I have never heard of any such study. Follow up shots to me are something done at an animal that already has been hit. A second shot at a previously unwound ed animal is very dependent upon the situation. I used to jump shoot deer in the woods and was pretty good at it, but don't hunt that way any more. AR'S and multiple shots at things like coyotes or multiple coyotes go togetther lke peas and carrots.
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Success rate of a follow-up shot?
- Thread starter Mr. Hill
- Start date
Happened to me just this last season, got into the stand and wasnt there but 2 mins and a nice eight walked into the field and stood broadside at 150 yds, laser ranged after the shot. Rushed the first shot and missed, deer stepped foward and to the left one step, bolted in another round, relaxed, took aim and shot again, deer took off as if it hadnt been hit. Found it dead in the woods 50 yds away. 2nd shot did its duty.
Where we are (New Zealand) I have found that shooting suppressed has the added advantage of being able to normally get away a 2nd shot if the 1st doesn't connect due to the animal not being able to pinpoint where the shot has come from...
I have in the past, had a stag run straight towards me after a clean heart shot which gave me the chance to put a 2nd through the neck which ended its run right there...
I generally won't take a shot at a running deer because of the increased chance of wounding and not dropping it cleanly, way prefer an unhurried shot all things being equal...
I have in the past, had a stag run straight towards me after a clean heart shot which gave me the chance to put a 2nd through the neck which ended its run right there...
I generally won't take a shot at a running deer because of the increased chance of wounding and not dropping it cleanly, way prefer an unhurried shot all things being equal...
Double Naught Spy
New member
No studies and I don't think you could get a valid study between hunters lying and misremembering what happened. For the same reasons eye witnesses get things wrongs and people in gunfights don't recall how many shots were fired by them, details often get muddled during stress. On top of that, nobody wants to remember that they screwed up and fewer people want to admit to it.
The only 2 first round misses that I can recall where I did an immediate followup shot both were on small bobcats and the followup scored. The last one (not video'd) was due to misjudging the distance. I saw the impact and adjusted aim accordingly. The second (see video), was just buck fever. In both cases, the cats stood still after the first shot.
https://youtu.be/DvGRBNia9L4
The nice thing about video is that it remembers some of what you don't.
Sometimes, it is hard to know if you missed or if the animal simply didn't go down. Numerous times I have shot, not known if I had hit the animal or how well and tried for a followup on a moving target. In that regard, I have good days and bad, but the bad days are getting fewer. Certainly, if I think the first shot hit the animal, then I want it to go down and I do not want to have to search for it. Turns out, often the first shots are quite and quickly fatal, but since they didn't hit CNS, the animal doesn't go down immediately.
https://youtu.be/AA2ePTCbQcw
This is my all time favorite video of a hunter missing repeatedly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEHIkvQ7ISQ
The only 2 first round misses that I can recall where I did an immediate followup shot both were on small bobcats and the followup scored. The last one (not video'd) was due to misjudging the distance. I saw the impact and adjusted aim accordingly. The second (see video), was just buck fever. In both cases, the cats stood still after the first shot.
https://youtu.be/DvGRBNia9L4
The nice thing about video is that it remembers some of what you don't.
Sometimes, it is hard to know if you missed or if the animal simply didn't go down. Numerous times I have shot, not known if I had hit the animal or how well and tried for a followup on a moving target. In that regard, I have good days and bad, but the bad days are getting fewer. Certainly, if I think the first shot hit the animal, then I want it to go down and I do not want to have to search for it. Turns out, often the first shots are quite and quickly fatal, but since they didn't hit CNS, the animal doesn't go down immediately.
https://youtu.be/AA2ePTCbQcw
This is my all time favorite video of a hunter missing repeatedly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEHIkvQ7ISQ
Gunplummer
New member
I guess I would have to agree with you about a study on this subject being worthless. I have truly seen some weird things when hunting. I would be as guilty as anyone when it comes to misconceptions of events. I ALWAYS spend a lot of time looking after a miss. Even if I am sure it is a miss. For some reason I always think the deer was closer than it was. Maybe because the last time I saw it was through a scope. Many times I thought a shot came from across the river on the other mountain, when it was actually up behind me. I have seen deer make the same mistake. The only absolute is what I tell the youngsters. If you shoot, work the bolt as fast as you can to put another round in. A couple deer may run a little and stop after a shot because they don't know where it came from. You wait to work that bolt and they will for sure take off.
DNS' post illustrates the importance of seeing what happens when you take a shot.
thats why I advocate the use of muzzle brakes.
Even though some get Razzed for having brakes on something mild like .223, it really helps to make decisions about a follow up shot. I've night hunted and with an aggressive brake, you can see where the bullet strikes.
the hunter in the three miss video probably never saw where his bullets were striking, even though it was apparent in the video.
I've watched Many of DNS' videos and it is usually apparent where the impact is... that helps to decider what error was made and if a follow-up should be attempted
thats why I advocate the use of muzzle brakes.
Even though some get Razzed for having brakes on something mild like .223, it really helps to make decisions about a follow up shot. I've night hunted and with an aggressive brake, you can see where the bullet strikes.
the hunter in the three miss video probably never saw where his bullets were striking, even though it was apparent in the video.
I've watched Many of DNS' videos and it is usually apparent where the impact is... that helps to decider what error was made and if a follow-up should be attempted
If you know you missed your first shot clean on a big game animal, perhaps the best solution is to decline a hurried follow up shot. A good theory, but in practice, you may not be all that sure what happened with the first shot.
A case in point: when the sun crested the low hill not too far after dawn, I saw the shadow of the little buck in front of me. I turned. He wasn't more than forty yards broadside. I aimed for the chest with my 1895 35 Winchester. I had it loaded with a Hornady 250 grain. I fired. No reaction. The little buck took one step forward and stopped. I couldn't believe I missed. I fired again. This time he took off downhill at a dead run toward me. Just before running over me, he turned. I fired again, and he went down. The last shot was pure instinct. I have no conscious memory of seeing the sights.
I was glad I got the buck, but I was sick. Only one of the shots hit, but which one. I was betting on the second shot. How could I have performed so poorly?
When I checked the buck for bullet wounds, I found three in the chest, close enough to cover with my hand.
A case in point: when the sun crested the low hill not too far after dawn, I saw the shadow of the little buck in front of me. I turned. He wasn't more than forty yards broadside. I aimed for the chest with my 1895 35 Winchester. I had it loaded with a Hornady 250 grain. I fired. No reaction. The little buck took one step forward and stopped. I couldn't believe I missed. I fired again. This time he took off downhill at a dead run toward me. Just before running over me, he turned. I fired again, and he went down. The last shot was pure instinct. I have no conscious memory of seeing the sights.
I was glad I got the buck, but I was sick. Only one of the shots hit, but which one. I was betting on the second shot. How could I have performed so poorly?
When I checked the buck for bullet wounds, I found three in the chest, close enough to cover with my hand.