Follow Up for Better Hunting
Posted by John Buol on May 6, 2009
Most hunters rarely hit their animal perfectly and kill it instantly on the first shot. You need to Follow Up!
While we all should strive for first-shot kills, this is the real world with wind, brush, moving animals and excited/tired hunters. A second shot needs to be instantly available, and an an accurate one if fired.
Preparing for a follow-up shot, even if it isn’t needed, is just good gun handling. No matter how you called that shot, you should immediately snick the action and stay on target. If the animal stays down, fine. If not, you’re prepared.
This prevents that incredibly annoying habit of “shoot and gawk” where the shooter, after touching off a shot, takes the butt out of their shoulder, leaving the empty case chambered, and looks downrange to figure out what just happened. Watch nearly any hunting show for a demonstration of this novice mistake.
In practice, a hunting firearm should normally be fired in both singles and controlled pairs, with the exception of group shooting and zeroing. By firing pairs, on the clock, the hunter-shooter will eventually master their chosen action. Even when firing singles, you should develop the habit of bolting/levering/pumping before the butt leaves your shoulder and the chamber should be loaded before the empty hits the ground.
This is so important that it is incorporated into the HunterShooter rules, with Procedurals assessed for those that forget.
Ted Sames said
I thoroughly enjoy your writings but on this one you are completely wrong.. Are you a hunter? You you an experienced and skillful hunter? An ethical and well trained hunter should not take the shot if he even thinks that either the circumstances or his lack of skill may wound or have a need for a double tap on an animal. In Florida and probably most woodland hunting areas, a hunter usually has only one shot. The hunter should know exactly where that bullet will hit on the animal or he should not take the shot at all. I hunt with an AR-10 in 308 WIn or a Winchester 1885 in 38-55 and my idea on this has not changed with the type of weapon I use. If you can not make it clean…do not shoot. With only a few exceptions, when a 308 WIN hits the right spot, all my deer have fallen in their tracks right there. A hunter does not shoot the deer but the specific shot on the deer. This takes marksmanship skills. If the deer is not hit correctly, in seconds that deer can run hundreds of yards never to be collected. I once listened to an instructor, “Everytime I shoot ‘em with the 300 WIN Mag, they either get away or I miss!” We made sure that instructor did not work for us… Ted A Sames II, Sames Instinctive Shooting School
John Buol said
I think we are in agreement on this but expressing ourselves differently.
>> An ethical and well trained hunter should not take the shot if he even thinks that either the circumstances or his lack of skill may wound or have a need for a double tap on an animal. … The hunter should know exactly where that bullet will hit on the animal or he should not take the shot at all.
Absolutely! In this context, “follow up” only means being ready to fire a second shot, not necessarily shooting. The hunter isn’t firing a pair/double tap because that second shot should NOT be needed, however, even perfect placement of an appropriate, quality game bullet may not anchor the animal for a myriad of reasons.
It is just proper gun handling to cycle the action as a part of the followthrough sequence even if not shooting again. That is what I mean by follow up.
>> I once listened to an instructor, “Everytime I shoot ‘em with the 300 WIN Mag, they either get away or I miss!” We made sure that instructor did not work for us…
There is plenty of foolishness in the gun world. Thankfully you know how to filter it out!
John
Ted Sames said
OOPPPSSSS! I thought you meant “Double Tap” or “Hammer”. The Double Tap uses two quick sight pictures with two very quick shots. The Hammer is one sight picture with two extremely quick shots. Both are used for CQB only. I hear some pretty weird ideas down the pike and I thought this one was one of them. I am not a tree hugger but I do respect wildlife and my shooting and hunting ability. Several times in my life I have seen bullets deflected on the tinest branch and did not hit the mark perfectly. Yes, be ready for a follow-up shot. Use hunting ammo: This sounds silly but I have known “SWAT Team-Special Forces” wanna-be types use Federal Match on game animals. The match bullets do not expand and go in like a sharpened .30 cal steel rod. They go in .30 cal and they go out .30 cal with no bruising or other damage with the exception of the hole. I have personally seen a Florida deer get shot 3 times with the Federal Match .308 WIN and each time it got up confused and disoriented. Each bullet entered within 21/2 to 3″ of each other right below the spine. Several processes were broken off from the bullets. A 9mm to the brain actually killed the deer. Ted A Sames II, Sames Instinctive Shooting School