Making a moving target out of a tire?

[clattin]

Anyone have plans, or know of plans to make a moving target out of a tire for practicing shooting at a running target (deer)?  Want to practice with my lever gun for doing some deer drives this fall.

Thanks!
Chris

[WylieKy]

You can put a tire on a zip line, but it isn't very realistic.  Deer don'r run in a straight line.  They leap and zig zag at odd intervals, and making a clean, humane kill is difficult at best.  My advise is to do everything within your power to avoid a drive.  By dogs or men.  They are not very safe, not very humane, and the meat is not as sweet.  That being said, there are areas that almost demand a drive due to terrain and/or hunting pressure.  Just my $.02..

Back to the question you asked.  Get a dog run kit and work somthing out. A tire would be awful heavy, maybe rig up a cross piece with some scrap lumber.   Just be safe.

WylieKy

[Don Fischer]

Think I'd forget the tire idea and get a shotgun. Really. Otherwise the only way I know to shoot well at running game is to shoot just befor they run!  We had a running boar target when I was in Germany and I could hit it fairly well but not real well. One thing I did notice was that the target was well within buckshot range.

[TH]

I calculated these number from Winchesters site for the 12ga 2.75 partition gold.  Thought you may all be interested in the actual amount of lead needed to hit a running deer at usual ranges.

Yards Downrange   /    Deers Running Spped : Lead Required
25     /   5mph : 0.3ft, 15mph : 0.9ft, 30mph: 1.8ft
50     /   5mph : 0.6ft, 15mph : 1.8ft, 30mph : 3.6ft
75     /   5mph : 0.9ft, 15mph : 2.8ft, 30mph : 5.6ft
100   /   5mph : 1.3ft, 15mph : 3.8ft, 30mph : 7.6ft
125   /   5mph : 1.6ft, 15mph : 4.9ft, 30mph : 9.7ft

So to hit a deer running at 30 mph (we all no deer can go faster) at 75 yards you will have to lead it by 5.6 feet.  Pretty far amount of lead, and this is with one of the hottest shotgun slugs out there, you can imagine what it would be for slugs that start off a good 400 fps less than the partition ( I am sure it would add a couple of feet the answer).

Not an easy shot to make consistantly.

[Don Fischer]

Well he said deer drives. That means more people I think. Also maybe someone on stands. Usually they do that in heavier cover, choice of a 30-30 might indicate that. I don't think I'd use slugs, I'd opt for buckshot. Actually, I don't believe you'll see deer running that fast unless you drive them with dogs. Guy's I knew years ago in Virgina did that and the deer would move pretty good. Men walking should slow things down some.

[TH]

Don,
  I would be the last person to talk bad about driving deer.  I live and hunt deer in Iowa.  Our group is usually around 5-6 people so our drives are not huge by any means, and like you stated if done correctly most of your shots can still be at standing deer.  Generally our drives last ~2 hours and cover alot of timber with 3 drivers and 2 standers.  I have shot more deer while on drive than on stand!  We just take our time and go real slow through the timber, you can usually jump deer without spooking them to bad.  They will often stop and present a shot for the drivers and 90% of the time if they don't stop for the drivers they will stop on the edges of the timber and give the standers good shots.  This is how I was taught to hunt deer and it seems to work pretty good for our short (5 day) shotgun season.  That being said, not all people drive deer this way.  I have witnessed from a distance people basically walk in a straight line fast through a chunk of timber and wonder why they have deer running in every direction not offering any shots, and at the same time they walked right by that seasoned 4 year old buck that just waited till the hunter passed and quickly exited the rear of the timber.  I guess everyone does it a little different.
  I have been getting the itch to try either muzzle loader or archery hunting to gain the experience of hunting from a tree stand and getting the deer to come in real close for the shot.  Also would be nice to have a long season to be able to be more selective on what I harvest.  Can't have to many hobbies I guess, just need to convince the wife

P.S.  I have shot many deer that were moving also, but those shots have been inside of 30 yards with the deer not to spooked (i.e. not halling arse!).

[Don Fischer]

TH,

I've sat on hillsides and watched people walk thru areas to fast and have seen a lot of deer that got up and left AFTER the hunter went by. Going slow seems to un-nerve them. Now the people I knew in Virgina years ago that hunted with dogs, those deer were in a hurry. The country was very brushy but the deer couldn't play the games with the dogs that they got away with with people. Seems like every deer shot like that would be full of adrenilene.

[TH]

Don,
  I know what you mean about going slow.  I find the same thing works for Pheasant hunting.  Walk real slow and just stop every 20 yards or so for 10 seconds and stand there, this is when 75% of pheasants flush for me (when hunting without a dog), and sometimes I am amazed how close to me they flush.  Them old roosters are pretty smart to.  Throw a dog into the mix and it is a whole different story.  Can't hunt deer in Iowa with dogs, seems like you would probably have to use buckshot (which is also ilegal in Iowa).  Don't know that I would want to hunt that way, but it would be interesting to experience it at least once.  I know that there is alot of history and heritage behind that style of hunting.
TH

[Don Fischer]

TH,

If you want a real trip, try phesants in beat fields. I only hunt birds with dogs and I've had them right under a dogs nose in beets and had to kick them to get them out. Sometimes about the time you believe there is no bird and you have to drag the dog away, the damn bidr flushes!