Greatest Shot Ever--A Thread--Post Your's

[AjaDog]

The air was crispy that morning, as I sipped my coffee, I had no inkling that in mere moments events would unfold that would sear that day into my mind forever.

My brave companion Gus was lapping up his puppachino, my daughter engrossed in her cheesy eggs, out of the corner of my eye I saw him.

Every bit of 13lbs his black mane glistened in the morning sun, his teeth gleamed.

The foul beast approached from the East, wind in his face, clearly stalking us as we broke our repose.

If not for the walls of our home I’m sure we would have been meeting our maker on the other side.

Reflexes like a middle aged dad before the caffeine took effect, I mostly adroitly grabbed my bow from the wall. I secured the shaft of faux wood to the string and lumbered to the back door.

The monster towered in our tomato planter. His nose in the air catching the scent of his prey, he locked eyes with me. In that glassy sphere I glimpsed such hate and fury that I shutter at the recollection.

Arrow to its anchor point, I drew back, in my mind a single phrase “keep hammering”.

As if channeling odyssey himself protecting Ithaca I sent the shaft.

In slow motion the arrow slid through my fingers, the broadhead searching for its home.

THWACK.

It was buried deep, the Charybdis like maw smacked and gnashed.

It fell.

A single drop of sweat dripped from my brow.





View attachment 305188

Holy dead groundhogs Batman!!!! That's crazy we used to shoot what we call groundhogs in Virginia I guess those are the same thing but we used to shoot way out there before with 30-06s but anyway at least you didn't get ankle bit LOL

 

[grizzly63]

The air was crispy that morning, as I sipped my coffee, I had no inkling that in mere moments events would unfold that would sear that day into my mind forever.

My brave companion Gus was lapping up his puppachino, my daughter engrossed in her cheesy eggs, out of the corner of my eye I saw him.

Every bit of 13lbs his black mane glistened in the morning sun, his teeth gleamed.

The foul beast approached from the East, wind in his face, clearly stalking us as we broke our repose.

If not for the walls of our home I’m sure we would have been meeting our maker on the other side.

Reflexes like a middle aged dad before the caffeine took effect, I mostly adroitly grabbed my bow from the wall. I secured the shaft of faux wood to the string and lumbered to the back door.

The monster towered in our tomato planter. His nose in the air catching the scent of his prey, he locked eyes with me. In that glassy sphere I glimpsed such hate and fury that I shutter at the recollection.

Arrow to its anchor point, I drew back, in my mind a single phrase “keep hammering”.

As if channeling odyssey himself protecting Ithaca I sent the shaft.

In slow motion the arrow slid through my fingers, the broadhead searching for its home.

THWACK.

It was buried deep, the Charybdis like maw smacked and gnashed.

It fell.

A single drop of sweat dripped from my brow.





View attachment 305188

You shot him in the back!

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

You shot him in the back!

Common misconception

 

[howl]

Same as OP, except I was aiming to drop the bullet into the throat patch. Iron sight 30/30 at a little over 100 steps, offhand.

Neck shot was all I had. It fell straight down and I didn't see because recoil. I watched the does it was following exit and didn't see the buck with them. Exceptional 10pt for the area about 180#.

Runners up are wingshots:

Dumped a crow flying at about 75 yards stone dead. Full choke and turkey load. Shooting crows is great practice. I called in two gobblers and waited until both where in range with the near bird pretty close. I had a 20ga o/u with a red dot on top. I shot the nearest with the dot as normal. The further bird took off running. I was aiming at it with the dot, but you know how turkeys run a S pattern. They are deceptively easy to miss running straight away. I wasn't going to shoot until it took a hard left and then it was on. I forgot about the dot and pulled out in front just like a slow flying crow.

Then there was the time I had another fella in the dove club temporarily convinced I was the next George Digweed. We got on a barn burner on a peanut field. I was on a flight line with doves presenting the same shot over and over. And the light was good. I went three for three a couple of flocks, just wiping them out of the air. Limited out quick. There had been some pigeons coming in and out of the field, flying high, and everyone had taken a shot at them. I was standing there watching those pigeons while waiting for things to slow down so I could pack up and go. I had recently watched a Digweed video on how he did certain things. Those doves were at about 125 when I shot and put one down. I looked over and that fella was standing there with his mouth hanging open.

The next shoot the same fella posted up next to me. He came over and was talking about the pigeon shoot. Of course, I shot like trash all afternoon. I don't think I ever got a limit and I know I shot a few boxes whereas I usually only need one.

 

[AjaDog]

Same as OP, except I was aiming to drop the bullet into the throat patch. Iron sight 30/30 at a little over 100 steps, offhand.

Neck shot was all I had. It fell straight down and I didn't see because recoil. I watched the does it was following exit and didn't see the buck with them. Exceptional 10pt for the area about 180#.

Runners up are wingshots:

Dumped a crow flying at about 75 yards stone dead. Full choke and turkey load. Shooting crows is great practice. I called in two gobblers and waited until both where in range with the near bird pretty close. I had a 20ga o/u with a red dot on top. I shot the nearest with the dot as normal. The further bird took off running. I was aiming at it with the dot, but you know how turkeys run a S pattern. They are deceptively easy to miss running straight away. I wasn't going to shoot until it took a hard left and then it was on. I forgot about the dot and pulled out in front just like a slow flying crow.

Then there was the time I had another fella in the dove club temporarily convinced I was the next George Digweed. We got on a barn burner on a peanut field. I was on a flight line with doves presenting the same shot over and over. And the light was good. I went three for three a couple of flocks, just wiping them out of the air. Limited out quick. There had been some pigeons coming in and out of the field, flying high, and everyone had taken a shot at them. I was standing there watching those pigeons while waiting for things to slow down so I could pack up and go. I had recently watched a Digweed video on how he did certain things. Those doves were at about 125 when I shot and put one down. I looked over and that fella was standing there with his mouth hanging open.

The next shoot the same fella posted up next to me. He came over and was talking about the pigeon shoot. Of course, I shot like trash all afternoon. I don't think I ever got a limit and I know I shot a few boxes whereas I usually only need one.

Good stuff, ole 30-30 just a good knock them down go to rifle, I shot this 90lb hog just a hour ago, with my Marlin 30-30, about 40 to 50 yds,, there was 3 piglets with this one and momma, didn't want the little ones, damn sure didn't want mom

 

[LukeDuke]

My uncle was a police officer for many yrs and eventually joined up with the FBI. When he would come visit, we would always ask to see his guns. He carried…a couple. Wanting to impress him, I whipped out our Daisy Eagle BB gun(the black one with the scope). My brothers and I wore that thing out over the yrs and no critter was safe. Anyway, he asked me what I was going to shoot at and I told him that I shoot the bumblebees off moms snapdragons. I laid down in the yard and as luck would have it, I nailed the first one. I don’t remember how far it was, probably 3-5 yds, but at the time it felt like 100. He still brings it up every time I see him. Mom’s flowers didnt look all that great…she still brings that up as well. Still have that old BB gun out in my garage. It must be 35+ yrs old.

 

[gouch]

One of my favorite shots was on a dove.

My buddy and I both were working four tens, so we had three-day weekends to hunt. We were bow hunting elk and each weekend we would each be responsible for one main meal. Well, one weekend my buddy forgot to bring the food, so we had to go to plan B, shoot some mountain quail, or anything else edible. We were walking along with our shotguns when I thought I heard a quail. I told my friend to stop and listen. We stood there quietly for a bit when a dove came flying by, a good 75 or more yards out. I dumped him with a perfect shot. That wasn't the good part. That was just pure luck, like damn near every dove I have ever managed to hit. The good part is that to this day my buddy thinks I heard that bird coming in from a quarter mile away.

My dad had an old Steavens side by side 12 gauge. I don't remember the model but for some reason I remember the serial number was 1009. The front trigger mechanism was so worn that it was the most sensitive hair trigger you could imagine. One day while pheasant hunting the dog got all birdie, so we were at the ready. Suddenly that bird flushed right at my dad's feet. Almost instantly that old Steavens went off and that bird exploded like he had a stick of dynamite up his ass. I stood there stunned, not so much because my dad appeared to have just shot a pheasant from the hip, because he sometimes did weird stuff, but because he didn't let it get more than a few feet away before doing it. My dad just burst out in uncontrollable hysterical laughter. It turned out that that hair trigger had snagged on a button on his vest just as he pushed the safety off and started to lift the gun. We always had a good laugh recalling the time he was able to shoot from the hip and killed a pheasant.

 

[jrabq]

My luckiest shot, I'd like to think there was at least of sliver of skill involved, due to a lifetime of wingshooting ducks, maybe. Off-range oryx hunt, 2010, basically a depredation hunt to shoot oryx that wander off White Sands Missile Range, NM. Last day of the season after hunting 8 days, without seeing a single animal off-range. I finally cut some fresh tracks coming off the range headed towards a water hole about a mile to the west on BLM. So I start driving down a two-track that looped around towards the water hole. About halfway there I see a few oryx running straight away from me in some yucca. Slam on brakes, jump out and grab rifle and stand-up shooting sticks from back seat. The last oryx is just about to dissappear at 200+ yards, I pull the trigger aiming for the back of the neck, and miss!

Ok, that's not the end of the story. I'm guessing the bullet must have whizzed within inches of its left ear because it turned 90 degrees and was now hauling ass to my right at about 250 yards away, out of the yucca, in the open, almost a perfect crossing shot, angling just a little bit away. I cycled the bolt and was able to pivot my body around the sticks, giving me what felt like a good hold. I swung the crosshairs in front of the oryx leading it just over a full body length and pulled the trigger. Why that lead? Damned if I know, it just felt right. And whack! oryx did a complete cartwheel and piled up in a huge cloud of dust. Never saw it move or twitch after it hit the ground. Turns out I drilled it right through the heart, pic is bullet entrance hole on right side, no exit wound. 300 WSM, 180 grn. Holy crap! Did I say luck? No way, 100% skill .

 

[AjaDog]

My luckiest shot, I'd like to think there was at least of sliver of skill involved, due to a lifetime of wingshooting ducks, maybe. Off-range oryx hunt, 2010, basically a depredation hunt to shoot oryx that wander off White Sands Missile Range, NM. Last day of the season after hunting 8 days, without seeing a single animal off-range. I finally cut some fresh tracks coming off the range headed towards a water hole about a mile to the west on BLM. So I start driving down a two-track that looped around towards the water hole. About halfway there I see a few oryx running straight away from me in some yucca. Slam on brakes, jump out and grab rifle and stand-up shooting sticks from back seat. The last oryx is just about to dissappear at 200+ yards, I pull the trigger aiming for the back of the neck, and miss!

Ok, that's not the end of the story. I'm guessing the bullet must have whizzed within inches of its left ear because it turned 90 degrees and was now hauling ass to my right at about 250 yards away, out of the yucca, in the open, almost a perfect crossing shot, angling just a little bit away. I cycled the bolt and was able to pivot my body around the sticks, giving me what felt like a good hold. I swung the crosshairs in front of the oryx leading it just over a full body length and pulled the trigger. Why that lead? Damned if I know, it just felt right. And whack! oryx did a complete cartwheel and piled up in a huge cloud of dust. Never saw it move or twitch after it hit the ground. Turns out I drilled it right through the heart, pic is bullet entrance hole on right side, no exit wound. Holy crap! Did I say luck? No way, 100% skill .

View attachment 305439View attachment 305440

Good shooting sir excellent I hate trying to shoot a moving Target I miss more than I hit but hey congratulations to you

 

[MTGunner]

I’ve taken some OK shots during my hunting career. Nothing truly long by many standards. Here is a picture, I was a bit younger then, of a couple ‘lopers that I took with my XP-100, 260AI. The one on the left I counted 377 paces, whatever that equates to. The smaller pic i don’t recall the distance. MTG

 

[Rzrbk]

I was teal hunting with my Dad when two teal came screaming past us from right to left and maybe 35-40 yards out. They were at Mach III at least and my Dad didn't see them coming in time to react. I threw my Ithaca, semi-auto 12 gage to my shoulder and shot two times, dropping both dead. When the dog retrieved them I found that one of them was banded! My Dad was thoroughly impressed but had been duck hunting with me enough to know I'd exceeded my norm.

My Dad often told me the story of the first time he hunted with his soon to be, Father-in-law. My Dad was a quail hunter and borrowed a full-bore, 12 gage double barrel from FIL to carry as they hunted for whatever game they could find. A covey of quail flushed and my Dad shoots one of them, blows its head clean off! My Dad said that his soon to be FIL was convinced that he had intentionally shot the head off and my Dad apparently didn't tell him otherwise.

 

[buffybr]

I heard about a guy that took a 700 yard shot on a big mule deer without ranging and blew its leg off. Slowed the deer down enough for him to catch up and finish it off. Some other stuff may have happened in-between but who cares. What a shot.

Those extreme long range shots are the latest craze on many of the hunting TV shows, but unfortunately too many of those shots end up with a wounded animal that is never recovered.

Our range has target berms out to 430 yards. I gone out to that range almost every wednesday since the late '70s, mainly to shoot Trap or Skeet. But in the last 20 some years I've started my range sessions by shooting 3 or 4 pistols, then 2 or 3 rifles.

My rifle practice is shooting prone with a bipod, starting with 3 shots at the 9" steel gong at 200 yards, then 3 shots at the 9" 300 yard gong, then 4 shots at the 15" 430 yard gong. Then I repeat that with my second rifle. I'm usually confident of all shots hitting unles it's very windy and the the hits on the 430 yard gong with my .223 bullets can be iffy.

I shot my first elk back in 1966 with a borrowed .30-40 Krag rifle with iron sights. On my first shot the front sight bead completely covered the bull that I was shooting at. It took me 12 more shots and a long chase before I finally got him. Since then, I've never even tried a shot at over 350 yards on any animal.

One of my shots that I'm most proud of was a spot and stalk 10 yard shot with my recurve bow on a 5x5 bull elk.

 

[Mallardsx2]

I killed 3 crows with 1 shot (while they were flying in the air) from my shotgun. Love me some crow hunting.

 

[AjaDog]

Those extreme long range shots are the latest craze on many of the hunting TV shows, but unfortunately too many of those shots end up with a wounded animal that is never recovered.

Our range has target berms out to 430 yards. I gone out to that range almost every wednesday since the late '70s, mainly to shoot Trap or Skeet. But in the last 20 some years I've started my range sessions by shooting 3 or 4 pistols, then 2 or 3 rifles.

My rifle practice is shooting prone with a bipod, starting with 3 shots at the 9" steel gong at 200 yards, then 3 shots at the 9" 300 yard gong, then 4 shots at the 15" 430 yard gong. Then I repeat that with my second rifle. I'm usually confident of all shots hitting unles it's very windy and the the hits on the 430 yard gong with my .223 bullets can be iffy.

I shot my first elk back in 1966 with a borrowed .30-40 Krag rifle with iron sights. On my first shot the front sight bead completely covered the bull that I was shooting at. It took me 12 more shots and a long chase before I finally got him. Since then, I've never even tried a shot at over 350 yards on any animal.

One of my shots that I'm most proud of was a spot and stalk 10 yard shot with my recurve bow on a 5x5 bull elk.

Yes anybody that has a 450 yard shot with any kind of rifle is capable of shooting that far talking about the rifle being capable I'm not talking about the individual unless you're a highly trained sharpshooter Marksman whatever it might be from military or outside training I will leave that alone 300 yards there's some others I will shoot on a deer or any kind of game like that I do take shots then excess of 500 yards when coyotes with my 300 win mag I'll probably shot at 1516 of them in the last several years and I've only hit four there's too many variables and putting a piece of lid that far down range on any kind of deer whatever it might be if you want game to take home and be proud of with the racks or whatever don't shoot at 450 yards cuz there's very few people in this world we can make that kind of shot and look at 223 or anything of that nature I'll leave it alone crosswinds anything can throw that round off period........ A very dear friend of mine that I grew up with in the hood made the longest shot in the Gulf war 1,057 yards took out an Iraqi lieutenant I'm sure that it was supposed to have been a headshot no doubt about it but he hit him in the neck the sky is a very renowned well known sniper within the sniper community of course he is now retired but this is his book cover that's being published right now that there's any doubt it's not out on the shells yet but it will be in the next month or two

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

my best shot was in 2020 in idaho,,late season muzzy elk hunt,,dropped a 5x5 at 240 yards with my .54 cal great plains muzzy,,425 gr conical,90 grains 777,,open peep sights,,put 20" OVER THE BACK AND DRILLED HIM///{ill also take a little luck on it too}

 

[mtmuley]

Every shot I take is great. mtmuley

 

[TheBenHoyle]

I grew up around hunting but not actually hunting. In college, I started getting into it, but I felt like I was a little behind the curve because I didn't know how to shoot and most of my hunting experiences were pheasant hunts with large parties. I shot and pheasants died, but I never knew if I actually killed any of them.

I got into turkey and deer and waterfowl hunting and eventually killed some that I knew I hit, but I still feel a little imposter syndrome and get a lot of validation from shooting something and knowing I shot it.

I have two duck related shots that I would classify as "great" in the lucky sense.

I did a snap shot on some passing teal and brought one down. When I picked it up, there was a single BB in its eye socket...

A couple years later, my dad and I were sneaking up on a pond full of ducks. But before we got anywhere near the pond, we were blown and the ducks start flying. I was pretty bummed until I see these two gadwall flying low about 20 yards to our right. I snapped my shotgun up in desperation and pulled the trigger. Boom, both ducks go down. It was a left to right passing shot, which is usually hard for me, but somehow I managed it times 2.

And of course, I got extremely lucky with my archery deer this fall. The buck stepped forward as I shot and must have ducked the string a little. I ended up with a gut shot, but instead of hitting anything in the "guts" I shot through the tenderloin, nicking an artery. Buck only went 20-30 yards.

 

[Deckerp]

Red Ryder BB gun, chipmunk at 40-50yards dead on impact. Felt pretty bad about that one at the time being just a little kid. I used to mostly just run around shooting pine cones and such and didn’t really think I would hit it.

 

[perma]

Every shot I take is great. mtmuley

Is there any bad shot with a RUM?

 

[sticktownsend]

My greatest shot was my first time duck hunting. I didn't own a 12 gauge so I took my 20 which I was very comfortable with and had used for years pheasant hunting. I bought some steel #2 3" shells and a full choke rated for steel, figured I would either hit them good, or miss completely that way. My friends were giving me a hard time and kept offering that I could borrow a spare 12 gauge. I kept insisting that I was very comfortable with this gun and would be good. No less than 3 times they asked if I would want to borrow a bigger gun. So much so it became the running joke all morning.
Finally, a group comes in and I put the bead on a bird and *BANG,* bird falls...I am confident I got that one. Swung around on a couple others and fired but didn't feel as confident that I hit like the first one. There was 3 of us hunting and we had all taken shots and we were all pleading our case as the dog went to retrieve the fallen bird. Dog brings it back and then goes out after one that had been winged. My friend is holding the bird and notices a patch on the breast that is skinned and a big hole in the bird. He sees something white and says it looks like a rib sticking out. He is picking at it and proceeds to pull a 20 gauge wad out of the chest of this bird.
After that they said they would never again question if I had enough gun.