My first western hunt

Although many hunters do, I don't like using the bench to sight in a hunting rifle; scratch that, I prefer not to use the bench, as even when behind my target rifle I'm inclined to shoot from prone. From the bench you don't hold or support the rifle the same way as you would in the field, and your cheek weld and eye relief are different than when shooting from supported field positions. You can sight in perfectly from the bench only to find that you have a shift in windage or a change in elevation when you shoot from a supported field position. IMHO, you should sight in the way you intend to shoot, and confirm your zero by shooting at the range you're sighted in for, and confirm your drop at the maximum range at which you'll shoot, rather than sighting a couple of inches high at 100 and calling it good. Now that the colder weather is moving in on us, our zeros need to be confirmed again as bulky warm clothing affects not only your LOP, but your cheek weld and eye relief as well. Not everyone is blessed with unlimited range at which to shoot, and one must do the best he can with what he has, but if your local range is limited to 100 yards, maybe a preseason trip to your hunting grounds is in order, so you can zero your rifle where and at the range it will be used.
 
Day 4

I was a bit shaken up with my placement being too far ahead on both previous antelopes and on day 4 had a 325 yard shot on a doe and purposely held a bit further back than I would otherwise. Dropped her immediately. Few seconds later saw she lifted her head and finished off with a second shot.

Upon inspection the first shot was just slightly behind where it should have been and into the liver. The second was direct heart / lung.

I feel quite bad about these having heard about the 10s of one shot kills folks have had on here and elsewhere. and this is a good lesson that things in the field are not quite as they are on the range. A lesson for me to always treat each shot as brand new. Had I done that, the second doe would have been a clean kill.

It could have been much much worse. The first shot dropped each doe in its tracks and I never had to track an animal. Each was dispatched very quickly after the first shot.

I spent a lot of time at the range from prone and learned I need to spend a lot more time over the next year from a number of field positions.

I suspect that using perhaps too much caliber for this particular animal likely helped me keeping them down even though first shots were not quite right and I'm rethinking what the best caliber would be for moose and elk in the future. Yes my 280AI is adequate for elk and moose but if I can shoot a bigger caliber well I'm tempted to go with it for a bit more margin of error. Not sure how accurate my thinking is on this. Certainly would not rely on a larger caliber on its own and I understand the importance of shot placement and that is primary. Just thinking aloud.

Overall a successful trip and large learning experience. I'll do a writeup on some of my gear and what worked and what didn't.
 
Last edited:
Boomer. That is excellent advice. I have often wondered why a couple guys at my range who do long range stuff do their load dev from prone. They do everything it seems from the shooting position they will use in competition.
 
I suspect that using perhaps too much caliber for this particular animal likely helped me keeping them down even though first shots were not quite right and I'm rethinking what the best caliber would be for moose and elk in the future. Yes my 280AI is adequate for elk and moose but if I can shoot a bigger caliber well I'm tempted to go with it for a bit more margin of error. Not sure how accurate my thinking is on this. Certainly would not rely on a larger caliber on its own and I understand the importance of shot placement and that is primary. Just thinking aloud.
Click to expand...


Purely from a debating point of view its easier to defend using the biggest gun you can shoot well than the smallest you can get by with. That doesn't mean that shot placement isn't the most important, but when its not there horsepower and bullet construction are all that's left.
 
Don't be too hard on yourself, sounds like you did a lot of pre season practice which is more than can be said for a lot of guys out there. Your gear looks good and I think your choice of cartridges was bang on.

Congrats on what looked like a great hunt and a great experience!
 
canoetrpr said:
Day 4

I was a bit shaken up with my placement being too far ahead on both previous antelopes and on day 4 had a 325 yard shot on a doe and purposely held a bit further back than I would otherwise. Dropped her immediately. Few seconds later saw she lifted her head and finished off with a second shot.

Upon inspection the first shot was just slightly behind where it should have been and into the liver. The second was direct heart / lung.

I feel quite bad about these having heard about the 10s of one shot kills folks have had on here and elsewhere. and this is a good lesson that things in the field are not quite as they are on the range. A lesson for me to always treat each shot as brand new. Had I done that, the second doe would have been a clean kill.

It could have been much much worse. The first shot dropped each doe in its tracks and I never had to track an animal. Each was dispatched very quickly after the first shot.

I spent a lot of time at the range from prone and learned I need to spend a lot more time over the next year from a number of field positions.

I suspect that using perhaps too much caliber for this particular animal likely helped me keeping them down even though first shots were not quite right and I'm rethinking what the best caliber would be for moose and elk in the future. Yes my 280AI is adequate for elk and moose but if I can shoot a bigger caliber well I'm tempted to go with it for a bit more margin of error. Not sure how accurate my thinking is on this. Certainly would not rely on a larger caliber on its own and I understand the importance of shot placement and that is primary. Just thinking aloud.

Overall a successful trip and large learning experience. I'll do a writeup on some of my gear and what worked and what didn't.
Click to expand...

Crashman said:
Don't be too hard on yourself, sounds like you did a lot of pre season practice which is more than can be said for a lot of guys out there. Your gear looks good and I think your choice of cartridges was bang on.

Congrats on what looked like a great hunt and a great experience!
Click to expand...

X2!

A rifle range is a controlled environment. In the field, your target is unlikely to be located precisely at your zero range, or for that matter at the ranges you've calculated for your come-ups or hold offs. There are no wind flags in the field, and wind drift has a vertical as well as a linear component. Your target in the field is unlikely to be positioned at a flat look angle. Your target is seldom square to your shooting position. If your target at the rifle range was not plumb, your zero might have a built in cant, in the field that cant doesn't coincide with the horizon and at longer ranges has a noticeable influence on your point of impact. Or perhaps the opposite is true, your target at the range was perfectly plumb, but a live target in the field against a neutral background provides little index of true vertical, so your rifle is canted when you shoot. Any of these conditions can result in a high or a wide shot, and that's with a range perfect shooting position, which in of itself is far from guaranteed in the field. A bullet that goes somewhere other than where you intended it to, tends to do one of two things; it either screws with your confidence in yourself and in your rifle, and leaves you wondering if you can hit anything, or it hardens your resolve to understand what happened, and to ensure its not repeated. The former seldom produces a desirable outcome, while the later being a desirable and commendable intention, might not be a realistic expectation given the variables and vagaries of field shooting at live targets. Self criticism is healthy, but don't let it form a cloud over a wonderful experience. I'm looking forward to your following post critiquing your gear.
 
I can only chime in that, "That's hunting", you'll read an Internet full of guys that never miss their mark, have hadn't an animal take more than three steps ever, or only ever take headshots and never screw them up over decades of experience. The reality is this is the internet, maybe those guys just never challenge themselves on new environments, species, and gear, but I suspect from my own experience afield the accounts get editted. I think you've done great is what I'm saying.
 
Ardent said:
I can only chime in that, "That's hunting", you'll read an Internet full of guys that never miss their mark, have hadn't an animal take more than three steps ever, or only ever take headshots and never screw them up over decades of experience. The reality is this is the internet, maybe those guys just never challenge themselves on new environments, species, and gear, but I suspect from my own experience afield the accounts get editted. I think you've done great is what I'm saying.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, $h1t happens. We prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I am not proud of it, but I have not recovered two animals that I shot. One was a horrible shot on my part and the other the coyotes recovered it before I did. I suspect those that have never made a bad shot or never had a long or non recovery haven't spent too much time in the bush, either that or they are incredibly lucky and blessed!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom