Will you take a shot at a running animal?

[darrin6109]

Cant say i have done it, just wonder how many do?

[The Hermit]

Rabbits and squirrels with my bow when I was 10 years old but not at big game with rifle... I'm not confident enough lower probability of my making a clean kill.

[Yak]

If I shot once already while it was standing, yes will take another shot or 2 if it is offered but Ive never taken my first shot at an animal while it was running.

Yak

[IronNoggin]

Yup. Do it all the time. Keep the range realistic, know (and I mean KNOW!) your rifle and your own capabilities, and it really isn't all that difficult. In fact I rather prefer an animal to be moving over standing stock-still when I can't sit or get a decent rest - find it easier to "track" the crosshairs through the boiler room rather than attempting to hold them steady on a motionless target.

Grew up chasing white-tails, and the vast majority of those were on the move when we saw them. Took me a few years to catch on to the blind/tree-stand thing. Used to practice by taking old tires, placing a slab of red-painted cardboard in the middle of them, then rolling them down a pretty steep hill. We actually got pretty damn good at center-punching those rollin' targets. Never contemplated eating one though... :mrgreen:

Cheers,
Nog

[savagecanuck]

If its a real nice buck I always cap off provide there is nothing in the way.I have knocked a few down on the run.It beats seeing your only hope for the season disappear over a ridge and whishing you would have tried.There is not always the perfect shot presenting itself

[bandit]

Only ever shot moving game in the open. Would not be confident doing it with trees around.

Anyone ever shot a tree by mistake??

[Shooter Jr.]

Running shot for my first shot? No. i did when I knew I hit it because it jumped about 6' in the air, I plugged at him 2 more times and only went about 10 yards. If it was Walking, and it was fairly close, i don't see whats do bad about that, however if its walking when I saw it I would wait for it to stop again.

[BCBRAD]

yes, the latest was mule deer this past season @180 lazered yards. Do not shoot trees as i don't want to self report the infraction to the forest service.

[CanuckShooter]

Sure If it's running broadside...and under 100yds...200 for a moose...

[BCBRAD]

If I shot once already while it was standing, yes will take another shot or 2 if it is offered but Ive never taken my first shot at an animal while it was running.

Yak

your chance of a good hit after the first shot are reduced greatly, if you missed the first shot the outcome doesn't look good for the rest as you are excited and so is the animal. with lots of practice and with a rifle you can manage as easily as a pellet gun then its no big deal. i see this all the time at the range ....a guy gets the rifle all sighted in nice then continues to bench shoot ....once a load is proven for me then I don,t shoot it off the bench again, offhand shots at 200m are doable on 'vital sized targets' with practice, and don't over gun your self it just makes an easy task harder......thus the beauty of the 30-06

[Gateholio]

RUnning shots at big game are very common in some parts of the world. At shorter distances it's not a big deal, but I wouldn't shoot at longer distances.

[M.Dean]

Yes I do take shots at running animals! Reason being I'm not lucky enough to see all my game standing broadside at 100 yards! The WT I shot this year was running like a crack whore's nose when I fired, hit it in the top of the back and it stumbled and died like a crippled olde man falling down 8 flights of steep stairs!!! It was running through thick brush, I lead it until it hit a opening in the trail and the rest is history! Should everyone try to shoot at moving animals, No! Go to the range and practice shooting free hand, no rest, no sand bags, nothing, pick up your weapon, aim and fire, and do it lots!

[AT&T]

I have shot alot of deer, elk, coyotes, wolves and the occassional dog on the run. Longer distances increases dramaticially. Most guys including me tend to shoot too far behind the animal and too high. With a good rest it is much easier but still a trick. A rule of thumb is leading the animal 1 yard for each 100 yards. Shooting a running animal in timber is harder. watch his path through the timber. Keep your left eye open. Find an opening in the timber. As he runs into the opening time your shot. Feels great when it works. You can usually tell up hill shots hit when the animal cant run up hill and turns back down the hill. My two cents.

[Marlin375]

pretty sure thats why lever action guns were invented...if you get lucky enough to get in the middle of a band of white tails with the rut on you better be prepared to shoot at a buck on the move, or just tell storys about the big one that got away.

[steelhead]

........................

[AT&T]

pretty sure thats why lever action guns were invented...if you get lucky enough to get in the middle of a band of white tails with the rut on you better be prepared to shoot at a buck on the move, or just tell storys about the big one that got away.

The biggest use of lever actions was to help settle North America from its native residents. So what the Gatling gun.

[bandit_69]

you have to feel comfortable with your gun and have the ability to make that kill shot. my first deer ever was a whitetail buck on a full run i put the cross hairs on his boiler room and squeezed the trigger and i hit him right where i was aiming and it deflected into its front left shoulder and went out the other lung her didnt go 20 ft before going down. as i said you need to be sure that you arent going to injure the animal but if you that you can take a shot and kill the animal by all means get r done

[Everett]

Done it four times

First time a deer my buddy had hit through the lungs that was heading over the hill 250 yards head shot. Sitting

Second time 150 yards standing, running WT biggest deer I ever shot took him low in the lungs.

Third time wounded deer who was running towards a cliff 200 yards head shot took two tries that time. Standing

Fourth time this year as an insurance shot on an already hard hit deer that was showing no sign of a hit. Was worried I had screwed up the first shot I hadn't so two holes in his chest instead of one. Kneeling not sure the distance around 100 but in the trees.


Do I recomend it no do I do it yes in the right sitution. Grew up shooting running rabits and did a lot of snap shooting in the army.
If one of my hunting partners tried it I would smack them upside the head as they don't practice enough. The old do as I say not as I do.:wink:

[snareman1234]

Shot my first buck running, but it was at 50 yards in open grasslands, most certainly different under further or less ideal circumstances

[Ron.C]

never taken a shot at a running animal, and never will. I hunt with a bow or a muzzleloader, so the fist shot needs to count. Besides, in my mind, the chance of having something go wrong amplifies when the animal running. Even if I were hunting with a repeating rifle, I'd have to pass.

[Ron.C]

Done it four times

If one of my hunting partners tried it I would smack them upside the head as they don't practice enough. The old do as I say not as I do.:wink:

How do you practice running shots with a rifle at various ranges????

[mark]

Ive done it tons of times! Over the course of my hunting life Ive probably missed more game standing still than I have running!
Inside 100 yards for a deer is my comfort zone! Maybe 200 on a moose!

[Gateholio]

How do you practice running shots with a rifle at various ranges????

You can set up various moving targets. Get a buddy to roll a tire with a target inside it down a hill, etc.

Some ranges have slick "running moose" or running deer targets that are pulled along with a cable.

[Sleep Robber]

If it's not too far away, and the shot is clear and I know I am capable, then yes I'll shoot a running animal. They aren't always standing still are they :confused:

Sometimes if I'm set up for a shot, and their walking, I'll make some kind of sound that freezes them in their tracks and then bang/flop them.

[Deerhunter85]

Yup! My first deer was a whitetail fork running full tilt broadside at 75 yards. I hit him with my dads custom built .338 mag in the vitals. bullet hit a rib and deflected down and out the brisket. Put a exit hole him you could fit a cantaloupe in. He still managed to run another 35 yards before going down and left a solid blood trail 10 inches wide for the whole 35 yards.

[high and to the right]

How do you practice running shots with a rifle at various ranges????

click on the clip below but imagine it with a gun in your hand. The key to learning to shoot at a running target is to learn to shoot at a stationary target while you are moving. It's just that easy! :-D:idea:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uipjR0h1x_g

[Everett]

How do you practice running shots with a rifle at various ranges????

I am talking practice in general not specific moving targets. Shooting running rabbits was how I learnt to shoot moving game.

[Tyler21]

miss once and they start running then keep pungin at em

[butthead]

only after it's been hit once

[Jelvis]

If your going out to see big bucks and get a shot, you better learn to hit a running buck. Swing smooth, crosshairs near front, let fly, keep swinging don't stop when you shoot or you'll miss.
Jel .. ( Big Bucks ) You will see them moving out so start throwing lead .. aim slightly ahead and swing
PS .. Short story, I was in training for mma and my trainer told me one day while working on the road work, Say Rock, you got such quick defense no one can clip yah, but now, it's time to let them fists and knees go.
Rock yah got to shoot to score, let em go! You got rocks for fists and steel bars for legs, cut em loose JelRock
.. Then my opponents started going down, dropping like fly's .. one after another, KRACK! POW! BIFF! STIFF!

[proguide66]

Once there's an initial hole in em its game on and anything goes!....actually shot everything from grizz to deer running....probably shot at running wolves more than anything...( they got it comin,:twisted:)

[GoatGuy]

Once there's an initial hole in em its game on and anything goes!....actually shot everything from grizz to deer running....probably shot at running wolves more than anything...( they got it comin,:twisted:)

That about sums it up.

[Chuck]

Many do, but I won't. Then again that's part of where and how I hunt.

[BCBRAD]

jelbus is right, follow through and don't stop to admire the shot.

[Buckmeister]

Will I shot a running animal??? Only if it stole my wallet. :wink:

[1/2 slam]

Yes I will.....Some times I even hit them:mrgreen:

[Ron.C]

You can set up various moving targets. Get a buddy to roll a tire with a target inside it down a hill, etc.

Some ranges have slick "running moose" or running deer targets that are pulled along with a cable.


I've seen moving 3d archery targets, just hard to get a mental picture of how you would simulate a running game, not trotting, not walking fast but a dead out run. I can invision the tire/target/hill thing working, but wonder how many guys would actually go through that much effort.

I'll play the devils advocate here and say alot of guys probably don't practice a single shot at a simulated running target. And lastly, I'd bet that there's alot more poorly shot game that were shot on the run then those cleanly harvested on the run. By that I mean game with "multiple holes" where one properly placed shot would of done the job. The "ok, I got one hole in it so anything goes" menatlity says sloppy hunting and shooting to me

Just my 2 cents

[Ronforca]

Not too many hunters can put their bullets into the boiler room of a running animal .The paunch is pretty close to the vitals.Saw too many animals paunch shot.If you dont mind the taste of paunch shoot away.I manage to get my game regular without shooting at running animals.Walking is a different thing.Of course I have only been at it for a bit over 55 yrs.

[Kody94]

I'll play the devils advocate here and say alot of guys probably don't practice a single shot at a simulated running target. And lastly, I'd bet that there's alot more poorly shot game that were shot on the run then those cleanly harvested on the run. By that I mean game with "multiple holes" where one properly placed shot would of done the job. The "ok, I got one hole in it so anything goes" menatlity says sloppy hunting and shooting to me

Just my 2 cents

I am sure you are right in your first point above. Most guys that are good at it have "learned on the job". :)

I've practiced quite a bit with "charging" targets...practicing with my defenders and 45/70 in case of a bear problem at work, and practicing for cape buffalo hunting.

On your second point though, I disagree. I'm in agreement with the guys above that say once you've got a bullet in it, keep on shooting til its down. This assumes that normal care and attention was taken with the first shot in with intent for a bang-flop. When they don't cooperate by flopping, however, I say aim for brown and bust it down. "Sloppy"? Well, it might ruin a bit more meat than following up cautiously and hoping for a cleaner coupe-de-grace. But I'd rather try to end the suffering quicker, and eliminate the chance of a long track job. And, it probably has something to do with my trips to Africa...where follow up tracking can be dangerous, and trophy fees are still owed if you draw blood but don't recover it.

I've taken a few shots at unwounded "running" animals, but mostly 'yotes. :) (they have it coming too!). Have taken lots of follow up shots at moving game. My success on the moving follow up shots is "hit and miss" (pun intended) so I don't take them on unwounded game (unless its yote dogs or birds!) that isn't a close shot at a relatively slow moving target.

[Caveman]

I'll admit I've done it a few times. First was a cow elk at 60-70yds after I put one in the ribs, knocked her down on a full run. I also have taken three immature bull moose at short range as well. I think that is part of the key. Big target, short range, pick an opening it is about to cross and squeeze as it hits it.

[proguide66]

" one hole anything goes".........

picture this , guy on a 34thousand $ sheep hunt..shoot a ram , ( more than likely hit it through the lungs, but you never know) its still runnin....gonna say , DONT SHOOT ?
Grizzly broadside 100 yrds from thick bush...bang , hit it in the lungs( more than likely) its running for thick bush...what ya gonna do with your extra bullets?

so...my reasoning for "once there's a hole anything goes"...not sure I see the 'sloppy hunting' flavour to that?

just my 4 cents:mrgreen:

Really though , I usually hunt a total 5 months a year ( including spring) and 3/4 of it is guideing people to game., once an animal is hit I STRONGLY encourage to keep shooting , wether its hit double lung er not...sometimes you just never know...get the lead in the air!!!...its hit and still runnin , keep shooting!

[Kody94]

" one hole anything goes".........

picture this , guy on a 34thousand $ sheep hunt..shoot a ram , ( more than likely hit it through the lungs, but you never know) its still runnin....gonna say , DONT SHOOT ?
Grizzly broadside 100 yrds from thick bush...bang , hit it in the lungs( more than likely) its running for thick bush...what ya gonna do with your extra bullets?

so...my reasoning for "once there's a hole anything goes"...not sure I see the 'sloppy hunting' flavour to that?

just my 4 cents:mrgreen:

Really though , I usually hunt a total 5 months a year ( including spring) and 3/4 of it is guideing people to game., once an animal is hit I STRONGLY encourage to keep shooting , wether its hit double lung er not...sometimes you just never know...get the lead in the air!!!...its hit and still runnin , keep shooting!

lol I agree.

One of my best buddies says -- mostly in jest -- "its not so much about the anticipation of the hunt, its how much powder you burn when you get there".

[dennisb370]

I killed my first buck in 14 years on the run.If you don`t shoot you don`t have a chance.

[Ron.C]

Let me be clear, obviously I wasn't in my last post. I am making reference to an initial shot on running game. And my reference to sloppy hunting was emptying your gun when perhaps fewer well placed shots are better than many shitty ones. Or taking shots at running game when one doesn't have the skill to pull off and is relying alot on luck"


Yes, things happen that are beyond your control and if you do need to take a follow up shot, or shots, I would hope they were well aimed and controlled.

[870]

hell yeah
shot my buck this year on the move.
with a shot gun.
no problem.
bang flop

[killer]

Shot at lots running ,mostly backing up uncertain shots.I have shot at wolves three separate times not once was a wolf standing there looking at me . I actually knocked two of them down.Just helping the deer herd out over here on the island.Besides they had it coming!

[GoatGuy]

The "ok, I got one hole in it so anything goes" menatlity says sloppy hunting and shooting to me


There are several cases for the one shot in it, keep on shooting it 'mentality'. The two most important reasons being it could walk away or it could attack you.

Call it what you want, but it's more of a when as opposed to an if situation.

Even if the shooter does everything 'right', you can still have unknown gear problems and there's no way around that.

[GoatGuy]

" one hole anything goes".........

picture this , guy on a 34thousand $ sheep hunt..shoot a ram , ( more than likely hit it through the lungs, but you never know) its still runnin....gonna say , DONT SHOOT ?
Grizzly broadside 100 yrds from thick bush...bang , hit it in the lungs( more than likely) its running for thick bush...what ya gonna do with your extra bullets?

so...my reasoning for "once there's a hole anything goes"...not sure I see the 'sloppy hunting' flavour to that?

just my 4 cents:mrgreen:

Really though , I usually hunt a total 5 months a year ( including spring) and 3/4 of it is guideing people to game., once an animal is hit I STRONGLY encourage to keep shooting , wether its hit double lung er not...sometimes you just never know...get the lead in the air!!!...its hit and still runnin , keep shooting!

Same with hunting with first timers.

[Rock Doctor]

Cant say i have done it, just wonder how many do?


Only ever shot moving game in the open. Would not be confident doing it with trees around.

Anyone ever shot a tree by mistake??


Yes and Yes

If you hunt, eventually you WILL shoot at a moving animal. You WILL, I guarantee it. Whether it's for ethical reasons or safety reasons, or whatever. It will happen.


RD

[troutseeker]

Sure I'll shoot at a running animal! And of course that includes the "initial" shot, lol. I've done it before with success and I'll do it again, I'm sure.

Did you know that in Sweden, to obtain a hunting license hunters are required to show proficience at running shots? On a moving moose target, oh ya fer sure!

[Ron.C]

There are several cases for the one shot in it, keep on shooting it 'mentality'. The two most important reasons being it could walk away or it could attack you.




I'm not talking about all the what if situations. first shot made a scores a good hit on a stationary animal I would hope, but the animal runs and may be lost due to terrain "ie goat/sheep hunts"

My initial response was based on a running shot at a deer, elk whatever in a normal, everyday hunting situation. I assumed this thread was ---would you take your "initial" shot at running game " in a hunting situation" ----.


And my follow up comment on slopply hunting/shooting was directed at situations where the initial shot at an animal "which is one the run, and and either score a poor hit, or miss all together and figure it's time to unload because they made a poor first shot when in all actuality, shouldn't of made to begin with.

Yes there are times when you need follow up shot or shots, I already said that.

[Yotapup]

I've taken running shots with a .22 at a pack of coyotes going after chickens and such on the farm, but thats it.

[phoenix]

I got a coyote on the run the other day, 300yds with my TC Encore .243 on a bipod. 80gr right in the shoulder. That said I have passed on a few nice deer over the years because they were running and I didn't like the shot. To me each shot is different and you have to make a snap judgement on each and every one.
Kim

[Singleshotneeded]

Well, so far so good, all my deer and a few moose were either walking or stationary, and went down with the first shot. One buck at about 150 yards went for a run afterwards, and I had my rifle up and leading it, but then it went down, whew! I got to keep my hunting "handle"! :)

[mikek blacktail]

full out run prpbably not,trotting or fast walk yes .depending if the situation is right ,I will take the shot

[hunter1947]

Shooting clay pigeons at shoots really helped me out when it came to shooting at animals on the run ..

When I was in my early teens I was a back up for trap shooting the Canadian Juniors

I have shot lots of elk and deer on the run over my hunting years..

[Deaddog]

I have shot a fair number of animals on the run...I wouldn't hesitate if the range was 150 yards or less.. DD

[Jelvis]

Would I take a running shot, all depends how fast I'm running? Dah. Hey! Symbol CRASH!
. If the animal is a once in a lifetime, it's throwing lead time
.. How far a way and which ways he runnin? I'll be gunnin when runnin
... Crosshairs in the front swing, pull KaPow! .. Adjust if needed.. otherwise deleted ..
Jelly (Productions) Shredder$ .. Once is enuff .. twice maybe .. third time lucky .. four on the floor .. five dive ..

[kodimack]

Yes . Thats how I shot my first deer . If you shoot enough and are comfortable with the shot no problem if you don't think you can make the shot then don't shoot.Duck hunting helps to be able to hit a target on the move.

[Moose Guide]

first elk 120 yds running broadside-bang flop
largest sask. whitetail 40 yds-2 shots
charging grizz, 12 yds-2 shots, flop, snap snap snap -boom flop

[open-sights]

Yes if I was confident in the shot, no if I wasn't - and I have not taken shots at broadside animals that I couldn't hold steady on but I have also knocked down a few on the move. No right or wrong, it's all in confidence.