7.62NATO

I'll make this as brief as possible...feeling sick to my stomach. Hopefully for no reason.

Took a left-handed shot at a buck tonight, around 4:35pm. He came on my right side so I had to switch to my weak side. Crosshairs were dead behind his shoulder at about 20 yards. At the shot, he spun around and bolted in the direction he came, but I think I heard him stop and then continue on. Not real sure. Waited 25 minutes, no blood or hair where he was shot or where I saw him last. Was shooting 260 gr Harvester Scorpion with 90 gr BH209.

He didn't act like he was shot, but neither did the buck I took last Friday at 140 yards. That guy trotted off like he wasn't hit, but when I went to look for blood, there was ton and he had expired about 30 yards away.

However, I shot a deer the following day at about 50 yards (same gun, same load), and I hit him in the neck but was aiming behind the shoulder. I don't remember banging the scope between that shot and the previous 140-yd shot.

Anyway, based on this info, do you think I connected an he didn't bleed yet? The farm I was hunting is an hour away, and I plan on going in the morning to look some more.

eureka77

I'd look for 'em like ya hit 'em. I got a buck with my muzzleloader a few days ago and if I didn't see him fall I'd swear I missed, not 1 speck of blood. Even though I seen him fall I still checked doubly good for a blood trail just to see my bullets performance.
But at 20yd.s right or left I bet ya got a good hit. Post pics when ya find him, good luck!

BigBuck95

Bullets, unlike arrows, travel subsonically. When a bullet hits the deer traveling at such speeds, it will blow the hair off a deer. Since you found no hair, I might suspect you missed. UNFORTUNATLY.
I hope I am wrong. Good luck

BigBuck95

Daveboone

If you are at all unsure of your scope, before you go out again...sight it! Impossible to tell for us...I dont recall ever hitting a deer that reversed itself, they have allways gone forward. Still, you have doubt in your mind. Go back and check it out, then carefully check your guns zero. Then, in the future...remember the lesson. A shot not made is a good shot. In the future dont force an unnatural shooting positon. Pass on the shot.

7.62NATO

Hopefully the daylight will clear things up for me on the morning. It was dusky when I started to look, and though I had a bright headlamp, that doesn't compare to sunshine.

Daveboone - It is only at this point that I am unsure of my scope. The neck shot, I thought that maybe he moved at the last second, or something like that. I plan on looking for the deer for an hour or two before work, and just before hoping in the car, I'm going to take a couple of shots at a target. As far as the weak-sided shot goes, I didn't jerk the trigger, and the I saw the shot; the crosshairs were behind his shoulder. I do pretty well at weak-sided shots, but regardless, if I had been hanging upside down I would have felt good about the placement as far as where the crosshairs were at the time the gun went bang.

ADVWannabee

I believe you are wrong. I shot a nice 6 ptr at 30 to 40 yards and found no hair and no blood. We searched a little bit but gave up quickly since there was no sign of a hit. Found him about 75 yards away a few days later.

I would assume you made the shot and look hard.

mitchmtm1

1. You took the shot so you should put in the time to do a through search. Don't give up till you're sure.

2. If any shot doesn't hit where you think it should have I believe a "confirmation" shot needs to be fired before shooting at game with the rifle again.

3. If you did hit him then it may be time to find a new round/load for the ML. Some just seem to leave better blood trails and make life/hunting a whole lot more enjoyable.

4. Hope you find him and he is still good.



Mitch

7.62NATO

Got up at 4:15 today, drove out to the farm to shoot the gun at first light in order to verify POI. I sat at about the same range as the deer was last night. Bulls-eye with the right handed shot, and about an inch low with the left-handed shot. Of course I am doubting myself now but I remember seeing the shot. The crosshairs were on his heart, low and behind his shoulder, when the hammer fell. I went back to the scene of the crime, sat on the ground where I took the shot, visualized where the buck was and where he ran. Searched for about an hour and a half and nothing. No blood anywhere.

If i hit him, I cannot understand why there's no blood. The buck I got last Friday had blood everywhere. On the other hand, I cannot see how I missed. I heard him run off, then stop, then sneak on. No crashing sound.

I am taking my sister hunting tomorrow (her second time...first time we didn't see anything) and we have to be done by 1. We'll hunt until about 11 and then start looking for a couple hours after that. Hopefully we'll bag something at first light so we can have plenty of time to look.

I really hope that somehow I missed, because it is supposed to get up to 56 today.

mitchmtm1

Now I would bet you just missed. Other handed shots are tough and when you throw in the adrenalin and other factors of shooting at a live animal they just get tougher.

I hope he comes in to you again in the same spot...and wouldn't be at all surprised if he did. Bag that buck.


Mitch

7.62NATO

mitchmtm1 - I hope you are right. I think I need to find a way to come to terms with not knowing and accepting that, either way, I don't have him. I am a wreck because of this now. On the way home last night, I totally missed my exit and had to drive all the way around the city. Then I took a detour to get gas. And forgot. And this morning while shaving, I forgot to shave my neck. I bet my coworkers think it is sexy.

He was standing still and broadside when I fired, and I have not missed a shot yet (longest shot 140 yards offhand). Even though my heart pounds up into my throat when I see a deer (especially this close!), I do not get shaky with buck fever. My hands are always ice cold. But maybe it was the left-handed thing.

I will still look some more tomorrow, but if I don't find him, I think it will be a long time before this one no longer eats at me.