I have high end scopes on both of my rifles. Bought them obviously before I got married. I shoot paper with them at least 3 or 4 times throughout the year, just to make sure nothing has changed. And also, I don't pull the trigger a lot during deer season, and it'll knock any rust off that's built up on me in the last couple months. Luckily our place is set up where I can do that and not affect anything as far as hunting.
With all this being said, I wounded the only deer I've shot at this year.
It happens from time to time, but not 5 times a year! I hope not anyway!

^^^^^this

I would have checked it after the first miss. But, that is me, I am old school. Been shooting 50 years, I don't miss, so I would have figured hardware problem.

Maybe the first 4 whiffs were with a bow...not that it matters. Damn, I can't fathom that kind of streak. What's even harder to imagine is why anyone would own up to it, unsolicited, on a public forum.

...I dont know your experience level...
A 7400 isnt usually known as tack driver...
But, shots all over the place is usually the shooter...
Is your barrel clean? Saw an old 742 that couldnt put 3 shots in a paper plate at a 100 yards...25yrs old and barrel had never been cleaned...ever
Sounds like you have good optics...
Rings and bases?
Same ammo on each shot...
Accuracy has a lot of variables...
most of the time its a short between the chair and the trigger
Advice?...get with one of the experienced old farts on here...
or somebody who truly knows to help you...
EVERYBODY learns to shoot, those that truly shoot well...

All the young guys on here are wondering why you said obviously.

They will see.

You sir I bet have a loose scope or mount. Maybe the base that holds the rings. Check it good.

Yes, yes they will. Even more so when chitlens come along!

Been there before had loose mounts but when I put them back on there lets just say they won't ever come loose again and it solved my problem

Yep. One min you're all like, man i need that new rifle and the next thing you know is you got a buggy full of goldfish crackers and you're trying to remember if she said huggies or pampers.

Phillip are you still hunting Mr. Oliver's farm? I'll bring my little 25-06 over there and show you how to kill one!

Better luck next time.

I would be more concerned about cheap rings and base than I would the cheap scope. It kills me when I see one of my buddies go by some badass scope and turn around and get garbage to mount it with.

You've been watching and spying on me, haven't you?!?!?

You've been watching and spying on me, haven't you?!?!? [/quote]

Nope. I've lived it. Nowadays I sit around and think, man my son really needs a new rifle.

Ha! Yeah, I'm thinking the same and my son is only 16 months old. Lol!

I'm not going to point a finger at your rifle, but I'll throw this in there. I used a Rem7400 to hunt with for the last 13years (it was my first deer rifle). I started out with aluminum see-through mounts because I didn't know any better. I would go to the range, and sight in my rifle. The best I could ever group was about 2in, mainly because the trigger was trash. I handled the rifle and scope with care, never dropped it. Each time I went to the range I would be anywhere from 6-10in off center. Once again I'd adjust and leave. Finally I was tired of the shot variance and did some research, bought steel rings and base to get the scope as low as possible, added the Timney Trigger fix for about a 3lb pull, replaced my simmons scope with a Nikon Monarch, and shot a ton of ammo to find what it liked. After that I could shoot 5 shot groups at 100yrds that you could cover with a nickel...while it would drive tacks after sight-in, it NEVER failed that the very next time I went to the range to shoot, I would be off about 6in again. I got fed up and replaced it with a Rem700 and haven't looked back.

That being said, my dad has a shot record going about like you, for the last 7 bucks he's shot at, he's missed or failed to recover 6...he just gets way too excited and rushes the shot without taking time to properly aim.

I'm betting for most guys if you really think back you were prolly shaking like a dog chitting peach pits as you squeezed the trigger when you miss a deer.


It happens.