Rookie long range shooting mistake!!!!!

[Big Browns]

This past weekend I was hunting down south. On Sunday morning we spotted a Buck that I decided to take. After we moved into position I got all set up and waited for the shot. My buddy moved up the hill to see if he could see the bedded buck’s body for a possible bedded shot. After my buddy left the buck stood up and was facing to the right. I had already dialed my turret and had a rock solid rest. I took a few dry fire shots and finally took the shot. Unfortunately I saw the bullet hit the buck in his upper back leg. I was instantly extremely confused! The distance was not an issue for me or my gun. I couldn’t understand why I had made such a poor shot. Since I knew I had hit the buck I decided to put another round in him to knock him down. After I fired this shot I had no idea where the bullet had hit. Several more bullets later and I still had not hit the buck again and wasn’t able to tell where I was hitting.

 

At this point I was more confused than I have ever been while shooting! Thankfully my buddy got to me before I fired again. He was able to watch the bullet hit about 2 feet left of the buck with perfect elevation. He said aim at his back leg and fire again. I did and the buck dropped like a sack of potatoes. After I shot I laid there in a state of shock and confusion. Neither one of us could understand what had happened. It was then that I looked at my wind turret. I immediately knew what had happened. When I removed the gun from my rifle scabbard the turret must have been turned without me knowing. Since there was absolutely zero wind I never looked at the wind turret. Huge mistake!

 

What can you do to prevent this from happening to you? First make sure you always look at your elevation turret, parallax adjustment, bubble level and windage turret before you shoot. Second I will be adding a scope cover to all my guns in hopes this will help prevent the turrets from getting bumped while inside the scabbard.

 

I spend a LOT of time at the range and in the field practicing shooting. I’m still extremely upset with myself about making a rookie mistake! I have prided myself in making ethical one shot kills. I’m extremely embarrassed to share this, but I’m hoping someone else can learn from my mistake!

[trphyhntr]

Pics of buck?

[cjl2010]

That's why I use the g7 night force. Capped windage

[STOMP442]

This is why I do not own a scope with exposed turrets and why I never recommend them. I have heard of this happening way too many times.

[elkhunter]

When hiking my turrets always shift, goes from zero and to 900 yards, I always gotta double check everything before shooting

[5guyshunting]

Mine are capped also for this reason.

[cjl2010]

I've yet to have my elevation turret move. With zero stop it's easy to make sure you are on zero

[buddydog]

My turrets are the first thing I check when I get set up for a shot.

[Evan]

I tape my wind turret with blue painters tape, elevation is zero.

[ThomC]

Excellent post for rookies and experts.

[bigorange]

Very good info. Picking up a rifle today for my buddy's sheep hunt and he already told me "don't touch the turrets" LoL Thanks for owning this mistake and posting it so we can all learn from it. No shame there and looking forward to pics of the buck.

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Good info, the one good turret scope I have you have to lift the turret to unlock it before you can turn it. Keeps this from happening.

[Tac]

I was looking at the g7 nightforce for this exact reason.

I shot my gun this year in my area before my hunt and found seven clicks right at 700 yards to my zero. Seems that happens with exposed turrets and in and out of scabard on my vortex not so much and the swaro x5i.

[cjl2010]

I was looking at the g7 nightforce for this exact reason.

I shot my gun this year in my area before my hunt and found seven clicks right at 700 yards to my zero. Seems that happens with exposed turrets and in and out of scabard on my vortex not so much and the swaro x5i.

They just had the g7 on sale, not sure if it's still that way. I bought one off another forum and I just bought one directly from gunwerks used from a shooting school gun they had.

[218buck]

I have had that happen to me as well some times hard to remember when you have a animal in front of you