Missed

gtoad

Well-known member
Well I set up nice and early this morning looking over a nice big field. (On one of the properties I hunt.)
I know that the coyotes cross first thing in the morning coming from the west going to the east.
Just as the sun was rising I spot one looking my direction. So now I start rushing to get on him. (I was looking towards the north)
Got on him and took the shot...MISSED 170 yrds 6br 65g vmax. Got the fever šŸ˜† lol.

I guess my point being we all miss no matter how much we practice. The good news I get to try again. šŸ‘
 
Seems like you ripped a page right out of my last hunt. A coyote is in the field as I'm setting up. I don't think it sees me. Send it a cottontail sound and it heads for the woods to my west pronto. Give it a 3 howl series of Female Long howl and it stops to listen, but continues on. Give it another female howl with a series of 5 howls and it stops again but continues on toward the woods. I give it a more painful rabbit sound and it hauls butt to the woods and disappears. So, I figure this one has been called and probably shot at, and is gone for the night. I go to a serenade and coyotes open up to my north, but can't break them out and can't move closer. Sit quietly for a few minutes and go to a pair howl. First coyote comes back out of the woods to my west at about 650 yds. I don't call any more and am pretty sure it will come all the way and work to get to the downwind which is to my NE.

Yep, this coyote does just like I anticipate and works to the south of the call which is to my south and begins slowly swinging around to get the wind. I range it at 135 yds. but decide it may swing in even closer. First mistake, I should have stopped it right there and taken the shot. It changes the angle and while still swinging to get around to the NE is now getting further away. At this point I'm kicking myself for not stopping it at 135 yds. Now the coyote is getting close to hitting my downwind. I take the shot and all I get is air. Coyote runs to the north and doesn't present another opportunity. So, I'm disqusted while saying a few unkind things to myself, my rifle, and my scope and just generally looking for something to blame instead of bad decisions. When I get home and look at the video, I decide that of all the hundreds of videos I have made and been able to look at what unfolded, this is the worst shot and miss I have ever recorded. I didn't miss by a smidge, or even inches. My crosshairs were at least a coyote length away from the coyote when the shot broke. So, blaming the rifle or the scope is out. Video will embarrass you and tell you that what you thought was a good hold was a poor shot based on poorer execution of the stand.
 
Great response guys šŸ‘

I definitely had a Johnny slap leather moment but that's part of the experience.
Pisses you off at the time, but you get over it.
Plus I'm retired now.
(coyotes are probably still a little nervous... maybe 🤣)
 
If you use an iRay or AGM thermal, their videos are not very truthful. In my head I was dead on every miss, somehow they show something completely different from what I ā€œthoughtā€ I was seeing! I may have to try different thermals that have a lock on feature on the coyote so no matter what I do, I’ll still hit them!!
 
... Video will embarrass you and tell you that what you thought was a good hold was a poor shot based on poorer execution of the stand.
Not all the time. This was my hold on a 220 yard shot with a scope that was supposed to be zeroed at 200 yards. I missed high. In the next frame, I can see the impact just over its back.
Shot was rushed a bit because he was leaving -- that's why it's out of focus.

miss-hold.png

Shot the rifle the next day, and yep, it was shooting high.
I would rather that I had rushed the shot and jerked the trigger. Doubting your rigs ability to hold zero is worse.
 
I have the Rattler and Bolt. Rattler seems to be correct on saved vids. Bolt appears to overlay the reticle and appears to be in error. Active reticle on a shot is OK, just in replay there is an error in position.
 
Now the coyote is getting close to hitting my downwind. I take the shot and all I get is air. Coyote runs to the north and doesn't present another opportunity.
Reminds me of a dear friend I used to hunt with. He wore Coke bottle glasses and had a hard time finding horns on a buck so never fired a shot over a number of years because the landowner did not allow taking of does. Landowner finally took pity on Reuben and said, Ok, Reuben can shoot a doe this year. So Reuben goes out opening day and brings in a nice 8 point buck.......he thought it was a doe. šŸ˜‹ Oh,Owen's statement reminds me of one of Reuben's favorite sayin, "There's sure a lot of air around every one of them deer". šŸ˜„ RIP Reuben.
Video will embarrass you and tell you that what you thought was a good hold was a poor shot based on poorer execution of the stand.
šŸ‘ Only problem is some things are best unknown!:ROFLMAO:
 
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