Hunting From A Ground Blind

[Mr Weebles]

Maybe you guys can help me with this!

Each October my friends and I hunt for a week in NC. The trip is definitely not a trophy hunt, it's mainly to fill our freezers. We then go home and hunt northern NH, Mass and Maine where the hunting is much more difficult.

Anyway, I took two small bucks this year from an elevated box blind ... both shots were out to 80 or 90 yards ... perfect shoulder shots and the deer dropped right where they stood. From the same blind two years ago, I took a doe out at 225 yards. I can consistently take deer from elevated blinds and treestands and because of my year-round practice, I'm confident of my abilities out to 300-350 yards.

Here's my problem:

This year I missed two deer from ground blinds. Both shots were embarrasingly short range (50-60 yards). Thinking back on past hunts down there, most of my misses have been from ground blinds also; at least the last three or four. I'm not wounding animals in these circumstances, I'm flat out missing.

Each time I practice breathing control and get what I think is a good rest but for some reason I keep missing.

Does anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions on how I can improve my performance?

If it helps the discussion, I'm using a Savage Model 11 in .308 topped with a Nikon 3-9X40 scope.

Thanks.

 

[ACP230]

Have you tested your rifle to see where it is shooting at shorter ranges?

There may be a chance you are shooting over the critters due to sighting-in for long range.

Otherwise the only thing I can think of is buck fever due to having the animal closer than you are used to.

 

[Mr Weebles]

ACP30,

Thank you for your reply. It's much appreciated.

The rifle is definitely checked at shorter ranges so I'm leaning towards your second answer.

I do know that each time I've missed from a ground blind I've had to move much more deliberately since the animal was on my level and I was worried about being spotted. It's probably that, plus a touch of buck (or doe) fever from having the animal so close.

 

['Card]

That's an interesting problem.

ACP230 already covered my first thought, but you say you're testing it at shorter ranges so that's obviously not the issue. I'd also guess that you're probably shooting from ground level when you zero your rifle, so that would seem to eliminate the possibility of any goofy ballistics from shooting down at the deer.

Most of the guys that I see using those elevated boxes place them in open fields to catch the deer when they come out to feed, leading to wide-open shots, right? How about with the ground blinds? Do those require you to shoot through cover of any sort? Remember that an intervening small sapling or tree branch, even something you may not see in the scope (because your vision is focused on the deer) can deflect a bullet just enough to cause a miss. A .308 isn't as susceptible to the degree of deflection you'd see from a smaller cartridge, but it happens.

My only other suggestion would be to look at your shooting form. In order to consistently place shots on the same spot, it's not enough for the gun and the optics to be consistent, but the angle of your head, the distance from your eye to the scope, and where your cheek lays against the stock really needs to be consistent as well. I know I used to have problems with consistency because my form was different on the bench at the range (when I was zeroing) than it was when I was shooting freehand (my most common hunting shot). If the box blind is more similar to shooting from a bench, and when you're on the ground you're having to assume a different position, that could be the cause of your problem.

 

[ACP230]

If you are using a variable scope is it set on the same power when hunting from the ground, as from an elevated blind?

An old Weaver I had would change the POI quite a bit when moved down from 4.5 to 1.5 power. I usually kept it set on 4.5, except when in thick cover, so it didn't make that much difference. It might be something else to check, however.

 

[Thin Black Line]

If I'm going ground it's definitely short range <100Y and with a shotgun/iron sites.

 

[BIGJACK]

A good way to solve the "off hand" shooting problem with ground blinds is to use a "shooting stick" of some sort. Guaranteed to make you a better shot.

 

[swampdog]

Each time I practice breathing control and get what I think is a good rest

I don't know what you are calling a good rest, but I've found it pays to practice shooting off your knees, from a chair, if that's how you'll shoot from your blind. If you zeroed your rifle in from a benchrest, you POI can change substantially in field positions. I'd check my zero from the positions I was using in the blind. If you are using part of the blind as a rest, is it the same hardness as the one you zeroed off of? Small changes in hold can lead to big changes in POI for some rifles. Not to mention using a tight sling.

 

[22-rimfire]

A lot of people have their scopes turned up too high for short shots. Keep it set on 4x and then increase the power if the shot is longer and you have time. At lower power, you see more at close range and you are more flexilbe in shooting at a running deer.

Branches, small trees, weeds, and other things are the main reasons I think people miss at close range. No matter what kind of rifle you have, you can NOT drill a hole through a 3" tree and expect to hit where you were aiming.

Buck fever? You would know it if you have it. I've had it and there is no mistaking the symptoms. You are probably not squeezing the trigger because you think "close range".... yank the trigger.... "how could I miss?".

I use a revolver now exclusively for woods deer hunting, so it will be a short range shot or NO shot. Really looking forward to this season.

 

[arjppj]

my two does i got were from 20 yards out of a ground blind. I sighted in from where the blind was to where the corn was they were eating, so i knew exactly where i would hit. It could be one of 43 different things causing it, best option would be to buy a shotgun and put some 3" buckshot in it, one of the 12 pellets is bound to hit.