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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 17,817 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 17,817 Likes: 3 |
Steel that is a sharp model 95..
I agree with the bench being a place for checking loads and sighting in, but I seldom shoot any game off hand.. When I spot something, my first move is to get a good rest.. This is something I try for even in heavy timber.. An off hand shot for me, is my last resort..
Molon Labe
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,113 Likes: 6
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,113 Likes: 6 |
I'm like WCH.I might shoot off hand in thick timber when elk are 30-50 yards away,but I either carry a shooting bipod or look for a rest close by for longer shots. Very seldom do I find myself not having time to find a suitable rest.
Back when I was 20-40years old,I did competitve shooting with service rifles and one course of fire was 200 yards off hand. After a summer of that,I was confident to take off hand shots up to maybe 200 yards.
I might practice with a 22 RF ,357 or 38-40 lever gun while plinking at the range,but I practice more with handguns.I very seldom shoot a lot of rounds thru any of the rifles I hunt with.After 40 years or so of using them,I pretty much know what they will do.
Last edited by saddlesore; 06/03/16.
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,364
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,364 |
Do many of you practice this or other shooting positions regularily?I shoot long rifles quite a bit at home and on our local range and don't see many hunters practicing hunting positions.I finish off a session at the range shooting offhand and sitting or prone.I don't see many others do this ...so I gotta ask.Do you? Yes, I like to shoot sitting with a sling and will practice dropping into the sitting position at the range. I've found that Sporting Clays competition with an O/U or SxS shotgun has improved my offhand rifle shooting. For moving targets ie Gophers, I just step into position, mount the rifle, acquire a sight picture, and trigger the shot more dynamically. If there is more time, I'll tuck into a steadier position.
History May Not Repeat, But it Rhymes.
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 31,662 Likes: 8
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 31,662 Likes: 8 |
Another hedge apple shooter. Deer haven't been around the times I've carried it, but that will eventually change. Excellent choice in rifles! This year's bull succumbed to an offhand shot with the Browning 1895. About 100'yds.
Founder Ancient Order of the 1895 Winchester
"Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this desert city, Should in their own confines with forked heads Have their round haunches gored."
WS
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 5,567
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 5,567 |
Most rifle designs are pizz poor for off hand shooting. Purpose built off hand rifles like the Schuetzen rifle show what can be done on 2 hind legs. Knowing how to use a military sling can help in all positions but 99.9% of today's shooters have no idea how to "sling up."
Among other events, our club has 2 rimfire Turkey shoots shooting offhand 22 steel targets at 25, 35 and 50 yds. People under 50 almost never get a bird. (except the under 10 who can use the bench) Mine is a hvy bbl Savage bolt gun fitted with a hook buttplate, cheek rest, palm rest and extra lead in fore end. Only lacking double sets to make it a 2014 Schuetzen.
For an offhand hunting rifle hard to beat my 1890 Browning 26-06. Has a 30" med hvy bbl, rifle buttplate and decent trigger. You shoot it off the arm, not the shoulder and it works fine. A 12" gong at 300 yds is toast.
Last edited by 320Keith; 06/03/16.
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,000
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,000 |
28" of 30US (30/40 Krag), born in 1904. Someone put a recoil pad on it a long time ago, but that's ok. That looks really sharp. And the red pad wouldn't have stopped me from buying it either.
He went over yonder way
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,082
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,082 |
You hear all of these stories around the bar or the range or the campfire (real and virtual) about how some nimrod saw the elk, deer, antelope, bear, whatever, at 300 yds and they just threw their rifle up on their shoulder and fired and dropped it right in it's tracks. I saw the lie put to those sorts of claims when we used to hold a 1/4 mile shoot each year at the range. Part of that shoot was offhand for score at 200 yds. 99% of the competitors couldn't score high enough to pass on to the 300yd target. Of the guys who did get to 300, most never made it to 440. I failed to make the 200yd cut myself a couple of times. That's when I got serious about putting a fair amount of rounds down range from offhand.
Stupidity is expensive If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 13,787 Likes: 6
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 13,787 Likes: 6 |
Just walked in from shooting 20 shots offhand. Don't do it every week, but most weeks I do.
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 12,807
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 12,807 |
I probably shoot more deer from sitting than any other position. Standing runs a real close second.
Nice thing about sitting is it is nearly as accurate as prone. I expect 10 shot 200 yard sitting groups to be smaller than my palm.
Islam is a terrorist organization.
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 14,807
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 14,807 |
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.
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,418
Campfire Regular
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OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,418 |
My favorite hunting rifle these days is a Browning BLR that I had lightened and shortened - it's my saddle gun.I shoot this and a little Henry .22 levergun alternatively when I am developing loads for the BLR.It gives the barrel a chance to cool and I get lots of positional practice.The mechanics are pretty much the same on both rifles.
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121 Likes: 1
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121 Likes: 1 |
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.
"Dear Lord, save me from Your followers"
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,418
Campfire Regular
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OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,418 |
I hunt sheep, goats and mule deer by preference and there is seldom an opportunity for a classic , rehearsed shot at one of these species on a rocky bluff or chute I might be on or in.Sometimes you just cannot get comfortable and this is when practice in those awkward shooting positions becomes helpful to really build confidence.70* upwards and off a chunk of ragged limestone.
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,525 Likes: 16
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,525 Likes: 16 |
I think it's odd that people will work to get the smallest possible group from bench rest and then hunt and shoot at game standing or off hand. I shoot more than ten shots off hand than I do at bench rest. But I do try to get smallest groups too.
I prefer classic. Semper Fi I used to run with the hare. Now I'm envious of the tortoise and I do my own stunts but rarely intentionally
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 17,147 Likes: 2
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 17,147 Likes: 2 |
I used to think I was a pretty decent shot. Then I took up competitive silhouette shooting. Yep I shoot rimfire silhouette and with 120 rounds in a day match you get a lot of off-hand trigger time. Tried hi-power but I've enjoyed rimfire much more and with shooting a Cooper 57M I'm basically shooting a cf rifle size and weight.
If something on the internet makes you angry the odds are you're being manipulated
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,856 Likes: 11
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,856 Likes: 11 |
My practice method is to use an 8.5x11" sheet of black construction paper placed horizontally on my target frame. I shoot prone, sitting, kneeling and offhand as well as using whatever makeshift rests I can find at distances out to 300 yards.
The paper fairly closely approximates a kill zone and lets me know where my limit is on range and position and where I need to practice. I can keep my shots on the paper at 300 in every position but offhand. My limit offhand is 225 yards. Beyond that I start to have one off paper occasionally.
Chronographs, bore scopes and pattern boards have broke a lot of hearts.
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,387 Likes: 45
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,387 Likes: 45 |
Do many of you practice this or other shooting positions regularily?I shoot long rifles quite a bit at home and on our local range and don't see many hunters practicing hunting positions.I finish off a session at the range shooting offhand and sitting or prone.I don't see many others do this ...so I gotta ask.Do you? Yep......
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,741
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,741 |
The traditional shooting areas here are Cinder pits. 100-300 yards off hand practice is real simple. Pick out a rock of appropriate size, for the game the rifle is for and shoot. Keep the scope set at its lowest power setting, see the target, mount and shoot when the crosshairs settle. When you try to precisely aim you will make fewer hits.
The anti American Constitutional party (Democrat). Wants to dismantle your rights, limiting every aspect of your constitutional rights. Death by 1000 cuts is the tactic. Each cut bleeds constitutional rights to control you. Control is the goal.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 4,313
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 4,313 |
Why black?
Why horizontal?
Just curious, because I do the same with white and vertical.
Brushbuster: "Is this thread about the dear heard or there Jeans?" Plugger: "If you cant be safe at strip club in Detroit at 2am is anywhere safe?" Deer are somewhere all the time To report a post you disagree with, please push Alt + F4. Thank You.
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,856 Likes: 11
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,856 Likes: 11 |
Because I had a package of 100 sheets of black construction paper we bought for another use and had only used a couple of sheets. I liked it and bought more when we ran out. Horizontal because when I started doing it we lived in deer country and I felt the horizontal placement more closely matched a deer's kill zone. I have just kept with that even after moving to Alaska.
Last edited by mart; 06/05/16.
Chronographs, bore scopes and pattern boards have broke a lot of hearts.
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