Missed Shots

[Carolina Coyote]

Just wondering how many of you have missed a shot of a lifetime or just missed a shot you could not believe you missed?    What was the approximate range of the shot, over 300 yards,over 200 yards, over 100 yards, less than 100 yards? What was the reason for the miss?
I recently missed a shot that I could not believe  and will explain later but would like to know if others have done the same thing. cc

[FinsnFur]

 Nobody else has ever done anything so hideous Carl
What were you thinking?

[Carolina Coyote]

Trying to find out how many honest response I can get, I  discovered one of the reasons for my miss and will share with everyone in case others have made the same mistake. cc

[pitw]

Yes I have missed at all those ranges but the worst was about 4 feet.  I alway's blame my trigger finger.

[alscalls]

I choose not to talk about me like that.

[HaMeR]

A real nice tall wide 7 point at about 20 feet. I just humped up a hill on a logging road & was out of breath. I just happened to look to my left & there he stood in the brush looking straight at me. I raised the old 50cal percussion ML real slow & was surprised he didn't move.    Til the smoke billowed anyhow. 

[alscalls]

4 steps...coyote....2AM......BOOM!! .......Right over his back.......

[coyotehunter_1]

pitw,  Ya' might consider raising the toilet seat next time 


I never miss....  those trees just jump out in front of my bullets... yeah that's it.   
Last fall I cleanly missed a called coyote at 50 feet, the critter took off but came back to a lip squeak, a big mistake on it's part.
My ol' granddad always told me that anyone that never misses ain't burning enough powder.     

[Frogman]

I missed a bobcat recently at about 50 yards.  But the scope mount had come loose on a day I wasn't feeling well because my contacts had dried out making my eyes hurt and the bobcat was off to my right and I'm right handed and it was really awkward holding the gun up so long waiting for the cat to move into an openning through the really thick brush.  Did I mention that the sun was in my eyes and the wind was blowing really hard??  I usually make perfect shots, except on squirrels directly over my head???

Jim

[coyote101]

I missed a coyote standing broadside at about a hundred yards in early November. I was seated with the rifle supported by a shooting stick. A good stable platform and no excuses, just a plain old miss. He slowly walked away while I fumbled to reload my single shot Encore.    Pretty distressing considering I don't get many opportunities.    I scoped up the AR after that, and if it happens again I'll at least have the chance to miss multiple times. 

Pat

[Frogman]

Oh yeah ...101,
     Thanks for reminding me, I did have the AR and I did miss mutiple times, but . . . . .


Jim

[CCP]

I did have the AR and I did miss mutiple times, but . . . . .

Dont feel bad Frogman I fully understand.......

[nailbender]

            If you haven't missed you haven't been hunting! Some days just go that way.

[Carolina Coyote]

I put this post up because of the miss that I had recently, biggest Bobcat I think I have ever seen, less than 30 yards, could not believe I missed, but got to thinking hey that was the 4th Bobcat that I have missed in the past 3 years?
The last 4 or 5 years I have been working on my Marksman ship, started reloading , I have a range behind my house where I can shoot out to 300 yards.
I use a Browning Abolt 243 wssm for predator hunting and I have it zeroed at 200 yards, shoots about 2 inches high at 100 yards, at 300 yards it drops about 5 1/2 inches, some of the areas I Hunt its not uncommon to get a shot at those ranges. Most of my practice is at 200 yards, hardly ever shoot at 100 yards anymore never at less than 100 yards but all the misses where at less than 50 yards? When I got home I set up a target about the range where I missed, fired off a few shots and all shots were about 2 to 2 1/2 inches below point of aim. When I shot at the cat I put the cross hair on his Heart and squeezed the trigger, clean miss. I shot under him like all the other shots where I missed. Lesson learned, Line of Sight and Line of flight are not the same, if hunting for Predators with rifle need to know line of flight for all ranges especially for less than 50 yards. This is not an excuse for missing the Cat but I have learned my lesson from now on  when sighting in a rifle I will find where the line of flight and line of sight intersects. I should have placed the Cross Hair on the top of his back at the distance where the cat was.
Comments are as I expected ( most missed shots are at close range) probably because everyone practices at 100,200,300 yards, you may not need to [ractice that much at close range but at least confirm line of flight. cc

[Frogman]

CCP,
    You hit that first coyote in the video.  Looked to me like you hit him low in belly???  At least knocked some white fur off him.

Jim

[alscalls]

A few weeks ago I missed at 256yds. ......it was standing still!!!!!!!!!! It still bothers me

[msmith]

I missed a turkey at 15 to 20 yards with a 36 cal flintlock. The flint was on it's last few shots and I knew it. I had just knapped it though and it was fine, but the fact that it was getting kind of short was in the back of my mind. I had a longbeard come right in to my call and when he was directly in front of my sights, I pulled the trigger. I pulled the trigger real fast, I guess I figgered that would make it go off faster or something. There was a big cloud of smoke and I knew what had just happend. The last I seen of the 'ol gobbler was him in flight clearing the smoke cloud. 

[HaMeR]

I read an article once but I don't remember where anymore.  The author said that is the number one reason for  missing on night hunts. The animals are closer than they appear & the hunters shoot over them.

[LORDDAL]

I dont want to even begin to count this up but 2 of my worst ones ...... had a huge 10pt we had been stalking for a week everyday we knew he was always working the same area and I went in started my stalk at daylight I was walking down an ancient road on the farm through the woods from one field to the next and just happen to catch moement out of the coruner of my eye. Sure enough its the big fella walking along about 95 yards uphill I take a nice rest off an oak tree my hearts thumping like 1000 beats a second he steps out and I let fly WHAMMO shot plum under him blew dirt and leaves all over and he was gone like a ghost I have yet to take anything bigger than a 6pt which is ok with me cant eat horns.

second one my Ex-wife (first marriage) was with me she didnt hunt was just taggin along at a friends farm we went out and sat down on the hill over looking a water hole sat there for 30 mins and along comes a nice little 6pt rested te 30-06 on my knee and slowly paced him at 75yard I let him have it and just plain missed him. he bolted down hill then turned up into the woods I to her we would wait another half hour then I was going to slip down and try to head him off I figured I knew about where he was headed so we sat there talkin as I was getting ready to get up I look down hill into the lower field 250 yards over and  what do I see *quickly grab the binos* yep that him alright I have her slide up hill and i turn resting across my knee again I slowly pace him and he stops broadsided at just under 240 yards Im thinking to myself I aint missin you this time sucker. so I go through my routine slow my breathing squint my left eye and slowly take up the trigger the BOOM almost makes me jump I know she did I look down hill and DRT WOOHHOOOO got him. so yeah I missed him at under a 100 but I nailed that sucker at over 200 one of my worst shots turns into one of my best

[KySongDog]

I've never missed.       I've hit trees, saplings and bushes lots of times.   And every once in a great while, a critter gets hit too.