Have you wounded, missed or lost an elk out past your max range?

[Beendare]

Rifle or Bow?
I'm talking a longer shot past the range that you know you are money- every time.

I have....about 30 years ago, I shot a ranged bull with my bow at 78y in Co OTC. And that was when I could really shoot.
There was a little bit of wind I didn't account for at that distance and I caught the bull dead in the front leg. Almost no penetration and the bull went hobbling off....I literally watched him for over 1/2 mile.

Edit; sparse blood trail, didn't recover him.

 

[Deadspace]

I’ve never lost one that I shot past my max range. However, I have lost three well within my comfort zone. I’m talking within 20 yards with my bow.

 

[Wheels]

I missed a bull that was in the 400" range with 40 cows back in the '80's when the only rangefinders were the type that you have a sloped curve and put the body of the animal inside the curve to guesstimate the range. It was wrong by about 5 yards and I shot under him. I was reliable to 50yds then and he ended up being 55yds, with fat slow arrows at that time they literally fell out of the sky at longer ranges.

 

[Marble]

I’ve never lost one that I shot past my max range. However, I have lost three well within my comfort zone. I’m talking within 20 yards with my bow.

With the wounded bulls, were there any learned lessons from those?

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[Deadspace]

With the wounded bulls, were there any learned lessons from those?

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Yeah. Suck less. But specifically, stop trying to force it. All three shots were too far forward. I’m a bit more patient now.

 

[dirtshooter]

Yup

When I was just getting into bow hunting I puller into one of our pieces of land, 2 quarters, and stopped when I saw a bunch of blonde along the west fence. Too big to be deer I pulled out my binos and holy crap elk! I literally took off running and the wind was blowing in my face. The coulee willows covered me and when I got to the herd the bull was 59 yards away and if I had went right instead of left I'd have gotten to about 40 but going left I got pinned down by 2 cows so I let a hail marry shot fly and shot under the bull.

2 things. Practice for longer, and since it was going to be my first elk I was all "gotta get the bull" I was greedy when I should have tried to shoot a cow.

 

[Beendare]

Yeah. Suck less. But specifically, stop trying to force it. All three shots were too far forward. I’m a bit more patient now.

It's a process, we have all been there...... at least you admit it and realize what you need to do to improve.

BTW, it's the reason for this thread....maybe someone can learn from my mistakes and others.

In the case I started the thread with, 2 small bulls standing together in the trees. They had already spotted my buddy and myself but were trying to decide what to do. It really was a prayer shot I shouldn't have taken. It wasn't like I could have done anything better....except NOT to shoot. My buddy thought the bull moved slightly on the shot, I dunno if it was that or wind drift...but it was long...and at a fidgety animal. Bad choice.

The other part of this....if you have hunted long enough....stuff happens. Sometimes there is nothing we can do to avoid it.

 

[TaperPin]

Everyone has a plan and solid shooting technique until their bull starts moving, either walking into the trees or trotting over the ridge. Lol

How many guys know how much to lead a moving target? Almost nobody. How many take the shot at a slow trotting elk? Almost everyone.

Even my first memory elk hunting was a group of cows running across an opening and two pickups worth of hunters blasting at them as fast as the bolts could be racked. I’m sure they hit at least a few of them, but it was behind the diaphragm and none of them slowed down in the slightest. That was the last day I thought those older relatives knew how to shoot. Lol

 

[LostArra]

I had a 6x7 bull just below me at 7 yards. Me at full draw and a big rock covering his vitals.
As he trotted down the hill out of view I let down but he stopped broadside and looked back at me.
I made a perfect 40 yard shot on a 53 yard bull and the arrow landed under his chest.
Just to rub it in he trotted out into some open sage at about 125 yards (I'm guessing so it's probably actually 150), bedded down and stared at me.

I don't live around elk and they are so big I always underestimate distance when I don't have time for a rangefinder. Since I started using the trick pin method of Darin Cooper I've had far fewer problems with range-less shots.

The "Trick-Pin" System - Rokslide

The Trick-Pin System – Quit Your Range-Finder Habit Darin Cooper – Rokslide Senior Editor This may be the coolest damn thing you never knew about your bow! We have all heard somebody say something ridiculous like, “This new bow is so fast you probably only need one pin out to 50 yards!” And to...

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[Beendare]

Everyone has a plan and solid shooting technique until their bull starts moving, either walking into the trees or trotting over the ridge. Lol

How many guys know how much to lead a moving target? Almost nobody. How many take the shot at a slow trotting elk? Almost everyone.

Even my first memory elk hunting was a group of cows running across an opening and two pickups worth of hunters blasting at them as fast as the bolts could be racked. I’m sure they hit at least a few of them, but it was behind the diaphragm and none of them slowed down in the slightest. That was the last day I thought those older relatives knew how to shoot. Lol

It could be shooting at moving targets is a lost skill. in the Jack OConner and Fred Bear days, it seems to me there was emphasis on practicing those shots.

Just about every trad shoot I've been to has a moving target, shooting from a moving canoe, deer on rollers or flying goose. It's great practice.

 

[westsloper]

Yes I have. It's a really bitter memory.

 

[TaperPin]

It could be shooting at moving targets is a lost skill. in the Jack OConner and Fred Bear days, it seems to me there was emphasis on practicing those shots.

Just about every trad shoot I've been to has a moving target, shooting from a moving canoe, deer on rollers or flying goose. It's great practice.

Those targets sound like fun.