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Running deer vs. slug velocity

LYON

LYON

PMA Member
I've seen quite a few debates on here and other sites concerning shooting at running deer. This subject comes up mainly due to the shotgun season with pushes and drives happening and a lot of deer running. I was thinking about this yesterday a bit and decided to take a closer look at the actual distance that a deer should be led if a running shot is to be taken. This may not be the case with everyone, but I would say the vast majority of people out hunting whether they be newbie's or veterans have no realistic perception of how far a deer will move between shot and impact. So.......let's break it down a bit.
Let's say we are using a 12ga that is sending slugs downfield at 1700fps. This is not the fastest nor is it the slowest, just a good round number to use as an example. Now let's say you are shooting at a running deer (top speed of a whitetail is 30mph, so lets say it is pretty much balls out at 25 mph) at a mere 50 yards.
At this distance, it will take (50 yards / (1700 ft/sec * 0.33 yards/ft)) = 0.089 seconds for your slug to reach the target. In that 0.089 seconds, that deer will have moved (25 MI/Hr * 0.000277 Hr/sec * 5280 ft/MI * 0.089 sec) = 3.25 feet!
Now take that distance out to 100 yards and all of a sudden we're talking a 6-1/2' movement.
I for one am not a big advocate of shooting at running deer, if it's possible to get them to stop or at least slow down, that should without a doubt be done. I would be willing to bet that most running shots are taken free handed, it is hard enough to take a good free-handed shot on a standing deer at 50 or 100 yards, now add swinging with the target and compensating for the correct lead distance in a very short couple of seconds from the point when the deer is spotted to when the shot is taken and you have added another HUGE dynamic to the shot process and difficulty. A dynamic I feel confident in saying MOST people are not capable of compensating for correctly (including myself). I'm not trying to tell everyone don't take running shots, just thought this little bit of info may come as a surprise to some of how much you actually have to lead a running whitetail. If you KNOW you can ethically take that shot and you KNOW there is nobody standing behind your target, then go for it.

Good luck and happy hunting!
 
Hey, nobody said there would be math on this website...

Running balls out, I'll never take the shot. A deer at a half hearted run or a trot type speed and less than 70 yards, I'll shoot every time. Unless there are buildings or possible guys in my group nearby.

I for one absolutely hate cutting around meat that has been torn up by a slug. If I can't get a good lung or heart shot on them, I'm not shooting. I'll just hope for another chance on the next timber we run.
 
Umm This crap of telling someone that shooting at a deer running with a gun is unethical is BS...Lets stop the nit picking guys, its geting old...If you push deer I bet 90% of the deer are runnning shots...cripeling game is part of hunting, if you dont like it then dont hunt...be a spokesman for peta...Its not unethical to take shots at running deer with a gun, period...Stop assuming...I dont post much but this crap got under my skin...
 
River Ratt said:
...cripeling game is part of hunting
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Taking a bad shot, flitching, bumping your release, etc. happens to everyone if you hunt long enough. But, the "cripeling" can be DRASTICALLY reduced by taking an ethical shot, and throwing out hail marys at a deer running for its life is not ethical, its just asking for "cripeling."
 
River Ratt said:
Umm This crap of telling someone that shooting at a deer running with a gun is unethical is BS...Lets stop the nit picking guys, its geting old...If you push deer I bet 90% of the deer are runnning shots...cripeling game is part of hunting, if you dont like it then dont hunt...be a spokesman for peta...Its not unethical to take shots at running deer with a gun, period...Stop assuming...I dont post much but this crap got under my skin...
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Whoa easy there gunslinger. I did not once say running shots should not be taken, and that post is not what that was about. It was some interesting FACTS about how far a deer will actually move between shot and impact so keep your jumping all over everyone to yourself. Are running shots going to get taken? Yeah. Should they? If the shooter is positive he/she can make that shot then sure why not. Are deer going to get wounded? Yes. But to just shrug your shoulders and throw lead at deer because they're gonna get wounded anyway is rediculous!
 
Good info. Shooting at running deer is unethical...period. I've done it, and don't like doing it. When I moved to Iowa, I was very surprised to find that deer drives are the norm. Taking crackshots at running deer should not be the norm.
 
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Thanks for the info :) Even though I too don't like to shoot at running deer the information posted was positive.....quit whining.
 
River Ratt said:
Umm This crap of telling someone that shooting at a deer running with a gun is unethical is BS...Lets stop the nit picking guys, its geting old...If you push deer I bet 90% of the deer are runnning shots...cripeling game is part of hunting, if you dont like it then dont hunt...be a spokesman for peta...Its not unethical to take shots at running deer with a gun, period...Stop assuming...I dont post much but this crap got under my skin...
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crippling deer from running shots is unethical, crippling a deer happens but is only excusable when the shot taken is an ethical one. If you shoot at a hard running deer you have no regard for wildlife and are just out to kill something and obviously dont care what it takes to do so. I have no regard for the extreme recklessness and lack of respect i witness during shotgun season
 
I agree with most of you guys. A full out running deer shouldn't be taken. I have hunted public land for most of my life in WI. Most of the deer I shot were running or trotting. Luckily, I never wounded a deer. The difference was that I was using a rifle with a scope. The bullet gets there much quicker. I have seen deer run pass me with legs blown off, tongues hanging out etc. Drives although can get deer, I just don't like the fact that guys have to push every piece of ground to get a shot on a deer. The guys around me just piss me off because they have the same attitude of a deer is a deer and don't give a rip if they shoot and wound a deer. I don't mean to offend anyone, but most of you guys will know what I am talking about. One shot, one kill as quickly as possible is the way I roll
 
River Ratt said:
cripeling game is part of hunting, if you dont like it then dont hunt...be a spokesman for peta...
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Its quotes like this that give peta ammunition for attacking our sport. An ethical shot would be defined as a shot taken in confidence that it is highly likely it will result in a quick and timely death. No one here will argue that a trotting or medium pace running deer at a reasonable distance can many times be ethically harvested. I think the stats shown by the OP prove that a full out sprinting deer does not typically present an ethical shot.

Here is a question......... How many times do you practice shooting deer slugs at a moving target? How many times is that moving target traveling at 20-25 mph?
 
:D It is what it is!!!!! You have idiots that gunhunt!!!!!! You have idiots that Bowhunt!! Animals are gonna suffer in both cases! It is what it is!!! As long as they have the price of admission!!!!! The morons get to play!!!!!!!!!:thrwrck: But ! I would dearly like to put a arrow thru their guts, or blow a limb off! Just to let'um know what it feels like!!!!! But, that would be illegal!!! :moon:
And yea! In 33 years of bowhunting I have lost a few! I can tell you about each one, and it turns my guts to think of them!! That's the difference!! My opinion!!
 
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I have witnessed this first hand with my first deer when I was a kid. Three does running broadside full blast at 40 yds, I shot at the first one, knocked down the third one.
 
Packnasty said:
Good info. Shooting at running deer is unethical...period. I've done it, and don't like doing it. When I moved to Iowa, I was very surprised to find that deer drives are the norm. Taking crackshots at running deer should not be the norm.
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Agree 100% I've talked to many people lately who claim they can down a running deer. Everybody gets lucky sometimes, but to do consistently I call BS. I've seen deer in the last few days that are so shot up there is no meat left.

I issued a challenge to them to put their money where their mouth is and will do the same with anyone on this site. If you can make slug hit a target the size of the VITALS (not blow his leg off) moving at 10-15mph at 50 yards offhand I will do your next deer mount for free. If you can't, you give me $100 for rum and diet pepsi.
 
Years ago, I first got a scope on my slug gun and I had a nice buck running broadside at 100 yards full out. Background was safe so I swept the crosshairs across him from back to front and touched it off when the crosshairs went past his nose. The slug hit him in the spine just in front of the tail and knocked him flat. Man was I surprised when I walked up and saw where the slug hit him. It dropped about 10 inches and hit back about 7 feet from the aiming point. I decided right then and there not to do that ever again and I have not.
 
I have shot a few running deer in my younger years. Not alot, but a couple. I found if the deer within 40 yards, I always led the deer by putting the sight under his nose. Most of those deer were wounded that I shot at running, most often gut hit, or a$$ hit. And the reason for that was because they were shot at while running by someone else.
 
River Ratt said:
if you dont like it then dont hunt
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That's actually what I did. I won't do drives on my land, ok - really never did them BUT just saying. I understand your sentiment and point of view BUT I also am thankful I just don't take part in that. I am NOT saying we don't occasionally wound deer BUT it's a rare occurrence and I mean rare. Mainly bow hunting or occasionally gun hunting still deer out of a tree stand on natural movement. The land I hunt that gets gun-drive pounded- I find tons of dead bucks in the spring and the land I have that doesn't get driven - you find very few. My preference is to opt-out of the drive mania BUT I am not infringing on your right to do so.
 
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