do you take the shot?

How sure do you have to be before taking the shot?

  • almost 100%-I have to be almost certain of a clean kill

    Votes: 307 76.8%

  • 75% The odds are in my favor

    Votes: 80 20.0%

  • 50% I have even odds

    Votes: 10 2.5%

  • 25% I hunt on private land,and am good at tracking

    Votes: 3 0.8%
  • Total voters
    400
You guys seem to have no problem insinuating other people do it
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Only one person on this site ever insinuated that anyone had abandoned wounded game because it didn't drop immediately.

As far as the number of wounded animals goes,it is simple math that if you fire more shots to fill the same amount of tags,the risk of wounding an animal increases.If you fire three times as many shots to fill a tag,the odds of wounding triple.If it takes 20 bullets to fill a tag,the odds of wounding go up 20 times.
 
The ethical shot is the one which the shooter believes has a reasonable expectation of success. This is not a function of a custom rifle, a premium bullet, high velocity, or match grade accuracy. This is a function of judgment based on experience. The beginner can only hope his shot will work, while those with years of hunting and shooting experience know instinctively if they can make the shot given the conditions they are faced with. This does not make the beginner unethical, but he has no basis to know if he has a reasonable expectation of success unless someone with experience whispers in his ear "Hold up, don't shoot!" or "Shoot, shoot now!"
 
The ethical shot is the one which the shooter believes has a reasonable expectation of success.
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And the entire point of this poll is to determine what most people consider to be a reasonable expectation of success.



The beginner can only hope his shot will work, while those with years of hunting and shooting experience know instinctively if they can make the shot given the conditions they are faced with.
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True,but this thread has not been about beginners that do not know their shooting abilities.The person that posted that 20 shots isn't enough for a week of hunting,openly admits that he is lousy at running shots,therefore he knows very well that his odds of making those shots are very small.He knows that,yet still chooses to attempt those shots.
 
stubblejumper said:
Only one person on this site ever insinuated that anyone had abandoned wounded game because it didn't drop immediately.

As far as the number of wounded animals goes,it is simple math that if you fire more shots to fill the same amount of tags,the risk of wounding an animal increases.If you fire three times as many shots to fill a tag,the odds of wounding triple.If it takes 20 bullets to fill a tag,the odds of wounding go up 20 times.
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Each shot is an individual shot. Your chance of wounding or not wounding is not affected by the 19 shots before or the 19 shots after, each shot is independant of the others, ...

Based on your skewed resolve, a hunters chance of wounding an animal increases with each shot fired, Hence , after 25 years of shooting one animal a year, he is 25 times more likely to wound.

Shots are indpendant,

Because he carried 20 bullets or takes 5 shots, you cannot draw a correlation between shots fired and wounding, simply on shots fired alone.

To come to your conclusion, a lot more information need be provided.

Finally, there seems to be a lot of people who speak around here as though they are authorities on topics that they are not, and present oppinionated information as fact.
 
Each shot is an individual shot. Your chance of wounding or not wounding is not affected by the 19 shots before or the 19 shots after, each shot is independant of the others, ...

Based on your skewed resolve, a hunters chance of wounding an animal increases with each shot fired, Hence , after 25 years of shooting one animal a year, he is 25 times more likely to wound.

Shots are indpendant,

Because he carried 20 bullets or takes 5 shots, you cannot draw a correlation between shots fired and wounding, simply on shots fired alone
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If you only take one shot to fill your tag every year,you have obviously not missed a shot or wounded an animal that was not recovered.Every shot fired is accounted for.

If you fire 20 shots,but only fill one tag,you have either missed clean or wounded with the other 19 shots.The only other explanation,is that the other 19 shots were all finishing shots,and I doubt that you want to suggest that a person required 19 finishing shots.19 unaccounted shots presents a high risk of an animal having being wounded.

Therefore,the more shots fired to fill each tag,the more unaccounted shots there are,and the more likely it is that an animal may have been wounded,but not recovered.
 
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stubblejumper said:
If you only take one shot to fill your tag every year,you have not missed a shot or wounded an animal that was not recovered.Every shot fired is accounted for.
If you fire 20 shots,but only fill one tag,you have either missed clean or wounded with the other 19 shots.19 unaccounted shots presents a high risk of an animal having being wounded.
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Again, you're twisting information, to make it sound valid or factual.
Why are you assuming that there are 19 shots unaccounted for?

As well. 19 clean misses, and one fatal shot, has the same result, animal harm, etc etc etc, As a one shot kill, and 19 bullets fired afterward, into a stump.

A clean miss may often have less chance of wounding or lost game, then a direct hit.

Stop making oppinion out to be fact.

I know what you are saying, but you can't simply apply mathematical percentages and equations to things that are oppinion.

You certainly can based on your experience, and add that it is based on your experience.

I could say that a 350 RUM is ineffectual at Killing large game 100% of the time. (obviously not right)

or I could say, that I have seen one large game animal shot with a 350 RUM and it didn't fall and ran a mile. From my experience, though very limited, the 350 RUM was ineffectual 100% of the time at killing big game animals.
 
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As well. 19 clean misses, and one fatal shot, has the same result, animal harm, etc etc etc, As a one shot kill, and 19 bullets fired afterward, into a stump.
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The poster mentioned that 20 shots was not enough to hunt deer with for a week,not stumps.:rolleyes:

A clean miss may often have less chance of wounding or lost game, then a direct hit.
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Of course a clean miss won't wound game,but what makes you think that all 19 non fatal shots fired at the deer were in fact clean misses?He is trying to hit the deer with each of the 20 shots,so the odds are quite likely that some of those 19 shots were neither clean misses or fatal hits.Unless of course you are suggesting that the shooter is such a bad shot that he simply flukes off a fatal shot each year out of the 20 shots,and not one of the other 19 shots even contacts a deer.

I know what you are saying, but you can't simply apply mathematical percentages and equations to things that are oppinion.
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Is it fact or opinion that if you fire 20 shots at deer,and only one is a fatal shot,the other 19 must be either be finishing shots,clean misses or non fatal hits,or a combination of the above?
 
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Perhaps I missed the original post.

I often take 20 bullets with me, simply becasue that's how many fir in my wallet.

If he said that it takes 20 bullets to fill his tag, then I guess he needs practice, or be more selective about shots.

However, I'm not about to rag on someone who doesn't feel confident going for his moose with one bullet in hand, I sure son't. And on occasion it can take a few bullets if something goes awry,

Must have missed the first post though, I don't see it
 
Perhaps I missed the original post.
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It was already posted on this thread,but here it is again.

I really am a lousy shot at them running deer.

They are the only shots we have out west, as we walk all day, kicking up deer and they are always on the run and quite difficult to shoot off hand.

Now you know why 20 rounds wont see you through the week and can make you nervous when you've only got one or two bullets left and a big bruiser runs out in front of you at 200 yds and gaining on 300 real fast
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If he said that it takes 20 bullets to fill his tag, then I guess he needs practice, or be more selective about shots.
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Myself and a few other posters have been saying the same thing all along.I am glad that you finally agree.

I often take 20 bullets with me, simply becasue that's how many fir in my wallet.
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By the way,the poster in question doesn't take 20 rounds on a hunt,he takes 50.

It can very easily be an issue, When I travel out of province for deer hunting, I bring fifty rounds.

Confirming zero at a local gravel pit when you arrive, and if you're scope is off, or something isn't working properly,and after twenty or thirty rounds trying to confirm zero, you're left with 20 rounds for hunting all week?. You may need to run to a nearby store and buy ammo.

The new stuff you buy will end up as reserve because you only need one shot to kill a deer, but you dont want to feel under ammoed.

It kinda takes away you're confidence, not having enough ammunition.
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Wow.

#1. Running shots are not my thing, but if that is the typical hunting scenario in your area or a shot you feel competent with, then it's ypur shot to take.

#2. Misses happen, so do gutshots, cripples etc. I like to think that no one makes them intentionally, and people strive their best for clean kills.
I have spined a few deer, I have finished one off at point blank, and still not got it done right, but learned from each hunt.

#3.. Unless you are a new hunter,still coming into what your capabilities are and aren't, then I think 50 round is excessive for one animal. Even if they are running, and granted running shots are hard, but if ya can't hit a running shot with 1 of 10 shots, even if you are a novice, revamp your method. That's not a dig, that's just common sense. I suck at running shots, practiced them, and still didn't like them, so now I pass on them.

#4. I am more concerned about 30 shots to confirm zero?
Right there this tells me that the shooter is not familiar with his scope, rifle or sighting technique,... that's scary.

#5. If you are getting the job done, and you're not clipping animalls left right and centre, then don't be hard on yourself. Everyone spines one, evryone pulls now and then, etc etc etc.
However, if you know your gun is on, and it still takes 20 shots to hit one, practice at the range , then go try the animals.

#6. Don't be intinidated by advice to hit the range, the range can be your back 40, the gravel pit, wherever is safe and you are comfortable.
It does not have to be where there is arange officer and guys intimidating you, if that happens. go practice somewhere. Get good, take 50 bullets with you, and take 40 or so back out with you.

#7. Is poster a troll? seriously, are we being played.
 
Yes, stubs is a troll, just go to 270vs 7mm-08 and find my original post # 34, to see for youreself, what can be made of an innocent comment.
Be sure to check stubbys # 33 on lots of ammo.

It was my comment on a gun gone "potentially bad" in the field, nothing more , nothing less, and he's turned it into a circus for our entertainment.

It's all quite humorous really.

Including the ridiculous poll you see at the top of the page, born of that first thread of mine.

Stumbles, this thread is getting quite boring, I own you on you're false calls and miss leading information. Total value, about .50 cents. are you worth it?.. no.:slap:
 
stubblejumper said:
And the entire point of this poll is to determine what most people consider to be a reasonable expectation of success.
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Does that not change with the country you hunt, the rifle you carry, and the game you pursue?

I enjoy stalking up close when conditions permit. I've managed to get close enough to caribou to touch them, actually they grazed up to my boot. I once got within 20 yards of a seal out on the sea ice, try that sometime. I can make longish shots but prefer not to on unwounded game. I backed up our CO one time when he was attempting to dart a polar bear, and that bear stood directly over us on a rock outcrop as we crouched beneath her. I could of reached up and touched her paw with my hand. That was the best stalk I've ever been involved with, nothing else has even come close. I can shoot a rifle well enough to make full use of .30/06 trajectories, but I prefer to reserve long range shooting to my target guns.
 
Does that not change with the country you hunt, the rifle you carry, and the game you pursue?
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Not for me.If I am not almost 100% sure of a hit to the vitals,I don't shoot.If I have doubts about the shot for any reason,be it an animal's vitals partly obscured by trees at 25 yards,an animal running flat out at 300 yards or through heavy cover,or a 400 yard shot,with heavy wind,or no solid rest,I don't shoot.If I had to hunt elk with a 25-06 instead of my preferred larger cartridges,I would use a tsx style bullet,and only take a perfect broadside shot,whereas,with the 300ultramag and the 180gr tsx,I might take a shot at more of an angle.However,in either case,while the actual shot parameters may vary,my expected chance of success does not.
 
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So far from the poll ....
22% of the responders admit to being unethical.
 
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