I CAN'T BELIEVE I MISSED ANOTHER BIG BUCK


MossySNPR

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Tuesday morning at 6:55 I looked behind me and a big 10 stepped out, I'm using my shotgun with slugs right now because thats the season.

Anyways, at 65 yards I slowly turned around, made a mouth grunt to stop him, aimed and fired. The buck stumbled and I thought "HES DOWN", Then seemed to regain himself! THEN MY !@#IN' GUN JAMMED!!! He was just standing there looking at me playing with my gun, finally I ejected the shell and it rocketed towards the ground, making a loud noise. By that time he had slowly turned and trotted in the way he came, and I made a noise with my mouth to stop him, but he kept going. I aimed and fired a second shot, I rushed it, and the third shot was just through the cedars in complete frustration.

Anyways, I waited 30 mins and drove to get my dad and we were positive I hit it, I was positive I hit it because of the stumble it made. We found no blood, tracked it for the day, even went and got one of our deer dogs but there was just too many deer tracks for the dog to distinguish the most fresh buck track.

Its hard for me to believe he just twitched because of the shot, we all know what a deer looks like when it tries to duck a shot! It was a broadside shot, 65 yards, I shot, it looked like his left leg gave out and he caught himself. mad.gif

This is the second buck of my life that this sitaution has occured, I feel so sick to my stomach, but I'm going back out there for the rest of the week and then leaving on Friday up north for rifle week.

THANKS for listening. What do you think, did my slug drop 4-6 inches at 65-70 yards, did I just hit his leg and thats why theres no blood, or did I just plain miss? I mean my bead was RIGHT on him.

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Re: I CAN\'T BELIEVE I MISSED ANOTHER BIG BUCK

Can you normally shoot accurately at 65 yards? I noticed you mentioned "the bead". I take it you don't have rifle sights or a scope on your slug gun? If legal, I'd think seriously about getting one or the other. Hard to tell without being there, but I'd say either a miss or a hit in a non-vital area. A shotgun slug at 65 yards is quite a bit of lead for a deer to shrug off if it's in the vitals.

Good luck on your next try.

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Re: I CAN\'T BELIEVE I MISSED ANOTHER BIG BUCK

[ QUOTE ]

Can you normally shoot accurately at 65 yards? I noticed you mentioned "the bead". I take it you don't have rifle sights or a scope on your slug gun? If legal, I'd think seriously about getting one or the other. Hard to tell without being there, but I'd say either a miss or a hit in a non-vital area. A shotgun slug at 65 yards is quite a bit of lead for a deer to shrug off if it's in the vitals.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes Tex, I should be accurate at this range or even longer. And yeah this is my first year using a shotty for deer because of my dads new property and area. I NEED a scope anyways for turkey, going to get one.

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Re: I CAN\'T BELIEVE I MISSED ANOTHER BIG BUCK

Nothing is more aggravating than believing you made a good shot only to see the deer walk away.

Been there done that!

If you checked around good, and it sounds like you did, I'd feel sure it was a clean miss. Even though that don't feel good, its better than wounding one and not recovering it.

I shoot a 20 gauge with rifle sights, no scope. I've taken many many deer with the ole shotgun. You'll get another chance. wink.gif

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Re: I CAN\'T BELIEVE I MISSED ANOTHER BIG BUCK

I believe you missed him. At 65 yds, I can't see a slug dropping 4-6 inches and for a leg shot, you would have seen some blood. I shot a buck in the front leg several years ago and I thought I hit him good from the body language and the "funny thing" they do with their tail. Saw little hair where I hit him and small drops of blood soon after. Tracked him over 4ooyds and the deer never laid down. While trailing him I ran into a hunter who saw the buck running on three legs and the forth leg just dangling. I later ran into this buck while rabbit hunting a month later. The dogs chased him off his bed and I noticed that dangling leg the hunter spoke of.

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Re: I CAN\'T BELIEVE I MISSED ANOTHER BIG BUCK

Sorry to hear about that man! I hate when that happens too. The same thing happened with me 2 years ago with a bear. I fired the first shot, he went down and got back up, I went to shoot again but my dang .308 jammed. crazy.gif We looked for blood and sign for an hour or so and couldn't find a thing. I kicked myself in the butt for a long time over that... crazy.gif

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Guest MattA311

Re: I CAN\'T BELIEVE I MISSED ANOTHER BIG BUCK

[ QUOTE ]

a lot of times a deer can act like they aren`t hit, i would check again to be on the safe side..

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, especially with a shotgun slug, for some reason

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Re: I CAN\'T BELIEVE I MISSED ANOTHER BIG BUCK

If it had been me, I'd be taking that gun to the range and punch about 10 rounds through paper at that distance.

That would be the only way I would be able to determine if it was just me, something changed on the gun or I need some practice. I hate it for you. Dust yourself a figure out how you can prevent it in the future.

Even if you get real real good mistakes happen. That's why there is a silver and bronze medal wink.gif

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Re: I CAN\'T BELIEVE I MISSED ANOTHER BIG BUCK

i had a deer to the same thing one year while i was shotgun hunting. My slug dropped so low it actually hit just in front of the deers leg on the ground and it stumbled. I know this because there was another guy there watching me do it. That could possibly be what happened.

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