How often do you need more than three shots when big game hunting?

[Corn-Picker]

It's that time of year again, the time when I think about buying a new rifle I've been going back and forth between standard and magnum cartridges. Rifles for standard cartridges often hold five, whereas the same rifle chambered in a magnum cartridge will hold three (I don't hunt with a hot chamber). That got me wondering, how often do you need more than three? I've never needed more than three, but I'm not nearly as experienced as most on these boards, so I thought I would ask for your input. Is three verses five cartridges ever a big deal when big game hunting?

 

[z7]

What will you be hunting?
I have needed more than three rounds when trying to reduce a wild pig population and harvest more than one animal, i.e., shoot the big one and try to make a running shot as the others run. . . not necessarily "hunting" and more like population control where I get to eat the tasty pigs. . .

If you are shooting elk or moose, I believe standard practice is to put rounds into the boiler room until the old beast drops. I have seen a cow elk ignore a 308 win round at 150 yards then trot off when the second round hit. ran about 20 yards and laid down.

I believe 3 rounds should do the job, but I would carry a few (3-5, no more) spare rounds hunting as well, those little ammo holders that attach to a stock are handy for that.

The most important aspect for hunting, is make that first shot count, and if you screw that up and hit the animal in the wrong spot, make the second round count. So buy a gun in the caliber you want, shoot it a lot at hunting distances with the ammo you intend to hunt with and you will mostly need only one shot, maybe two, animals are not armored and a modern bullet into the chest cavity is effective and lethal against everything, I had a deer run 100yds with no hear or lungs. . .it happens. . . but a well placed shot gets the job done.

 

[.455_Hunter]

I usually carry the 3 or 4 + 1 in the gun and a flap slider with 5 or 6 more on my belt or in my pack. When I shot my last bull elk, I only had the 3 + 1 in the gun: 1st shot miss, 2nd shot hit (200 yds), 3rd shot hit (50 yds). When he dropped, I only had one round left, plus six round of .38 +P Special 158 gr FMJ in my sidearm (not legal for game use).

 

[Llama Bob]

That got me wondering, how often do you need more than three?

Never happened to me. Second shots, occasionally although most probably weren't needed.

Supposedly it happens somewhat frequently on thick skinned game outside North America.

 

[cdb1]

Never

 

[LoonWulf]

When i need to shoot more than 3 animals?
During normal hunting, unless something very strange happens, 2-3 rounds should be all you ever need.

There have been a few experiences where I ran my magazine empty.
One is doing control work, and the name of the game is shoot till there was nothing left to shoot at. This has happened more than once, now when shooting pigs i usually use a gun that holds a pile of rounds, or I just assume ill be coming back again the next day.

Another my buddy shot a 1000lb bull in the foot with a borrowed .308, I had to shoot that animal 4 times to get him to stop running. Id already expended 2 rounds on animals of my own, so 3 of those shots were being pulled from my pocket and tossed strait into the chamber. I also chased him a couple hundred yards in the process.

Usually if the choice of a new rifle is between a standard, and mag round, usually you dont NEED the mag round. If you WANT it tho, I dont think magazine capacity should be a concern...or at least it should be the LAST concern when looking at a new hunting rifle.

What ever you chose, keep us updated I always like to see when someone gets a new gun!

 

[Nature Boy]

Hogs

 

[MCMXI]

Since the thread title mentions "big game hunting" this is where all the old timers who claim to have killed hundreds of elk with a .243 Win and no tracking chime in that it's all about shot placement and only one shot is needed. But before I digress too much, most every repeating rifle I can think of will give you a 3+1 option but there's no guarantee that 4 rounds will be enough even with good shot placement. A couple of years ago a coworker and his brother shot a bull elk three times in the heart/lungs at 300 yards with a .300 Win Mag load and he still managed to go 50+ yards and almost fell into a coulee before he finally dropped. They had good bullet expansion, three good sized permanent wound cavities but the elk didn't know or care. The point of that story isn't that the elk needed three rounds but rather that for some, the difference between 10 yards and 50 yards might mean 1 hour to pack the meat out or 12 hours depending on where the animal drops. I'm sure that folks will be along shortly to tell you that elk aren't tough and that all you need is a 6.5 Creedmoor and one round with good shot placement for one-shot DRT kills on elk out to 600 yards. I'll stick with my Talkeetna and 4+1 rounds of .375 H&H plus six extra rounds in a belt pouch since I like a statistical advantage commonly referred to as stacking the odds in my favor.

 

[tarosean]

That got me wondering, how often do you need more than three?

Ive never needed more than two. However, I suppose it varies greatly on what you consider "Big Game" in WV?

 

[tarosean]

and almost fell into a coolie

What is a coolie for us non native Montanans? Im imagining an Ravine, Arroyo, Ditch or such...

 

[jmr40]

I've used 3 on multiple occasions, never more. Shot 2 deer within a couple of seconds. The 2nd one went down but was still kicking so I put a 2nd shot in it. I've had a few deer that still ran after a good hit, but until they went down I didn't know how good the 1st shot was. I've sent 2 follow up shots at them that all missed. I never claimed to be a great shot at moving game, but If I'm certain of a hit and can safely put more rounds at the animal I'm not taking the chance that it might get away and not be recovered.

My brother shot at a bear and it ran full speed in my direction. My 1st 2 shots missed, but he went down on the 3rd and slid down a hill out of my sight. I only had 1 more round in my rifle and my extra ammo I'd left in a pack about 50 yards behind me. That is another story, I almost always go into the woods with a total of at least 10 rounds, 4-6 in the magazine and/or chamber and the rest in a pocket. I walked back to reload before approaching the bear.

Standard vs magnum doesn't play a part in my decision. I no longer have a need for anything in a magnum round even if it held 10 shots. But part of the reason I prefer Winchesters is that they are 5+1 in standard calibers. I load full up including one in the chamber most of the time. If terrain or other circumstances determine having a hot chamber could be dangerous then I'll remove one from the chamber until conditions are safe.

The day I shot the bear for reasons I don't recall I only loaded 3+1 in the rifle I was using. Probably because I was in steep terrain and I had been using a cold chamber to walk in. I probably just loaded the 4 in the mag until I got where I was hunting and didn't top off. Was using a Remington on that day and it is only 4+1 anyway.

I have a couple of rifles with detachable mags that hold 4. When using them I load 4+1 and carry one spare pre-loaded mag in a pocket. The chances of needing the extra rounds are slim, but it doesn't hurt to have them available.

 

[MCMXI]

What is a coolie for us non native Montanans? Im imagining an Ravine, Arroyo, Ditch or such...

I just learned that it's spelled Coulee and comes from the French Canadian word meaning "to flow". Anyway, Coulees in MT range from small creek like ditches to very deep and long, ravine-like features that can be tough to get down into and even tougher to get out of. Lot's of wildlife use them to keep out of the weather and to find water, particularly on the plains surrounding Great Falls where I hunt.

 

[LoonWulf]

5+1 in standard calibers. I load full up including one in the chamber most of the time.

Thats actually a good point i hadnt thought about. More rounds in your mag less you have to carry as "spares"

 

[Danoobie]

IME, after two rounds the animal is either dead, or gone. While I run one in the pipe,
while hunting, your local laws may advise against it.

 

[RPRNY]

Again #7 - Hogs. Depending on terrain, one can get several shots off on a sounder and, for eradication, a poodle-shooter with a 30 round magazine can be useful.

Speaking of poodles, coyotes on the move will often want 3 shots or so, especially if they're out there a ways. I missed one with 4 shots on Sunday and I am absolutely positively certain ;-) that a fifth shot would have nailed it...

 

[Danoobie]

Not sure if that qualifies as "big game hunting", RPR.

 

[Nature Boy]

Not sure if that qualifies as "big game hunting", RPR.

Not uncommon to have pigs over 200# in areas where it would be rare to find a deer much more than 150#

 

[tarosean]

Anyway, Coulees in MT range from small creek like ditches to very deep and long, ravine-like features that can be tough to get down into and even tougher to get out of.

Thats what I kind of figured you meant, but you never know what other areas of the country call things.. Ive quartered a many of an Elk out of a "Coulee". It happens, the number of bullets in your gun is kinda of meaningless after hauling one out... LOL

 

[horsey300]

It's that time of year again, the time when I think about buying a new rifle I've been going back and forth between standard and magnum cartridges. Rifles for standard cartridges often hold five, whereas the same rifle chambered in a magnum cartridge will hold three (I don't hunt with a hot chamber). That got me wondering, how often do you need more than three? I've never needed more than three, but I'm not nearly as experienced as most on these boards, so I thought I would ask for your input. Is three verses five cartridges ever a big deal when big game hunting?

If you carry a weatherby magnum, for anything smaller than mature bull elk, you don't need ANY, you just yell over the cartridge you're using. Upon receiving the notification, the animal in question will (in one fleeting second) remember the stories passed down through the generations of that cartridge's feats of kneekillitis and then die immediately on the spot. A proper autopsy will, of course, reveal a stress induced heart attack.

But seriously, I think too many variables are in play in true field conditions to give one all inclusive answer. Ideally, yes, shot placement and power will end the hunt in 1-3 shots no matter which cartridge you're using. However, out of the numerous hunters just on this continent, 3 have shared instances where quantity was required on a single animal. Years ago, a record Kodiak was taken by a 7mm Mag semi auto. The shooter was deer hunting with 150gr ammo. The bear, reportedly, charged him and (I can't remember the actual distances from this incident, I'm sorry, it was close to 12 years ago I believe) the hunter fired, emptied and reloaded his weapon twice. I don't know about his shot placement so we're not going there either. The point is, sometimes enough is NEVER enough. A whitetail or pronghorn (especially with adrenaline pumping) can literally be shot to doll rags before they go down. Obviously an adequate weapon with adequate placement is ideal.
I've hunted with .243 clear up through the .300 rum, and having witnessned solid boiler shots not consistently put an animal on the ground in a timely manner every time, I frequently practice follow up shots including reloads at the range. My personal rule is, if two in the chest don't STOP it in less than 50 yds, it's time to break big bones, most critters don't run far with broken shoulders and most deer don't get back up. How many extra shots will depend on the shooter, but the difference between a magnum and standard alone will not be enough to guarantee how that scenario ends.

 

[cdb1]

Never

That was not meant as bragging about my marksmanship. It means after three shots the animal is either dead or still running but out of range.

No wait. Enough with this false modesty. I normally line up three elk so that when I shoot the first one, the second and third elk are killed by the bullet pass through.

 

[.308 Norma]

I normally line up three elk so that when I shoot the first one, the second and third elk are killed by the bullet pass through.

I notice you're a Texan.

 

[hdwhit]

I don't hunt "big game" so please tolerate this question; how often does the prey remain standing or runs away slowly enough that it is practical to even fire more than three aimed shots?

I ask because the biggest thing I have hunted was white tail deer and if I didn't kill or at least cripple it on the first shot, it was gone running and the second shot came at close range after tracking it through the woods for a mile or so.

 

[Captcurt]

I just learned that it's spelled Coulee and comes from the French Canadian word meaning "to flow". Anyway, Coulees in MT range from small creek like ditches to very deep and long, ravine-like features that can be tough to get down into and even tougher to get out of. Lot's of wildlife use them to keep out of the weather and to find water, particularly on the plains surrounding Great Falls where I hunt.

I needed three shots on a deer last year. It was about 250 yards, didn't range it until the next day. I had left my rangefinder in the truck. I hit the doe low and broke a leg. She took off across an open pasture and I broke the other leg. Then she scooted on her nose for a ways and and I finished it. That is the first one out of 40+ that I have had to shoot more than once. Purely, my mistake of the range, but out in the open it is hard to judge.

 

[RPRNY]

I needed three shots on a deer last year. It was about 250 yards, didn't range it until the next day. I had left my rangefinder in the truck. I hit the doe low and broke a leg. She took off across an open pasture and I broke the other leg. Then she scooted on her nose for a ways and and I finished it. That is the first one out of 40+ that I have had to shoot more than once. Purely, my mistake of the range, but out in the open it is hard to judge.

Honesty is not to be recommended, Capt. Everybody can drop any damned animal in North America at 600+ yards on the first shot. And nobody needs more than a 243 Win to do it. Because shot placement is everything and everybody has range finding uberscopes. Except you.

Oh, and me. Thus, my four misses on a coyote way out there on Sunday...

 

[horsey300]

I don't hunt "big game" so please tolerate this question; how often does the prey remain standing or runs away slowly enough that it is practical to even fire more than three aimed shots?

I ask because the biggest thing I have hunted was white tail deer and if I didn't kill or at least cripple it on the first shot, it was gone running and the second shot came at close range after tracking it through the woods for a mile or so.

It happens, muleys, unless pressured, are notorious for trying to locate the shot, or stopping a VERY short distance to determine the seriousness of the threat, jumped up a doe for a kid last year, he only took shots while she was standing still, and missed 5 times, then she cleared the fence and was safe, stopped again to look 250 yds away and then beelined to the cedars.