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Originally Posted by Steelhead
Hell, I'll even go one further. In the past several years, about 50% of the deer I've killed have been using the wrong shoulder/hand. I've found it easier to just shift hands.

I've killed a turkey or two wrong handed with a shotgun too.


My brother in law figured out how to shoot his bow wrong handed for the pig coming on the wrong side... I never really got that far.. my draw weights were usually to heavy to start with.


We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Originally Posted by Savage_99
Competitive target shooting is where you can hone your skills.

We have leagues here in the CT area for three and four position matches. During the fall and winter it's 22's at 50 ft indoors on Thursday nights.

During warmer weather it's 'big bore' leagues at 200 yds.

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]


This doesn't hurt, but it sure doesn't represent hunting either. I know... I've done what you are doing way past 200 yards for many a year... and was pretty decent at it, but its not offhand hunting practice IMHO.


We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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All. 458Win had a short article a few years ago about shooting OH from his porch w/a comp. air rifle. I shoot my Beeman R-1 OH every day in the back yard for at least a few shots. Use an old BBQ top facing me on edge which has a piece of sheet metal inside to deflect them down. I use a dime suspended on a piece of wire for a target at about 40 feet. Aint gophs' but 500 rnds. is about $14 using good pellets and YOU DO learn about follow through.-Muddy

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Originally Posted by rost495
Originally Posted by Steelhead
Hell, I'll even go one further. In the past several years, about 50% of the deer I've killed have been using the wrong shoulder/hand. I've found it easier to just shift hands.

I've killed a turkey or two wrong handed with a shotgun too.


My brother in law figured out how to shoot his bow wrong handed for the pig coming on the wrong side... I never really got that far.. my draw weights were usually to heavy to start with.


I can shoot a rifle as well left handed as I can right, likely because I am wrong I dominate. Manipulating one is a different story.

Just as I always drive left handed (so many years with a stick), but I'd always have corn kernels stuck in my ass if I had to wipe wrong handed.


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Originally Posted by rost495
Originally Posted by Savage_99
Competitive target shooting is where you can hone your skills.

We have leagues here in the CT area for three and four position matches. During the fall and winter it's 22's at 50 ft indoors on Thursday nights.

During warmer weather it's 'big bore' leagues at 200 yds.


This doesn't hurt, but it sure doesn't represent hunting either. I know... I've done what you are doing way past 200 yards for many a year... and was pretty decent at it, but its not offhand hunting practice IMHO.


We also run the running deer shoot in the fall and so do other clubs around here!


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Originally Posted by Savage_99
Originally Posted by rost495
Originally Posted by Savage_99
Competitive target shooting is where you can hone your skills.

We have leagues here in the CT area for three and four position matches. During the fall and winter it's 22's at 50 ft indoors on Thursday nights.

During warmer weather it's 'big bore' leagues at 200 yds.


This doesn't hurt, but it sure doesn't represent hunting either. I know... I've done what you are doing way past 200 yards for many a year... and was pretty decent at it, but its not offhand hunting practice IMHO.


We also run the running deer shoot in the fall and so do other clubs around here!



Whatever you guys got to do to stay in practice. Pulling the trigger is pulling the trigger. I've shot trap competitively, gone to many centerfire and rimfire shoots, shoot at the local gravel pit and other gun clubs. When I was young, I used to shoot jackrabbits on the run and walked many thousand miles doing so, also shot the chit out of them in the night time while riding in the back of a pick-up hanging on to the top of the cab with one hand and shooting with the other. Shooting is shooting. There's also no replacement for practice. I hear some guys even practice dry firing while sitting on the couch. Never done that and probably never will personally, but if it works for you so be it. I'd rather send rounds down range at paper or game, it doesn't matter.... wink


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I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style.
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You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole.

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I do my very best not to shoot at game off hand and teach younger hunters the same technique of dropping to one knee and getting a solid rest or using a tree etc. to improve their odds. I still practice off hand once in a while with a 22 and shoot trap to keep moving target skills sharper but for me one knee is vastly more accurate than standing even when using a sling to steady the rifle.

Last weekend my daughter shot off hand and asked how anyone could hit anything that way. I surprised myself by keeping the spinning targets going non stop for 10 rounds at 50 yards but if the targets had fur I would have been on a knee or sitting.

One of my hunting partners is good on gongs to 300 with his 300 Winmag but missed the last shot he took at a cow elk from about 100 yards shooting off hand.

I coached a gal getting ready for one of those TV hunting contests. We worked on the 375H&H off hand and she did fine but I told her to go off of one knee on the run then shoot course. She was slow around the course but the one knee strategy scored about double any of the other girls off hand efforts.

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I'm glad that most shooters at the public ranges around here only shoot from the bench. It helps them keep their barrels pointed downrange. Besides, many of them can't hit a 9 inch paper plate at 50 yards from the bench.


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Originally Posted by specneeds
I do my very best not to shoot at game off hand and teach younger hunters the same technique of dropping to one knee and getting a solid rest or using a tree etc. to improve their odds. I still practice off hand once in a while with a 22 and shoot trap to keep moving target skills sharper but for me one knee is vastly more accurate than standing even when using a sling to steady the rifle.

Last weekend my daughter shot off hand and asked how anyone could hit anything that way. I surprised myself by keeping the spinning targets going non stop for 10 rounds at 50 yards but if the targets had fur I would have been on a knee or sitting.

One of my hunting partners is good on gongs to 300 with his 300 Winmag but missed the last shot he took at a cow elk from about 100 yards shooting off hand.

I coached a gal getting ready for one of those TV hunting contests. We worked on the 375H&H off hand and she did fine but I told her to go off of one knee on the run then shoot course. She was slow around the course but the one knee strategy scored about double any of the other girls off hand efforts.


Nothing wrong shooting offhand. I also add the 'dropping to one knee' sounds groovy in the backyard, not so much in many settings.

If you can get a rest, get a rest, but not to the point of spending 5 minutes to do so.


On my one and only 'pay' hunt for deer they asked that we fire our rifles at 35 yards to see if we were right on at that distance.

There were 2 of us that showed up at the same time. I watched the first guy sit at the bench, then fiddle f*ck the sandbags for 2 minutes, adjust scope power and finally after about 5 minutes made one shot on target at 35 yards.

The owner then said 'Your turn'. I walked to the bench, chambered a round, shouldered the rifle and fired. Took me about 20 seconds. It would have been less time if the owner did stop me part way through and say 'Don't you want to use the bench?'

If a person can't hit a target offhand at 35 yards, they should take up Yahtzee.


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I don't think you can even call yourself a hunting rifleman unless you are reasonably proficient from off hand. It should be a right of passage for any aspiring BG hunter.

Instead of being looked down upon, it should be encouraged and practiced since it is of FAR more value in BG hunting than sitting on one's ass at a bench and squeezing irrelevant 3 shot groups

Use to be a lot of old timers at the range shooting cheap cast loads off hand out to 200 yards. What they could do was amazing. Today guys shoot groups hunkered in sand bags and call it "practice"...then get out in the field and blow modest opportunities because they don't have the security of their bench rest.

Seen it happen...gawking when presented with a simple shot. Usually close and unexpected.




The 280 Remington is overbore.

The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Off hand is normally the work of the walking around woods hunter and at normal wood distances getting down on one knee will most often do little to improve your view of the animal. Taking it to the extreme, go down flat on the ground and have a look at what you can see and what pops up in front of you.

Grab on to something if you can, go down on one knee if you have time, practice for those times when you can not.

Nor does going down on a knee grant any favors for when the animal is moving. If it did, then skeet would be shot on one knee.

Addition: Shooting only from the bench does nothing for learning how to correctly mount a rifle quickly. Like many things there is a wrong and right way. It does nothing for learning how to subconsciously have the feet set themselves to the best advantage. There is more to hitting things than pulling the trigger.


Last edited by battue; 06/06/16.

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Good post and good advice.There's loads of value in grabbing the best field rest you can, but trying too hard will cost opportunities.

Like any shot we will know immediately if we can make an off hand shot or not. I think it is a big mistake to discourage anyone from learning to shoot off hand since you will for sure bump into situations numerous times if you do a lot of hunting.

Here's a victim.Works on mule deer too. Spotted at long range and stalked to about 80, shot off hand.


[Linked Image]

Last edited by BobinNH; 06/06/16.



The 280 Remington is overbore.

The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Originally Posted by BobinNH

Instead of being looked down upon, it should be encouraged and practiced since it is of FAR more value in BG hunting than sitting on one's ass at a bench and squeezing irrelevant 3 shot groups.


Sitting at a bench shooting targets is NOT hunting practice.

You'd better find accurate loads for hunting AND get your scope sighted FROM A BENCH -- ( if you want confidence to kill humanely at any distance ) but NONE of that is ' hunting ' practice.

Practice from field positions includes ' off hand ' shooting. I'd rather not have to shoot off hand but when hunting, sometimes off hand is the only opportunity you have.

Jerry


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battue - PLUS 2


Jerry


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Offhand in a shooting house at around 40. Couldn't get on one knee and he wasn't hanging around to have his picture taken.

[Linked Image]

Sitting at around 20.

[Linked Image]


Standing at around 30. Nothing to grab onto. Deer was uphill walking thru some brush and on a knee you would have had nothing to shoot at.

[Linked Image]



Nothing to grab onto and on a knee you would have been shooting thru brush. If I had decided to shoot there was only one way.

[Linked Image]

Last edited by battue; 06/06/16.

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One knee at around 80. I tried to get on her running but couldn't. Then she stopped to look back.

[Linked Image]


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battue: All nice!


How come the Old Guys know how to do this stuff? smile




The 280 Remington is overbore.

The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Offhand, 85 yards...in a hurry....


Course...it was a big target! grin


[Linked Image]


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Originally Posted by BobinNH
battue: All nice!


How come the Old Guys know how to do this stuff? smile


Because old guys have f*cked up knees and if they did sit or kneel to shoot, they wouldn't be able to get back up.




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Originally Posted by BobinNH
battue: All nice!


How come the Old Guys know how to do this stuff? smile




Got to hang around with the right old guys. grin


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