Worst thing to happen to your rifle while hunting

[NWmontanaOutdoors]

Hiked into a basin that was about four miles back on a day hunt in knee deep snow, Was probably around 15 degrees out and we all know low temps make poly stocks brittle. My rifle was dropped from waist height and snapped my stock directly at the pistol grip about five minutes after shooting light. Safe to say the hunt was over that day! Called the manufacturer and had one over nighted. Not fun!

 

[elkhnter]

The stupid thing missed! I did everything perfectly and it still missed. Can not believe it did that to me, after all the love I showed it.

 

[glass eye]

Someone in TSA spun the dial on my scope. Took 54 clicks to get it back to zero. This after I missed two different bears. First time I thought it was just me, second time it was a chip shot and I knew something was off.

 

[Dsnow9]

First season ever hunting had cheap rings and scope on my 30/30, don’t ever remember bumping or dropping it but gave the buck an arm pit hair cut at 75 yards. Ended up pulling off the skope, iron site brush gun now and does great.

Last year the bolt fell out in the safe, somehow missed that until I went to check zero at the range by the trailhead. There went that scouting day.... luckily I was only 3 hours from home and planned on shooting a little before hitting the backcountry.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Got in my tree stand opening morning of deer season to look down and notice that my rear scope ring on my old 760 was broken. Thankfully I wasn’t too far from home and could grab a different rifle, but I list a morning of hunting

 

[BrentD]

Well, it wasn't a rifle, but close enough. My shotguns take a heck of a beating.

 

[BackofBeyond]

It wasn't while hunting, but a heartbreaker none-the-less. I grew up in a small town, the kind where you could still have a gun rack in your truck, complete with rifles, in the high school parking lot. Senior year I saved up and bought myself a brand new Ruger M77 and put a Leupold 2x7 scope on it. Nothing super fancy, but still a chunk of change for a 17 y/o kid.

Some jackass broke out the back window and stole my rifle a week before opening day while I was playing football. And of course, I drove a complete P.O.S. so it was liability only... comprehensive covered the glass, but not my rifle.

 

[jeremys4]

Opening day of rifle season I was 19 in a 1/27 draw zero points first hour of light rolled my uncles quad almost a 1/4 mile down a draw I was fine but my .270 broke right at the pistol grip only a sling holding the two together. Glued it back together new scope shooting great now.

 

[quiet22]

Just started my first steps from my car atop a California mountain in the Cleveland National Forest.......when my heavy snake boots caught onto a hidden string of barbed wire that had fallen on the ground. Loaded rifle and I went flying forward....but only residual damage was ruffled feelings.

 

[338 win mag]

Not actually while hunting but getting ready to hunt. Left my rifle leaned against the rear tire of my truck. Hopped in the pull up a few feet. Of course the rifle fell and I ran over it. Even though it was a gravel drive it didnt put a scratch on it. Leupold didnt even lose zero! Inwas extremely lucky

 

[Anschutz]

Had just traded for a Ruger SBH was getting ready to go, slipped my holster on and grabbed my rifle. I had a loop I would walk for deer hunting about 2-3 miles long theough the woods. I got about half way through and went to check my holster. NO PISTOL. I combed the woods until dark and never found it. I was pretty distraught thinking the only place I hadn't looked was a creek I always crossed. It was too dark to look in there so I went home. I come in the back door and there it was. I never put it in the holster.

 

[Ajax2744]

I know a guy who leaned a Winchester model 70 against a tree at camp while he packed his truck up after his hunt. Drove the couple hours home and didn't unpack his truck for a few days. When he did unpack it he couldn't find his gun and realized he left it leaning against that tree. Well he drove back to camp and it was long gone.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

When I was a young lad I fell and knocked scope off center right before I got to my sitting log one year in PA. Missed a buck 20 minutes later. Went back to camp hung paper plate up and couldnt hit it at 50 yards. Wasnt all bad...dad and I sighted it back in and that evening I shot my first buck a 7 point.

 

[QuazyQuinton]

Not me, but my daughter's rifle. She drew a premium buck tag the first year they were offered here in Oregon. We had been hunting for a few days, and one morning we were getting into the truck to head out. I hear, "Daddy, is this part on my scope supposed to wiggle?" Um, no, that part on your scope is not supposed to wiggle. The screw holding the rear ring to the base is completely loose. I tightened it, and we pulled off at a convenient spot to check the zero. I cannot hit a piece of notebook paper at 25 yards. I studied the mount a little more and realized that I had turned one piece a quarter turn from its intended position. I fixed that, and it was back on zero. Later that day she shot a nice 4x4 at 30 yards. You don't need a real precise zero for a 30 yard shot, but it was still a huge sense of relief to see that buck go down.

The main thing that has happened by my guns is that they have frequently not hit the target they were supposed to hit.

QQ

 

[C17loadclear]

Tripped with my beretta bl5 in some barb wire and messed the bottom barrel and the vent rib...

 

[Mallardsx2]

My wife clicked an m77 .308 at a big buck broadside at 15 yards a couple years back. The firing spring had weakened. I put a new 24 pound wolf spring in it and it now works fine. And the shell that didn't go off before went off....

I felt really bad for her.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Sling broke right at my shoulder barrel went 8 inches straight into the mud... bear hunt over for that day
Shotgun same thing. I don't buy cheap or leather slings anymore.

Dumped a canoe in Jan duck hunting, -25 gun came out of the water and instantly froze... couldn't work slide, couldn't budge the safety.
Filled barrel of shotgun with snow belly crawling.

Put a level on my scope, put the gun in it's case, went on a hunt killed a pronghorn, came back, pulled the gun out at home scope was canted 30 degrees... the level had acted as a lever and torqued the scope in it's rings.

I typically have to double check my scope at least once a season after a hard fall.

 

[ntodwild]

Nothing serious like some of the posts but the action froze up on my Browning A-bolt during a late season elk hunt (temps in the teens). Didn't get a shot off because of it.

 

[thusby]

Borrowed my BAR to brother-in-law. He had it strapped to his back when he stepped on a wet log. Fell straight back on top of it. He weighs around 400 pounds so I thought it was all over and then he ended up shooting a deer with it a couple hours later.

 

[Jwill]

I ran into guy wandering along a trail once that had been thrown by a mule and somehow lost his rifle in the process. Probably a good thing he couldn't find the gun.