It aint something you learn from a book or an online forum at your age Good Luck
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How does a Hunter ensure that what they hunt is killed and not wounded?
- Thread starter jacksonsmith4373
- Start date
308 is a fine weapon. Practice, know what you can do with your weapon at various ranges you might be hunting. Know where to place your shot. Be patient for the right shot or don't take it. Select a good round to do the job. That will just about cover most of it
Since you are also talking about a 308, PRACTICE with your hunting ammo! Different bullet weights/types hit at different places. Also, learn to shoot with your scope on about 5x or lower. Higher than that can have you shooting thru cover that you don't see. Had a new hunter on property miss 2 deer because of this last year. After he understood this, harvested a buck last year and is hooked now.
Don't shoot deer or hogs with a FMJ- Full Metal Jacket bullet.
if you plan on eating the squirrels, don't use a 22 magnum, unless you can make head shots.
if you plan on eating the squirrels, don't use a 22 magnum, unless you can make head shots.
Yeah. The reality is that it can be ugly even when done right. The chances for a clean kill are greatly improved with practice and choice of the right equipment. Definitely learn the anatomy of the chosen game. It sounds like you have a pretty good handle on the weapon part. Choose your ammo carefully and practice with what you hunt.
He is right about all this. I had to disconnect for a while to take care of the job back when I was starting. It gets easier as time goes on. But it is hard heavy work. A 22LR or shotgun is all you need for small game. That 22mag is too much.
Meat alternatives sold at grocery stores is processed poison, seed oils, preservatives and all kinds of other crap. Our bodies are genetically coded to eat animals, and the wilder the animal the better for you.
As far as killing animals humanly goes, it ain't rocket science, shot placement on vital organs. The heart/lungs is your biggest and easiest target. Brain and central nervous system (neck) probably most humane.
As far as killing animals humanly goes, it ain't rocket science, shot placement on vital organs. The heart/lungs is your biggest and easiest target. Brain and central nervous system (neck) probably most humane.
Lot's of good advice in this thread already, but let's put it all together.
First of all there is a lot more to a clean kill than just shooting. Choose the right bullet for your purpose. You want an expanding bullet that is the right weight for the game and round you are shooting. In 308 for deer and hog you should be considering something in the 150 to 168 grain range. If they are really big hogs then maybe 180 grain. Bullet selection is up for debate amongst hunters and you will get a wide range of opinion, but basically everyone will recommend a controlled expansion bullet. Two of my favorites are the Barnes TTSX and the Nosler Accubond.
Shot placement is absolutely paramount to a humane kill. Lot's of opinions on this also, though there are two primary types. A neck shot or a heart lung shot. Either works well when preformed properly. However, there is a lot more margin for error with the heart lung because it is a much bigger area and is not as mobile as the neck. Even with a well placed shot do not be surprised if they run. It's common but over very quickly. Just a few seconds typically, but a deer can cover a lot of ground in just a few seconds before they go down. Learn to blood trail and have sufficient light with you on an evening hunt so you can track in the dark. Check YouTube for videos about good shot placement and tracking.
Learn to shoot well. There is a lot more to making a good killing shot when hunting than just being able to hit a bull's eye at the range. Obviously being able to hit that bull's eye is the first and most significant skill, but the second one is patience. Wait for the right opportunity. Don't push it and if you need to let the animal get away, so be it. Your concern about making a kill with minimal suffering is very commendable and speaks highly of your ethics. Don't compromise them by letting the excitement get you to make a poor decision. Also learn to use and practice the use of improvised rests. I have a reputation for being a very good shot while hunting, but the truth is I simply use some type of resting or braced position almost all of the time. I'll take that extra step to get the rifle against a tree or something rather than just shooting off hand. I'll do this if the opportunity permits even at short range.
I'd also like to address your thoughts about hunting not being necessary when you can buy meat in the store. Here are two things to think about. Compare the quality of life of a wild animal and a domesticated one. The vast majority of the time the wild animal's life is far superior. They are living the way nature intended. Now think about the possible ways a wild animal will die. A well placed bullet is much more humane than the ways they would typically die.
First of all there is a lot more to a clean kill than just shooting. Choose the right bullet for your purpose. You want an expanding bullet that is the right weight for the game and round you are shooting. In 308 for deer and hog you should be considering something in the 150 to 168 grain range. If they are really big hogs then maybe 180 grain. Bullet selection is up for debate amongst hunters and you will get a wide range of opinion, but basically everyone will recommend a controlled expansion bullet. Two of my favorites are the Barnes TTSX and the Nosler Accubond.
Shot placement is absolutely paramount to a humane kill. Lot's of opinions on this also, though there are two primary types. A neck shot or a heart lung shot. Either works well when preformed properly. However, there is a lot more margin for error with the heart lung because it is a much bigger area and is not as mobile as the neck. Even with a well placed shot do not be surprised if they run. It's common but over very quickly. Just a few seconds typically, but a deer can cover a lot of ground in just a few seconds before they go down. Learn to blood trail and have sufficient light with you on an evening hunt so you can track in the dark. Check YouTube for videos about good shot placement and tracking.
Learn to shoot well. There is a lot more to making a good killing shot when hunting than just being able to hit a bull's eye at the range. Obviously being able to hit that bull's eye is the first and most significant skill, but the second one is patience. Wait for the right opportunity. Don't push it and if you need to let the animal get away, so be it. Your concern about making a kill with minimal suffering is very commendable and speaks highly of your ethics. Don't compromise them by letting the excitement get you to make a poor decision. Also learn to use and practice the use of improvised rests. I have a reputation for being a very good shot while hunting, but the truth is I simply use some type of resting or braced position almost all of the time. I'll take that extra step to get the rifle against a tree or something rather than just shooting off hand. I'll do this if the opportunity permits even at short range.
I'd also like to address your thoughts about hunting not being necessary when you can buy meat in the store. Here are two things to think about. Compare the quality of life of a wild animal and a domesticated one. The vast majority of the time the wild animal's life is far superior. They are living the way nature intended. Now think about the possible ways a wild animal will die. A well placed bullet is much more humane than the ways they would typically die.
