I'm back online after 5 solid days in the field. last saturday was a total bust...the private farm we hunt was less than private on the first day of doe this year and we saw very little. I kicked a large doe out of bed at 80 yards in the thick and never got a shot. Soon after this, my FIL and I split into 2 different directions and about 30 seconds after he went down into the creekbed and I stayed up on on the gasline road i heard something coming out of the woods where he went down the hill. I turned, dropped to a knee and brought the rifle up ready to thumb off the safety. what jumped out on the trail freaked me out a bit...it was the largest dog i've ever seen in the woods around here and it was an absolutely gorgeous coyote. In my haste to dump him, i neglected to notice that my bolt was open (second time this has happened to me) from taking the slung rifle from my left shoulder. I squeezed and NOTHING...then it turned and looked right at me, gave that "Oh SHIT" look, and hit the afterburners up the hill. I cranked off a round anyway after closing the bolt but missed. I figured any hit on a coyote with the 308 would be sufficient to slow him down and give me another opportunity but he was GONE. Another hunter shot him about an hour later, about a mile from where I was and he told the local law and paper that he shot a wolf. Maybe a wolf hybrid...but not a wolf IMO...but it was a pretty dog. black and gray, and all if not more than 50-55 lbs.
ANYWAY...the next couple days were pretty uneventful - i thumped a button buck with the slug gun on monday with a 30 yard neck shot and he bruised his bellybutton from hitting the ground so hard. the recoil rattled my teeth pretty good in the cold but I was still able to watch him suck his feet up in slo-mo as the slug turned his neck into a basketball. I've never neck shot a deer before, and i'm a convert. DRT, and that was the cleanest field dressing I've ever done...matter of fact, it was almost enjoyable.
now to the meat of the matter...I kicked 2 herds of doe yesterday, and all of them were on a full tilt run when they crossed the gasline road. trees on both sides, i could see them running toward the road in the woods to each side on both occurances so i dropped to a knee, got a good kneeling stance and timed the first 2 crossing and fired on the third when I thought I had their speed down.
The does were crossing 30-40 yards in front of me, and on the first one, I fired when the crosshairs were just touching her brisket. clean miss, no hair, no blood.
On the second one, I led her by 6-10 inches and fired, clean miss, no hair or blood. What the hell am i doing wrong? I thought the rifle was off, so after i found i missed on the second one too, i took a shot at a 4" round log at 60ish yards and knocked it right off the stump i placed it on, so i know i'm at least minute of deer still and i know the rifle is hitting where i'm aiming, so how much DO you lead this deer?
I did not follow the deer with the scope, i held steady on a spot and fired when the moving deer hit that spot (intercept method?) and i wonder if on both occasions i flinched the rifle in the direction of movement resulting in a shot out in front of the deer instead of an impact.
Any advice on hitting running targets? and what's a good way to practice this shot? Anyone have a homemade rig to practice these?
ANYWAY...the next couple days were pretty uneventful - i thumped a button buck with the slug gun on monday with a 30 yard neck shot and he bruised his bellybutton from hitting the ground so hard. the recoil rattled my teeth pretty good in the cold but I was still able to watch him suck his feet up in slo-mo as the slug turned his neck into a basketball. I've never neck shot a deer before, and i'm a convert. DRT, and that was the cleanest field dressing I've ever done...matter of fact, it was almost enjoyable.
now to the meat of the matter...I kicked 2 herds of doe yesterday, and all of them were on a full tilt run when they crossed the gasline road. trees on both sides, i could see them running toward the road in the woods to each side on both occurances so i dropped to a knee, got a good kneeling stance and timed the first 2 crossing and fired on the third when I thought I had their speed down.
The does were crossing 30-40 yards in front of me, and on the first one, I fired when the crosshairs were just touching her brisket. clean miss, no hair, no blood.
On the second one, I led her by 6-10 inches and fired, clean miss, no hair or blood. What the hell am i doing wrong? I thought the rifle was off, so after i found i missed on the second one too, i took a shot at a 4" round log at 60ish yards and knocked it right off the stump i placed it on, so i know i'm at least minute of deer still and i know the rifle is hitting where i'm aiming, so how much DO you lead this deer?
I did not follow the deer with the scope, i held steady on a spot and fired when the moving deer hit that spot (intercept method?) and i wonder if on both occasions i flinched the rifle in the direction of movement resulting in a shot out in front of the deer instead of an impact.
Any advice on hitting running targets? and what's a good way to practice this shot? Anyone have a homemade rig to practice these?
