18 replies to this topic

[tonyd]

Just curious, My second follow up shot, 30:06 round, 150 grain, is 3-5 seconds. To be honest, I only have range time with this rifle, just haven't seen anything in the field legal to shoot. It seems to me this is just a little to long to be effective if my first shot is less perfect. Am I way off? What are your follow up shot times with a similar round?

TonyD

[modoc squeek shooter]

Tony to be honest I never timed it or worried about it. I guess it would depend on how fast one can cycle the bolt and get back on target. I do know that one should practice cycleing the bolt without removing the stock from your shoulder. I can shoot pretty damn fast lol. Ed

[DirtyDave]

Never needed a follow up with my 06 or any other rifle. Almost thought I did once when a boar took off running after the shot, but he dropped after going only about 20-30yds and did the Death-Kick. If a follow up is needed, that usually means the animal is running away. If you cant hit running game with a rifle, then follow up time doesnt matter. I've shot 3 deer on the run with a 6mm and they all wadded up and died right away.
Bad shots do happen, but you dont need an AR10 for a quick follow up. Practice more with cycling the bolt gun if you are worried about it.
As for hitting running game with a rifle. If you are a good shot with a shotgun on birds and rabbits, that translates well to moving targets with a rifle. Shooting rabbits on the run with a 22 is even better.

[Frank]

Wow, Tony, good question... Wish I had an answer to try & help, but unfortunately I do not. I just never timed myself on either targets or game on follow up shots with a bolt gun.

And now days, I'm just too dxxned old, & lucky to get off ANY kind of shot. LOL With deer hunting, it usually seemed like I had plenty enough time for any follow up shots if needed. However, coyotes are another story completely, & seems to take me an eternity before I get a 2nd shot off. I suppose a semi auto could help, but all I mostly accomplished with those, was to burn up more ammo without killing any more game. Mostly!! Which is fine, I guess?

So, in my (pathetic) case anyhow, I have to try & go by that old saying, " Make the First shot count ".

Good Luck

[ShooterJohn]

One shot will do it unless you want to give them a warning shot and then unless you are real lucky you might as well save your ammo. The reason I say real lucky is because if you missed with the first shot I doubt you will be able to hit something running in afterburner mode after the first shot.

[clampdaddy]

If you ever have to make a follow up shot you will be surprised at how fast it comes. I've never really practiced speed shooting but once I emptied the magazine on my sporterized Mauser trying to put down a deer that was making a quick getaway from a buddy that had put a bad first shot on it and he said that it sounded like I was laying down fire with a lever action. Trust me, adrenaline will shorten up your times.

[mackeralboy]

Tony'd
I wouldn't worry about how quick you can get off a second shot. I would practice being able to hit your target the first time every time. That means knowing your gun and ammo and where they shoot at various ranges. 50, 100, 200, 300 yds etc. I've had many more situations where an animal suddenly came out of cover and I had to get off a quick shot, than I've ever had follow up shots. I've had pigs walk out onto a trail 10 yards from me, and I've had deer break from cover 300 yards away on the opposite side of a canyon. I got both of them, but only because I knew the gun and ammo that I was hunting with and where I needed to place the crosshairs.

The only time that I've ever had to do a follow up shot, was when my cousin and I went pig hunting and he shot a millisecond before I did and spooked the pig I had lined up in my crosshairs. Luckily my pig took off running along on a well worn trail on the opposite side of the canyon and all I had to do was pick a spot on the trail and let him run into my crosshairs. In that case it wasn't so much being fast on the reload as it was knowing where to aim and when to pull the trigger.

[dangerranger]

If you have a bolt action 22 take it out shootring ground squirrels. the shooting can be fast and furious, and you will get a good idea what it takes to cycle the bolt and get back on target. I have a friend that shoots alot with a camera mounted above his scope. He has had to learn not to cycle the bolt so quickly Because it shakes the camera and blurs the action down range right as the bullit impacts. DR

[Bisley]

You're going to be thinking so much about that second shot that your first one will be . I have this problem with the young one, ole two-shot. It drives me nuts! I must yell at him every time out since it seems he can never take just one shot. That's just one of the reasons so many people should be started out with single shots

[Braz]

Bisley, you hit it on the head. Shoot a single shot long enough and you won't have to worry about a second shot.

[Divernhunter]

Pronghorn hunting I have had to take more than one shot before. All others no. Usually if you miss with the first a second or third will not help. Or if shooting mulitple targets the shots after the first are harder to makes as usually the animal is headed for the next county. You will be surprised how well you can work the action if you need to. I am usually slower due to the bad(?)habit of stopping to pick up my empties for reloading. If the animal is not down it can be a problem when you stop and look where the empty went.

That said I had a friend(who has passed away) that shot a 7mm Rem mag that he turned into a custom 300weatherby and I swear almost always he missed his deer with the first shot but cycled the bolt so fast it shounded like one shot but would kill it with the second shot. He worked it faster than I ever worked the Rem pump 30-06 I used.

[Bisley]

Bisley, you hit it on the head. Shoot a single shot long enough and you won't have to worry about a second shot.

It's kind of funny because I just had this talk with the yougin about two months ago when he missed that coyote that scared the bejesus out of him at about 10 yards away. I stopped him in the middle of telling his story once where he mentioned how he aimed low on the first shot so that when the gun recoiled, the second shot would be right on target . After realizing what he had just said (finally!!!), he wants to go back to the single shot Savage Cub that he has. Good idea kid . And that is what he will start this years rabbit season off with

[Frank]

Too funny DR & Bob... And a good idea for sure, on going back to the single shot Savage

I have a life long (older than me / lol) deer hunting friend, named Woody, that can work his bolt action pre '64 Win 30/06 so fast, the likes I've never seen before. On one occasion another friend was with Woody, when Woody missed his first shot at a deer, actually dried fired it as no round in the chamber, but was close enough that the buck heard it and took off.

The following shots Woody made were so fast, that this other friend stated it sounded like Woody was shooting a semi auto. And yes, the deer still got away.

[Fjold]

When I'm getting ready for a big hunt, I practice shooting three shots from my 375 H&H into the 8" target, at 100 yards, in 10 seconds.

[clampdaddy]

........I am usually slower due to the bad(?)habit of stopping to pick up my empties for reloading.......

........I had a friend(who has passed away) that shot a 7mm Rem mag that he turned into a custom 300weatherby.....

After I shot my first deer I looked all over for the empty so I could put it on a board with the horns. I gave up but when I got home my wife found it in my pocket. Turns out that years of saving empties has made me change the way I shoot a bolt action and I didn't even know it. Now when I work the action my left hand comes back, under the magazine and my rear three fingers reach up along side the action to grab the empties as soon as the case mouth clears the side of the action. Now when I go hunting I take brass that is ready to toss and I try to remember to just let 'em fly. Totally opposite from what most folks think about hunting ammo but it works for me.

The name of your passed friend wouldn't happen to have been Gary, would it?

[Divernhunter]

I use new brass for hunting but try to remind myself to to worry about picking it up. I also take it from the rifle but only if I see the animal drop.

Yes his name was Gary. I knew him along time. We hunted together many years. I often called him"two shot". He would come over to reload his ammo on my equipment and we would go target shooting. Bill has that rifle now.

[clampdaddy]

I use new brass for hunting but try to remind myself to to worry about picking it up. I also take it from the rifle but only if I see the animal drop.

Yes his name was Gary. I knew him along time. We hunted together many years. I often called him"two shot". He would come over to reload his ammo on my equipment and we would go target shooting. Bill has that rifle now.

Yep, I met and got to know Gary only a year or two before he passed. I hunted with him, Bill, and Jeff a couple times. That model 700 of his sure was pretty. Funny little story about Gary, we were hunting in Bridgeport and staying at an rv park in Bills toy hauler. Well one night we were watching The Mountain Men on tv and Gary got the nickname "Iron Belly". I wish I could have gotten to know him sooner.

[Desert Fox]

I've always cycled the bolt as soon as I fired for precautionary measure. Been doing it ever since I started hunting. I had never timed it but I know it's fast and almost second nature to me.

[rude robert]

Get a bar?? lol