Success rate of a follow-up shot?

[Mr. Hill]

Has anyone ever seen a study or other info on what percentage of follow-up shots (the 2nd shot) successfully hit a game animal after a hunter misses with the first shot? My individual observation in the field are that the 2nd shot often misses, too. So what say you, in general if a hunter misses with the first shot, will the 2nd shot likely to miss, too? I'd appreciate your thoughts and opinions!

[MarkCO]

1 shot, dead animal. 2 shots, maybe. 3 shots, got away clean.

That said, I have killed a few big game animals with the 2nd shot after a 1st round miss. Well over 90% of my kills have been 1st shot and most of my second shots have been fishers up close. I think you are right, 2nd round miss is most likely after a 1st round miss.

Last year, I shot my elk on the run at 220 yards first shot, then put 4 more into it in about 8 seconds and the last at 300 as it was falling over. The first shot likely killed it, but it was 10F, just after sunset and snowing and I was not going to track in the the dark in 2 feet of snow and 20+ degrees below freezing. I thought I had missed a few, but when we butchered it, I had clearly hit it 5 times. A bit of luck maybe, and likely a once in a lifetime occurrence.

When it comes to wing shooting, I would venture to guess I hit about 30% better with the 2nd shot than the 1st shot.

[ms6852]

I've never seen a study like you asked but in my 50 year experience I never missed my first shot when hunting. I'm not bragging but there were lessons I took to heart that my father and grand father taught me.

First lesson was always make sure you knew the capabilities of your rifle. Make sure it always work and check it before, during, and after. He always made sure that if I could not hit a soda pop can can at 100 or 150 or 200 yds with iron sights on the first shot than live it alone or get closer.

Second and foremost was do not kill it if you are not going to it.

[Art Eatman]

Generally, if I missed the first shot, the buck was gone into the brush before I could cycle the bolt. But, I do have one event from some forty-five years ago.

I was solo hunting on our leased ranch. Not real ambitious, just meddling around in casual sneaky-snake fashion. I topped a ridge and saw a nice buck messing with a doe, across a valley. I figured 400 yards.

Okay, get comfy, good sight picture, collect Bambi. No big deal, right?

To shorten a long windy, I shot five times and nothing happened. Sixth shot, he picked up his left hind foot and sniffed. That's when stupid me came to understand that there was more breeze, and it was more like 550 yards. I changed my POA for two more wasted shots.

The doe got bored and wandered off. Bucky stood around and then started down the hillside toward me. He finally stopped, posing proudly with his head raised high. And the breeze stopped for a moment.

I held on the tips of his antlers. Hit the heart. Bang/whop/plop.

Thus endeth the story of my nine-shot one-shot kill.

[jmr40]

I'm not good enough to feel good about hitting running game, although I've tried a couple of times. As far as I know I've never connected on a running shot, but have made hits on the 2nd or 3rd shot several times when an animal stopped long enough. Or in one incident I hit a deer, it was down and trying to get back up. The 2nd shot finished it.

There have been times where my 1st shot was good but I didn't know it because the animal ran. I attempted follow-up shots that missed but the animal finally fell over.

[FrankenMauser]

I doubt that any such study has been done.

Personally-
I can't recall a single instance of a first shot miss, with a subsequent kill, by ethical hunters.
If the first shot misses, the animal is gone (generally - on my hunts).

Every successful follow-up shot I can think of came after a connecting first shot. It may have been a bad shot, but it connected.


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One of my brothers has a few mule deer and elk kills that I believe started with missed first shots, but I wasn't there to witness.

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The exceptions I can think of are all related to unethical hunters or unethical/illegal decisions by hunters.
For example... I used to hunt with a two people that, as I discovered in the plains of Wyoming, thought it was perfectly fine to "shoot into the herd" for antelope. I mean that exactly as it sounds: Don't pick out an animal to kill, just sling lead into the mass of hair in your scope and see what gets hit.
Those two hunters, more often than not, would miss one to 3 times before connecting with anything (even when shooting at single animals). And, after all was said and done, to fill their tag, they most likely fired at least 10-15 rounds. Some years, they would literally shoot 100+ rounds to fill two tags.

Their wonderful decisions in the field, and complete lack of respect for wildlife and other hunters resulted in extra kills, irretrievable wounded animals, and more than one ticket or warning from the game wardens. But, they no longer hunt Wyoming (don't hunt much of anything that's not on a game ranch or in Africa, actually), because they think that wildlife officers are "out to get them". Apparently, it's not their fault when they "shoot into the herd" and hit a buck, shoot 3 does on two tags, shove a collateral-damage fawn into a badger hole, or take an extra animal "for tags they couldn't fill last year".
It really [peeves] me off, but I'm glad. It's two fewer jerkwads ruining things for the rest of us.
But I truly wish the game wardens would have been much harder on them, and cited them for poaching. Warnings and minor tickets (like 'wrong sex') have their place, but some people really deserve the full force of the law.

"Just sling lead and see what happens!"

[Gunplummer]

I would say about 50/50 with me. Usually the reason I miss the first shot is because it was a rushed snap shot to begin with. Then there is no time for a second shot anyway. I have taken long shots and had the deer run towards me, confused by the echo of the shot. I have to agree with the other post. If you have the chance for a second shot, take it. The only deer I remember hitting and losing with a rifle looked like a good hit, so I did not bother with a second shot. It threw a heck of a blood trail and I never found it. It had crossed and doubled back (I was looking for hours)over a fast creek a couple times and I began to think it was washed under a log jam. After that, if it is still on its feet, I keep shooting.

[rickyrick]

I'm gonna assume that if the first shot is a miss then a second more difficult set circumstances would yield the same result. Now I have seen videos of a second shot getting a result. But, nothing in my or anyone else I witnessed in real life.
I have always tended to pass on shots if something didn't seem right. Maybe I was too excited, or wind or not sure of the are behind the animal... But I've passed on many shots.

Now I have taken second shot on animals that I've hit once to make sure to lessen any suffering. You can usually tell if the animal is aware of its trouble.

[globemaster3]

I have not seen or heard of such a study.

Discounting bird hunting, I have only missed on the first shot on 1 deer. There was no explanation... Just under 100 yards, not much wind, clear open shot, sight picture looked good through the trigger pull... I stopped right there. If I was unable to make that shot, there was something wrong. I proceeded out of the woods and to the range and discovered the scope rings had loosened... Fixed that, went out the next day, and put one down with the first shot.

In my hunting, I've only ever taken 2 follow up shots, both on hogs. Although I connected well with the first, I didn't get the results I expected, so I put another in them for good measure. Both second shots were hits at POA and neither hog went far.

[Mr. Hill]

It would be interesting to practice shooting two successive shots at the range, it could help improve the 2nd round success rate.

[huntinaz]

I'm surprised by the responses. I see second shots all the time. In fact I would say if the animal hasn't seen the hunter first and the first shot misses, that animal isn't going anywhere at least 50% of the time.

A few instances, nowhere near the total of what I've seen:

This year we walked up on a spike elk at 80 yards, it was looking at us. My buddy lined up on it and missed clean. The little moron turned and faced directly away from us. Buddy dropped him with the next shot.

When I was a kid my dad and I found a herd of deer at 100-200 yards. My first shot missed, buck just stood there. My levergun jammed so my dad shot twice, buck dropped second shot.

Years ago walked up on a cow elk, it was close, inside 100 yards. Got up to a T-post for a rest and aimed for her neck. Missed! She jumped and looked around. Second shot dropped her.

Last winter called a fox to about 3 yards. Missed! He ran out to about 20 yards and stood broadside, that's more my range. Nailed it second shot.

Last year coues whitetail hunting. Pulled a sneak on 2 small bucks, got set up at 250 yards and they didn't know it. We get set up and my buddy squeezes one off. Clean miss, bucks mill around don't know what to do. Second shot 30 seconds later hit the buck. I thought about shooting the other one but didn't, probably still could have after the second shot.



This year, had 2 bucks and a doe at 250 yards. I dropped a buck first shot. Had another hunter been there could have easily set up and shot the other one before they ran away. This scenario where I drop an animal first shot and the rest of the herd does nothing and I was wishing there was another tag has happened I don't know how many times. A bunch. Don't know what I'm doing so wrong but I see good second shot opportunity all the time. It's commonplace.

[Mobuck]

I definitely attempt a follow up if I suspect the first shot might have been a poor hit. Flinging bullets at running GAME animals isn't my forte unless it's already injured.
Varmints-that's a whole different ball game. This week, I've killed two coyotes that were missed with the first 3 or 4 shots. Just lead and shoot, lead and shoot, lead and shoot. It might seem my shooting skills are a little rusty but I'm certainly not timid about trying.

[Boogershooter]

I'm sure I'm fixing to make alot of people mad but here is my take on the matter. I grew up here in louisiana where it's still legal to hunt deer with hounds. Before leasing came about you could go for miles on timber land. When the timber companies would cut a 500 acre block or bigger we waited til the deer got into the clearing. There may be as many as a dozen people shooting at the same deer from various distances. A running deer jumping over the dead tops the timber company left, or up and down the creekstreet banks was never a easy target. I don't think you were any more likely to hit the deer with your first shot than you were with your last. Please don't cry about wounded deer because the dogs would Bay them and then they would be quickly dispatched. Now onto a deer that ain't moving. If you are a decent marksman and you missed on the first then you get a chance to correct, make adjustments, then fire a better second shot that should increase your chances. We used hounds for coyotes in the off season to practice shooting at running targets.

[huntinaz]

If you are a decent marksman and you missed on the first then you get a chance to correct, make adjustments, then fire a better second shot that should increase your chances.

Yep. Sometimes the only adjustment you have to make is to calm down and make the next one count. Good hunters will capitalize on a second chance if they screw up the first one.

[rickyrick]

I did one time shoot at one pig in a pair of pigs. To my surprise, the second pig just stood there staring at her buddy flailing on the ground. I was able to take that pig as well.
I think this could be broken into categories, defined by second shot on a hit or a successive attempt on a miss.
The coyote anecdote above is a good example of a skilled person knowing what caused a miss, and that could be another category as well.

[tahunua001]

I make a follow up shots on most of the animals I've hunted. I have had way too many animals that looked like they were down for good, get up and run off as I'm walking up on them so I make followup shots whether I see the animal jerk or not, and if they're down and look like they're trying to get back up I will often try for a head shot to put them out of their misery.

from my observations, most of the animals that involved a follow up shot had 2 holes, one exception being my first deer which I missed on the first and hit in the heart on the second.

actually, I have way more trouble with finding extra holes that shouldn't be there. I once shot a deer that had 3 legs blown off of it(only one of them was my fault because I tend to hold forward). this year, I shot my buck once, and it has 2 entrances and 2 exits, one in the neck the other in the chest cavity... there is no way that I fired more than one shot and having watched him for an hour, I can tell that he was not wounded before I shot.

[alex0535]

First time I tried to shoot a second deer, found no blood or hair, but looked for the 2nd one anyways, should of pushed a little farther as I eventually found its bones.

Second time was a huge doe that ran into the clearing, shot her in the head, was close to the stand and getting dark so I put another in her head and went to go get the golf cart.

I rarely need a follow-up shot, try to not have situations where in forced to. Like deer to be close with minimal brush between me and them to where I know one should be plenty.

[Gunplummer]

Boogershooter, I know where you are coming from. Years back when there were a lot more hunters, there would be one sitting every 50 yards on the side of a mountain. It was the first day in WV and one was kicked across. You could hear the shots as it ran across the mountain. I counted over 40 shots and it was still going, but I lost interest in counting because of some deer down below me.

[603Country]

It depends on what you're shooting at. I've killed quite a few hogs with second or third shots. Only once have I hit a running coyote. You wound or miss a coyote with the first shot and those rascals can get into a high velocity run that's impressive. As for deer, I've killed a few running ones, but my percentage is low. Far better to not miss with the first shot.

[Blindstitch]

Most of my friends hunt with bolt action or lever rifles. One friend this year shot a nice 8 point with a Ruger American 308. He said he shot at the deer it ran and then stopped to look for what or whereever the noise came from. The broadside second shot killed him. That was the only time he had ever used a follow up shot.

I have another friend using a semiautomatic Remington Woodmaster in 30-06 and he says he pulls the trigger twice on every deer he shoots. I know he has shot a few deer but who knows which shot killed them. By the way he's 67 in case age and tactics are in question. The first friend just turned 60.

[Panfisher]

I have never heard of any such study. Follow up shots to me are something done at an animal that already has been hit. A second shot at a previously unwound ed animal is very dependent upon the situation. I used to jump shoot deer in the woods and was pretty good at it, but don't hunt that way any more. AR'S and multiple shots at things like coyotes or multiple coyotes go togetther lke peas and carrots.

[NHSHOOTER]

Happened to me just this last season, got into the stand and wasnt there but 2 mins and a nice eight walked into the field and stood broadside at 150 yds, laser ranged after the shot. Rushed the first shot and missed, deer stepped foward and to the left one step, bolted in another round, relaxed, took aim and shot again, deer took off as if it hadnt been hit. Found it dead in the woods 50 yds away. 2nd shot did its duty.

[123kiwi]

Where we are (New Zealand) I have found that shooting suppressed has the added advantage of being able to normally get away a 2nd shot if the 1st doesn't connect due to the animal not being able to pinpoint where the shot has come from...
I have in the past, had a stag run straight towards me after a clean heart shot which gave me the chance to put a 2nd through the neck which ended its run right there...
I generally won't take a shot at a running deer because of the increased chance of wounding and not dropping it cleanly, way prefer an unhurried shot all things being equal...

[Double Naught Spy]

No studies and I don't think you could get a valid study between hunters lying and misremembering what happened. For the same reasons eye witnesses get things wrongs and people in gunfights don't recall how many shots were fired by them, details often get muddled during stress. On top of that, nobody wants to remember that they screwed up and fewer people want to admit to it.

The only 2 first round misses that I can recall where I did an immediate followup shot both were on small bobcats and the followup scored. The last one (not video'd) was due to misjudging the distance. I saw the impact and adjusted aim accordingly. The second (see video), was just buck fever. In both cases, the cats stood still after the first shot.
https://youtu.be/DvGRBNia9L4

The nice thing about video is that it remembers some of what you don't.

Sometimes, it is hard to know if you missed or if the animal simply didn't go down. Numerous times I have shot, not known if I had hit the animal or how well and tried for a followup on a moving target. In that regard, I have good days and bad, but the bad days are getting fewer. Certainly, if I think the first shot hit the animal, then I want it to go down and I do not want to have to search for it. Turns out, often the first shots are quite and quickly fatal, but since they didn't hit CNS, the animal doesn't go down immediately.
https://youtu.be/AA2ePTCbQcw

This is my all time favorite video of a hunter missing repeatedly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEHIkvQ7ISQ

[Gunplummer]

I guess I would have to agree with you about a study on this subject being worthless. I have truly seen some weird things when hunting. I would be as guilty as anyone when it comes to misconceptions of events. I ALWAYS spend a lot of time looking after a miss. Even if I am sure it is a miss. For some reason I always think the deer was closer than it was. Maybe because the last time I saw it was through a scope. Many times I thought a shot came from across the river on the other mountain, when it was actually up behind me. I have seen deer make the same mistake. The only absolute is what I tell the youngsters. If you shoot, work the bolt as fast as you can to put another round in. A couple deer may run a little and stop after a shot because they don't know where it came from. You wait to work that bolt and they will for sure take off.