Shooting within your limits.

[VSS]

A 4 inch group at 100 meters is not good at all! The standard for dsc should be higher than that.

Nonetheless, you've only got to look at the number of experienced stalkers who have to retake the shooting test to realise that, under pressure, it can be challenging.
Most people blame their kit, of course. ("I think I knocked my scope this morning" ).

(And before anyone asks, yes, I did pass all sections at the first attempt. And I acknowledge that I'm a pretty poor shot. So there's clearly other factors at play that make people screw up).

 

[RJD]

If you are worried about groups on Deer you need to spend more time on shot placement than at the range.

Look at the vitals on deer, then figure out your shot placement, the DSC1 4 inch circle is more than accurate enough if using the text book Boiler room shot ( not that I ever use this)

I don’t understand the obsession with groups on deer rifles, cold barrel zero is more important, can you hit an apple at 100M and a Grapefruit at 200M then you are good

 

[webley701]

A 4 inch group at 100 meters is not good at all! The standard for dsc should be higher than that.

What size of (scoring) circle would you suggest is adopted?

 

[griff]

Why not?
Under the conditions that I did my DSC1, you were doing exceptionally well to get within 4" at 100 yards. I'm sure @Kalahari will bear me out on that.
Regardless of experience. And a number of experienced stalkers did fail the test that day.
I'd be pretty much ecstatic to get measured groups under 3", consistently, at 200 yards. But I kill deer consistently at that distance.

Because a 3" group @ 200yds on a headshot is not an option..

 

[jacre1993]

Just stay within your own limits of what you feel comfortable and can rely on.

You’ll get so many different answers of ranges and shot placement.
Ultimately, it’s down to the shooters judgement call.
I think every single shot should be taken with a heavy heart .
I’ve taken some shots past 300yds and others I’ve rejected in taking a shot at 150yds if I don’t feel I’ve got a good rest … or if the deer aren’t playing ball.

Every single time you pull the trigger , wherever your placement is at and whatever range your doing it at , just be sure your doing it within your own ability and your confident of the outcome …. One thing said though …. Any one who says they’ve never gone wrong is a liar.
These people should be ignored!

 

[VSS]

If you are worried about groups on Deer you need to spend more time on shot placement than at the range.

Look at the vitals on deer, then figure out your shot placement, the DSC1 4 inch circle is more than accurate enough if using the text book Boiler room shot ( not that I ever use this)

I don’t understand the obsession with groups on deer rifles, cold barrel zero is more important, can you hit an apple at 100M and a Grapefruit at 200M then you are good

Absolutely this ^^^

Because a 3" group @ 200yds on a headshot is not an option..

But it's all about the individual knowing their limits, isn't it?
(As per the title of this thread).
A lot of people wouldn't consider a head shot an option, full stop.
Shoot within your own limits, and you'll be fine. There's nothing to be gained by telling someone that a sub 3" group at 200 is essential, if they're personally limiting themselves to sub 100m chest shots, for reasons of confidence or whatever. If they stick to shooting within the limits of their ability, their experience and their kit then there's nothing to worry about.
I couldn't shoot a sub 3" group on paper at 200m. No shame in admitting it. But I restrict myself to a maximum of 130m for head shots and 230m for chest shots. I know my limits, and shoot within them.

 

[triggertrix]

Sometimes one should make an effort to get to 100yards/meters and it all become superfluous. My father shot hundreds and hundreds of of roe and red, always insisted that it was 100 or less, if not, you’ve not tried hard enough, not crawled hard enough on your belly, never missed or wounded because of that.

 

[Heym SR20]

Sometimes one should make an effort to get to 100yards/meters and it all become superfluous. My father shot hundreds and hundreds of of roe and red, always insisted that it was 100 or less, if not, you’ve not tried hard enough, not crawled hard enough on your belly, never missed or wounded because of that.

Exactly this. At 100m a bit of:

Misjudgment of range

Wind

Wobble

Slight movement of the deer as the trigger breaks

Running after the shot

Finding the deer after the shot

Really is a non event. The deer dies quickly and is easily recovered.

Move out further the potential For embuggerance and ****upery increases by the power of 2 at 200, 3 at 300 etc. etc.

 

[griff]

Absolutely this ^^^


But it's all about the individual knowing their limits, isn't it?
(As per the title of this thread).
A lot of people wouldn't consider a head shot an option, full stop.
Shoot within your own limits, and you'll be fine. There's nothing to be gained by telling someone that a sub 3" group at 200 is essential, if they're personally limiting themselves to sub 100m chest shots, for reasons of confidence or whatever. If they stick to shooting within the limits of their ability, their experience and their kit then there's nothing to worry about.
I couldn't shoot a sub 3" group on paper at 200m. No shame in admitting it. But I restrict myself to a maximum of 130m for head shots and 230m for chest shots. I know my limits, and shoot within them.

Your right it is all about people knowing their limits, but their limits and confidence would expand with accuracy.

 

[griff]

Exactly this. At 100m a bit of:

Misjudgment of range

Wind

Wobble

Slight movement of the deer as the trigger breaks

Running after the shot

Finding the deer after the shot

Really is a non event. The deer dies quickly and is easily recovered.

Move out further the potential For embuggerance and ****upery increases by the power of 2 at 200, 3 at 300 etc. etc.

As does getting close! Seen far to many deer wounded with a rushed shot at close range, than a calculated one at distance..

 

[Utectok]

As does getting close! Seen far to many deer wounded with a rushed shot at close range, than a calculated one at distance..

I’ve missed more rushing at sub 100m when the deer is alert than at 250m with a quietly grazing deer

 

[Dan Newcombe]

If you are worried about groups on Deer you need to spend more time on shot placement than at the range.

Look at the vitals on deer, then figure out your shot placement, the DSC1 4 inch circle is more than accurate enough if using the text book Boiler room shot ( not that I ever use this)

I don’t understand the obsession with groups on deer rifles, cold barrel zero is more important, can you hit an apple at 100M and a Grapefruit at 200M then you are good

Because a good group shows that you took ‘x’ number of shots and they all impacted close to the others. If you can shoot with a good degree of precision than you can shoot with accuracy as well.

The group itself isn’t important but knowing that you can shoot 5 shots and they will all be within a certain tolerance (say 1”) means that you know where they are going to go. If you can only put those 5 shots within 5 inches then you are less likely to hit what you are aiming at purely due to chance resulting from a low degree of precision.

 

[.25-06]

The hardest shot you will take is actually the one you don't take, suspecting it is beyond your accuracy limits.

 

[LuckyEddie]

Even though I have variable zoom scopes on my rifles I tend to leave them at set zooms.
I practice at 50yds standing with sticks, 125yds kneeling and 200yds prone.
Occasionally I practise off sticks at all three distances.

My parameters are that I want a kill shot at each of those ranges.

Irrespective of the distance the 4” kill zone remains the same.
Put a bullet in that area and the beast will go down.
It may run, but it will go down.

Closest shot was 40yds, furthest being 247yds.
The first dropped on the spot, the latter ran 50yds and dropped.

 

[Malxwal]

Practice stalking into deer as well as shooting at extended distance.

 

[finnbear270]

I guess it was just a slightly arbitrary example to illustrate the point of how a novice stalker progresses in their marksmanship and confidence without taking unreasonable much risk on live quarry.

It was taken in context of DSC1 on a range.
3" inches at 200 yards is still a kill shot.
How big is a Lung?.

 

[finnbear270]

Because a 3" group @ 200yds on a headshot is not an option..

Shoot the Hind!

 

[finnbear270]

On one of my very early forays with a good friend, I was first on the ground & spotted a Roe Doe that was not a stalking in option:
Doe in bracken far left pic, me offhand on knuckles in trees high up far right.
How far do you reckon it is?.

 

[rem284]

My maximum distance I will shoot at varies from day to day, and from one situation to another.

Usually I tend to call it 300m, sometimes a bit over.

For that I need:- time, stable platform, good conditions, no wind to speak of, little or no option to close the gap, no doubt in my head, confidence in my equipment and bullets. Sometimes I just think, it will have to die another day.

I shoot well most of the time(big heed). Lately with the work rifle I have had a bit of a bad time. I am putting this down to the fact that they increased the trigger weight(they know what is best), I am not sure if this has just messed with my brain or if it a physical issue or a bit or both. For this reason I have reduced my max-out distance to a little over 200.

 

[Foxyboy43]

There is a good clue in the thread title but don’t overthink it.
There are so many variables in “your limits” and with respect, you will not know them until you have experienced them - preferably many times. There's simply nothing to beat putting rounds downrange - as often as you can afford.
Shooting a 40 yds Muntjac off sticks as part of a gentle walk through a forest is a completely different world to shooting a Red off a bag/bipod at 200yds after a 5 miles hike (usually uphill) and a 300 yards crawl through mud/snow and sheep droppings.
All part of the rich compendium of “challenges” that make our passion so enjoyable, except of course the droppings bit….