Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Marksmanship drills for big game hunting

I'd like to get your ideas on marksmanship drills for big game hunting. What drills do you use to prepare yourself for shots between 25-300 yds (or more)?

I have access to 1 gallon hard plastic jugs from where I work. They are 9.5" high and 6" wide. They make great targets as well as good practice for range estimation with a mil dot scope. I shoot in the desert East of Phoenix in an area with plenty of ravines and washes. I will fill six jugs with water and load them into a large backpack and go for a hike. This is how i manage to get some exercise for the hunt trip as well. Placed anywhere from 200 to 700 yards out, confirmed with a laser range finder. This also gives me with a chance to shoot from field positions nearly identical to those i encounter hunting which typically sitting with a bipod. Prone can be a challange with the cactus spines but it can be done. And a hit is a hit. no guessing when you connect with a gallon of water with your pill out of a 300 ultra mag. 308 win is fun too but not as dramatic.

happy shooting

Chinook,

The Club I am in uses those life size "poster" style targets for the Roe deer plus similar DIY painted plywood cut outs of Muntjac..Obviously its a lot easier to do use these for our deer than say Elk!

On the reverse of the Roe targets, all the bones and organs ect are marked so that you can see extactly where you've placed your shots.

Neither type of target has any type of aiming mark on the front to make things more realistic.

Depending what the Club is doing, these targets are placed at varying (unknown) distances for the members to shoot. Each target will be shot from a different field postion with either one or two shots.

In another senario, a "simulated stalk" is laid out in the forest..Several targets are placed out in the forst and the member stalks down a forestry track untill he sees each one. He is accompanied by a "range officer" as he goes. Upon seeing the target (hopefully he will spot them and not walk straight past!) he has to identify if its a buck or a doe and the species and give an estimated distance (no range finders allowed!)...he will be given a date and has to say if they are in season or not. He then has to say whether he would take the shot or not...Some targets are deliberate none shooters designed to test safety awareness ect. Finally if the target is a shooter, he gets to take the shot....

We run these "training day"s usually twice a year to build upon the shooting/practice the members do themselves. Records are kept and it can help people see if they have a particular weakness ;mine is shooting standing unsupported so no surprises there!

Additionaly, each year members that want to hunt on the Club lease are expected to put 4 shots in a defined 3" circle at 100yards from a ladder stand.

Its not a hard "test" as such except you only get one chance on the day, and there are usually plenty of people watching you, so all in all your under a bit more pressure than you usually are at the range.

Regards,

Pete

Good question and great topic. I'm always interested in others methods in training for the actual hunt. Lot of difference in punching paper off the bench and actual hunting practice.

I spend a lot of time with my bolt .22s shooting from various positions at different ranges on metal swinging targets. I make sure each session includes some high power shooting at bowling pins at ranges from 50 to 200 yards. Before hunting season I make sure I include some distance work (out to 400 yards).

Pete E.,
Sounds like your club does a great job preparing you for the real deal. I particularly like the idea of the organs appearing on the reverse side of the roe target.

Jeff M.

One of the best things to do is to get yourself a CMP rilfe or equivalent and shoot the NRA big bore matches at a local club. You will shoot off hand, sitting, prone, at 200, 300, 600 yds or reduced targets to simulate the distance.
You don't have to compete with other shooters, you compete against yourself, trying to better your own score.

Shoot one whole season and you will definitely become a better shooter if you have the inclination. You will get your body in shape to hold a rifle up, and will be confident to take those 75-100 yard off hand shots.

I can't do them anymore, but I do go to the range and simulate some of them positions as best I can now days. I shoot at 100, 200, 300, 400 yds. The longer distance, I do from a bench so I know what my rifles will do. I figure at distances , I will be prone or have a good rest in order to take the shot, so I don't do other positions with those

I have shot cardboard deer targets before, haven't this year though. Mostly been shooting the Shoot N Cs fro Birchwood Casey off hand and from field rest. Also get a kick out of shooting clay pidgeons on a dirt mound.

CoonCreek,

As you would expect the Club is very much geared to our needs here in the UK..To some Americans it would seem kind of strange, but its down to the back ground and circumstances of hunting being quite different between our two countries.

Woodland Stalking only really established itself in the UK in modern times in the 1950's before which deer were often treated as vermin with no sporting value.

British soldiers stationed in Germany after WW2 saw how the Germans managed/stalked their deer and imported the ideas back to the UK.

Since then stalking has grown in popularity especially as our deer population has expanded and re established itself. In fact today its our fastest growing fieldsport.

All this means that many people come into the sport having no expirience and with no friends or family members to help them get started, which I am guessing is probably the opposite of what happens in rural USA.

This is one of the reasons for our Clubs training scheme. Novices enter the club and are allocated about 5 weekends hunting each year in addition to the training days already mentioned.

Each weekend the will go out with with a number of expirienced stalkers who will coach them and act as a mentors sort of thing.

The training starts off from the very basics of how to stalk ect and progresses through things like deer biology on to what you guys would class as QDM.

As they progress and learn, the mentor takes more of a back seat just keeping a weather eye on the novice.

Once they reach a certain standard, they are permited to sit in a ladder stand by themselves and when eventually they are deemed to have enough all round expirience and know the lease well enough to find their way around, they are obviously permitted to stalk on their own.

It usually takes about 5 years to progress from a complete novice to a club qualified stalker depending if they pass the various upgrade tests and shoot the required number of deer at each stage.

After that, if they stay an active member for several more years and continue to gain exprience, they might be asked to become an instructor and play their part in helping the newer people coming in then....

Regards,

Pete

Chinook,
I know this answer will not be popular among several, nor practical for many BUT I like to try and simulate, as near as possible, the physical requirements often experienced when making a shot. I like the waterjugs (as before mentioned), I like to incorporate different angles and ranges and I also like to use different shooting positions and rests (no benches). However, I think one of the most important aspects to becoming a better field shot is to simulate field conditions. In other words, do some form of physical activity such as walking briskly, running, climbing a hill or whatever you see fit to raise your heartrate and breathing rate. Then, try and make the shots aforementioned. This will not only tell you what your limits are but help you become aware of how to time your shots in correlation with your breathing and heartbeat.
Many times in a hunting situation you will be out of breath, fatigued, and perhaps surprised. This is probably the time when that opportunity you have dreamed of presents itself. Preparation is 90% of success. - memtb

MARKSMANSHIP DRILLS FOR BIG GAME HUNTING.

RULE NUMBER ONE: Get thy ass off the bench.

I've been watching people sight in rifles at the local range for the last two months. Once they get the groups on paper where they want, some of them will practice by firing four or five shots at a couple of metal gongers out about 200 yards away. Not one, not a SINGLE SOLITARY ONE, tried to hit those targets without his rifle firmly planted on bags on a shooting bench.



Now for the rest...

Breath control, sight picture, sight alignment, trigger control, follow through. Or, as I say to myself when firing, "breathe, aim, s-q-u-e-e-z-bang!". Do that standing, kneeling, sitting and prone.

That's all it is - basic rifle marksmanship. The rest is just window dressing. Nothing wrong with window dressing, but just learn to breathe, aim, squeeze and that will cover any shooting situation you're likely to run across.

My wife and daughter and myself use large cardboard boxes roughly equivalent to the chest of a moose or a deer. My rule is simple for off hand shooting: the sights dictate the shot. If the cross hairs are on target, take up the slack in the trigger, and let the shot break. I coach my ladies to shoot for the front half of the box and into the middle third from top to bottom. Last week, #1 daughter put two shots into the "kill zone" of a cardboard moose, 2 and a half inches apart off hand at 100 yards. Put her in front of a moose out to 200 yards, and fire up the barbeque. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I always start by proving the rifle and the ammunition from the bench. Gotta know where the combo is shooting. Then, after it is proven, off hand practice till we can keep three shots in the "kill zone" of the animal target at whatever range.

I emphasize the importance of trigger squeeze. Leave the JERK at home. Must have worked for the ladies as they both got their deer last year at nearly 200 yards - both excellent shots.

I'm a nut bar when it comes to accuracy. Missing ought not to be an option. The deer my daughter shot last fall bolted after the shot, and she said she couldn't believe she missed. I had her describe the shot, and she said the crosshairs were right behind the shoulder when the shot broke as a surprise to her. I told her she didn't miss. We found the deer a little ways off, shot through the heart. I like to tell folks to "let" the gun go bang, and not to "make" the gun go bang.

I also sight my rifles in for a range I expect to see game at. For the ladies, it is spot on at 200, and 2" high at 100. For me it is 3"high at 100, and spot on at 300. (I take longer shots - they don't)

Another thing that you can do, and I have, is to do a lot of work shooting offhand with a 22LR. Marksmanship is marksmanship regardless of cartridge. Then tell yourself to pick a spot on the side of the animal where you want the bullet to go, instead of blazing away at a 12"X18" area.

Ain't shootin' fun? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Well, so far this is what has worked for me:

1. Learn moose and bear anatomy
2. Learn what spot of the anatomy on where to aim and fire my rifle
3. Learn about moose & bear habits
4. To use enough gun and bullet
5. To always support the rifle when firing past 100 yards
6. Trigger control as practiced in the armed forces
7. To relax before pulling the trigger, aim properly, and let the bullet do it's work
9. To know the rifle as much as possible and always be safe
8. To never go crazy shooting, and shooting at the range: Just shoot enough to familiarize myself with the rifle, and to make sure it's shooting straight, even if it only takes four or five shots each year before moose season

That's all there is for me. I don't practice the military shooting positions I learned, simply because I hunt game, not humans. The idea for me has been to kind of become a close friend with my rifle, and to keep a cool head when I carry it or fire it. So I go hunting, not only to kill, but primarily to enjoy the hunting experience from the foods I eat to the company of friends. There have been times where I am just quietly sitting there somewhere, admiring nature, no a thought of hunting in my mind, and that's when I see game close enough to hunt.

Lots of good responses on this post. I am often helping new and inexperienced hunters with their shooting. One drill I have started using is to place an 8.5x11 inch sheet of black constuction paper on the target board and have the new shooter shoot from 25-100 yards in all positions other than the bench (after a sight in period). It doesn't take to long with most to have them keeping their shots on the black even from standing at 100 yards. The large black target gives a big aiming area and approximates a kill zone nicely. It also eliminates the shooters concern over keeping the shots in the 10 ring and lets them concentrate on breathing and trigger control. I usually have them shoot sitting and kneeling at 150, 200 and 300 yards, but encourage them to take advantage of any rest available at those ranges. I discourage any standing shots at over 100 yards because for the average hunter it is an exercise in futility.

Most shooters, even experienced ones don't have the practice behind them to reliably make 200+ yard standing shots. For a newer shooter it is extremely discouraging to shoot at 200 yards standing and then realize none of their shots even hit the target board let alone the actual target.

I do encourage the use of a sling, either a hasty sling or the proper use of a Whelen sling. At longer ranges it is a great help. I don't use bipods so I don't teach the use of them. I like to get out for some informal field shooting where opportunities for natural rests exists. I think this helps the new hunter to be able to recognize a natural rest more rapidly when the need arises.

I have to agree that studying the vitals on the intended species is invaluable. The more angles one can study an animal from the better. Get books and pictures and study the critters a lot. It will make a huge difference when the time comes to place your shot. Good hunting. Mart

I go to the range and bring a sandwich, soda, in aluminum foil, and my hunting hat. Along with my gun and ammo of course.

First I sit on the bench and start eating and drinking with my rifle next to me, unloaded of course.

After a few bites I pretend to see a deer. Which is about when I normally see one, when my hands are full and gun empty and out of reach.

I then practice slowly setting my sandwich down next to me, and putting the cap back on my soda, very quietly and slowly.

Then I practice slowly picking up my rifle and gently placing it on the rest putting one bullet in it and aiming at the deer.

I make sure the rest is well padded so I don't scratch my plastic stock.

and lastly, taking the safety off as quietly as possible.

I try to do this as quietly as possible with minimal movement.

Hunting from a blind takes lots of practice!

Check out Philip Bourjailly's (sp?) article last month in Field and Stream. He shares tips he got from Eric Olds from Gunsite. Very practical.

Squirrel hunting. Teaches marksmanship, stalking, sitting quietly, the lay of the land, calling game, and poison ivy identification in one lesson.

I like late summer rock marmint hunting, It's about as close as I can get to big game hunting and you'll get use to not using a bench.
We don't have a lot of squirrels here in wyo. but as a kid back east there was no better training than squirrel hunting.

Absolutely, Gotlost. If I hunted big game in Wyoming, I would practice on groundhogs - that's Missouri antelope practice. Here in whitetail country, squirrels rule.

I cut up my old mule deer foundation calendars and use them for dry firing a couple times a week. I practice about ten "shots" from each position. I scale out the target so the pictures will represent 200-400 yard shots when set at 20 yards (distance to the back fence). I also have an air rifle pellet trap right next to it and have 1", 2", and 3" metal disks. Couple of shots a day really seems to carry over to the big stuff and I can do it whenever I want. Without the recoil to hide it you will catch all kinds of little errors in your follow through or trigger control.

When I taught my wife to shoot we went out in the cow pasture with some one gallon plastic milk jugs filled with water. We put them out against the hillside to have a safe backstop! We started at 50 yards. We would put out five jugs at a time. One of us would start on the left and the other would start on the right side and whoever got the center jug first would win. This teaches you to shoot fast and accurate.
It is very obvious when you hit. I used a Ruger #1 in 45-70 with 300 gr hollowpoints to handicap myself a little. It was VERY obvious which ones I hit! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
GWN

I've put together a portable silhouette system i use for a long-range handgun seminar we do every other yr. down here in Pueblo, that's the most efficient, and portable system i could think of, and it works terrific. I have access to several ranches out here that i can shoot at, and practice with this system with my handguns to 4 or 500 yds. This helps me verify my ballistic reticle windage and elevation zeros, and allows me to check a "modified mil-ranging" system i came up with awhile back for ballistic reticles (similar to TDS system).