How much should I lead a running deer?

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BellyFlop

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It looks like this fall I will be going on a deer drive for the first time in a shotgun only area. We can use slugs or buck shot.

What I'm wondering is how much should I lead a running deer?

I would like to know before I go hunting so I dont miss by taking pot shots and hoping for the best.

What if he's at 30 or 60 yards?
What if he's going 3 to 9 oclock vs 1 or 2 oclock?
What if he's running full speed or kind of trotting?
What about in the woods vs in the open?

I dont have a clue.

Is there any help out there?:confused:
 
This is an interesting question. I personally have never had any luck with running deer. If I spook them in the woods typically they flash me their tails and a do 6 -12 o'clock run. Not being partial to Texas heart shots I won't bother taking a shot. If your the poster on a drive anything might happen and at the range your discussing I would imagine a lead by a foot would be sufficient. I would be curious to hear an opinion from someone with little more experience in the described circumstances.
 
This is the kind of thing that only shooting experience will teach you. If your shot at a live target is one that is moving rapidly across your field of view, I would suggest you pass it up as this is a low percentage shot for most. Wait until you have a deer that is stationary or at the very least moving directly towards or away from you.

There are drills you can run to learn this technique, such as setting up a running boar target. If you have a hundred feet of cord and a pulley block, you could safely set up a target like a plastic pail that could be pulled in the opposite direction form travel by someone on a quad or in a vehicle. The pulley would have to be anchored to the ground somehow, and the pail being pulled along the ground is a demanding target. The longer the range the longer your cord will have to be for safety and practicality. Always swing away from the guy doing the pulling, but he can alternate from left to right and from right to left. Start slow, then as you improve the speed of the target can be increased.
 
Get to the skeet range, and practise on Station 4.

skeet_pic_cu4l.jpg
 
I no longer shoot at running deer mostly because I hunt heavy bush but I grew up hunting with pushes only and have shot many deer at full run. I know many hunters who are very good at hitting a running target. I would say with a shotgun and slugs at 30 yards you can put the site on the front of the shoulder and at 60 yards about one to two feet ahead. You will have to learn how you shot as some people can follow thru well and others tend to stop the gun when they pull the trigger. I think if you shoot birds you will better at following a moving target than if you have never shot birds.
 
You can do the math and figure out the lead distance for various speeds and distances (and angles), but its clearly an art to make the right judgement in a split second. And some guys have it. I have no success on actual running deer. Moving targets, fine, running deer, nada.
 
If the deer are running, the drivers are pushing 'em too fast.
Use slugs. Buckshot is unreliable.
Avoid shooting at a running deer. It will be full of adrenaline. Makes the meat tough.
"...a rolling tire..." Yep. In a safe place with a hunk of cardboard attached and a target(9" pie plate. Birds aren't the same.
 
BellyFlop said:
What if he's at 30 or 60 yards?
What if he's going 3 to 9 oclock vs 1 or 2 oclock?
What if he's running full speed or kind of trotting?
What about in the woods vs in the open?

I dont have a clue.

Is there any help out there?:confused:
Click to expand...

First, until that is no longer true, don't take any running shots.

Second, practice is the only solution. You have some suggestions already, and I can recommend a rolling tire for experimenting, but the fact that you are going to use a shotgun means there are lots of ways to learn to lead things. Play some shotgun games. The lead on a dear will be the same for whatever you shoot with a shotgun.

But please don't shoot at running targets if you are not very confident that you will succeed.
 
we joke about a friend of mine. we say he can only hit a running deer so he gives them a warning shot then once they start running he shoots them. i've seen him miss a lot of standing deer and hit every running deer he's aimed at.

i have the same issue running shots aren't my thing. i went and bought a little trap thrower and i'm getting a lot better
 
It is is very hard to do. Particularly if you want to kill the deer rather than wound it. Harder with a scope. You lead in a fixed angle in proportion to the left/right component of the deer velocity divided by muzzle velocity. Belt feed is the way to go :). Particularly since you didn't tell us the muzzle velocity. 11" at 50 yards for 10MPH @2500fps.
 
Most folks who have repeated luck at downing running coyotes (I am not one of them) typically say they lead them at the nose. I would not translate that into practise on a running deer, however, either in terms of expected result or whether one should even attempt it.
 
http://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/ultimate-shooting-challenges-shooting-running-deer.php

Its for a rifle and at ranges beyond most shotguns though - but it may give you some insight.

Now I only shoot at running deer that are already wounded from a previous shot (not necessarily by me :slap:) but I have successfully killed deer on the run before. I found it to be more of an instinctive shot rather than aiming.

Most guys I have seen doing a deer drive push way too fast. Of course if you are running hounds you get what you get.
 
daveg01 said:
http://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/ultimate-shooting-challenges-shooting-running-deer.php

Its for a rifle and at ranges beyond most shotguns though - but it may give you some insight.

Now I only shoot at running deer that are already wounded from a previous shot (not necessarily by me :slap:) but I have successfully killed deer on the run before. I found it to be more of an instinctive shot rather than aiming.

Most guys I have seen doing a deer drive push way too fast. Of course if you are running hounds you get what you get.
Click to expand...

I have to agree with this post. I have shot a total of one running deer that was travelling across a clearcut at approximately 100 yards running almost perpendicular to me. The first shot I took I missed completley and I adjusted to one deer length in front and hit him solidly at that point. I still find it hard to believe that you have to lead that much with a 270 Win in this case.
The only reason I took the shot was that I could see for 600 yards in the clearcut and was shooting downwards so my bullet would hit the ground if I missed.
 
Practice on coyotes with your deer rifle great fun and great practice,I agree its an instinct thing I couldnt tell you how much to lead a deer but there better be daylight between your gun and the deer or you will miss.
How far can a deer move at 30 mph in a half second,several feet Im guessing.
 
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All the deer I killed during the first years I chased them were running shots. I prefer to spot and stalk now, but there is no need to avoid running shots if you go about it responsibly.
Lead depends greatly on the style and skills of the shooter. If you spot shoot, (with a stationary gun) the correct lead is very difficult to estimate. If you swing with the target, apparent lead is much less, but the gun must remain moving until after the shot - follow through! This is called the sustained lead method.
The lead required by swing through from behind with a fast moving gun will be even less, but it is still important to lead even close shots with a fast moving swing-through method. The amount of lead that is required increases with distance.
I find it much easier to hit running game with a low powered scope or a ghost ring aperture sight than typical "open" irons. those who say don't use a scope are either unaccustomed to using one or are using too much magnification. Even 4x is too much for most close range running shots.
The actual lead required on game running at a shallow angle is exactly the same as game running at right angles, but the optical illusion of the shallow angle makes the lead appear to be much less.
Advising how much to lead is problematic, since everyone perceives things with their own eyes, and trigger finger reflexes and follow through technique can affect things a lot. As a rough rule of thumb, and only because you asked, I would suggest leading a deer at 40 yds running at a 90° angle, when shooting a shotgun with slugs, by swinging through and shooting when the bead passes the spot just under the jaw. The lead on a deer running from 5 to 1 o'clock is exactly the same, but because of the angle the spot under the jaw is now in line with the left side of the body. There may not be any "air" in front of the crosshairs or bead as a result. Does that make any sense?
Practise on any moving targets that you can. Break some Clay pigeons with your regular shotgun barrel - it WILL help.
 
You're going to need to find a way to practice. Shotgun games will help. After some time, you will develop an instinct. Use it. I've shot running deer a few times, and all but once taken them cleanly. The one time was an injured deer, and I had to follow a blood trail for quite some time. I hate doing that. Preferably, don't. But, if you are going to, their is no real method you can follow. Just go with your instincts.
 
I forgot to mention, don't spray and pray. It's a waste of ammunition, will not hone your skills, and if you do hit the deer, chances are you'll only wound it.
 
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