Shot to kill ratio

[TOGIE]

Are we counting clean misses or just shots on an animal that you ultimately killed?

i say the number of shots taken before punching the tag, miss on a different animal or not.

really it should almost be a shots per tag ratio to capture what i think the ratio should capture in my mind - which is the ability to hunt effectively, efficiently, carefully, slowly, get close, think before your shots etc. i kind of also think of it as the "ethical ratio"

 

[manitou1]

Off the top of my head the past few years:
12 antelope
2 muleys
14 whitetail
1.1
Shortest, 20 yds
Several 400-500+ yds
One 620 yds.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

i say the number of shots taken before punching the tag, miss on a different animal or not.

really it should almost be a shots per tag ratio to capture what i think the ratio should capture in my mind - which is the ability to hunt effectively, efficiently, carefully, slowly, get close, think before your shots etc. i kind of also think of it as the "ethical ratio"

I agree

 

[LopeHunter]

Can you remember your last 10 critters and the shots they took? I'm looking for the mean and not an outlier.

Most recent first:
NM muzzleloader bull elk: 1
NV muzzleloader bull elk: 1
WY rifle buck mule deer: 1
WY rifle bull elk: 1
WY rifle bull elk: 2 (1st was lethal hitting lung and liver, 2nd was lethal hitting lungs) before bull tipped over
MT rifle buck pronghorn: 1
WY rifle buck pronghorn: 1
NV rifle buck pronghorn: 1
ID rifle bull moose: 4 (1st was lethal lungs, 2nd was lethal lung/liver, 3rd hit neck meat but not bone, 4th was front shoulder) before bull tipped over
WY rifle buck mule deer: 1

 

[Deleted member 28227]

i say the number of shots taken before punching the tag, miss on a different animal or not.

really it should almost be a shots per tag ratio to capture what i think the ratio should capture in my mind - which is the ability to hunt effectively, efficiently, carefully, slowly, get close, think before your shots etc. i kind of also think of it as the "ethical ratio"

Agreed, that's what I posted, shooting at 10 elk and missing and then killing the 11th with one shot and saying you're 1 for 1 is pretty disingenuous with regard to this discussion.

The other situation that isn't really captured in this discussion is the lucky spine shot. Yes one shot one kill... but not where you were aiming.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Interesting reflection....

1. Mountain goat - 3 shots all were deadly; I am convinced they have really slow metabolism, I was just trying to make it end quicker.
2. Black Bear - 1 shot
3. Mountain Lion - 1 shot
4. Whitetail - 1 shot
5. Whitetail - 1 shot
6. Mule Deer - 1 shot
7. Elk - 1 shot
8. Elk - 3 shots all were deadly; he was on the verge of sliding down the wrong side of a ridge; which he ended up doing anyway......
9. Black Bear - 1 shot
10. Elk - 1 shot

 

[TOGIE]

The other situation that isn't really captured in this discussion is the lucky spine shot. Yes one shot one kill... but not where you were aiming.

definitely. i've witnessed this once on a doe antelope on the back half. cratered the poor thing and yeah it died witin probably 30-45 seconds

but still. not a dialed in scope and likely even a pulled shot from what i could tell.

i also think it's really only relevant to big game rifle. it's also hard to take into account that for some things like moose, and even sometimes elk, it might be unethical not to take a second shot, even if the first was a good one

 

[HSi-ESi]

If I pick roadkill or hit one with the truck will it lower my ratio?

 

[Valley1320]

2019 mule deer buck 1 shot. Black bear 2 shots. Whitetail doe 1 shot. 2018 mule deer 1 shot. Antelope 1 shot. All deer were bow kills and went down within sight

 

[noharleyyet]

Agreed, that's what I posted, shooting at 10 elk and missing and then killing the 11th with one shot and saying you're 1 for 1 is pretty disingenuous with regard to this discussion.

The other situation that isn't really captured in this discussion is the lucky spine shot. Yes one shot one kill... but not where you were aiming.

Yes, a spine shot is a near miss just as misses are near hits but the inclusion of pepper in the fly shit (*credit JLS) caveats is being that guy.

 

[2rocky]

I shoot. If critter is still standing after 3 - 5 seconds, I prepare to shoot again. Took four rounds in a moose and all 4 were lethal but the bull did not understand that.

I did this on a bull elk too. I don't like blood trailing.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

definitely. i've witnessed this once on a doe antelope on the back half. cratered the poor thing and yeah it died witin probably 30-45 seconds

but still. not a dialed in scope and likely even a pulled shot from what i could tell.

i also think it's really only relevant to big game rifle. it's also hard to take into account that for some things like moose, and even sometimes elk, it might be unethical not to take a second shot, even if the first was a good one

I've included my misses. Like I said in the first post, I value a clean kill. I believe that is what this is driving at. If you're consistently taking multiple shots then maybe more range time, getting closer or a larger caliber is in order.

At the end of the day, I don't add challenges to myself at the cost of the animal. I rarely bow hunt (I've wounded three deer that way and almost gave up hunting all together). I rarely shoot beyond MY capabilities (300 yds). I keep track of this ratio to keep myself in check. So, I would argue that it is an ethical ratio!

 

[DouglasR]

The other situation that isn't really captured in this discussion is the lucky spine shot. Yes one shot one kill... but not where you were aiming.

Meh. Doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile.

 

[HandgunHunter]

 

[Foxtrot1]

2020: 1 Javelina 3 shots (2 misses) 9.3x62
3 Turkeys 3 shots 12 ga
2019- 4 Deer 4 shots 7x57
1 wild boar 1 shot 9.3x62
1 turkey 1 shot 12 ga
2018- 1 Oryx bull 1 shot 9.3.x62
2017- 3 Pronghorn 3 shots 30-06
2 deer 2 shots 30-06
2016 2 Deer 2 shots 30-06
2015 1 pronghorn 2 shots (1 miss) 30-06

That's as far as I can go back sequentially. Missed very few animals with a rifle, 1st trip for pronghorn in 2012 accounts for approximately 30% of my lifetime total. I am from the school of thought of if an animal able to stand/move, it should be shot again, so I've wasted quite a few bullets on animals that were dead on their feet. But out of 150-200 head of game, I've never lost an animal with a rifle. Muzzleloader and archery hasn't fared as well with 2 lost with each primitive weapon.

 

[Chad Gus]

Given my propensity at missing turkeys, I'm at around 2:1, literally missed a turkey at 15 feet this year

 

[schmalts]

I must be getting old.. Oh wait I guess I am. I had a good run until the last Mule deer I shot, it was ugly. Still no clue what went wrong. This year will be a new rifle, and a new scope, so I am looking for a fresh start.

 

[schmalts]

Given my propensity at missing turkeys, I'm at around 2:1, literally missed a turkey at 15 feet this year

Don't be to hard on yourself. At 15 feet you had a shot pattern of a muzzle loader with a slug. I usually don't like shots under 15 yards

 

[Griggs]

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 935.1.

if I count all the zeroing, practice, etc.......

 

[Deleted member 38069]

2020: 1 Javelina 3 shots (2 misses) 9.3x62
3 Turkeys 3 shots 12 ga
2019- 4 Deer 4 shots 7x57
1 wild boar 1 shot 9.3x62
1 turkey 1 shot 12 ga
2018- 1 Oryx bull 1 shot 9.3.x62
2017- 3 Pronghorn 3 shots 30-06
2 deer 2 shots 30-06
2016 2 Deer 2 shots 30-06
2015 1 pronghorn 2 shots (1 miss) 30-06

That's as far as I can go back sequentially. Missed very few animals with a rifle, 1st trip for pronghorn in 2012 accounts for approximately 30% of my lifetime total. I am from the school of thought of if an animal able to stand/move, it should be shot again, so I've wasted quite a few bullets on animals that were dead on their feet. But out of 150-200 head of game, I've never lost an animal with a rifle. Muzzleloader and archery hasn't fared as well with 2 lost with each primitive weapon.

Thanks for sharing the data.