help. did i hit or miss

[bankwalker]

I'm not gonna get to into the story. I came to a clear cut and found a nice 3x4 stating right at me. He turned and started slowly walking towards the tree line. I got out if the truck and took a solid rest. The shot was about 120yds, with a 308 sighted in 2" high at 100yds. The point of aim was right behind the shoulder. But I lead the shot about halfway in the shoulder due to the deer walking thinking that he was walking fast enough that I would connect right behind the shoulder

I took the shot and the deer "ducked" not really reacting like he was hit. and kepted walking. He hesitated right before the trees and I put another shot down range. But again he did not react like he was hit and vanished into the trees.

My buddy and I searched for blood for almost an hour and never found a drop. Never found hair. And never found any signs of a deer being hit. We only found normal walking tracks. After the search for blood showed nothing we we searched the trees for 2 hours in a grid search of the trees. 200yds in all directions and never found anything.

So did I hit or miss?

I'm going to spend tomorrow looking again. But I want some opinions if you guys think i missed or not.

[sebek556]

  either a real bad placement hence the lack of noticeable blood or a clean miss

[Quick Draw]

I think from what you've said sounds like a miss to me I missed a deer with a shot like that, and tracked her down for a good hour, and found nothing. I also missed a big cow elk with a that kind of shot.

Quick Draw

[GUHunter]

If the shots felt good, try shooting the rifle at a target and see if they are hitting close to where you think they should. It will at least tell you if you "should" have hit him.

[bankwalker]

If the shots felt good, try shooting the rifle at a target and see if they are hitting close to where you think they should. It will at least tell you if you "should" have hit him.

Well I certainly should have hit the deer. I've done a lot of shooting with this rifle out to 500yds and I'm more then confident. And the shot was not rushed at all, I really had all the time in the world to make the first shot. Even the second shot was not to rushed.

The more I think about it the more I feel I misjudged the distance and shot over it's back. Just by the way the deer ducked

[EDT]

Loose scope?  not likely a hit.  Need to check out your rifle at the range.

[BLKBEARKLR]

level terrain or was the deer above or below you?

[NWBREW]

What do you think? Do you believe you hit him? If so, try looking again. Sounds like a miss to me but I wasn't there.

[woodman]

 The shot was about 120yds, with a 308 sighted in 2" high at 100yds. The point of aim was right behind the shoulder. But I lead the shot about halfway in the shoulder due to the deer walking thinking that he was walking fast enough that I would connect right behind the shoulder

[/quote]

The more I think about it the more I feel I misjudged the distance and shot over it's back. Just by the way the deer ducked

I hope that you find this deer if you hit it. When I first started hunting when I was young, one of the better pieces of advice that was given me was aim for hair. This way you will not over shoot your target, especially at 120 yards.


[/quote]

[ICEMAN]

Don't hate me for this...
 
A quick shot at a deer about to leave a clearing, a "solid rest".... my guess is using a portion of the vehicle as a quick rest...  (Many of us have done this in the past, and I realize there are rules these days against this...but it happens and has happened for eterniity, including across your horses neck etc... )
 
Could you have rested your barrel against something instead of your stock? Maybe you simply slipped your gun at the magic moment and muffed the shot.

[Hunterman]

Sounds like to me you missed..

Hunterman(Tony)

[sako85]

If you held center shoulder at 120yrds and your shot was true, walking or not
you probly hit center shoulder. Depending on bullet angle and many other things,
you may not get a lot of blood loss outside the chest cavity. Just my 

[Mossy]

Any luck?

[grizzlyadams]

 

The more I think about it the more I feel I misjudged the distance and shot over it's back. Just by the way the deer ducked

No range finder? Hmmm, you probably overshot then. Just wondering something else. Do you know the flight time to your target out of your rifle at 120 yards. Just wondering why you would lead if he was at a slow walk. I mean, maybe an inch or 2 but your time to target can't be more than a tenth of a second out of a .308 @ 120 yards.

Misjudging distance is an easy thing to do. My money is on the overshoot if you weren't using a rangefinder.....

[deleted BGS]

MISS. The deer ducked? I have never heard that with a rifle, sure they jump arrows at further distances but not at 120 yards. If it was hit it would dump, or run off. That caliber  is more than enough, i dont care where you hit it it would know its hit and be down.

[bankwalker]

Well guys I got out there before daylight with 5 guys to look for that buck. We sat at the clering and waited for enough light to start looking. And guess who comes trotting by chasing a doe. Yup I missed......and i couldn't get a shot at him this morning.

I never take shots at moving deer, running or walking. the 2 times I have resulted in missed deer that i spent way to long looking for.

I feel a lot better knowing i didn't wound that buck. Though my uncle says he could see missing hair from the top of his back 


I sat right where I shot from today and what I didn't see last night due to lower light was a bunch of small branches sticking up about 3/4 of the way to the deer. Idk if I might have hit those or not (never looked after seeing that buck run through the clearing)

[ICEMAN]