Am I the only one who has ever missed?

[Flbt]

A real hunter will not hide his mistakes. Everyone has bad shots, it's just part of the process. The great hunters of the past were not ashamed of their mistakes and honestly talked about them in their books. Even Hemingway, who was very fond of exaggerating, did not pose as a sniper.

But sometimes on the forums, some mysterious people try to convince us that they never miss or fail. It's funny at first, but then it gets annoying.

I have seen the mention of a sniper in a few post
That term is not very persice they have been called other things but that not so much what I mean
Like the Leo ones I think 73 yards and under was the average
CERT one’s even less yards
Then the military guys that do get out there

And yea I understand here that most people are thinking the real long range guy
But just putting the info out there that some are mostly short range also

 

[Safari Dave]

I once shot the scrotum off an impala while attempting broadside shot!
( I would have not thought it possible)

I think I know what happened, but, it was, no doubt, my fault.

I let the PH put it down, as it was getting away very quickly at that point!

 

[Bonk]

Guilty!

 

[MS 9x56]

I'm heading to Safari #2 next month.

Reflecting back on Safari # 1 a couple years ago. I missed two animals plain and clear. Right over the top of them. I killed 7 more. dead on the ground. Then I drew blood on an animal I never really wanted to shoot, I hit it high, drew blood and got charged the trophy fee. I knew the rules. I think this animal is still out there, probably book size by now....

Anyway. I am an ordinary hunter and as good as shot as any American going to Africa thinks he is.

I'm not bragging that I missed two shots cleanly or that I lost one animal. I'm only telling hunters here it may be common for a realistic hunter.

I may be the first on this forum to tell everyone. I had 7 one shot kills, two clean misses and one that drew blood and likely got away.

Has anyone else here ever missed ?

Any hunter who says they have never missed falls into one of 2 camps. 1.) Liars. 2). Havent hunted very long.

 

[steve white]

After telling the PH on my first safari that I was not hunting for book, he must have liked that sentiment because he put me on the biggest impala I have ever seen photographed.
Then I got introduced to "Murphy's twitch." It was even in the opposite direction of what a trigger yank would be--therefore didn't make any sense. It was a steep angled quartering away to the left. In twitching left it didn't take that much to miss a gimme...but I missed, clean; not even any clipped hair.

OT? Wonder if animals running off farther is because of whether they: A. Just exhaled vs inhaled, B. Had the heart ventricle full of blood or empty? (hint, I need more excuses)

 

[MS 9x56]

Being a still hunter and hunting in thick cover I have had my share of misses. Most I could confirm were due to hitting brush and limbs. Several that I can’t explain. Only ever lost 2 that I know I hit. One that crossed onto property I could not obtain permission to enter and one that was lost in a swamp. It happens, if it doesn’t bother you, you need to find a new hobby.

 

[Considering Africa]

I'm heading to Safari #2 next month.

Reflecting back on Safari # 1 a couple years ago. I missed two animals plain and clear. Right over the top of them. I killed 7 more. dead on the ground. Then I drew blood on an animal I never really wanted to shoot, I hit it high, drew blood and got charged the trophy fee. I knew the rules. I think this animal is still out there, probably book size by now....

Anyway. I am an ordinary hunter and as good as shot as any American going to Africa thinks he is.

I'm not bragging that I missed two shots cleanly or that I lost one animal. I'm only telling hunters here it may be common for a realistic hunter.

I may be the first on this forum to tell everyone. I had 7 one shot kills, two clean misses and one that drew blood and likely got away.

Has anyone else here ever missed ?

Missed shots are reality as well as wounds. Regarding wounds it’s what you do after the wound that counts, especially if it’s a bad wound and you have to go find that animal and kill it with a knife. It happens and it changes you, sometimes it ends your hunting career. Sometimes it galvanizes you to be better than you have been.

 

[Considering Africa]

Missed shots are reality as well as wounds. Regarding wounds it’s what you do after the wound that counts, especially if it’s a bad wound and you have to go find that animal and kill it with a knife. It happens and it changes you, sometimes it ends your hunting career. Sometimes it galvanizes you to be better than you have been.

Just to clarify, when I was referring to a stabbing a wounded animal, realizing this is an Africa based social media, my reference was to North American experiences. It doesn’t take away from similar experiences in Africa , however, you have more dangerous game in Africa, where stabbing with a knife may not be possible, but the follow up with a firearm would be of the same emotional impact for the individual Hunter. For lack of sounding weak in the midst of brave and macho men these things happen in the field, and we all have to come to grips with dealing with the emotions that actually exist in dispatching cleanly an animal that we messed up on I hope this helps you to cope. Doesn’t matter what a man’s politics are. We are all brothers of the Earth. If you enjoy hunting, you enjoy communing with the first person that ever hunted. It’s a ritual connection with all of our ancestors, regardless of color and nationality or feelings we are all brothers and sisters of the Chase.

 

[Tra3]

I enjoy speaking with genuine people who aren’t afraid to recognize a miss/failure/error and move on. Anybody who is too perfect in life doesn’t seem legit to me.
I agree that there are some hunters who have very few misses, but they also likely have very few total shots taken. Also, if you don’t get some buck fever going, how can you claim that hunting is exciting!

My most embarrassing miss was a hit that took the hoof off of a roe deer. I was new to using quad sticks and it was evident! A few more shots resolved things, but not without some shame.

My daughter, sisters and son are better shots than I am if you take the shots per kills average. (But they don’t hunt 50+ days a year.)

 

[Firebird]

Coyotes are my nemesis-I’ve blown it on a number of them with a number of different rifles

 

[DLSJR]

When I miss game, it’s usually a chip shot and I get a bit casual since it’s an easy shot, don’t bear down and blow it. In 2023, I missed a broadside, standing hyena at about 75 yards. Wasn’t steady on the sticks and wobbled off when the trigger broke. I was pissed at myself as I’ve always wanted a hyena, have never shot one and blew a really easy shot.

Missed an Oribi a year ago in Cameroon, but he was facing directly away and walking.

Fortunately, I tend to be real good on high pressure shots.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

It wasn’t Africa but this fall I missed a whitetail doe at 15 yards with my 41 magnum revolver, from a rest. Just hurried I guess, or maybe it was fever.
I made a near perfect shot with the same gun the day before. I’m still upset.

 

[Newboomer]

It wasn’t Africa but this fall I missed a whitetail doe at 15 yards with my 41 magnum revolver, from a rest. Just hurried I guess, or maybe it was fever.
I made a near perfect shot with the same gun the day before. I’m still upset.

I can think of several missed easy shots:
A book kudu at 150 yds uphill. Shot right under his belly.
Black wildebeest broadside at about 75 yds. He was running across me. Clean miss. Got him later, though.
6 x 6 elk broadside at 150. Shot 18 " low. Come to find out my scope had moved while riding horseback.
On my second safari I had a couple days where I missed my first shot of the day but scored the rest of those days. I laid it to jetlag.
There have been others throughout a lifetime of hunting but I have never lost an animal.

 

[HankBuck]

I once shot the scrotum off an impala while attempting broadside shot!
( I would have not thought it possible)

I think I know what happened, but, it was, no doubt, my fault.

I let the PH put it down, as it was getting away very quickly at that point!

@Safari Dave - I think that being able to shoot the “scrotum” off an Impala (without killing the impala) is one Helluva Shot - you should be in the Circus !