What is your shooting method?

[bullfrog99]

I have found several different groups of shooters with different opinions on how to take game in general, I suppose this could also be applied to combat so I am posting it here instead of the hunting forum. Basically from what I have noticed, there are two camps of belief. One Believes in the Single well placed shot to anchor game, and they believe that any other way is inhumane. The second camp Believes in shooting until the target is down for good, seeing the one shot concept as cruel, waiting for the animal to die. There are some overlaps and extreme groups such as those believing one shot is best but a second is acceptable if you can get it off, and others who believe in emptying the gun in the general direction of the game as rapidly as possible, sort of a spray and prey method. I was wondering which method you pick for your own purposes and why.

 

[Cain R]

I'll take this with the view of a hunter. It is my absolute moral duty to put the game down as quickly and humanely as possible. So I always wait for the perfect shot, for small (whitetail) game, a shot into the lungs with a good quick expanding bullet is my favorite, if big Mule Deer are on the agenda, a controlled expansion into the shoulder, big stuff, (moose, elk) a shot to the shoulder to anchor the game. If the animal still offers a good target after catching the first bullet, a second or third into the lungs. So far in 20 years of hunting only one moose took more than one shot, and that was because of poor bullet selection and placement.

I thinking taking a life is something to be taken very seriously indeed. Thats why I usually use a larger calibre/ heavy bullet, etc. when hunting. And waiting for the right time to shoot. For example, this year I've already passed up three shots at reasonable White Tails becase I wasn't 100% satisfied that the animal would be hit perfectly. Nothing makes me madder than seeing a wounded buck hobbling on three legs with a pack of Coyotes on his trail because some rube didn't take the time and effort to really get to know his rifle and what it and the ammo were capable of or weren't capabale of.

Well, I'll get of the soap box now, its just after chasing off four different batches of road "hunters" from my pasture today (posted NO hunting every 100yds, 25 head of Alpaca's and 30 head of Llama's) I'm not filled with the milk of kindness towards some of my fellow gun owners/hunters.

 

[Art Eatman]

I've always been picky about my shots, definitely preferring to be able to hit the neck or heart.

Basically, I try for that ideal hit--and quickly reload in case of "in case". I'm happy to say I've not needed many second shots.

I've "lost" two deer, total. I pulled low with a stiff trigger and broke a leg bone; the way the deer dropped, I thought it was a good hit. I walked up to gut him out, and he jumped up and ran. I went to shoot him, and got a four-power sunset in my eye--which led to foul language about a hurting eye, and a long-gone deer. The other? To this day I'd swear it was a good heart hit; he went down, got up and got gone. My father and I hunted for blood or tracks for over an hour and found zip, zilch, nada.

But I guess that ain't bad, over a fairly long lifetime...

Shifting emphasis: I keep hollering about get off the benchrest and go to offhand shooting of tin cans. The key is coordinating the wobbly, shifting sight picture, and your brain's "GO!" signal to your trigger finger. NOBODY can play human bench rest, Harry Pope or no. The key is to anticipate the proper sight picture aligning to the proper spot on the target, and telling your trigger finger to "DO IT!" just before the sight picture arrives. The trick is the timing, so everything happens all at once.

, Art

 

[biganimal]

I try for a one shot kill......with a rifle it is usually a head shot on whitetail , standing NOT running! For bear I go for the heart lung shot. I almost always use a rest or bi-pod.

With a shotgun I shoot for the heart lung area for both animals. In 30 years I'v only had to use a second or third shot 4 times.

 

[yorec]

One shot, one kill.

But I'm not so arrogant as to believe that this is the only way it happens. A miss by fractions, an unseen brach deflecting the round, a sudden gust of wind (What wind in Wyo?!?!), prey's sudden movement, etc. If, after the first shot, the animal even appears to be able to get up, a second is on the way.

I've also put several deer, antelope and elk out of thier misery with a handgun bullet behind the ear. A single additional cartridge costs very little. Get it over with - no one should be so cheap as to allow thier trophy to go through any more agony than neccessary.

Like Art, I have lost precious few animals, and those that I did will forever haunt me...

 

[WiFAL]

I'll pass on shooting a deer during the season if I can't take what I beleive to be a one shot kill. So far every deer I've shot has died on the spot. If you don't have to track a deer you can't lose it. I beleive you owe it to the deer to make its end as quick as possible.