When I went on my hunting for noobs expedition at Rancho de los Kees last November, my biggest concern – after first finding a deer and getting off a clean shot – was making sure that I hit what I was aiming at. Having never before killed anything bigger than a wasp, the last thing I wanted was to wound the animal and have to chase it down to put it out of its misery. Fortunately, all went well. Tyler’s Ruger M77 was all sighted in, I aimed where he told me to and hit where I aimed. The deer dropped like a rock and was dead before we got to him. So the thought of getting ready to take a second shot never really entered my mind, though it probably should have. Just in case. NRA contributor and Gunsite rangemaster Il Ling New advises keeping the rifle shouldered while you rack it for a follow-up shot. She even claims that it makes your first shot better, I assume because you’re not so quick to drop the rifle to see what you hit. Make sense?
![By Larry Keane President Joe Biden traveled to New York City for a media event to try and show America he’s doing something about rampant crime. Instead, he blamed the Second Amendment and lawful gun owners, said nothing about holding criminals to account and repeated the same tired lies about the firearm industry he keeps at the ready – lies “fact-checked” as being false each time he’s previously recited them. It makes no difference to the president. He’s not even trying anymore. To President Biden and national gun control groups the problem is always the gun and the law-abiding members of the industry. It’s never the criminal. Blaming the ‘Resistance’ President Biden was joined by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams for a “Gun Violence Strategies Partnership” meeting to talk about how to solve the crime surge, particularly those involving firearms. Instead of real solutions, the focus devolved into blaming law-abiding gun owners and again pushing a gun control agenda. “Enough is enough,” President Biden said. “Because we know we can do things about this, but for the resistance, we’re getting from some sectors of the government and the Congress and the state legislatures, and the organizational structures out there.” That “resistance” the president spoke of is the American people. Over the past two years they’ve become fed up with police defunding policies and soft-on-crime prosecutors, like Manhattan’s Democratic District Attorney Alvin Bragg. They’ve invested in their own safety. The “resistance” is the 21 million lawful gun buyers in 2020, including more than 8.4 million first-time buyers, and the 18.5 million gun buyers in 2021, with more than 5.4 million first-timers. The ”resistance” has backstopped Congress from passing federal gun control that don’t address crime. It also stopped President Biden’s nominations of paid gun control lobbyist David Chipman to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and banking activist Saule Omarova as Comptroller of the Currency because not even all U.S. Senate Democrats could support them. They would have turned those agencies into bludgeons to hammer the firearm industry to achieve a special interest, gun control agenda. Favorite Falsehoods The president turned his aim from lawful gun owners towards the firearm industry and repeated a lie he’s rehearsed several times before. “Imagine had we had a liabil… [sic] they’re the only industry in America that is exempted from being able to be sued by the public. Only one,” the president protested. “Why the gun manufacturers?… It’s got to end. They’ve got to be held responsible for the things they do that are irresponsible.” He repeated the claim for emphasis. “And I find that outrageous.” This is flatly false. The president knows by now, or his speechwriters do and they don’t bother with the facts. CNN, Politicfact and Washington Post have all checked President Biden on his remark, including after he said it in the White House Rose Garden. CNN cleanly rebuked it. “This is false. Gun manufacturers are not entirely exempt from being sued, nor are they only industry with some liability protections.” Politifact rated it “false.” Washington Post wasn’t kinder, saying, “Biden is wrong to claim the gun industry is totally immune.” The firearm industry has liability protections under the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), bipartisan legislation enacted under former President George W. Bush. The firearm industry cannot be held liable when unaffiliated third-parties, in this case criminals, misuse a legal, lawfully sold product. It’s fundamental tort law and is similar to an individual attempting to hold Ford and Budweiser responsible for drunk driving deaths. The law was passed in direct response to lawsuits filed against the industry by control groups and municipalities like the city of New York and the state of New York. These type of lawsuit continue to be filed, now even by foreign governments represented by the same gun control group, the Brady Center. Colonial-Era Error President Biden continued to ignore facts on the Second Amendment and its history. He even erred when speaking about the Revolution-era days and why the right to keep and bear arms was so sacrosanct. “When the amendment was passed, it didn’t say anybody could own a gun and any kind of gun and any kind of weapon,” President Biden remarked. “You couldn’t buy a cannon, and when – the – when this, uh, this amendment was passed.” It did, and does, say the right of the People “shall not be infringed.” Even The Washington Post was brutal in their assignment of “Four Pinocchio’s” to this statement. “Biden has already been fact-checked on this claim — and it’s been deemed false. We have no idea where he conjured up this notion about a ban on cannon ownership in the early days of the Republic, but he needs to stop making this claim.” In fact, the Constitution of early America – before the Bill of Rights, and Second Amendment, was even ratified – granted and encouraged “special waivers” to American merchants and sailors, “allowing private individuals to act as pirates on behalf of the United States against countries engaged in war with it.” Americans given waivers and who owned warships obviously also obtained cannons for use in battle. In fact, it is still perfectly legal to buy a cannon today. It is the presidents’ fundamental misunderstanding and blatant lying about the Second Amendment that informs his gun control agenda and misguided approach to solving the crime problem. Millions of law-abiding Americans took ownership of their Second Amendment rights to protect themselves, understanding the president won’t. Instead of mangling the meaning of the right and pushing for more gun control on law-abiding Americans, the president should keep it simple. Take on the criminals and punish them for breaking the law.](https://cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/download-26-218x150.jpeg "Harris is a Human Disinformation Campaign When It Comes to Guns")
Good advice. My first hunt, in Montana, I was using a borrowed Winchester lever gun. Six-point buck jumped up not 30 yards away and right in front of my sights. As I squeezed the trigger he ran behind a tree and I killed that tree big time, he kept going and I squeezed the trigger two more times before realizing that I hadn’t “racked the action”. He got away clean, I didn’t. Took a terrible beating from my hunting partners.
My first big game kill with a rifle was a cow moose at 20 yards. Not wanting to tear her to pieces with a .300 Win, I opted for a head shot and she dropped where she stood once I pulled the trigger. Though I knew she was dead before I walked up to her, I’ve known of several people who’ve only dazed their target, only to have it jump up and run off once they’ve got the camera out to snap a few pictures with their trophy. The same thing goes with a bow. Don’t even start tracking your animal unless you’re ready to shoot again.
Makes sense. I use a Mosin with iron sights, and have to move some to “rack” it, but I do try to be ready again quickly in case Bambi starts thrashing. Hasn’t happened thus far.
And congrats on never having hit a critter with your auto.
I was thinking of using my mosin for deer. Is yours stock? Do you recommend any work to be done first?
A mosin was designed to kill a man size target in stock form, most game animals that require a rifle are man sized or a bit larger.
True but in hunting an animal such as deer, you try to hit the heart, which is decidedly smaller than a man sized target
Guilty, perhaps, of quibbling, I would point out that the caliber and power used needs to match not the size of the heart, but the flesh, sinew, and bone that must be penetrated to reach the heart. Or brain. So a .275 Rigby with a solid bullet might break through an elephant skull, but prove less effective breaking through an elephant’s shoulder to its heart or lungs. Or a moose’s. No doubt there is some bullet and shot location combination that would make a Mosin fine for moose. A 6.5 mm Swede suffices if the shot is just right. A 9.3mm x 62 might provide much more assurance. With either, a quick on-the-shoulder working of the action is appropriate after the initial shot. If you’re hunting with an AKx, of course, you just keep pulling the trigger, as any poacher knows.
Old mtn tale: when asked if a .50 cal black powder rifle was capable of killing a black bear, Old man Todd says, “If you shoot’em where they live, they don’t live for long, no matter what you shoot’em with.”
Eric L, back in the day we had what was known as “Minute of Paper Plate”. At 100 yards, shooting from the standing position, if your deer rifle and you could deliver a full mag on a standard paper plate you were good to go for deer hunting.
Get some soft point loads and try that with your mosin. There are a ton of videos on you tube to accurize your mosin at very littl cost.
Thanks, JWM, I’ll have to look for those vids. My grouping at 100 yards isn’t where I’d like it even off of a rest.
EricL, start with corking your barrel and action. It’s easy, follow the directions. Paint your front sight post a bright color and use a file to open your rear sight notch up a little. Do the rear sight at the range and go easy with it. Good luck.
remember, also, it’s normal for your mosin to shoot high at 100 yards. Their battle sight zero, the lowest setting, is 300 yards.
Thank you, I’ll try that next range trio
Thanks for that JWM. I’m looking to take my Mosin into the deer woods this fall as well, and while I’d like to use the iron sights I’ve also started exploring some scope-mounting options. I’m interested in one of the scout mounts that Nutnfancy used in one of his videos, goes for about $80. If anybody has any experience with mounting optics on a Mosin along with any do’s and don’t’s I’d appreciate the input!
this is excellent advice. I’ve seen deer walk away from shots taken from under 15 yards. You could hit the collar, or spine the deer, and better be ready for a second shot. If you are shooting does, for meat or population management, there will be a few more right behind the first. Kill more deer. Feed the hungry. This goes for bowhunting as well.
Hunting starts in 4 weeks for maryland archery. Ive never hit my bag limit. maybe i will this year.
This just makes sense, but I can see how people forget to do it.
It goes something like this: “holy sh!! cmon. cmon. Yes! [fist pump] wow! crap. No. wtf? I got it dead on ! God da:; it come back.”
There is also a very unmistakable sound of a bullet impacting an animal. Whether its .22s on birds, a 5.56 on coyote or a .308 on deer. If you don’t hear that meat slap, you may have missed.
One of the reasons I’m going to get a double rifle. Quick follow up shot with no gun manipulation.
More important: After you’ve taken your shot and loaded the next round, if you find that your prey is down for the count, USE THE SAFETY. It’s easy to forget with the adrenaline that comes after a successful shot. There are all sorts of ways to have an ND while packing out your animal.
Better yet, just unload.
Hate to tie the two together but back in my day I taught infantry & MPs the same thing in training ESPECIALLY MOUT… muzzle & eyes look the same place until you’re certain sure… then react. Served me well deer hunting for just this point…and back when they shot back since those may have friends.
This is practically verbatim from Jeff Cooper’s book, art of the Rifle. Always, always prepare for the second shot. Always.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Of-Rifle/dp/1581605927
That’s how the Marines taught my godfather, and that’s how he taught me. Can’t quite get my wife to do it, though.
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