100 yard head shot-- easy?

[bonedogrocky]

I missed what could have been my first elk last evening. The elk was looking right at me and all I could see was his neck and head. I shoot a 30-30. Is this considered to be an easy shot? I shot and missed and am driving myself crazy thinking about it. Help me!! How badly did I screw up?

[elkhunter11]

Is this considered to be an easy shot?

Obviously it wasn't easy for you.Did you have a solid rest?What size are your groups from the type of shot that you took at the elk?The brain of an elk is only a few inches,so if your groups are larger than that using the same rest and shooting conditions,you should have passed on the shot.

[BrownBear416]

Originally Posted by bonedogrocky

I missed what could have been my first elk last evening. The elk was looking right at me and all I could see was his neck and head. I shoot a 30-30. Is this considered to be an easy shot? I shot and missed and am driving myself crazy thinking about it. Help me!! How badly did I screw up?

Not a shot I would take.....

The only thingeasy about it is,its easy to blow off a chunk of face or jaw and then the animal gets to starve to death for a month...

Not worth it imo...

[WTHunter]

IMO with only a 30-30 you ought to only be taking the highest percentage shots on the big animals. You need to hit the animal behind the front should. There is a lot of neck on an Elk....you may not kill it. Also you could shoot the jaw off and the animal simply starve. I would say that you are under-powered to hunt Elk period...but if you are using a 30-30, behind the front should perfectly broadside, or no shot at all. My 2cents.

[airbornedeerhunter]

I always say "Aim Small, Miss Small", that means instead of just aiming at the entire vital area and sqeezing one off, aim for a specific pinpoint spot such as a tuft of fur, a shadow on the hide etc. that way if you miss that, you still hit the animal in the vital area and he's down. I remember reading a post last fall that someone had seen a Mulie buck with its lower jaw blown off and its tongue hanging out, that animal starved to death. Head shots are not a good idea, and I'm not sure if a 30-30 is adequate for Elk, deer yes, but Elk???

[Copidosoma]

NOT an easy shot. yeah, a 1MOA rifle shooting at a 3 inch target should be able to do it "easy" but there are alot of other variables. As above, stability of the shooter/rifle/rest, wind, judgment of distance, optics. So many things.

If this elk got away unscathed you can probably consider yourself to have gotten lucky. As BB said, it could have been a whole lot worse.

Head shots are a legitimate way of putting an animal down but require a huge amount of care and preparation. Even under the best of circumstances, they are pretty risky. You would have been alot better off going for the boiler room (even the neck).

[bonedogrocky]

I should have mentioned that I was aiming for the middle of the neck.

[Okotokian]

"easy" is relative. Would not have been easy or even under consideration for me. I can get it in there at the range, but in the field... whole different matter. I imagine for an experienced bench rest shooter with a good rest and his favourite rifle (and little wind, and...) it might have been a piece of cake. Know yourself.

[whitetail Junkie]

One of the biggest whitetail that I shot was at 100 yards looking at me through the bush and all I could see was his head and neck,so I drilled him in the neck,however I was sitting in a open field on my rump with my bi-pod on my rifle,which gave me tremendous abbility to keep the cross hairs where they should be. If I shot at that buck free hand standing up,I would have for sure missed,so dont sweat it.Missing big game is just a part of hunting that we all go through.Just ask my cousin Jon who is aka (lindy rig) on this forum,between him,his dad and twin brother there good for missing at least twice every year at some whitetail buck.LOL Anyhow i'm just teasing my cousin now,but like I said we all miss,there's still that 6 by 6 typical whitetail in my mind from nov 2006 at 80 yards that I missed.You'll get over it,I did!

Originally Posted by bonedogrocky

I missed what could have been my first elk last evening. The elk was looking right at me and all I could see was his neck and head. I shoot a 30-30. Is this considered to be an easy shot? I shot and missed and am driving myself crazy thinking about it. Help me!! How badly did I screw up?

How often do you shoot that gun,cuz 100 yrds should of been a easy shot.

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by Bighorn madness

How often do you shoot that gun,cuz 100 yrds should of been a easy shot.

Not under field condtions.. Well at least not for me.

I wouldnt have taken the shot at that distance.

Honestly, I dont know to many people that would have. Be glad you didnt wound him and get back out there today and wack him. (behind the shoulder)

Jamie

[elkhunter11]

I should have mentioned that I was aiming for the middle of the neck.

Which leaves basically the spine and main arteries to guarantee a quick kill.Even a hit to the jugular is not always a quick kill.You are choosing small targets,with a high percentage of a miss,or worse yet,a wounding shot.

.Missing big game is just a part of hunting that we all go through.Just ask my cousin Jon who is aka (lindy rig) on this forum,between him,his dad and twin brother there good for missing at least twice every year at some whitetail buck.

Sure everyone misses on occasion,but taking shots that we expect to miss at least twice every year is not part of hunting for me.A missed shot could just as easily be a wounded animal,and I see it as respect for the game that I hunt to try my best to eliminate wounded animals.As such,I only take shots that I am very confident that I can make.I have missed shots on game,but they certainly don't happen every year,or every second year.

[Cal]

Originally Posted by Bighorn madness

How often do you shoot that gun,cuz 100 yrds should of been a easy shot.

I dissagree, I would have an easy time missing that shot from a standing position. Also this 30-30 might have open sights which would add more difficulty still. And although I dont like head or neck shots with it being this guys first elk I can understand him taking the shot. I shot my first moose in the neck at about that range so I will not judge this guy for his buck fever.

Although I dont like neck or head shots if I feel I must take one I will only do so if the animal is looking in my direction. I aim for the throat a couple inches below the chin, since the neck is smallest here I think there is the highest chance of either a clean miss or hitting something vital.

[Scott N]

Others will disagree with me, but I think head / neck shots are a bad idea, it's too easy to miss or wound the animal. Trying a head shot at 100 yards with an open sighted rifle is a pretty tough shot to make.

[migrant hunter]

It's not a shot for iron sights, esp in a .30-30.
I have a .32 win spec(much the same thing) and I hope to get a broadside shot on a deer with it this year, but that's all it's capable of at 100yds(with buckhorn sights and my shooting)
I'd think nothing of a 100yd head/neck shot with any of my scoped guns if I was prone or otherwise supported.

[CaberTosser]

I side with BB416 and others in regards to headshots as you described. A miss can result in an animal that's seriously wounded, but still capable of making a run for it to the point you'd be very lucky to ever find it again to finish it off. It would die a long, unpleasant death. If you aim for the "boiler room" though, a slight deviation from your intended point of impact will have a vastly better chance of killing the animal quickly and more humanely than a head shot. I'd never take such a shot while standing with my .30-30, but I will admit that if I was prone with any # of my most accurate rifles; and I had recently practiced with it, I would lend such a shot some consideration. At 1/2 to 3/4 MOA, a 'miss' by that amount doesn't amount to wounded game, it amounts to fresh backstraps.

That being said; I've yet to try a headshot on big game, but I will consider it under the right circumstances and conditions.

[outbackpat]

If you were trying a head shot or even a neck shot with a 30/30 at 100 yards you should shake your head! A 30/30 is a good close range gun, 50-75 yard's they can be pretty deadly. Was there any obstacles in the way (branches), at 100 yards it's quite difficult 2 see every little thing that might hinder your shot. If you had a bull that close squeeze of a cow call get his attention, work's great if he doesnt know your there! Good luck in the future.

[Cal]

Originally Posted by outbackpat

If you were trying a head shot or even a neck shot with a 30/30 at 100 yards you should shake your head! A 30/30 is a good close range gun, 50-75 yard's they can be pretty deadly. Was there any obstacles in the way (branches), at 100 yards it's quite difficult 2 see every little thing that might hinder your shot. If you had a bull that close squeeze of a cow call get his attention, work's great if he doesnt know your there! Good luck in the future.

Have you ever owned a 30-30? Apparently not, a scoped 30-30 is good out to around 200 yards on deer and I've seen moose cleanly killed out to 150 which is pushing it IMO but I dont think 100 yards is unreasonable. The 30-30 is no more or less accurate than most other factory guns so I dont see why it would be any more irrisponsible to try a headshot with it than with any other round.

[7mm-08]

i like to tuck my bullets behind the front leg!!!

[rookiemoosehunter]

Originally Posted by outbackpat

If you were trying a head shot or even a neck shot with a 30/30 at 100 yards you should shake your head! A 30/30 is a good close range gun, 50-75 yard's they can be pretty deadly. Was there any obstacles in the way (branches), at 100 yards it's quite difficult 2 see every little thing that might hinder your shot. If you had a bull that close squeeze of a cow call get his attention, work's great if he doesnt know your there! Good luck in the future.

A 30-30 is good for a lot more range than 75 yards.....Not sure what kind of 30-30 you have.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by outbackpat

If you were trying a head shot or even a neck shot with a 30/30 at 100 yards you should shake your head! A 30/30 is a good close range gun, 50-75 yard's they can be pretty deadly.

This from a Guns Magazine article.

Last whitetail season, we carried Winchester's "Legacy" model in .30-30 equipped with a 24" barrel, full-length magazine, and two carbine-style barrel bands. The "Legacy" design is an angle eject so it was mounted with a Kahles 4x36 scope.

The rig is nicely balanced, a delight to carry and performed like a good .30-30 should. One shot at 125 yards, using Winchester's hot, new, 150 gr. Power-Point Plus, was all it took to put some top-grade venison in the freezer.

In short, the .30-30 is a wonderfully flexible and effective 200-yard big game cartridge. Its modest recoil makes it easy to shoot in light, handy firearms. Even though it's 106 years old, it's still a modern classic and holding its own into the new millennium. Don't overlook it -- it's not your grandpappy's .30-30.

Factory ammo for the .30-30 is available in a variety of loads ranging from 55 gr. .224 sabots to 170 gr. big game bullets.

The .30-30 gained its reputation as a deer-hunting cartridge, and it's just as effective today as it was 106 years ago.

30-30 factory loads:
Remington 55 gr. Accelerator 3,495 fps
Winchester 150 gr. Power-Point 2,405 fps
PMC 150 gr. Starfire 2,308 fps
Federal 170 gr. Nosler Partition 2,175 fps

[bonedogrocky]

The 30 30 is scoped and last year I shot a large buck whitetail with it at 125 yards through the heart. So the range imo is acceptable. Plenty of buffalo and other large game has been taken with a 30 30 as the gun has been around for over 100 years.

Upon consideration, I should have cow called the bull to come closer or turn broadside. In the heat of the moment I took the low percentage shot upon fear that no other shot would present itself. It sounds like some consider that unethical. You can bet next time I have a bull in the crosshairs it will be shot through the vital area, because I do not want this to happen again. This has been a good learning experience, thanks for the opinions.

[Jerry D]

The .30-30 is enough gun for elk @ 100 yards for sure!

Personally I'd much rather take a front neck shot than a side neck shot because I know my gun shoots really good and I know if I put one through the center of the neck its going to hit the bone going to the head, also going to go through the throat/and whatever major arteries run through the center. Doing that from the side is more difficult.

I think if I was using a bit more gun I might have done a brisket shot if I was you. Aim for the middle to lower half of the neck. Through the brisket, between the front legs and into the heart missing the lungs on either side.

I've came to the conclusion that I'm never going to attempt a head shot. Brisket/chest shot if its facing me. Chest/shoulder shot if its broadside and if I had to do a texas heart shot on an injured animal I'd probably aim for the neck above its rump.

[Hellydoc]

Originally Posted by bonedogrocky

It sounds like some consider that unethical. You can bet next time I have a bull in the crosshairs it will be shot through the vital area, because I do not want this to happen again. This has been a good learning experience, thanks for the opinions.

I for one would not judge this as unethical if you are capable of the shot. I have downed well over 20 animals with head shots, and when I am hunting to fill the freezer this is my go to shot if the right circumstance presents itself. Before the flaming begins please read when the right circumstance presents itself. I know my limitations and truthfully most of my animals are harvested under 100 yards. I can honestly say that I have never wounded an animal with a head shot ( and if I had I would seriously reconsider my abilities). The most important thing is exactly what you stated that you have learned from this and you know your limitation now. As others have stated you will get over this miss, and next time take your higher percentage shot.

[outbackpat]

I didn't mean to offend any 30/30 owner's. As everyone know's we all have our own prefference. When I was younger I too used a 30/30 or a 32 spec. Don't misunderstand my previous post, I was just stating that a head or neck shot at 100 yards would be out of my comfort zone, that doesn't mean that some people wouldn't hesitate in taking that shot. I go for a higher precentage shot. I choose to shoot a 300 win. mag. using 180 grain. When I hit an elk or any other big game animal in the vitals there's not much suffering, it kick's like an fn mule but in the end the pain's worth it.

P.s. alway's carry a hoochie mama, don't believe me, ask mr. primos.

[elkhunter11]

I can honestly say that I have never wounded an animal with a head shot ( and if I had I would seriously reconsider my abilities).

I have had to track three head/neck shot animals.All three dropped at the shot,but all three regained their feet and were off and running.Two were found after long tracking jobs,and one had to be shot again after tracking.Head/neck shots are a low percentage shot,and contrary to some peoples opinions,they are not always a clean kill or clean miss proposition.

[Method]

bonedogrocky,
Check your sights, go to a range and check your gun. I bet it's out.

JM.02$

Originally Posted by Method

bonedogrocky,
Check your sights, go to a range and check your gun. I bet it's out.

JM.02$

x2 agreed check your gun like i said 100 yrds should of been a easy shot.



Good Luck and Happy Hunting

[elkhunter11]

Check your sights, go to a range and check your gun. I bet it's out.

So just what percentage of hunters do you think can hit a 3" wide spine/jugular offhand at 100 yards with 90% of their shots?

[Method]

So just what percentage of hunters do you think can hit a 3" wide spine/jugular offhand at 100 yards with 90% of their shots?

The original post made it sound like he was surprised that he missed that shot, so I assume he's a decent shot.

Lets say that 50% of hunters could make that shot (more like 75% IMO), that`s not too bad of a chance.

I just know for a fact that I borrowed a 30/30 from a friend and I had a clean shot at least 3 different deer and I missed all 3 and in the spring we checked the gun on his farm and it was WAY out. Couldn't hit the broad side of a barn
Also I suspect he would have injured the elk in some way, the brain/spine might be 3" but the target was larger and he should have hit something. I still think his sights are out.