Table for how much to lead running game?

I'm going elk hunting next week.

I once had a table that listed how much to lead a running animal at different distances and speeds for a .30-06. I can't find it now though. Anyone know where I can get the info?

Thanks,

Everyone has an opinion, and my opinion is that, 'IF you need this chart for next weeks hunt, you don't need it!

LouisB

Course you know about opinions.

Joel - a table for leading an animal - damnedest thing I have ever heard of. By the time you look the number up - that bull elk has vanished.

Seriously - and I have been hunting including running game for 55 years or so on antelope, deer and elk with a 30-06 - but, depending on the distance, speed the animal is running, et.al. - hold 0 to 18 inches in front of their heart/lung area and FOLLOW THROUGH. Don't even think about 'letting the animal run into the bullet' i.e. holding the rifle stationary and not following through.

But - the majority of my shots on elk have been with the animal stationary or walking and under 100 - 150 yards.

I didn't read the other messages fully - but one mentioned calculating this table and mentioned a right triangle. As an engineer (albeit retired) the problem is a bit more complicated - that is, the real solution involves calculus and must be based on the bullet and game reaching the same point at the same time. A simple calc using just a right triangle ASSUMES, BY DEFINITION, the rifle is stationary and no follow through.

It was me. At the instance of firing, the rifle is stationary. Any movement of the gun before or after the instance of firing is moot to the direction the bullet travels.

'At the instance of firing, the rifle is stationary. Any movement of the gun before or after the instance of firing is moot to the direction the bullet travels.'

Chris: with all due respect, jtown is correct. if the rifle is swinging through a shot (not stationary), the bullet's trajectory will be impacted (vs. a stationary shot). a simple demonstration will over-emphasize the impact - take a section of plastic pipe and place a marble in it; swing the pipe and note the trajectory of the marble after it leaves the pipe. this example maginfies the impact (in a rifle, the forward motion of the bullet down the barrel is much greater than the motion imparted by the movement of the barrel during the 'swing,' but the impact is still there.

That lead will work on a walking animal.) The follow through is critical largely because if you stop your swing while squeezing the trigger an animal going 44-fps or 30 mph at right angles will mean a miss behind it. Extreme Illustrative Example: at 250 yards and a bullet flight time of .25 of sec., or one fourth of a sec in which the target will move 11 feet (1/4 of 44-fps is 11 feet of movement! Get the point of stopping your swing? See link below.

My ISP NG service was down! First and foremost, I am in 95% of cases against taking running shots unless it is to finish off wounded running game. There are exceptions to this rule, but it takes a ton of practice using mental visualizations and later dry firings on a moving deer target or other moving object.

You are correct, you can't look at a lead chart in the field. The reason for the chart is to incorporate the approximate leads to memory and practice visualizing various shots in your mind.

I began figuring the bullet time of flight back in the mid 1960's and developed some charts long before the age of computers.

If you don't know fairly close to what the lead ought to be with level terrain and a safe shooting area NEVER take the shot. If you don't steady an accurate chart you will be guessing even if you knew the exact speed and angle, etc. of the moving target.

Here is a real life TRUE example: My late father a lefty, went red fox hunting with me only one time. We spotted a fox laying in an open field in the snow, I figured he was around 200 yards away. I had told him before about leading fox and to keep swinging following through after the shot.

We were near a fence line and I used a post as a rest, I shot over the fox which ran straight to our left with a slight angle away from us.

I told my father to swing a good two and a half fox length ahead of him and squeeze off, he did and the fox went end over end. The handloaded 85 grain Sierra HPBT bullet hit the fox in the lungs near its heart. His ability to execute the shot amazed me as he had seldom shot a rifle in decades, and then it was a .22 Special pump action rim fire rifle with iron sights.

Look at what the running deer target shooters' do shooting off-hand at around 110 yards at a target moving around 7 to 10 mph, that's held potosi once a year. One Dead Center bullseye hit, half inch hits, 3/4 inches, one inch, with many under 3 inches. The better shots, and there are a lot of them, are extremely consistent. This is off-hand and none of us can shoot that good off-hand at a stationary target at that distance. The Potosi WI running deer shoot bears this out! Strange, huh?

It appears many shooters' can hold a moving rifle on a moving target more stable

Chris - when you are following an animal immediately prior to touching off a shot - your rifle has an angular velocity - which is imparted to the bullet when it is fired. You are assuming the rifle is stationary and you are trying to let the animal run into the bullet.

That reminds me of an incident many years ago - friends from Washington state were in Wyoming (where I was raised) to hunt antelope. There were about 8 - 10 head running hell bent for leather (probably around 40 - 50 mph) and maybe 100 - 150 yards away. One of these guys wants the lead buck - a nice animal - touches his 30-30 off and the last doe dropped.

Again - when shooting at running game - follow the animal and FOLLOW THROUGH!