Double Tap-Hunting

22-rimfire · February 20, 2007, 10:48 AM

Anyone here who use semi-automatics for hunting ever "double tap"? I used to do it with 22's years ago on wood chucks. Frankly, I probably missed the second shot anyway as I was doing head shots only. Never would consider the technique on deer or any larger game. It usually just takes one carefully aimed shot to the heart lung area. I could see it as a practical approach to feral hog hunting. Your thoughts?

Art Eatman · February 20, 2007, 12:01 PM

Yeah, when I was a kid with a Rem 550. It wasn't so much "hunting" as plinking at whatevers--rocks, tin cans...

I guess it might be helpful for other types of rifles. Anything big enough for hogs is gonna have more recoil, so control is an issue. But, practice can make a person better at a quck second shot...

The idea is to try your best not to need that second shot.

Art

Jseime · February 20, 2007, 12:35 PM

I like to not need a seond shot when shooting anything bigger than bunnies. However tin cans and gophers have been known to get a ten-tap magazine emptier depending on what kind of mood I may be in that day.

Yellowfin · February 26, 2007, 05:16 PM

Occasionally a second shot is needed to finish off turkeys. If you don't get them down hard enough they'll flap around with those spurs and tear you up quite a bit.

FirstFreedom · February 28, 2007, 10:26 PM

I've never been elk hunting, but I've heard many a story of tough as nails, hard & long tracking jobs, and lost animals. Therefore, I've got half a mind, whenever I do get to do hunt them with rifle, to take along a .308 semi-auto, in order to possibly do a double-tap. First shot precise hold just like always, but then squeeze off 2 immediate instead of one. I would only do this IF I had practiced double tapping, and could keep the second one reasonably on target (say, within 15 inches at 100 yards), and would only try it IF the animal is at close range (say, under 75 yards) - but an elk has a large vital zone, and even if the second one doesn't go into the vital zone, the first one will, and a second shot in the gut or neck with one in the vitals is better than one in the vitals only, if we're talking about an animal getting away for good. I'd be more inclined to try it if it was really steep country, where if the animal got down into a bottom, it'd be hell finding and getting him out. I'd take along the .30-06 bolt gun too, and select the weapon day-by-day as circumstances dictate. Having said that, when I do go elk hunt, it will most likely be with a bow, as those are the only tags you can get without drawing in, to my knowledge.

rem33 · February 28, 2007, 10:37 PM

Quote:

I do go elk hunt, it will most likely be with a bow, as those are the only tags you can get without drawing in, to my knowledge.

Far as I know FirstFreedom all you need to do in Idaho is buy the license and tag for elk.
I have never "double tapped " anything but unlike deer if I have shot a elk and it is still standing, or trying to get up with any success at all I will shoot it again. By the time I have recovered from the recoil the bolt has been ran and I am ready to shoot I think within milliseconds of what could be done with auto.

February 20, 2007, 10:48 AM	#1
22-rimfire Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2005 Location: Tennessee Posts: 5,323	Double Tap-Hunting Anyone here who use semi-automatics for hunting ever "double tap"? I used to do it with 22's years ago on wood chucks. Frankly, I probably missed the second shot anyway as I was doing head shots only. Never would consider the technique on deer or any larger game. It usually just takes one carefully aimed shot to the heart lung area. I could see it as a practical approach to feral hog hunting. Your thoughts? Last edited by 22-rimfire; February 20, 2007 at 11:40 AM.

February 20, 2007, 12:35 PM	#3
Jseime Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 1,775	I like to not need a seond shot when shooting anything bigger than bunnies. However tin cans and gophers have been known to get a ten-tap magazine emptier depending on what kind of mood I may be in that day. __________________ I love the smell of fresh shotgun in the morning.

February 20, 2007, 12:01 PM	#2
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Yeah, when I was a kid with a Rem 550. It wasn't so much "hunting" as plinking at whatevers--rocks, tin cans... I guess it might be helpful for other types of rifles. Anything big enough for hogs is gonna have more recoil, so control is an issue. But, practice can make a person better at a quck second shot... The idea is to try your best not to need that second shot. Art

February 26, 2007, 05:16 PM	#4
Yellowfin Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2007 Location: Lancaster Co, PA Posts: 2,311	Occasionally a second shot is needed to finish off turkeys. If you don't get them down hard enough they'll flap around with those spurs and tear you up quite a bit.

February 28, 2007, 10:26 PM	#5
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	I've never been elk hunting, but I've heard many a story of tough as nails, hard & long tracking jobs, and lost animals. Therefore, I've got half a mind, whenever I do get to do hunt them with rifle, to take along a .308 semi-auto, in order to possibly do a double-tap. First shot precise hold just like always, but then squeeze off 2 immediate instead of one. I would only do this IF I had practiced double tapping, and could keep the second one reasonably on target (say, within 15 inches at 100 yards), and would only try it IF the animal is at close range (say, under 75 yards) - but an elk has a large vital zone, and even if the second one doesn't go into the vital zone, the first one will, and a second shot in the gut or neck with one in the vitals is better than one in the vitals only, if we're talking about an animal getting away for good. I'd be more inclined to try it if it was really steep country, where if the animal got down into a bottom, it'd be hell finding and getting him out. I'd take along the .30-06 bolt gun too, and select the weapon day-by-day as circumstances dictate. Having said that, when I do go elk hunt, it will most likely be with a bow, as those are the only tags you can get without drawing in, to my knowledge.