Originally Posted by hometheaterman

Yea I've been hunting with guys that hunt with dogs and using a rifle for 3 years now. The first year I didn't really use it and I'm not sure if I even shot it any or not. Last year I shot it it a few times and missed everything I shot at. This year I haven't gotten a chance to shoot it at a deer yet either. I just can't shoot like a lot of the guys that have been hunting with them for years. How did you learn to make the shots easily?

The guy I was talking about earlier is 25 now. He has been using a rifle since he was 18 and says he just got good with it in the last two or three years. Another one that's good has been hunting with one since he was about 12 and he is 26 or so now and his brother is 30 or so. They both are very good with them.

Then there are ones like me that shouldn't even shoot at them running as I can't hit them easily. I have trouble holding it still when free hand and I don't know how much to lead them by either. However, with the shotgun it's no where near as hard to hit them. I've seen lots and lots of deer killed with buckshot as well as rifles.

As they said earlier you also have the dogs find the deer for you in most cases.

I don't know how good of a shot the OP is that's why I don't want to say if he should shoot at a running deer or not. I do however, know there are several guys that I hunt with that can shoot a running deer and hit them the majority of the time. I've seen a few of them miss but like I said with the one guy I don't think I've ever seen him miss. I'm not saying he doesn't miss he just hasn't when I've been hunting with him.