would you have taken the shot
 

I was not planning on hunting today after work. I was going out to light a cig, grabbed my ML. just thinking what the hell maybe I see something. walked out the door getting ready to turn to the deck. There stands a BUCK under a apple tree! But all I had was a frontal. I did raise the gun and thought about the shot. but I waited about 10 mins. he did not move. raised the gun and thought about it again. he ran.

After miss 3 last year. I really want to get a deer. and with me having to do a last minute load change. I was wanting a the wide shot. but it was only 15 to 20 yards.

Would of you taken the frontal? Did I do the right thing?

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

I would have nailed it. It all comes down to weather or not you could have did your job at placing the shot.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

Frontal Shots are not all that bad of a shot if you place it. I took one last year with open sights at 52 yards shooting a flintlock. I probably would have taken the shot. At 15-20 yards a neck shot would have been almost a give-me with open sights or a scope. When they had their head down, not looking at me, it would have been all over for them. Remember, break their neck, or penetrate the brisket and there is heart and lungs there that you can take out. Also if you were shooting an XTP with a reasonable charge, it would have penetrated, expanded, and did the damage.

BUT

Let me commend you for not taking the shot. From your question and your actions its apparent that YOU were not comfortable with the shot. And based on that fact you made the wise choice. You wait, hoped for the shot you wanted, and took your chances. You were not comfortable with what was presented and because of that you did not shoot. My hats off to you.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

corey012778

with my experiance - I would have not thought about it much at all.... but I think cayugad covered the whole topic quite well... especially for what he wisely said after the but:

congrats to you...

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

caygad said it all and I agree 100% with his statements. Good on you for holding off.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

A brisket shot is a good shot when your that close, right to the right fo the center of the deer. This Nosler hit a buck last year at 35 yards in the brisket and went the entire length of him, I found the bullet on the underside of the hide in front of the hind quarter. It has penetrated about 30" of deer. Now, that said about the brisket shot, would I have taken it outside my house, no. Why, too easy. I enjoy hunting, not "opportunity shooting", just me however. Some would and never think twice. I have shot deer behind my house when I lived on 5 acres with a bow from a Tree Stand, but not from my porch and not with a rifle or a ML.
Chap Gleason

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

Hey man...You did the right thing...One thing bow hunting and hunting with flintlocks over 35 years has taught me, listen to your gut....I absolutely hate to take somebody hunting to one of our farms, hear him shoot, and while looking for signs of a hit having them question out loud about taking the shot...

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

OK, I'll respectfully disagree with my older and more experienced friends, Cayugad and Sabotloader on this one. On my first reading, I was thinking just like you guys. But then I read it again. 15-20 yards!!!!!

Corey, ya shulda busted him man!!!!!

IF you don't have the confidence in the gun to make a 15-20 yard brisket shot on a buck that is standing still looking at you, then you shouldn't be out there period. My guess is, that you do have the confidence in making that shot, you were just worried about it being a frontal shot.

Put another way, do you have more confidence making that frontal shot at 15-20 yards or a broadside shot at 100 yards? I think even though you have a new load and are not extremely confident, you had about as easy a shot as you might expect to get.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

cdad

Sometimes you are really hard to understand, UC has it figured out but I kent tel ya whut he say,,,, but I actually think I understand where you were going with this...

I think you might be right he had the confidence to make the at the brisket but possibly wondered if that was a GOOD shot placement location... So what you did not say is that a brisket shot is a terminal shot.. I will say it is - brisket shots will devastate the vitals cavity and you will have your deer.

whadayathin?

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

I gotta say. Its a tough decision.I think I would have to go with cascadedad. If it had been at 35 to 50 yards then I would have passed if I wasn't comfortable. But I gotta look at the facts. You would have about a 5" to 7"square area in the center of the chest that you could have shot him at and it would have been a kill shot. I've taken the same shot and killed deer. You could have done it.

On the other have if you didn't feel comfortable then you probably made the right decision.Don't worry. If he was there once then maybe he'll be there again. This time have your muzzle loader and be ready to shoot.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

I would have taken it .

This year i shot a small mule deerbuck facing me at 70 yards . All i could see was his upper right shoulder and neck , I knew that my gun would shoot wherever i put my red dot . I put the dot at the base of his neck , dropping him in his tracks.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

I am have second thoughts about it myself, never taken a deer and knowing that. miss 3 shots last year, knowing that. but all I can see know is my last range session and the deer over lapping



the target was at 50 yards. is 11" x 8.5" the total 5 shot group was 5" pritty much a line. the bottom hole was a SW a guy let me have aim point was the hole above it. it that front is only 7" at the yards I gave. oh well, he be out another day. so will I.

Before anyone ask, if I had do to over again. I would of taken the shot.

add one more thing, it was the second time I have seen one there, one in sept. and one today. scout it everyday I hunt and see half a dozen eaten apples.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

Corey - I've been in the same situation as you. And like you did not take the shot when I had the chance. In my case I passed on one of the largest bucks I had ever seen in the wild. I had a monster buck come in. I was in my stand, nice and warm. I had my shooting sticks with me and the rifle in them.I wasnot nervous, excited, (well maybe a little), and new I could make the shot. The problem was, all I could see was his head because he was on the other side of a brush pile. I had my Renegade .54 caliber loaded with a roundball trained on his head, and when he turned to the side a little I was going to shoot him through his ears. Then I got worried I'd knock that monster rack off and I wanted this one on the wall. So I waited... and waited... and waited. Finally he turned around and putting his back to a large Balsam tree walked off and over the hill.

It was one of those cases where I wanted a wall hanger instead of a freezer full of meat. I later talked to my friend who is a taxidermist and he told me, "I could have put the horns back on him for you. Next time shoot him through the ears." Although I thought about that shot many times and I still think I did the right thing.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

Corey, your gonna have to listen to that voice inside that is usually right. To stare you down at 15 - 20 yards for 10 minutes tells me that he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

yeah, your right bigtimer. I do think it was the one I saw in sept. I just got home from work, wind blow towards smoking, smelling like raw meat looked at me for 10 minutes as well.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

I've been thinkin it over and over. It kinda reminds me of something that happened to me about 7 years ago when I was rifle hunting in kentucky. I was walking up a jeep trail when I saw what still is probably the biggest deer I've ever had a chance at. Probably would have scored in the 170s. He was maybe 40 yards away. Clear shot. Front quartering. I've made kills like that maybe 10 plus times since and at farther ranges. I raised handi rifle and tried to center him in my scope. The problem was that at the angle I was standing the sun was creating glare through the scope. I tried to reposition my self so the sun wasn't a problem. The deer just stood there but I couldn't get what I would consider a decent shot at the deer so I passed rather than shoot and injure the deer. If I had the decision to make all over again, I would have made the same decision.

My point is that you made the right decision not to shoot if you didn't think that you had a 100% or even 80-90% chance of killing the buck. Don't worry about hunting 3 years and not getting one. Deer hunting is like anything else. If you put you're time then eventually you're efforts will pay off. Good luck and good hunting.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

your right. I should not kick myself for not taking it, if I seen him there 2 times already. I may see him there one more.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

yes, I would have taken the spine shot, but I have been shooting and cleaning deer for 50 years and know exactly where I would need to hit him. If you have doughts it is better to wait and learn from it than to make a bad shot and have a wounded deer, you did do the right thing now study the anatomy; this might help
http://www.rubsnscrapes.com/Articles/shot_placement_anatomy.php
Lee

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

nope, would have ruined his smoke break. ;)

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

nope, did not even lite up, but it did end up smoking 2 afterwards

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

At that range I would not have hesitated HOWEVER, if you didn't feel comfortable then you did the right thing. Some people are more comfortable w/certain shots than others. It doesn't make them better or worse hunters, as long as you know your limitations it doesn't matter what otehrs are capiable of or feel comftable of doing.You never want to say I knew I shouldn't have taken that shot but I did anyway as you never find a wounded deer.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

I think the next time I go out to take a smoke and take my ml, I'll remember my bamboo shoot sticks. I have a bad shoulder and can't stady guns to well.



starting at the top, chinese sks paratrooper, usak, homemade bamboo shoot sticks, savag 110e 30-06

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

Corey, Listen carefully,,,,,,,,,,if you quit smokin dem cancer sticks now, you gunna have that money saved up fer dat new MLer very quickly!!!!! ;););)

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

did the math. you don't want to know. :(

I think I will leave my job first then quick smoking, Love what I do, hate where I work

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

Chapman - no, not just you. No shot here either.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

"So what you did not say is that a brisket shot is a terminal shot.. I will say it is - brisket shots will devastate the vitals cavity and you will have your deer."

i have killed at least three deer with a shot to the brisket-all bang flops.Longest shot was just over 200 yards. That deer just would not turn, so i got into a sitting position: When he raised his head i popped him.

I you are not comfortable with the shot then don't take it.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

If it makes you feel better, I also passed on a chip shot (<20 yards) at a buck this season. He was walking straight at me (stomping and snorting the whole way). I, too, was unsure about just where to hit him with a frontal shot so I had to pass (also couldn't move that much). He ended up running off and stopping broadside at 100 yards. I just plain missed (buck fever). You'll be ready if a similar situation presents itself.
- B

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

Never doubt a shot that does not feel right.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

hey corey ,i'm only 20 miles away ,next time call mei'll decide ,ok? lol

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

Corey,

Your were not rushed to take the shot; so listening to your sub-concious was the right thing to do. For some reason you doubted that you could make the shot; so I think you did the right thing. Besides it's not much of a hunt. You will get a deer and it sounds like you won't shoot until the time is right. Good job.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

What is that rifle, Ridge Runner?

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

well I am getting ready for rifle, the ml will not be taking a 2 week break. it will be with me when my bother in law won't be hunting with me mainly around home. I may take it tommarow the place I am hunting is only 1 or 2 mile from the range. so I may get some time in while out there.

in my heart I did the right thing, my brain says I could. I think in the back of my mind, I did not want to work on the deer tonite lol

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

Ridge Runner - then are some nice bucks... Especially thatsecond to thebottom one. WOW!!!

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

I would have taken it and did yesterday on a nice buck at 50 yards. In the bush with a tree on each side of him. OH and Imissed, think I flinched with a small hang fire of a fraction of a second. He was about a 1/ wider then his ears with 12 G1 and a 4 (8 American) pointer. Would have scored about 135. Not big but still nice.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

I take shots that I am confident the outcome will be positive. Yardage, positioning, etcis important but if I don't have that confidence feeling going I simply back down. Sounds like you did the right thing.

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

This has probably been said already but I thought I'd chime in.

Would of you taken the frontal? Did I do the right thing? First question...yes. Second question...yes.

I'm not an old hunter, but I've been hunting 18 years. Every year I get better. Every year I see more deer. And every year I get a little less jittery when they do come around. You never know when the monster will walk by. Will you be ready? Will the situaiton be right? Practice, practice practice. As others have suggested, shoot that gun (shoot all of your guns) until it is an extension of yourself.Practice shootingfrom your stand. Know your yardage. Know your blind spots. Practice shooting off hand. The frontal shot has more tissue to penetrate but the vitals are all there behind the brisket. Practice so the next time you see that buck (and he's not giving you another option) you can just pull and fire like an instinct.

The majority of my hunting life (16/18 years)I've been a poor hunter. I used to shoot my gunthe month before the season to check my sights and then it was hunting season, then it went into the case for 11 months. I've missed many deer due to anxiety. I've missed others because I wasn't ready for when they arirved. I've even been woken up by deer waking by. I share this because since getting a muzzleloader everything changed for me. I go to the range often. I know what it's capable of and not capable of. I no longer flinch when I shoot because I know what to expect. And after all of this practice I cannot stomach the thought of sleeping in my stand.

But I missed a chance at a buck two weeks ago for similar reasons as yours. I turned my head in my stand to see a buck walking straight towards me at 50 yards. He busted me when I turned my head but eventually he put his head back down on the trail.I'm not yet very comfortable shooting off hand, especially with buck fever,so I tried to use my railing as a rest. This took some maneuvering and by the time I got my eye to the scope he was gone. In this case he was giving me that same frontal option. Did I do the right thing? I say yes, because I'm not comfortable off hand with a buck at 50 yards when there's another option (like a rest). But I learned a valuable lesson. Back to the range, without the sandbags. And hopefully next time I'm in that sort of situation I am better prepared for it. I'm willing to bet that the next time you see a buck under that apple tree you'll be better prepared as well. Tom

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

right know I am in the start of centerfire here in VA. it runs 2 weeks (west of the blue ridge). in a month late ML starts up but I think I may try to get back to the range maybe as early as today. if I go today (or when I get a chance), the goal is put finish sightin in my scope, off hand, and put 5 shots in a 4" X 4" target area



I have them in 5 3/4" X 5 3/4" area now

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

Ditto!

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

Well spoken by Cayugad. We all should know our limitations and there is nothing wrong in not taking a shot that you are not comfortable with. I have taken several deer with the "frontal" shot, but I knew my gun well, the distance I was shooting and had a steady rest. I'm not saying that because I have taken deer that way I would take that shot any time presented...but there are times I felt comfortablewith the shot and was able to take a deer. The bottom line is that as a sportsman...you did not shoot because you did not feel "comfortable" with the shot. I wish there was a lot more of that type of restraint out there...BPS

RE: would you have taken the shot
 

I think you made the right call. Of course, this coming from someone with no meat in the freezer because I have waited for "the shot" a couple times this year. That is alright. I still have a few weeks.