How do you control your breathing when hunting?

C

Caden McCourt

New member
Hi my name is Caden and I'm 16 years old. I have grown up around and extremely wide variety of fire arms my entire life. I started hunting as a child. At 4 years old I would shoot birds in our backyard. I have shot 3 deer and many rabbits and squirrels. All of the deer I shot were 1 shot kills and they never ran more than 100 yards. I was coyote hunting last night and around 7:30 I saw a coyote come out of the trees around 125 yards to my left. I hunt with a Savage arms model 93 17HMR with a laminated thumb hole stock. As I looked through my scope to confirm it was indeed a coyote my heart started racing very fast and I was shaking. I couldn't steady my scope on my extending bipod. I have hunted alone more than I have with others so I was trying everything that I could image would help. I clicked my safety back on and took a few deep breaths. Luckily I told myself that it's not worth it to make a bad shot and I waited a little longer to see it run off. Is there any sure fire way for me to steady in and make a clear headshot on such and easy target?
 
First off, Your good ethics as a hunter showed when you didn't pull the trigger when you knew that you couldn't steady yourself!! Heck, even ethical hunters lapse in judgement from time to time in the same situation. I would be lying if I said I've never taken a shaky shot. You obviously have a good head on your shoulder!!

I know exactly how you feel. I've never had "buck fever" while deer hunting, but if you put a predator in front of me that's when my nerves go bonkers. Doesn't matter if it's a bear or a coyote, something happens to me when they come to the call, whether charging in or slowly creeping in.

What I do is simply close my eyes, take 2 deep long breathes hold in the second exhale about half way through and think to myself "don't f this one up dummy". I'm more then certain better advice will be given, but it doesn't hurt to try!!!

Good luck and welcome to the forum. The members here are top notch hunters
 
I advise against head shots, since if you are suffering from a bad case of Coyote fever your are going to miss..

Why not put that round on the heart, where you have more room for error and better chance of success?

Coyote fever is what you described and goes away with calming yourself down, it's a deliberate effort to relax. I tell my wife it's my version of Meditation to sit still, stay calm, and try to relax so that at the time of need you make the best shot you can.

You can make a great shot with your heart racing, if you can control your breathing, and focus on your core fundamentals of marksmanship. Get a few coyotes under your belt and it will get better. if you really enjoy it, you should get that each season. You are trying to beat the hunter at his own game. If your not excited, I am not sure why you would do it.


Good luck and hope this is helpful.
 
as the others said, i applaud you for knowing when not to take your shot because in this instance you couldnt settle down, but i think you need to study up on the round you're using a little more and realize the limitations set on this rimfire ammo just because of what it is.


Originally Posted By: SlickerThanSnotand if have something, anything bigger, than that 17hmr you should be thinking seriously about using it.

especially once you cross the 125yd barrier. the performance of the caliber degrades quickly beyond there.


the most common bullet - the 17gr vmax - has an minimum expansion threshold of 1600 fps. the closer you get to this required impact FPS - even without falling below it - the more chance you have of the projectile not performing as designed. at best, from a 22" barrel you're gonna get right around 2550 fps from it, the shorter the barrel the lower the MV

from varmital's page (link below for the full page)
17bbl.png


so assuming you're getting a full 2550 with your gun, by 150 yds - you're barely scraping above the required impact velocity for the bullet to do anything more than just ice pick its way thru. without that expansion on target - and the energy dump, and permanant wound channel it creates when doing so - the round is effective neutered without an absolutely perfect shot.

velocity.png



add into that the wind deflection from that light little pill and the necessary accuracy described above goes straight out the window at extended distances.

I'm sure you're familiar with this weakness if you have any trigger time to speak of on the 17hmr on windy days.
17wind.png





the 17hmr is a wonderfully effective caliber within its designed box, however as you try to extend out further its limitations really show themselves. and then you're into a significantly higher chance of lost game due to injuries, etc.


when you start working with lower power cartridges (relatively speaking) and using bullets outside of their designed operating range you add to the complexity of any given hunting situation and that goes hand in hand with the likelyhood of a successful hunt.


heres some light reading on the caliber for you to digest to help make you a better hunter
smile.gif


http://www.varmintal.com/17hmr.htm
http://www.chuckhawks.com/17HMR.htm


 
you say you've taken a few deer so far, have you considered - as long as you're not trying to save pelts anyway - about using your deer rifle for coyotes?
 
Yes I have considered it. The only reason I won't use it is because there are farms all around my house and livestock everywhere. Plus deer season is starting up and i don't wanna scare everything off of my place. I have money saved I wanted to buy a 223. Do you think that is a good idea?
 
Thank your for your valid points and I am looking to get a 223. I really appreciate the graph you put with it. It actually helped me realize my energy drop off at longer ranges with such a small round
 
Good job Caden! Some you just have to let go for another day.
Save your money for that .223, its a great/fantastic cartridge for coyotes! I have three .223 rifles and I really enjoy hunting with them.
Welcome to PM
 
I am the kind of hunter that I like bolt action or lever action rifles. I'm not a fan of semi autos or breakbarrels. I have no interest in using a shotgun as well. I like to take the time and make one shot and instantly drop my target with no pain or suffering. I want to rely on my skill as a marksman and on my natural instincts as a hunter to not have to fire multiple rounds or chase down my target. Is anyone else the same?
 
Good job passing an iffy shot, Caden.

Practice, practice, practice. The more you shoot the more natural the shot. I'd suggest you practice on coyote targets from field positions. Makes your shots in the field come more automatically.

As has been stated, a couple of deep breaths as you set up the shot will help with the shakes. Before long, the shot seems to break automatically when everything is aligned properly. The more you practice, the sooner that will occur.

No warts on a .223 for coyotes and Cabela's is having quite a sale on Savage rifles (discussion in firearms forum).

Welcome to PM.

Regards,
hm

ETA: Several have suggested ditching the head shots; good advice.

36160199346_73464a942b.jpg


35942940125_35b449282c.jpg
 
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Originally Posted By: Caden McCourtI have no interest in using a shotgun as well. I like to take the time and make one shot and instantly drop my target with no pain or suffering. I want to rely on my skill as a marksman and on my natural instincts as a hunter to not have to fire multiple rounds or chase down my target. Is anyone else the same?

Don't be so quick to dismiss a shotgun also. There is definitely situations where a shotgun IS the better choice. With that said, figure out your rifle first!!
Most, if not every hunter wants a one shot quick kill but reality is that that's not always the outcome. Bad/poor hits happen, if it hasn't happen to you yet don't get a big head over it because you WILL be humbled some day unfortunately.
As far as the more expensive Henry, if that's the pearl in your eyes then buy it. Don't settle for a money friendly rifle because you may end up being happy with the cheaper one but you'll still always want the Henry. BUY ONCE CRY ONCE! You'll see that saying a lot on this forum and it's something to think about. Nothing wrong with having more then one rifle in the same calibers either
 
The first few coyotes coming in usually shake folks up a bit, especially if they are charging hard or if you have worked hard to make it happen and are invested in it mentally. The more stands you make, and the more coyotes you kill, you will settle down more. Of course, I never want that thrill to go away completely, that is what keeps me coming back for more. With experience you will learn to shoot well even if you have butterflies.

Work on marksmanship fundamentals. Get out and practice from field positions, finding out how to build a good solid shooting position. Shoot this way a lot. I mean really a lot. Until hitting a target the size of a coyote at 100-200 yards becomes easy, and second nature. That will teach you what positions are steady, how to set yourself up for shots, and give you the confidence to make those shots. Then when the real deal happens your body is much more able to fall into muscle memory patterns and make the shot before your brain has time to screw it up.

223 would be an excellent choice. Especially since ammo is cheap and you can practice a lot with it. Personally I would get a sporter weight bolt action rifle that is easy to carry and has a reputation for out of the box accuracy. Like a Tikka T3. Or a Ruger American, or a Savage. Personally I really love my little CZ-527. Once you have your rifle find out which ammo your rifle likes, and shoot a bunch of it.

Then don't focus so much on learning how to call, but on learning about coyotes. Calling is easy. Learning coyotes and their behavior is what puts fur on the ground.
 
I fully understand where you are coming from and i know that I am no expert marksman. I just love the feeling of putting down your prey with one skillful shot. I have a close friend of is the opposite he just aims shoots and shoots till his gun is empty which I disagree with strongly, because of the fact that the animal suffers a great amount before death if it is not shot in a vital area. West.Mass.Hunter. You have been of so much help to me and I am thankful for that!
 
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