'When' you mess up. Not 'if'
- Thread starter User00056
- Start date
I was out on Saturday afternoon on a guided stalk. I knew the place well as I used to live on the ground, but had never stalked it before. Approaching last light, we stalked into a mixed group, and I selected a doe at around 110 yards for a shot off sticks. What I completely failed to consider was that the shot was downhill at around a 30-degree slope. I made the rookie error of shooting to my usual point of aim and made a bad shot. To compound matters, the doe ran, then lay down around 100 yards from cover. Embarrassingly (ācringe-inducing humiliationā would be a more accurate description) I then missed with my next two shots due to being flustered, and then finally brought the incident to an end from about 60 yards.
The takeaways? I hadnāt been out for a while, I was slightly out of breath, I wasnāt stable enough, I hadnāt considered adjusting my aim for the slope, and I was rushing due to losing the light.
In retrospect, it was a shot I shouldāve declined. I made it right very quickly, but it isnāt a stalk I shall look back on with anything other than a healthy dose of shame and embarrassment.
I guess the lesson is that it will go wrong at some point, and that almost certainly itāll be your own fault
I empathise completely and as others have said, it does happen to us all at one point or another in one way or another and we accordingly shouldn't beat ourselves up too badly, just learn from as best we can.
The very last Roe I took in 2016 before having to surrender my firearms due to health was an unexpected inexplicable high shot, which caused a lot of subsequent confusion and 15-mins of unnecessary suffering. I beat myself up about terribly until experienced wise members here counselled to the contrary (I would link the stalk diary but note that our older posts seem to have dropped off the site).
Sol
Well-Known Member
The deer was shot on a slope the shot entered at the low brisket and exited on the high brisket basically not by much maybe an inch higher, but enough that It punched the lungs (or in my opinion, the expansion damaged the lungs)
In reality after getting home and removing the lungs and heart on the carcass I think I likely pulled the shot I think my intended POA was completely reasonable but the fact It got pulled back and low, on all things considered a "textbook" example of a perfect opportunity, I'll take that as a sign for keep going for shoulder.
Something that is also too consider on moorland I might of not seen it but the deer might of taken a step upwards as I shot, if it turned slightly (what It would of had too) It makes a lot of sense on the angle of travel for the bullet and the lowness,
I wish I took more time In reality it was actually the first time in a long while where I had opportunity to shoot when I wanted too, as the deer had zero clue we were there on a very steady rest at that too. - Novice mistake.
Adam Riding
Member
Thank you all for this thread! Very therapeutic for me at the moment.
The phrase the resonates with me most is:
I had a shocker last month and I'm pretty sure I'm the Client that had the rifle taken off them for dispatch! And they're being very polite in not telling you the full story!
I was flustered from the start and missed two due to high winds buffeting me. But once the wind calmed down my heart rate did not and I could not even see a CWD stood some 50 yards away (maybe even less I am trying to add 10y on each time I forget). This got in my head even more and I clean missed it. No excuses. I still can't explain it at all.
I went from a clean sheet when presented with a shot (but that's only 7 times in my whole life) to then finishing the day by wounding (can safely say is a horrific feeling) and I'm forever grateful the rifle was taken from me for clean dispatch as by then I couldn't hold my hand level let a lone a rifle.
I did a draft write up of the days stalk and considered all sorts that could come into play, embarrassment and genuine lack of justified excuses stopped me posting it. Guess it's a mix of nerves, buck fever (new species which was very exciting) and a huge lack of experience.
I still cringe now. I have vouched to get plenty of time on a range with sticks and perhaps timed shots etc before my next outing. Its already in my head for the next stalk that's not even booked yet and perhaps over a year away so I really need to go back to basics for a bit and am looking forward to it. I'll throw in angled shot practice now for good measure!
The phrase the resonates with me most is:
I had a shocker last month and I'm pretty sure I'm the Client that had the rifle taken off them for dispatch! And they're being very polite in not telling you the full story!
I was flustered from the start and missed two due to high winds buffeting me. But once the wind calmed down my heart rate did not and I could not even see a CWD stood some 50 yards away (maybe even less I am trying to add 10y on each time I forget). This got in my head even more and I clean missed it. No excuses. I still can't explain it at all.
I went from a clean sheet when presented with a shot (but that's only 7 times in my whole life) to then finishing the day by wounding (can safely say is a horrific feeling) and I'm forever grateful the rifle was taken from me for clean dispatch as by then I couldn't hold my hand level let a lone a rifle.
I did a draft write up of the days stalk and considered all sorts that could come into play, embarrassment and genuine lack of justified excuses stopped me posting it. Guess it's a mix of nerves, buck fever (new species which was very exciting) and a huge lack of experience.
I still cringe now. I have vouched to get plenty of time on a range with sticks and perhaps timed shots etc before my next outing. Its already in my head for the next stalk that's not even booked yet and perhaps over a year away so I really need to go back to basics for a bit and am looking forward to it. I'll throw in angled shot practice now for good measure!
We all get it wrong sometimes so donāt beat yourself up.
I wouldnāt panic about angled shots, they really do need to be extreme angles to put your POI out of the kill zone, if youāre aiming for the top of the heart.
Again I wouldnāt worry about timed shots, it wonāt replicate whatās in the field and the important thing is to take your time to get the shot right, if itās not, just donāt pull the trigger.
Practicing off of sticks, if thatās how youāll be shooting, is a very good idea. That includes getting comfortable getting on the sticks and adjusting until youāre comfortable and thereās no tension on the sticks. If you have an accurate air rifle and somewhere to practice thatās good enough - if you donāt have any you can make a set of quads with B&Q wooden dowels (like mine in the pic above) for under Ā£30. Assuming you have a drill.
Then itās just practice mounting and shooting accurately, the quicker you can get in the sticks smoothly and set up for the shot, the longer you have for the shot. If you have your own sticks then on your next paid stalk you can take them with you and youāll be comfortable with them.
Sol
Well-Known Member
Excuse the larder home consumption regardless but my theory seemly held correct.
Godawful shot I'm aware I do think I pulled the shot a lot, but It makes somewhat sense on how It was still lethal the lungs had to be clipped decently well with the angle of travel but if the deer was level with us in terms of height It would of been straight gut then brisket.
At least for the deer It was "quick" I wouldn't say overly ethical, I prefer to see deer go down within seconds but it wasn't running around with its green burst suffering Its by far been my worst shot to date
All things considered for the green being burst and pulling green through to the exit I did manage to save most of the carcass for anything "Lost" in waste trim I was able to make up with having two non-shot shoulders I supose.
TLDR: what I learned "perfect" scenarios can in fact go wrong and always carry a knife, I really dont think this deer would of gotten up to run, and whilst a velvet deer can do damage (dont get me wrong) his antler tips are still bulbous and blunt.
Godawful shot I'm aware I do think I pulled the shot a lot, but It makes somewhat sense on how It was still lethal the lungs had to be clipped decently well with the angle of travel but if the deer was level with us in terms of height It would of been straight gut then brisket.
At least for the deer It was "quick" I wouldn't say overly ethical, I prefer to see deer go down within seconds but it wasn't running around with its green burst suffering Its by far been my worst shot to date
All things considered for the green being burst and pulling green through to the exit I did manage to save most of the carcass for anything "Lost" in waste trim I was able to make up with having two non-shot shoulders I supose.
TLDR: what I learned "perfect" scenarios can in fact go wrong and always carry a knife, I really dont think this deer would of gotten up to run, and whilst a velvet deer can do damage (dont get me wrong) his antler tips are still bulbous and blunt.
Utectok
Well-Known Member
I recall now maybe thirty years ago shooting rabbits, feeding in the middle of a field, lamping, with a BSA Hunter .22 Hornet. Now you'd think that a .22 Hornet (Winchester 45 grain soft point factory ammo) to the head would kill a rabbit dead right there. Not so. The unfortunate creature moved as the shot was taken and the bullet took its jaw off. So we fortunately were able to immediately send the keeper's dog and it caught it. So yes. We all do mess up sometimes.
TringSaint
Well-Known Member
Yup. I completely get that one.
Shot 3 cwd this evening but one was a head shot which given a very slight left to right wind ended up with the deer down with half of its head missing but still alive by the time I got to it.
Soon dispatched but I pride myself on clean kills so was annoyed that I hadnāt noticed the wind as I was behind a hedge and was sheltered from the wind.
Fortunately the deer was 90%+ dead when I reached it so no real suffering l, but itās a horrible feeling.
The plus was that the deer was clearly not well. Quite old with lots of scars / wounds on its back from fighting and it was quite thin, so really a mercy mission. Left for the foxes and badgers and raptors to enjoy!!
Its maybe harsh to say but if you havent cocked up a shot then you havent been shooting long enough. Whilst we never intend to take a bad shot there are so many variables that come into it..eventually you will injure an animal. Once this happens its the response that's important and ending its suffering is the only priority whether this results in the carcass being unfit for consumption or not.
Thought this was another Trump thread!
K
K
I posted a thread on here a few months back about a MJ that I pulled a shot on.
Can completely agree with those who say that wounding a deer is the worst feeling ever!
Since then I give good 5 mins after the shot and plenty of glassing before approaching the animal, and always have the rifle off the shoulder with scope wound down to 4x mag and sticks ready for a dispatch shot if needed.
ATB,
Sandy
Can completely agree with those who say that wounding a deer is the worst feeling ever!
Since then I give good 5 mins after the shot and plenty of glassing before approaching the animal, and always have the rifle off the shoulder with scope wound down to 4x mag and sticks ready for a dispatch shot if needed.
ATB,
Sandy
After my previous post of my first solo stalk I've been out a couple more times and blanked....then went out again last night.
As many said it can and will go wrong! Thankfully in the scenario I've described it didn't lead to a wounded deer which is at least a positive takeaway. However, it's really highlighted to me how much more I have to learn and consider before pulling the trigger.
I stalked into what I thought were a group of 4 roe down a very steep bank (probably 1:3) and started to set up for a downhill bipod shot off a small terrace section. As it turns out there were another 4 deer just below me that I semi bumped. They didn't run but were aware there was something in the vicinity. I was worried the whole thing would be blown so quickly set up on one of the original does down below on a grass field. Probably about 120yards. As I was worried the rest were going to run off I didn't take as much time as I probably could of. On reflection I was in a good position and I suspect I did have time to observe and fully think.
The deer was broadside, quartering a little towards me with it's head down grazing. I chose the standard 90deg aim point...I now realise this was my big mistake. Anyway, took the shot and heard the impact. It ran about 20m and then fell with legs kicking a touch. As I came down the bank I could see things weren't right. On approaching the deer I could see the exit wound had pulled part of the stomach out.....clearly this was not good.
On inspection of the carcass I had totally missed the heart. I suspect I had pulled the shot right handed which was towards the back of the deer. Anyway I had a double lung and liver shot. I guess on the flat while not super ideal is acceptable. However with the trajectory being from top down slightly quartering it meant the bullet had spilled gut contents and caused the exit wound I described earlier. I really hadn't taken enough time or don't have enough experience to consider all these factors. Something I need to work on.
Obviously it all could of been much worse with a wounded deer. Last night and this morning I've been researching downhill shots and can totally see where I went wrong. My choice of aim point was further compounded by rushing and pulling the shot which has all lead to a messy carcass. I'm a bit of a deep thinker and a perfectionist so tend to ruminate on these type of things. I elected not to take any photo's of it all I guess through annoyance/sadness etc at things not being perfect....but life is never perfect. The photo below was taken on a totally different day does show how steep the bank is. Randomly it does actually show exactly where I took the shot so I've added an arrow although this makes it look a much shallower angle than it is in reality. The right hand side of the photo is a better indication of gradient! Maybe more experienced members can offer some further advice where possible.
As many said it can and will go wrong! Thankfully in the scenario I've described it didn't lead to a wounded deer which is at least a positive takeaway. However, it's really highlighted to me how much more I have to learn and consider before pulling the trigger.
I stalked into what I thought were a group of 4 roe down a very steep bank (probably 1:3) and started to set up for a downhill bipod shot off a small terrace section. As it turns out there were another 4 deer just below me that I semi bumped. They didn't run but were aware there was something in the vicinity. I was worried the whole thing would be blown so quickly set up on one of the original does down below on a grass field. Probably about 120yards. As I was worried the rest were going to run off I didn't take as much time as I probably could of. On reflection I was in a good position and I suspect I did have time to observe and fully think.
The deer was broadside, quartering a little towards me with it's head down grazing. I chose the standard 90deg aim point...I now realise this was my big mistake. Anyway, took the shot and heard the impact. It ran about 20m and then fell with legs kicking a touch. As I came down the bank I could see things weren't right. On approaching the deer I could see the exit wound had pulled part of the stomach out.....clearly this was not good.
On inspection of the carcass I had totally missed the heart. I suspect I had pulled the shot right handed which was towards the back of the deer. Anyway I had a double lung and liver shot. I guess on the flat while not super ideal is acceptable. However with the trajectory being from top down slightly quartering it meant the bullet had spilled gut contents and caused the exit wound I described earlier. I really hadn't taken enough time or don't have enough experience to consider all these factors. Something I need to work on.
Obviously it all could of been much worse with a wounded deer. Last night and this morning I've been researching downhill shots and can totally see where I went wrong. My choice of aim point was further compounded by rushing and pulling the shot which has all lead to a messy carcass. I'm a bit of a deep thinker and a perfectionist so tend to ruminate on these type of things. I elected not to take any photo's of it all I guess through annoyance/sadness etc at things not being perfect....but life is never perfect. The photo below was taken on a totally different day does show how steep the bank is. Randomly it does actually show exactly where I took the shot so I've added an arrow although this makes it look a much shallower angle than it is in reality. The right hand side of the photo is a better indication of gradient! Maybe more experienced members can offer some further advice where possible.
Utectok
Well-Known Member
Basically I donāt want to disappoint @Edd101 you but shooting downhill or uphill at 120m will make almost no difference. This was shooter error. We have all done it when rushing. Practice setup trigger and recoil control thats the key particularly when in a rush itās the fundamentals that can slip. Shooting uphill and downhill has an affect at longer ranges and steep angles but this is usually pre calculated by whatever rangefinder you are using. Any shot under 175m even with a 100m zero is point and shoot stuff. Donāt aim for the heart thatās a high tarif shot aim for middle of chest.
Thanks, I'd rather be dissapointed and learn than carry on thinking it was one thing when it was more down to me! The main thing is there wasn't a wounded/running deer. That would have been infinitely worse.
Utectok
Well-Known Member
Many rifle shooters think they are carrying some kind of super accurate lazer gun but if you shoot enough you realise itās a hit percentage game and more like lobbing a rock than a lazer. Asses the setup then the time you have and if your rushed go for a Center of chest shot this gives the largest possible error. Last night I had ages to setup was shooting off bipod and rear rest and could only see the head and neck at 190m and I gave 2ā for wind dialed 3 clicks and had a clean headshot. Thatās really unusual mostly Iāll be rushed off sticks and chest shoot and anything beyond 150m. But the key is understand the situation and acting accordingly. This comes with experience and quite a few misses!
not to bullet trajectory / drop but to point of aim.
Head down deer can be tricky, especially quartering on.
On one farm it is quite steep so I take a "5th" stick (a piece of Briar) put it out in front of the quad sticks so to take any "want" to lean fwd. Smacked a fox the other afternoon behind the shoulder just pointed an pulled the trigger around 130 yds. No drama no app just shoot it.
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