missed at 20 yards
 

i was out hunting today, posted by a treeline and along came this average sized doe. I waited till it was broadside to me and it was about 20 yards away. I shot and it started running, i thought forsurely that i had hit it but there was no blood, ect. I was using a 30-30 150 grain, i sited it in at 75 yards and was shooting in a 5 inch circle consistantly.

any ideas of what might have gone wrong? I am positive i did not hit the deer.

RE: missed at 20 yards
 

Could be one or a combination of many things...

"buck fever" couldamade you shake
coulda made you not aim (i know it sounds silly, but it happens. Some people point the gun a fire never thinking to aim. They can't remeber a perfect sight picture)
Gun could be off from a bump, fall, ect.
You coulda pulled the shot really bad when pulling the trigger
Rushed shot...
and many other things... if it was off hand it gets worse. I'd make sure the gun is still on and if it is it was Human Error (Sorry to be harsh but that's the way I see it)

RE: missed at 20 yards
 

I just hope you'll get a second chance better than the first .
Make sure you have your gyn sited 100% and may be a better group than 5" to ellemenate the error.
TOONS
SAFTY IS # 1

RE: missed at 20 yards
 

yah thats what i figured at first. that i might have pulled the trigger instead of squeezing it slowly. I'll try shooting a target again to make sure the gun in on. I know for sure that i aimed though. would siting it in at 75 yrds make it ineffective at 20?

RE: missed at 20 yards
 

Cant tell,But next time take a deep breath and only look and at the spot you want the bullet to hit.Squeeezzzzzze

RE: missed at 20 yards
 

Dane007 it happens. That's why we hunt. Next time think to yourself breath(ease your finger on the trigger on the exhale)site picture, site shot.Then enjoy those tenderloins.

RE: missed at 20 yards
 

I hope you made a thorough search of the area for a long ways in the direction the deer ran. Sometimes with a high hit it will take a good distance before the deer starts bleeding outwardly.

RE: missed at 20 yards
 

yes, i searched about half a kilometer in the difection it ran, we saw it 20 mins later standing with another herd before they bolted. also, my brother says he saw the bullet hit the ground.

RE: missed at 20 yards
 

The deer I took this year at 20 yards with a 30.06 left no blood trail whatsoever even though the exit wound was in the brisket, with the heart blown out. The deer went 60 yards and the entire body cavity was flooded with blood but no blood trail. Deer was seen drooping in its tracks but trailed it from point of impact anyway to gain practice in blood trailing. . Tracked it easily enough by hoof impressions but no blood to be found...anywhere except 10 feet from where it lay dead/.....1 drop on a leaf. Don't rely on blood to indicate mortality or a hit. Look at the big picture.

RE: missed at 20 yards
 

Dont feel to bad it happens, I seen a guy miss a 170 class deer 3 times all under 80 yards this past weekend. I would think that it is buck fever or your scope got severly knocked off.

Chris

RE: missed at 20 yards
 

Glad you searched for that deer. I too have seen deer go a pretty good ways before bleeding. I missed a 10 yard "chip shot" this year with a bow on a large buck. I kept replaying the shot over and over in my head until I remembered what I had done wrong. Two days later I put everything together and got a nice buck(much smaller than the one I missed though). Definately shoot your gun to make sure it is still zeroed.

RE: missed at 20 yards
 

Yah when i look back on the moment (which has been burning in my mind since saturday) i think the problem was either jerking the trigger or not paying attention to the sites and having the front bead a bit too high or low in the rear site. Darn, oh well. I have a 3rd opportunity to hunt in th Frenchman Valley in sk near the border of north dakota...hopefully ill have some luck there. there werent really any bucks areound where i missed the 20 yarder due to them being harvested. So hopefully ill see some deer this saturday, ill let you guys know how it goes

thanks for the support

RE: missed at 20 yards
 

Me and 2 friends went grouse hunting years ago, one of the guys had never hunted grouse before and when one jumped up right in front of him he unloaded the gun into the ground!!!! Grouse will scare the you know what out of you if they come up right in front of you. This guy was an experienced hunter, but had never hunted grouse.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club