Originally Posted by
oldsmellhound
Worst shot was several years ago- was still hunting and came across a group of does that had been spooked by some other hunters. They were about 80 - 90 yards away. I didn't have anything to brace on, so I attempted an offhand shot at the lead doe. They were moving, and I waited until they stopped - or so I thought!
At the shot, they all spun and ran the other way, the doe I had shot was limping noticeably. I made the fasted reload I've done in my life, and jogged forward to try and reaquire the deer. I saw it right away standing quartering away from me at about 70 or 80 yards. The only shot I had was a neck shot, and since it was already wounded I decided to take it. The offhand shot drilled it right through the cervical spine and killed it instantly. Both shots were with the 200 grain SST and 80 grains T7.
Upon field-dressing the deer, I found my first shot had hit way back in the pelvis area - breaking one of its hips and severing the femoral artery- it was bleeding a lot. It probably would have bled out pretty quickly, but it was a terrible shot. Luckily I was able to follow that terrible shot up with a great neck shot. The first shot felt good, the only thing I can figure is that the deer had not completely stopped moving when I took the shot- this would make sense based on her direction and where the shot hit.
oldsmellhound,
I had a similar instance about 12 years ago during our late ML (flint only) season. I was hunting on a friend's property one afternoon from one of his stands and about 20 minutes before legal shooting time ended, I had a group of six or seven does come by me at about forty yards. They were walking a pretty stiff pace, not quite trotting, but not far from it. I was hunting with my T/C .45 flintlock stoked with 75 gr. of FFF and a 240 gr. Maxiball bullet. That rifle shoots that maxi very well so I had all the confidence in the world.
I picked out a decent sized doe and concentrated on her. I settled the sights on her boilerworks and took the shot. Well, they all took off and the one I shot at broke from the group and started heading downhill, so I'm thinking....yep, I got her. I get to where she was when she broke away and there's no blood, and we had snow on the ground so I'm thinking #%@$#!! I hope I didn't gut shoot that deer!! I tracked another fifty yards or so and began finding blood, a little at first, but the farther I went the heavier it got. I found her about 110 yards or so from where she broke from the group stone dead. I had hit her through both hams and severed her femoral arteries...the last thirty yards or so it looked like someone was spraying blood from a pump sprayer.
I got the deer, but I never felt right about it, and to this day, if I'm hunting with one of my flintlocks and I can't get them to stop or don't catch em' standing... I don't shoot.
BPS