Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Effective Field Practice for those fleeting chances?

This year on my annual moose hunt week I had one chance - a cow quartering away at 200yds walking into cover that was 10 yds away. Off crossed sticks I tracked the leading edge of the shoulder, adjusted as she stopped (I think) and squeezed. Heard the strike and she was dead on the edge of the trees. From sighting to shot was under 10 seconds I think.

That was hard enough I felt that I should have passed and until I walked forward I was cursing myself. In fact I hit exactly where I aimed but I still want to improve because that was at the very edge of my ability. I've used that rifle a lot and did a couple of hundred rounds of cast bullet practice in the months leading up to the trip

I'm practicing a lot but with 22RF because I can do that at home in the yard without complaints and I can shoot a LOT more. Indoors at 25yds when it's foul and outdoors at 550yards.

2 shots standing, 2 shots standing with sticks, 2 kneeling, 2 sitting and 2 prone under 2minutes. I'm getting better but this and even a lot of deer hunting doesn't quite have the massive tension I get on an annual foreign trip when it's make or break under stress.

Any ideas on getting the best out of practice time?

Sounds like you have a pretty good system worked out. Congrats on the moose

Practice using field positions is never a bad idea.

I've found that I need to do some 'quick' practice each fall. Over the summer, I seem to spend a lot of time shooting from the benchrest. Very deliberate, then eject and catch the empty. Load development, experimenting with a new powder etc. Also some groundhog hunting but that tends to be somewhat deliberate too.

So about once a week in the month leading up to deer season, I ignore the bench and shoot offhand or kneeling. Maybe a box of centerfire (actual hunting load) each week and sometimes 22LR. I start with the gun at my waist, loaded with rounds in the magazine and the safety on. Just like if I was in the woods hunting. Shoulder the rifle quickly, get a sight picture, fire, and cycle the action until it's empty. Load the gun again and repeat. On the old range, I could lean against a post (similar to leaning against a tree) but can't do that where I currently shoot.

Dale

Sound like you have a good routine. We used to ride around at night shooting jackrabbits with 22’s. If you could hit a running jack, a deer was easy.

Prairie dogs are my spring and summer practice. I usually use a .17 hmr and shoot from positions that I can shoot big from, like with sticks or prone over my pack. It has worked real well for my kids too.

Yep, that and coyotes. I credit my largest blacktail with the practice I got the previous winter shooting jacks. There is no substitute for running shots. I heard about rolling a tire down a hill that has a target in the center of it, but that would be labor heavy. Maybe a ball swinging from a rope in a tree?

Practice Carl Ross' timed postal challenge. Then find a couple of local practical rifle competitions to participate in. I've found nothing better for improving your ability to make shots in the field from improvised positions under time/situational pressure.

I'll second that. Nothing improved my shooting more than competition. Of course it didn't hurt that I was shooting a minimum of 100 rounds per week.
Fireball, Damned nice blacktail!

Sometimes I'm the goof ball running suicides behind the gun range, getting completely anaerobic, so I can mimic real life shooting conditions.

shoot squirrels with a 22. they don't hold still for very long (at least around here) and give you opportunities for quick shooting. also can get a good meal out of it!

I hunt coyotes a great deal.

Coming to the call, they give me the tension just like an elk or deer would. Coyotes make a deer or elk an easy target.

My variation on the Otto G and Dale K field position practice is standing, sitting, kneeling, and something I call seated off hand. The seated off hand is shot while sitting on a five-gallon bucket with a seat top. This is actually the field position I use most often shooting at game, so I can neglect it. Prone will almost certainly never happen for me in the field. Also included is standing and seated off hand left handed. There is no reason I can think of for me to practice kneeling left handed, and I simply can't do sitting left handed.

This has also paid dividends for me on big game.

I like to sit an a high bank, along a river, and shoot chunks of wood in the water as the drift, move, getting further away, as fast as I can....

I like the water floating wood idea!

I shoot pigs all year around. Nothing like live targets to simulate live targets.

Crows. Smartest game animal out there.

Most guys I know shoot 5-6 shells the night before opening day at a cardboard box from across the hood of a pickup. Are you saying that isn't enough?

I shoot a lot of varmints, gophers, p.dogs, jacks. and coyotes.. I seldom shoot at big game that is moving.. Mostly it will hesitate and give me that standing shot.. If not, there is another day..
I have friends that are great shots on moving game, I am not... I do shoot at jack and coyotes on the move.. Just never got it down to suit myself..