We have a LEO in our club that has wounded several deer and hogs over the last couple of years some found but most not, I had enough this weekend when he missed a hog at 50yds. I asked him when the last time he sighted his rifle in and was told "I know what I'm doing" well I told him my 68yo self was tired of trailing his bad hits and if he wanted to stay in this club he will give me his rifle for cleaning and sighting in. I took me two hours to get the bore and bolt clean of course with him and his smart a$# comments through out the process, I told him lets shot it he insists on starting at 100 yds. and of course it wasn't on paper, backed up to 50 at his request not on paper I took control again, got it on paper at 25 and proceeded out to 100 dialed it in and cloverleafed the last three shots. He killed a decent NW Fl. buck with it Sunday afternoon with a great shot it pained him to Thank me but he did, hopefully he learned a lesson.

I’ve heard of people missing deer and when questioned about their rifle, confidently replied that their uncle had already sighted it in when they got it 20 years ago or whatever. That and many I’ve talked to have no notion of the concept that different ammo shoots to different points of aim as you change manufacturers and bullet weight with the same manufacturer. I don’t think it’s an intelligence thing, because a couple of these people are quite smart. The common denominator seems to be folks that don’t shoot “as a hobby” and only use the rifle as a tool once per year or whatever to shoot at a deer. If they haven’t spent time at a range shooting and meticulously sighting in a rifle, they just don’t have the information at hand to think through it.

True story
I was at a public range with my brand new 7mm stw. It’d been bore sighted and I had an old 16x20 portrait I had stapled my target to. Didn’t hit anywhere that I could tell. I was shooting to get brass but wanted at least be on my 8x11 target. After my second shot the guy next to me offers to walk down range and watch for where my bullet hit. Told him thanks anyway I’ll start at 25 yards. He said I really don’t mind.

I just throw my across the hood of my truck on a heavy rolled up coat . Shoot it a couple time at a 100 . If a dime weill cover them I'm good to go .


Course I dont site in a new set up that way

Smart and common sense don't equate in today's time. Just because your smart doesn't mean you have a damn lick of common sense. If you take a rifle out after not sigthing it in yourself you're a fraking dumbass.

I’ve also watched guys sight in by just propping up on the bench. I use sand filled gun bags and adjustable front holder. I try to make it if I miss and I have and have crippled to at least take out as many variables as possible.

I had a young guy in my last club show up to hunt right after Christmas. He was a good kid and the type that only has one rifle and a shotgun. He’d gotten a new, and better, scope as a gift. He was rearing to go for an afternoon hunt. While we were discussing the new optic I asked if he’d dialed it in yet. No, he said, he just took the old one off and put this one in the rings and tightened it up. Should be just where the old one was. Everyone else was shaking their heads. We insisted he at least use the range to confirm his suspicion. He was high and right by a foot and a half. We got him dialed in and he was able to kill a hog that evening.

I've boogered up my share, but it wasn't because of lack of range time. I never saw a deer in the wild until I was around 15 years old. I didn't kill my first one until I was 21. We didn't have deer here to see or hunt. Nerves is what gets most people, not lack of shooting ability.

Many of you probably grew up like me. With a pump up pellet gun, and an unlimited supply of pellets, then moved to a .22 with very cheap ammo back then. There's no telling how many 1000's of times that I've squeezed a trigger. Kids don't get that much anymore.

Once a rifle has been sited in ,,, it's all on the hunter then . From what I've seen over the years rifle not being sited was not the problem.

Rifle can be fine but there a dozen different reason why they miss.

Up to 3 years ago I had a fine tracking dog. Over her 11 year career we helped in the recovery of a lot of deer. I loved watching her work and the recovery of potentially lost deer. The only downside for me was seeing the results on the deer of some very poor shooting. I am sure some of it was buck fever or just a bad shot but a lot in my opinion could have been prevented by knowing your rifle.
The good news is I have a new dog now. Put her on her first deer Friday night in the rain. Ended up being gut shot . She tracked it down like a pro.

Lol I used to shoot a chimmy swift with a .177 . I'd hit one ever now and then

We used to go down to a culvert by my grandmothers house and shoot dragonflies when they land on anything…or anything else that happened to move. Took shots at the bats that would come out at dusk.

Lol yeah if it moved it got shot.

Sighted in rifle is probably the last issue, rushing a shot and not knowing how to build a good shooting position is gonna be the most likely culprit. My 13yo twins have shot probably 100 rounds each just practicing building good shooting positions with shooting Stix and the death grip they are good out to 600 but I'd never let them shoot a deer that far 300 is their limit and they have to be in a good position before I let them shoot.

OKAY........FROM LONG AGO. 1968......Dallas County Club my late Daddy helped Form. MOSTLY Dog Drives. Those BIG Soybean Bucks would come through and many standers had never shot at much moving. They'd shoot at th' Shoulder and hit in th' hind quarter with Buckshot......Deer went to th' Alabama River and forever lost....

Nobody thought to use buckshot? Never used anything but on a drive hunt

they may be buying a rifle scope combo like I did last year. Said scope was pretty much zeroed on purchase. No telling how many newbies hit the woods thinking they are good to go. I checked before I hunted with it. Damn thing was hitting at least 12 inches off

Dammit.

I agree 100 % with something CNC said.

Sounds like you're starting to see the light.....