Bullet Placement!

BIGREDD

BIGREDD

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Bullet placement... I hear this over and over on many threads and it is usually offered as a criticism or a qualifier.
Whenever someone asks about what caliber to choose for a specific use one of our shooting experts will opine that it is all about bullet placement and the implication is that caliber is not important as long as you are a real good shot like him.:rolleyes:
If anyone mentions semis, pumps or levers for hunting a CGN sniper in his own mind will invariably cop the attitude that you only need one shot with proper bullet placement.:redface:
If a discussion develops on bullet construction or premium bullets there is no doubt that one of the I only need one shot death dealers will jump in that he needs only the cheapest of bullets if you place the shot PROPERLY:confused:
God forbid that someone admits to a miss or a wounded animal, you will be vilified by the holier than thou who only ever kill cleanly with one well placed shot.:eek:

What is that about anyway? Do you really think that even the newest hunter does not know that he should shoot for the vitals? Do any of you believe that these statements are constructive to the discussion?:rolleyes:
Lets give this a name shall we... this is not giving good advice but highlighting a perceived weakness in someone else to bolster a weak ego.
Those type of statements imply that you never miss! You know more than him! And you certainly are a better shot than him! Bulls**t!:mad:

I am not going to say that bullet placement is not important or that it is secondary to any other aspect of being a successful hunter.
All I am saying is bullet placement is an elusive skill that cannot be defined in absolutes when applied to hunting.
The reality is that perfect bullet placement is unlikely in many hunting circumstances. The most accomplished hunters strive for shooting perfection but realize they are not perfect. They also know beyond a shadow of a doubt that s**t happens when taking a shot and they are prepared for that eventuality. Lost or wounded game is an unfortunate aspect of hunting but it is the truth.

I think it is important to practice and develop your shooting skills.
I believe that high percentage shots are always the best option but not always the one you are offered.
I also think it is important to use enough gun, good quality bullets, the best equipment you can afford.
Most important is to remember we are not perfect and neither is anyone else.

I am almost done venting on this subject but just in case there is someone who feels the need to lecture about bullet placement here is a couple of quotes on Humility...

Mohandas K. Gandhi:
It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.


Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all. ~William Temple
 
I'd like to sum this up...

Know where to put the bullet for best results.

Try your best to be able to put it there (know your rifle, and practice.)

Try your best to put it there when the time comes.

Be prepared for the circumstance where despite the above, it doesn't go exactly there.

Be glad you did these things.
 
Bigredd

Good post.

We all like it when we get perfect shot opportunities presented to us, but the truth is, it doesn't laways happen.

I use premum bullets, a powerful cartridge, and a manual repeating rifle that holds 4 rounds of ammo.I do this not because I am a victim of marketing, or becasue all the cool kids are doing it, or that I read on the internet in 1997 that X bullets and magnums were necessary to kill a deer, I do it because #### happens.

Sometimes you don't get the shot you wanted, sometiems you have misjudged the distance or angle, sometimes the light is low and you have misjudged how the animal is standing, sometimes you need a follow up shot or two and sometimes you just want to bust bone and take out both shoulders of a grizzly bear.

So I choose bullets and a cartridge that will get the job done when things go wrong, as well as when things go 100% correctly.

And that is what it coes down to, really. #### happens. People (and hunting) isn't perfect. Sometimes you need another bullet...And unfortunately, sometimes that bullet needs to be delivered to the rear end of a rapidly exiting animal, and it's nice to know that your bullet isn't going to stick in the paunch.;)
 
normally one shot will do it for me...but i dont take a few extra clips out with me for nothing...
notice i said normally at the start.:redface: ...ive seen me empty a clip more then once on a single shoot out..
and yes BR..a great thread;)
 
Great posts! Bullet placement is just one of many variables when hunting. Like Gatehouse said, take the one that will get the job done when everything else goes bad.

I once took a Mule Deer buck with three shots before he went down. Each one of them was a killing shot. The only problem was that the first two hit the lungs, but the buck didn't show that he had been hit. The last hit the heart. That buck was TOUGH, three shots from a 7mm Rem Mag at 100 yrds, and the first two were quartering away broadside shots! I don't get a ton of oppourtunity to hunt, so I do my best to make sure that when I do find an animal, I put it on the ground. Sure I could have waited to see if that buck would have gone down after the first shot, but I didn't want to take the chance of loosing him.

I guess what I am saying is that even with almost proper placement, it may take more!!
 
303carbine said:
If you miss with the howitzer your packin' then its not liver and onions...its onions.:D I would say bullet placement is very important.:eek:
Click to expand...


Yeah, that has already been established on the internet, some time in the mid 90's;)
 
God forbid that someone admits to a miss or a wounded animal, you will be vilified by the holier than thou who only ever kill cleanly with one well placed shot.
eek.gif
Click to expand...

What are you trying to tell us, here? They say admitting it is the first step.:p

I only need 1 shot.

Cuz I shoot a magnum.
stickpoke.gif
 
Hey Joe... at least your not tellin me it wuz a head shot...;)

Yeah I'm not pointing fingers at anyone... thats for sure. I have made some shots I wish I could take back or take over. I certainly have no right to lecture anyone else on shot placement
I would trade all the deer on my wall for the ones that ran away over the years and I would be trading up... no doubt about it! :redface:

.
 
A good friend of mine who hunts a lot and for many years with his trusty .270 has this to say about moose. "Don't quit shooting 'til they go down" He in turn was told this years earlier by his great uncle. They don't buy a whole lot of meat from Safeway.
 
BR, what you've said is sadly true....
We all like one- shot kills. We forget all the other ones, because naturally we blame this and that for our misses, and therefore thay stop counting as such.
Especially when we're talking head shots.....;)
 
I like to think that with all the reloading and all the pre season range time, that if the animal gets away I messed up. It happend once an I'm in no rush to have it happen again. Do the best you can when the time comes but be ready for when it all goes bad!!!
 
BIGREDD said:
Bullet placement... I hear this over and over on many threads and it is usually offered as a criticism or a qualifier.
Whenever someone asks about what caliber to choose for a specific use one of our shooting experts will opine that it is all about bullet placement and the implication is that caliber is not important as long as you are a real good shot like him.:rolleyes:
If anyone mentions semis, pumps or levers for hunting a CGN sniper in his own mind will invariably cop the attitude that you only need one shot with proper bullet placement.:redface:
If a discussion develops on bullet construction or premium bullets there is no doubt that one of the I only need one shot death dealers will jump in that he needs only the cheapest of bullets if you place the shot PROPERLY:confused:
God forbid that someone admits to a miss or a wounded animal, you will be vilified by the holier than thou who only ever kill cleanly with one well placed shot.:eek:

What is that about anyway? Do you really think that even the newest hunter does not know that he should shoot for the vitals? Do any of you believe that these statements are constructive to the discussion?:rolleyes:
Lets give this a name shall we... this is not giving good advice but highlighting a perceived weakness in someone else to bolster a weak ego.
Those type of statements imply that you never miss! You know more than him! And you certainly are a better shot than him! Bulls**t!:mad:

I am not going to say that bullet placement is not important or that it is secondary to any other aspect of being a successful hunter.
All I am saying is bullet placement is an elusive skill that cannot be defined in absolutes when applied to hunting.
The reality is that perfect bullet placement is unlikely in many hunting circumstances. The most accomplished hunters strive for shooting perfection but realize they are not perfect. They also know beyond a shadow of a doubt that s**t happens when taking a shot and they are prepared for that eventuality. Lost or wounded game is an unfortunate aspect of hunting but it is the truth.

I think it is important to practice and develop your shooting skills.
I believe that high percentage shots are always the best option but not always the one you are offered.
I also think it is important to use enough gun, good quality bullets, the best equipment you can afford.
Most important is to remember we are not perfect and neither is anyone else.

I am almost done venting on this subject but just in case there is someone who feels the need to lecture about bullet placement here is a couple of quotes on Humility...

Mohandas K. Gandhi:
It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.

Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all. ~William Temple
Click to expand...

Well said, perfect bullet placement is one thing but like you state, many things can happen while hunting that DOES NOT permit that perfect broadside shot. So knowing your game, your rifle and your capacity as a shooter will help greatly and might give you a chance and the opportunity for a deadly shot.
 
So far, I've had to trail a number of wounded deer. None of them have been mine thankfully. I believe one should keep shooting until the game is on the ground. That has worked flawlessly for me over the years. I've taken a good number with one shot, yes, but only because they fell at the shot. If they had run on, they would have been shot again.
I hunt in brush. A lot of things can happen to a bullet on the way to the game, and once inside the game (Yes, even a premium). I like insurance.
 
BIGREDD said:
Hey Joe... at least your not tellin me it wuz a head shot...;)

.
Click to expand...

Hey! You spyin ' on me or sumpin'?

No. My shots are not always perfect. But without bragging I think I have a pretty good average though. What do attribute my success to? The fact that I don't have to take the shot in the first place. I don't care how big the rack is, or if it's the last day of season. I don't shoot at running game, unless it's already wounded. And if that means waiting until next year, well then, so be it. If I am not convinced of a high success rate before I pull the trigger, I don't.

And I've made long shots and missed close ones. To my knowledge I have never left a wounded critter in the bush.

There are those with a more agressive hunting style, I hold nothing against them. It's just not MY style.
 
Check out archery stores, some of them life-size pictures of game animals with the vitals outlined. You can't see the outline at practice range, but you'll be able to tell if the shot was good when you check the target. I like to put about 20 through one of those at a variety of ranges from hunting positions just before the season opens up.
 
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