1 shot kills

[Jetjockey]

So, my treadmill and elliptical have TV screens that I can watch YouTube on. In the hours of shear boredom trying to get in shape, I watch Africa hunting videos. What I’m amazed of, is all the hunts that required 2nd shots due to poor shot placement. Now, I’m not going to say I’m the best shot in the world, and I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve been baffled at the piss poor shot placements in the videos. In one video, the animals had to be put down with a pistol because of poor shot placement and bullet selection, which kind of pissed me off because I think we owe the animals more……. On my safari last summer, besides Buffalo, everything died with 1 shot. The Buffalo only required anchoring shots. Is it the lack of shooting ability, or the lack of experience off sticks that make people seem to shoot so poorly?

 

[JimP]

I have always had the philosophy of shooting until the animal is down.

My first kudu staggered around long enough for me to get ready to shoot him again, he didn't have a heart left.

On my last trip to South Africa I shot a baboon, he dropped like a rock and just laid there. By the time that my PH, tracker, and I got to where he was he was gone. After a short tracking job I finished him.


I shot a bull elk here in Colorado with a muzzle loader. 3 shots and they were all kill shots, but he just stood there allowing me the time to load a muzzle loader.

You just never know what is going to happen even with the best shots and until that animal is in the truck you never know what is going to happen.

 

[deewayne2003]

I would attribute lack of practice with big bore rifles; even on whitetail hunts I see clients who show up and are scared of their rifles.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Thru the years I have paid attention to the distance travelled by buffalo after being HEART shot. Fifty to eighty yards is the normal distance travelled.

 

[sierraone]

I would attribute lack of practice with big bore rifles; even on whitetail hunts I see clients who show up and are scared of their rifles.

I firmly believe not enough practice for many is the problem.

 

[Certus]

Time and costs I guess (as a factor to below)

I firmly believe not enough practice for many is the problem.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

+1 to what @JimP said...

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

As a ph and outfitter
I see literally hindreds of african game been taken every year
Some perfectly shot animals still go far and can require follow up
Other marginal shots and the animal drops in its tracks
Sometime u just cant explain it
I personally dont like heart shots and dont advise my clients to shoot heart shot. Too much room for error
A good middle of lungs shot does the trick and more room for error

 

[grand veneur]

Thru the years I have paid attention to the distance travelled by buffalo after being HEART shot. Fifty to eighty yards is the normal distance travelled.

No buffalo has ever gone fifty to eighty yards with a heart shot from my rifle caliber 460 Weatherby Magnum. There lies the problem, use enough gun.

 

[grand veneur]

As a ph and outfitter
I see literally hindreds of african game been taken every year
Some perfectly shot animals still go far and can require follow up
Other marginal shots and the animal drops in its tracks
Sometime u just cant explain it
I personally dont like heart shots and dont advise my clients to shoot heart shot. Too much room for error
A good middle of lungs shot does the trick and more room for error

With a double lung shot with a 500gr SP bullet caliber 458, the buffalos made a few steps and spit out lots of blood.You could approach and take the final shot. I had to follow buffalos only by poor or bad shot placement what unfortunately happened a few times. I had to follow one and only found it dead the next day, all under adventurous circumstances during the shot and after. I lost one.

 

[sureshot375]

As a ph and outfitter
I see literally hindreds of african game been taken every year
Some perfectly shot animals still go far and can require follow up
Other marginal shots and the animal drops in its tracks
Sometime u just cant explain it
I personally dont like heart shots and dont advise my clients to shoot heart shot. Too much room for error
A good middle of lungs shot does the trick and more room for error

I pretty much always aim for the spot with the greatest margin of error.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

No buffalo has ever gone fifty to eighty yards with a heart shot from my rifle caliber 460 Weatherby Magnum. There lies the problem, use enough gun.

I would agree with you there is a great deal of difference between an exploded heart and a heart with a hole in it. Everybody has seen the old gallon jug shot empty and one full of water. Take out the plumbing at the top of the heart, game over.

A fellow PH shot a buff with his .460 weatherby at point blank range before it got him. After he got out of the hospital and saw him his first words were “ I know I should have had a double, don’t say it”.

Talk it, or live it.

Lon

 

[Hogpatrol]

Is it the lack of shooting ability, or the lack of experience off sticks that make people seem to shoot so poorly?

Being new to stick shooting, lack of experience, lack of practice, buck fever, poor eyesight, jet lag make for poor performance. Other than that, some individual animals just give it up easier than others.

 

[ActionBob]

So, my treadmill and elliptical have TV screens that I can watch YouTube on. In the hours of shear boredom trying to get in shape, I watch Africa hunting videos. What I’m amazed of, is all the hunts that required 2nd shots due to poor shot placement. Now, I’m not going to say I’m the best shot in the world, and I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve been baffled at the piss poor shot placements in the videos. In one video, the animals had to be put down with a pistol because of poor shot placement and bullet selection, which kind of pissed me off because I think we owe the animals more……. On my safari last summer, besides Buffalo, everything died with 1 shot. The Buffalo only required anchoring shots. Is it the lack of shooting ability, or the lack of experience off sticks that make people seem to shoot so poorly?

First off, I agree with @JimP response. Always good practice to keep shooting until the animal is down.

But as for too many of those hunting shows, I think there are several reasons;
A lot of them are their own Producers, editors, promoters, etc.... I suspect they do not focus enough on their shooting skills and are actually short of time to do so.
A lot of them are North American hunters and used to shooting behind the shoulder. Probably have some issues even understanding the anatomy of various animals again lack of preparation.
Product placement is likely a higher priority than effectiveness, Hornady sponcers a lot and many of their bullets are crap for African game. And again, I suspect many of these hunters don't understand the need for good bonded bullets. And they are often busy messing around with whatever optics, sticks etc that they are promoting.
The actual filming and the need to have the camera in synch with the shot means thecshot may often not be taken at the optimal time.
Ego or over acting, how often do they take a shot and then turn to the camera to brag about it instead of following through with the kill.

"It was a great shot! Maybe a little far back but it was a great shot!"

Just some random thoughts on the subject

 

[Puddle]

I asked a Hornady rep at a conference why no bonded bullet for the 9.3mm for use on DG?
His response was "the Interlock is a proven performer".

I moved on.

 

[grand veneur]

For us Europeans, the heart shot is still the best shot for shooting game, no matter what kind of game it is. Sure, the shooting conditions in our countries are often better than in the African bush, but despite everything, I try to shoot the buffalo in the heart if possible. The lung shot is my second choice for a shot placement, especially when the game is not so clearly visible because partially covered by vegetation. But if you shoot a little too far back, you will no hit the lungs but the liver and the trouble begins.

 

[375Fox]

I like to think I’m a good client for my PHs. I shoot well and I don’t pull the trigger if I’m not certain. I’ve never wounded an animal in Africa and I don’t want to. I can only imagine some of the egos that PHs see though and have to adapt to. I think a lot of poor shot placement comes down to a hunter overstating his ability and valuing the trophy over respect for the animal so willing to take risky shots. I’ve been a good shot on game but I have some bad habits I have to continually work on to keep in check, especially trigger control. I practice more on dummies than live rounds to identify where I need to improve. If a person can’t admit a problem they can’t improve. I really think many who think they are good shots would benefit from dry fire practice and some coaching, even if it’s just from a friend watching closely and giving advice.

 

[grand veneur]

Nobody wants to wound a game, but the more often and longer you hunt, the greater the risk of. It does not always have to do with overestimation, vanity or lack of training, but some mistake can occurs under special circumstances and can happen to the best shooter. Always be careful when one say; something like that can not happen to me by hunting, because... and so on. In my case things also initially went perfectly by hunting buffalos until something bad happened.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

For us Europeans, the heart shot is still the best shot for shooting game, no matter what kind of game it is. Sure, the shooting conditions in our countries are often better than in the African bush, but despite everything, I try to shoot the buffalo in the heart if possible. The lung shot is my second choice for a shot placement, especially when the game is not so clearly visible because partially covered by vegetation. But if you shoot a little too far back, you will no hit the lungs but the liver and the trouble begins.

If u shoot a little back on a heart shot u hit the stomach and then the real trouble begins
I take a bad lung shot over a bad heart shot all week

Like i said before. More room for error on a lung shot. Lungs are way bigger than a heart to start with .

 

[Tex .416]

Thru the years I have paid attention to the distance travelled by buffalo after being HEART shot. Fifty to eighty yards is the normal distance travelled.

That correlates with what I have seen on hundreds of deer. Lung shots go even farther. Now I use and teach those hunting with me to go for the high shoulder. That usually drops the animals where they stand.

Is there a reason to not aim for the shoulder or forward point of the shoulder on buffalo?