Friend Can't Hit A Living Thing

[SavageSniper]

I need some advice from you guys. I have a friend that can shoot pretty good at targets. He usually can hit under 1 1/2 moa, but miss every deer that he shoots at. I guess that it is buck fever, but he missed 4 last season. Any advise?

 

[willsjeep]

This worked for my wife after she wound up in the same situation. I had spent most of a year teaching her how to shoot with my Henry 44 and she was turning into a pretty good shot. She missed easy shots at deer the first 5 times out. Some of these were only 25 yards off!
After this, I took her with an unloaded rifle and let her make her "shot" count. After a couple of these shots, she learned to slow down and follow the sighting rules she learned in the back yard.
It may not work for him, but it is worth a shot.
Will

 

[bigghoss]

he just needs to take his time. when I first qualified with my m-16 for my job I had pretty good groups well when the anual re-qual came around I was over confident and cocky and didn't try nearly as hard (plus it was at night) I actually had to do it twice and scored horibly. just tell him to calm down and slow down.

 

[roy reali]

My Brother

My oldest brother is an excellent wing shot. I have rarely seeen him miss a bird. But when it comes to shooting clay targets, how I do I put this nicely, he is lame. In fact, if you saw him trap shoot, you would think that birds would have nothing to worry about. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I have also seen some decent clay-target busters not do as well shooting birds as you would think.

 

[Bud Helms]

I've seen hunters settle down when made to let a deer walk. Just watch it and let it go. Don't shoot it. Exercise the same stealth you would use if hunting. It has an amazing disciplinary effect. Go to the deer stand just like you normally would, at the same time of day, wear the same clothing and take a camera or some binoculars, but don't take a rifle. Use the same precautions you would if actually hunting. 'Works wonders.

 

[Clayfish]

I was the same way until I finally killed a deer.

 

[skeeter1]

I've had the same problem sometimes. My tendancy when I see game is to yank the trigger. At those time, I have to take a breather and remind myself of what my dad taught me -- take your time and SQUEEZE the trigger, don't yank it. That sage advice usually helps.

 

[Jseime]

I was once the same way. The first time i went hunting i was after antlerless mule deer. (sort of like fish in a barrel right) well i had a semi-auto .243 and boy i though i was hot ****. I missed and missed and missed i think three deer walked away from me that day without even having anything to worry about. I finally got one when i took my time laid down put one round in the magazine waited and finally touched off the trigger. I got a big doe right through the heart and havent missed a mule deer since then anywhere from 50-250 yards. After you do it once it becomes so much easier just coach your buddy a little bit and he'll get the hang of it.

 

[mgdavis]

Does your buddy practice from field positions, or just off the bench? My groups open up quite a bit when I'm shooting offhand. Shooting sticks or a solid field position might help. Or I'm completly off-base and it's just buck fever.

 

[hillmillenia]

or it could be...

So can we assume he actually wants to shoot a deer? Does he like venison? I know it may sound ridiculous but he may inadvertently be pulling his shots...uh...subconsciously as it were...either that or it's buck fever and he needs to settle down...

 

[rem33]

Practice

Has he ever hunted anything? If not or even if he has take him out for some small game stuff. Anything will help. Off hand shooting at anything alive might really help. Practice makes perfect, sounds silly as adults but it holds true. He may have inner worries about shooting a deer, several reasons I can think of right off. Most of all don't push or tease him, he's trying, be a pal, help all you can.
Which seems you are doing. He's lucky having a friend to encourage him.
Good luck to him.

 

[Sportdog]

I'd love to sit here and tell you that I never miss.....but sometimes I have. I excercise a small mental statement before I fire. "put the crosshairs on the spot and squeeeeeeeeeze the trigger" The times that I have missed was because I hit brush. Right guys?

 

[SavageSniper]

Thanks for all the info guys. I know that he wants to kill a deer, if for nothing else than to keep his shirt tails.( for those that do not know, you used to get your shirt tail cut off if u missed. May be a Southern thang) He is a great wingshot too. Hell in the dove field. I do think it is buck fever, I want to sit in the stand with him this year an see how he acts. As Clayfish said, I think once he kills one he will be ok. Hey Clayfish, you may know him, he lives in Quitman.

 

[3 weelin geezer]

How many have ever hit a bat with an AK 47? Yes, an AK not a shotgun. I did not too long ago right after I got it I went shooting and got me a bat that just wouldn't go away. Guess he heard the butterflies in my stomach .

 

[pesta2]

My cousins had same problem. He was getting to excited to see if he made the shot. So he would shot and as he squeezed the trigger and was dropping the rifle down at the same time to look up to see if he made the shot. He needed to take the shot and keep looking through the scope for a few seconds after that shot to make him stop doing that.