These are the biggest blunders even experienced deer hunters-myself included-have admitted to making, along with tips to help you avoid them.
Oct 1, 2007
Don't Ignore the Muzzle
The Mistake: One day on the plains, a high-profile hunter (who wishes to remain anonymous) shot over the back of a 160-inch 10-pointer at 200 yards. The rattled deer bolted and ran straight toward the rifleman, who fired and missed again. The buck kept approaching, and our guy finally dropped him at 60 paces.
The Fix: As the hunter sat wondering what had gone wrong, he checked his .270. The barrel had bulged and split! He figures that dirt must have gotten lodged in the muzzle as he crawled on a stalk the previous afternoon. His first shot at the buck cracked the muzzle an inch. Who knows where the first two bullets flew. It was a miracle he got the giant—and a second miracle he didn't get injured. "I always tape the muzzle in the snow," he says. "Now I'm sure gonna tape it every day of the season."
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