How many shots to take down your game?

[NorthIdahoDude]

A single well placed bullet will do the trick, every single time. On rare occasions, it takes more than one try to place a bullet well.

YMMV.

 

[glock233]

My main priority is rodeo prevention. If he’s still standing then I’m still shooting. Has led to overkill. But I’m sure it has also led to fewer lengthy searches.

 

[49ereric]

Quartering shot and suspect you just hit one lung keep shooting. Broadside shot behind the shoulder and the shot is good then one and done. Just deer here.

 

[timekiller13]

In my younger less experienced days there were handful of rifle shot deer that required follow-ups. All due to poor shot placement/excitement and lack of experience on my part.

I can’t think of animal that I’ve shot with a rifle in the last 20 years that required more than one shot. A couple spine shot bow kills needed a follow-up.

 

[streamerfish]

I don't know exactly.....

My guess is something like 2.5 shots average on elk. Like a few mentioned, I hunt thicker timber, I want them down as quickly as possible. Most of them were "dead" on the first shot, but didn't fall over immediately on the first shot, so they got more until they did. Is it potentially unnecessary, yeah probably. But I don't want to track. I've also made shots that weren't perfect either. I'm not afraid to admit it.

On deer probably 1.5 shots average maybe....Generally hunt more open country, not as worried about one running a bit.

 

[Lowg08]

We have learned over the last couple years. The deer here are particularly tough. Yes I know everyone says that but deep Appalachian bucks seem to have more than extra will to live Along with very difficult track jobs. Through laurel thickets,dog hobble and don’t want another one going over a cliff. We are putting two in them. Worked better in our favor this year.

 

[Kingofthemountain83]

My second mule deer when I was 14 I call the Terminator... Shot him in the ass as he was running away... He still had 3 good legs to go downhill as fast as he could while I lobbed 100 gr sp Remingtons upwards of 600 yards at him... At least I packed at lot of ammo as a kid... Hit him everywhere... Got the whole deer made into summer sausage... Then a spike bull muzzy hunting took 3 Powebelts... Didn't broadside penetrate lungs... First one 68 yards... Second one 23 yards... I had to walk up and shoot it in the back of the head... Garbage bullets... A big cross breed bull with a muzzy... Stood there and took 3 350gr .50 Hornady to the lungs at about 75 yards and still stood there a minute till he collapsed... Another muzzy spike bull took 3 .50 370 gr Maxi Balls at 53 yards... First one quartering towards got one lung and broke the diaphragm... He turned around and bedded but kept trying to get up... I put two more through his lungs broadside until he stopped trying to get up and just sat there for a couple minutes until he died... I've lost an elk before... Not because I didn't keep shooting... It's not feeling or an experience I wish on anyone... Imho elk are the toughest animal to kill and have the strongest will to live... If you have the opportunity to get a follow up shot in any game... Do it...

 

[fisherman983]

I've been fortunate that almost all of my kills have been 1 shot. All of them were with a 6.5 .. either a 264 win mag or 6.5 prc using 140-156 gr bullets.
Ranges vary from 20 yds to 804 yds.

I've only had a couple animals i shot a second time but only because I could see they were still alive, knew the 1st round was 100% fatal and had a perfect broadside opportunity to not hit/destroy a bunch of meat on the 2nd.



Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk

 

[Mtns2hunt]

Normally one shot but I hunt field edges bordering logged off thickets. Shots are fast and if I can I will often attempt a second shot. Over a 100 one shot kills.

 

[Choupique]

I think my personal record is 5 hits with a rifle and also 5 with a bow... Both deer. The bow one was awful. It looked like a horror movie scene when it was over with.

I'll trade some meat for assurance that it isn't going anywhere, or if I think it is suffering. If I know I hit it, and it's running, I'm shooting at it. Follow ups on down animals are usually head or neck shots.

There is a running joke at my camp that if you hear one shot, it probably wasn't me. Two, there's a chance. Three, better chance. Seven, definitely me.

 

[Cedarsavage]

I had one year where I blew out on a bear with a rifle deer with rifle and a deer with a bow. Next year I shot 600 rounds with a rifle and made it my goal to kill with 100% of my shots. I let a lot of stuff walk for a year or two but real good at killing. I’m not 100%, but I do alright

 

[Maverick1]

Sitting over a waterhole one year a cow elk came in. I shot her at 13 yards with a perfectly placed arrow. She jumped back three yards and just stood there. So I took out another arrow and shot her again at a distance of 16 yards. At the impact of the second shot she crashed off through the brush and went down about 20 yards away. That was weird. Only elk I've ever been able to shoot twice.

 

[KenLee]

If its trying to get up, I'm slinging. Since im a half ass shot, I used to shoot more than once almost every year at something. Now that I have a magic 300 wizzum, it doesn't happen.