LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

How far in front of the deer would you lead (shooting with a 12 ga slug)a runner, at mid stirde, when its 100 - 125 yards in front of you running from right to left?

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

I would have to be in the situation to ultimately decide, but I would try to stop him or watch when he did. You didn't take alot of things into consideration...wind, terrain, other hunters. I normally wouldn't take a shot like this.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

I would never shoot at a running deer at that distance with a slug gun to begin with .Dang stupid if you ask me

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

Not a good idea.

PK

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

I'm with CD on this one.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

Should never try that shot. Even if you hit it your just as likely to hit it in the hams or gut. If you can't get a better shot than that then the deer wins on that day.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

While I have killed several game animals on the run with a high powered rifle,I would not attempt it at 100 yards with a shotgun or muzzle loader.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

Agree!

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

I was hoping I would find an "April Fool" on about the 5th post.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

ditto!!

i'm not sure i would feel too comfortable with a moving shot with a sluggun unless it's close. with a high powered rifle on the other hand i would hold just a little ahead of it.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

the answer is zero. meaning zero shots you just don't shoot at running deer.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

I consider not sighting in your gun,hunting with a different load than you sighted in with,or shooting at anygame animalthat is farther than you have ever shot targets at, to be much worse than shooting at a running animal.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

You've got to be sh---in right![:-] Sure glad you live in Canada Stubble.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

I have seen more animals missed or wounded by people whose rifles were not sighted in properly or that took 300yard or 400 yard shots when they had never fired at a target farther than 100 yards,than for any other reasons.They simply had no idea where their point of impact really was.The odds of me hitting a deer on the run at 200 yards using my rifle are higher than these peoplehitting a standing deer at 300 yards or 400 yards with their rifles.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

seriosly, I won't shoot any running animals besides squirrels and rabbits

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

i've shot deer within 50 yards running with a shotgun, but would never attempt it at 100 yards unless the deer was wounded and i was putting it down. i dunno how much you'd lead it by anyway. whenever i take the shot with a rifle, i just go on past experience and feel the right distance ahead. just like instinct..

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

the lead on a human on the run is about 12/15" at 100 yards , so the deer should be closer to about 18" orso at 100 feet.. (with a high powered rifle) then again you shouldn't really atempt that shot unless your 100% confident you can accuratly hit the target and put it down quickly.. it took mequite some numberof bullets to be able to hit a moving target at moderate speed at 100 yards when i was in training in the military for my sniper certificate.

even now i still wouldn't take the shot , it takes lots of practice to able to cleanly shoot the animal without wounding it..

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

If you've grown up, hunting deer in Wisconsin as I have, you know that when those million hunters hit the woods on opening morning, the deer don't stop running until they hit the South Dakota border.
I've shot many a running deer in my life with a 12 guage slug.Most of them were closer than 100 yards.I don't remember ever hitting one in the guts or hind end.
I can't say how far I'd lead a deer because every situation is different.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

Now just think a bit 1 to 2 feet 2 to 4 feet + body lengths. So 2 to4 feet means the spread is douuble lung to rear of the guts, pretty stupid spread to me.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

At that distance I would not take the shot either.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

With a slug gun or any equip. at that distance....I would NEVER take that shot. Way to risky in my opinion...don't care how huge a doe or how huge a rack the deer had.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

I would never take this shot. I just don't think it is an ethical shot. YOu have to take in account wind direction and speed, is the deer running up hill downhill and just all kinds of things. I have shot deer from this distance, but they were not running. Not a good idea.

Kim

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

I have only slug hunted one time and would have never attempted a shot of that distance and on the run. During my deer season I hunt with dogs and we have to use buckshot. I have killed many deer on the run and feel comfortable shooting at a running deer if it is in range!! I do try if the deer is not at a fast run to try and stop it by giving a grunt sound or a wistle. My biggest deer to date was right at the distanse that I was not going to shoot at him unless I got him to stop, and he did.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

I saw an article in (I think) Outdoor Life about shooting at running deer. The lead at a running deer at the distance of 100 - 125 yards is more than a foot or two, I voted 2-1/2 bodies. Although, I don't shoot at running deer.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

The lead required varies dramatically with the cartridge used andhow you swing the gun.Obviously it takes much less lead using a cartridge with a muzzle velocity of3500fps(my 7mmstw)than it does with a cartridge producing only 2200fps(30-30win).

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

This is a terrible question you should never shoot at a deer with a shot gun on the run Yet at over 50 yards. You have a much better chance of stopping the deer and then shooting.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

The slugs I use are comparabe to a lot of higher powered rifles, and have far more 100 yard energy then most of them. Muzzle speed on the hand packed sabotslugs are approx 2350 fps, 1 1/8 oz (over 400 grain)hollow pointslug, producing approx 2000 lbs of energy, at 100 yards. Even a hit in the hind quarter would be devastating to any deer under 300 lbs. With these hand loads, I have never had a deer walk away (and surprisingly get very little meat damage). I feel that the ammo that I am using (and pattern at about 4 1/2" - 5" at 150 yards) is more than capable of the shot, just curious as to the lead range...not opinions that are unfounded as to weather or not you feel that I am doing thing ethically...I AM, ALWAYS HAVE, AND ALWAYS WILL hunt ethically, and would never take a shot that I dont feel confidant in....thus this poll.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

Which is about the same as a 30-30.However your slug is probably losing velocity at a much quicker rate.The velocityused to judge the lead andplace the shot is much more of a concern to me than the energy.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

Agreed 100% that velocity is lost quicker, which is why i think that a shot at more than 125 yards would not be appropiate. Wasnt trying to start 'the great debate', and I am not aiming that at anyone particular, but was just looking for someone with experiance with this shots' opinion. Was just stating that the ammo that I am using is capable of the shot, and me asthe shooter am capable of the shot (not a marksman, but I consider my self a pretty good shot, that ocassionally makes the same mistakes any hunter does, like flinch, or getting the fever).

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

Educated guessing, and calculations tell me that the slug is traveling at 1500 fps, give or take 50 fps, at 100 yards, being conservative.

RE: LEADING A RUNNING DEER....POLL
 

Why not?

That generalized statement makes no sense. There are many shotguns, and muzzleloaders, that shoot faster and more accurately than many rifles..?

If your answer is "high powered rifle", how much of a difference do you think that really makes?

Either the shooter is capable ofmaking a running shot or not.

Unless the shooter has already practiced and displayed his ability to do so...the answer is not.