Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Is it possible some folks just can't shoot?

Doe that mean I am not a very good shot?

We know better than that.....

A .22lr naturally encourages one to shoot off hand and from field positions. You just naturally want to roll cans, hit rocks on the backstop hill, paper cups, etc. Since it is just a .22lr most are willing to play and get off the bench. Not glamorous, but it works and brings out the kid in us. Many today have forgotten how to play. Most of the time when I go to the range and others are at the benches, you almost think you are at church. Most don't converse and are envolved in their own little world. I'm sure they think I'm odd fooling around with a .22lr and enjoying the fun of bouncing pop cans.

THS works quite well when done correctly and I never have been able to understand the aversion. Your killing with the up front hit often combined with a 50yard run, is no better or humane than the drt from a ths. You can fool yourself into thinking you are a hunter of higher principles, but it is nothing but smoke and mirrors to make yourself feel good.

This whole thread is a bunch of hocky.

The onlylest ones that can't hit are Mike Fletcher and me. Restes of you guys are all top nitch shooters.

D

THS is a personal ethical choice, I will not look down on you for taking them, so long as yoou are 100% sure that you are going to kill what your shooting.

Not only possible but fact.

When you go to the range and cast your spotting scope along the peripheral targets, you will know. When you talk with African PH's you will verify.

There are reasons for this but that is a separate topic.

JW

I saw one of those guys with the tricked out SKS a few months ago. He set up with his barrel mounted bipod, black synthetic tactical stock and extended mag. He went downrange and spread out about 10 clay birds on the berm. The range went hot and I started hearing, pow, pow, pow........ Out of the corner of my eye I saw him reload a couple of times, but wasn't seeing any birds break. When the range went cold and I removed the ear plugs, I heard him say, "75 #)($*& rounds to get 1 hit!" I was careful not to look in his direction for a while.

Stryker60

A very good friend of mine has such an SKS. A regular SKS, removed from the wood stock and placed in a Fiberforce sniper stock. Attached to the barrel is an accuracy-destroying, (what little intrinsic accuracy is present) barrel-mounted bipod. For an optic he has a little a NcStar scope (you can see better without the scope) mounted in rings that were integral to the dust cover, thus assuring a different zero every single shot due to the dust cover shifting every single shot and a 30-round magazine. Oh, and a cheap laser, and I mean cheap, clamped under the barrel. He�s proud of this little creation that he put together over a period of months as he perused the Cheaper Than Dirt catalog. I break out my 30-378 Improved with my Hensoldt 6-24x72 scope and set up beside him on his back deck. I know he expected my rig to be much more accurate than his; what he didn�t expect was how abysmally his amalgamation of cheap Chinese gun parts performed. He has a dirt berm that�s almost exactly 150 yards from his back deck. We too decided to use clay birds as targets. Well, that truly is a chip shot for me (or anyone else for that matter). I�m shooting Berger 210 grain molly-coated boat tails at 3450 fps. Every time I pulled the trigger, I dusted a bird. He never did hit one with his SKS. I let him shoot my rig, and he started connecting every time as well. He was pumped after shooting an accurate rifle�but he promptly deflated when he went over and quickly put his SKS back in the house.

magnumdood,

I see similar all the time. I have a lot of visitors at my range. Most have never shot long range nor shot a real accurate rifle. The all leave amazed. I usually let them pop off a 5 shot group with my 6br on my 800 yard target. Most are amazed at 8 to 10 inch groups that they usually see when we get to the target. On occassion one of the newbies will shoot a really good group. Then again there have been a few with a couple of shots not even on the target.

JB, you done well

Eddy,

Some people are so far behind the learning curve that they need to start over, from the beginning, because all they're doing in reinforcing bad habits. I watch people just as they pull the trigger to gauge the level of marksmanship. It's amazing that some of them ever even get on paper with a rifle that has been zeroed at 100 yards already! Fully 50% of the flinchers close both eyes as they yank the trigger, then wonder why they can't knock out the X-ring like their friend just did with the same rifle. It's comical. I've gotten old enough, and have enough gray in my mustache and hair, that the flinchers don't feel too proud to accept a few "pointers" from the "old man". But, I don't offer. Usually, they see my gear, and assume I can get their firearm on paper. Usually the firearm is on paper, it's the owner who's waaayyy off target.

Most men: Whaddya mean, can I shoot? I'm a man!

Most women: Please show me how to do this correctly, so that I may do it well.

Maybe I am in an area with better shooters but most are not that bad when they are reassured the rifle does not kick and you put sme heaaring protection on them.

Best not let the John Burns LR critics know that most newbies are holding moa or close to it at 800yards. Benched I know and conditions I'm sure are excellent. Still impressive for ones who have never shot LR or an accurate rifle.

Bench technique ain't a gimmee.

I agree. Good shooting now matter how you look at it.

Most of the guys that show up around here are friends of friends and usually pretty serious hunters, but with zero experiance shooting long range.

Many times, with some coaching and with a gun that is already set-up, groups get smaller, even at longer distances.

I have watched grown men shut their eyes, turn their heads while they YANKED the trigger, and then be in shock, why the shot went a stray.
Good hearing protection and a willingness to learn (implied there is someone patient enough to teach them), with a rig that is set-up right, and will not hurt them is key.

With those things in place, I have watched a number of men do really well at short and longer distances.

One of my buddies shot his first 3 shots at 600 yards and managed like a .780 inch group.

But he is probably one of the best rifle shots of all time and has the HOF points and world records to prove it. 65BR...I am talking about your gunsmith.