnson]

I've missed once on a deer. The previous day I had misjudged how high I was on the box stand's ladder when coming down and hopped off it. I fell 6 feet to the relatively soft ground but my rifle landed with me. So that probably at least had something to do with it.

 

[Geewhiz]

I voted "stupid poll" because I dont want to think about it. haha

One year when I was in high school I missed 4 nice bulls before I finally connected on one. And yes, clean misses.

Man Ive probly missed more animals than many people have ever shot at. I will say that its been a few years since I have missed though and I am definately getting better as I get older. I'm typically not a bad shot when calm and collected but sometimes that all goes right out the freaking window when I find something I want to shoot. Trigger fever is definately a real condition and ive been known to get it bad.

 

[SDHNTR]

If you don’t miss something every year, you don’t hunt enough.

 

[jimh406]

Trigger fever is definately a real condition and ive been known to get it bad.

My Dad missed every shot he ever took, but as a WWII veteran who saw a lot of combat I always wondered if it was on purpose. His rifle was always in perfect condition, and he shot it great.

 

[iddi53]

Relatively new to hunting as an adult. Currently 1 for 1 in 4 seasons.

Learning more and more every year

 

[Ac338]

I hate your timing on this, missed a whitetail yesterday at 150 yards, non rushed shot prone off the bipods which is normally a gimme. Squeeze felt great and deer mule kicked. Found no blood, hair or bone at shot site spent 16 hours since yesterday grid searching with two other people and haven’t found a drop of blood even with the snow. Went out last night when I couldn’t sleep and hit a howl to see if coyotes would lead me to it. Double checked shot site with a black light for anything and found nothing. So I still can’t believe I missed but after two days of searching and no sign of a hit I must have clean missed. The mule kick really threw me although I have heard of people witnessing a mule kick on a miss.

 

[Ikmclean]

I used to miss quite often , haven't sense I started taking practice seriously. I voted once every 5 years because it's bound to happen

 

[jimh406]

The mule kick really threw me although I have heard of people witnessing a mule kick on a miss.

I heart shot a small doe deer once that ran 500 yds. In my experience, that's pretty much an indicator of a heart shot. All that I've hit that way ran more than normal. Fwiw, there wasn't much blood, but we had the benefit of snow on the ground.

I bet it's dead though.

 

[TrailDog]

I miss all the time!...seems like I miss a shot every year but connect on the follow up. But I hunt in the dark timber and hills of northwest Montana....usually when you see an animal it's a split second chance/decision in otherwise thick forest, virtually no time to set up and make a steady shot or calm the buck/bull fever. I think things would be different in open country where you're not jump shooting animals in the forest on 45 degree slopes ; )

 

[danny6172]

The first deer I ever shot at I missed badly due to buck fever. 5 clean misses at 250 yards at the same buck. 2 hours later I hit and killed a buck while he was running. Go figure. Haven’t missed since with a scoped rifle since. Archery is a different story.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

I miss about once every other year, ..missed a nice WT buck last Sat...I was done hunting walking back to the truck..I was looking down for arrow heads, private ground they everywhere, looked up buck was standing on the edge of an old logging road about 100yds away no idea how long he had been watching me ...took a quick off hand shot, I sure if it was a doe I would have dropped it...shot right in front of him. Spent 2 hrs looking no blood, hair ect...went back the next day to look some more and the SOB made a fresh scrap about 40 yds from where I shot at him.

 

[Geewhiz]

Archery is a different story.

hahaha I'm glad he didnt make a pole about that otherwise I would be mysteriously absent.

 

[Reburn]

hahaha I'm glad he didnt make a pole about that otherwise I would be mysteriously absent.

HAHAHA. I tagged a nice cedar elm tree this year before I realized my release was gummed up and shooting 8" right at 20.......But to be clear I still shanked the shot.