Help me explain this miss.

[clytle374]

So my last chance for deer this season ended with an embarrassing miss and it's driving me crazy. Everything was the same, 300WM in a Savage Bear Hunter, 208g A-max bullet touching the lands, 75g H1000, muzzle break on, bipod, rear rest. Shot 1.2" groups at the 200 yards it's zeroed at, until yesterday.

1st Buck at 275yards, though the heart and folded up.

2nd Doe 175yards through the brain.

3rd Doe 240 yards though the brain.

4th doe 144 yards she didn't move and I was dumbfounded that she didn't fall over since I knew her head was empty. So I shot again, with the same results.

Today I found the bullet impacts and they were about 5" over her head. The only thing I changed was the bipod was resting off a slightly rotted barn floorboard instead of the ground since the ground was frozen and I didn't want to lay on it. Also the ammo was about 30F colder than the previous shots, but that ends up low and not high in my mind. Objective was set to 100yards on accident, but I could only get about an 1" error max when testing it. Waiting for the rain to stop so I can take the same shot on a target .

PS is there an adjustable cheek rest I can easily add to this stock?

Cory

 

[TOP PREDATOR]

rhymes with "bloke"

 

[40xs]

When you take the same shot on a target then you may learn what you do not want to know. Or, it may substantiate that your scope was off. I doubt that whatever the bipod was resting on had that much affect on the shot. But, I've been wrong before.

 

[clytle374]

Wind was up to about 10 gusting to 20 coming from 4-5 o'clock so I'm not really confident in the results. Shot a 3 shot group out of the barn loft again. vertical string at 3" left: zero height to 5" high. Desperate I went out and laid in the mud and shot 2 more, I'm out of prepped brass and saved one in case I can get Tuesday off to try for another deer so I only shot 2 more. These 2 were 1"left, one .3"high and the other .3" low. I was able to time my shots with the calmer winds since I was outside.

Other thoughts. I wasn't able to get exactly square to the gun due to hay bails where my left foot should have been. I was shooting slightly uphill on the ground. Maybe I forgot how to shoulder the gun?

Or the gun went to crap. I would like to have a good target gun like when I lived in KS, but can't afford it now days and here in WV more 400yards is hard to come up with anyway.

I don't think I choked. I don't get nervous about deer since I'm not a big hunter, this is just for population control, we are being overrun bad. I get more anxious testing loads. I still have to finish the OCW but I ran out of time before hunting season and though that 75gr shoots good enough for deer.

Cory

 

[Sterling Shooter]

You may have changed the butt position in shoulder. This is the only thing that is associated with such a dramatic error at such a short distance.

 

[diverdon]

That ,My Father told me, is the reason to put your bullet into the lungs.

 

[40xs]

Sounds like your position and platform was less than optimum, which is usually the case in a lot of hunting situations. In cases like this don't take it as gospel that something is wrong with your rig. you can only count on good solid and rested shots when determining if your gun, scope, bullets & sight in is perfect.

 

[EXTREMEPREJUDICE]

PS is there an adjustable cheek rest I can easily add to this stock? Cory

Subsequent to your question that you ended your post with...................my guess is that Sterling is right on.

 

[clytle374]

I know bipods aren't the best but at least they are highly portable. I'll just keep it dug into the dirt from now on.

When I first go the gun I thought it wouldn't shoot. Finally had someone else work the bolt for a 3 shot groups and realized that I wasn't consistent. Should've known that's what was happening again since was on a slick surface.

At 39 I've realized I knew a lot more than I know. Crap

 

[ahhshoot]

Something came loose, or I might try pulling some bullets and measuring charge.

 

[hermosabeach]

I have watched guys ring steel from a sitting position and miss the 8" gong when shooting prone with a bipod.

The ground was desert concrete and they were getting a bounce from the set up.

When they folded the bipod and shot prone from their arms, they hit the gong.

So it is quite possible that your rest can give you a bounce and shift your point of impact.

 

[Killer Spade 13]

The excitement factor.