Bad Year of Shooting

[itsgood1308]

Have you ever had a year where for no fathomable reason you just aren't shooting well while hunting? I've shot well for nearly 25 years and all of a sudden I'm missing birds I'd never miss. Missed an axis earlier in the year but was able to follow up with a good shot after. Iced the cake this morning with an apparent miss on a massive bobcat. I'm running out of excuses for myself.

[Walker]

Happened to my at about age 60. I have learned to go back to the basics of cheek weld, shoulder smugness and trigger control. Still don't shoot as good as when I was younger and have accepted the fact that those days are long gone.

[ThisLadyHunts]

Same here. 60 sux. Hell, I can’t even walk up a set of stairs without tripping anymore.

[Etxbuckman]

I’ve been struggling this year. It just seems like I’m off for whatever reason, but it could be that I got cocky after making some of the best shots of my life last season. Lol.

I do know that one of my blinds needed an appropriate rest something fierce, so I had to take care of that because I have my longest shot opportunities out of that particular blind.

But I think I’m probably gonna make a few extra range trips after the season, just to keep from getting rusty.

[tps7742]

I think it just something that occurs as we age, at least in my case. When I am shooting free handed I have definitely noticed my steadiness is gone. I think more range time is needed in my case for multiple reasons. Good luck op.

[black dallas]

i struggle while practicing. get horrible target panic. when im hunting it never happens. its like its automatic. make no mistake, i miss plenty while hunting because i suck, but thats another thread!!

[krtnorris]

I went to Ohio last year and sat on the edge of a field with a 12 gauge slug gun. I swear those deer only looked 80 yards away. Nope, 160 yards! Then, I had one at 60 yards and hit a tree branch. Doesn't help they are bigger bodied and I hardly use a slug gun anymore. Then, crossbow season I did the same. Need to learn a lesson in using the range finder in those fields first. Missing 4 deer with a slug after Thanksgiving and missed one with a crossbow I finally connected at 14 yards on Christmas Eve. I was happy I stuck it out and kept trying. It was a tough holiday with the family when your are harassed for missing deer in a hunting family.

[Drycreek3189]

About three years ago I poked a running hog and he died in the woods about 150 yards from my rifle blind. That promoted coyote traffic near me, usually about thirty minutes before dark. I proceeded to miss three of those bastages in a row with my APR .280 REM. I can’t explain it, never missed anything else with that gun.

[Dusty Rivers]

I've missed or made bad shots and never found on my last four deer. My family is gonna disown me if I miss another one