Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting rifle shooting practice for elk hunt

Just wandering what other folks do and/or believe is necessary to be well prepared regarding marksmanship for elk season.

-How many practice shots leading up to the season?
-Types of shooting positions to practice?
-Practice ranges?
-Practice targets?
-etc.

This topic can certainly vary based on the type country an individual is hunting but this seems like a good subject.

Thanks
lutheran

I shot a Long Range Rifle Silhouette match this morning. Normally shoot 2-3 matches per month (long range and rimfire) plus additional range time for working up loads, practice etc. The number of shooting matches drops off quite a bit during hunting season but I typically shoot about 1500 rds of .308 and another 800-1200 of 223 and other centerfires per year. about 3K in rimfire. Shot my elk at 439 (lasered) yds last season and it didn't seem dificult at all. I know others here shoot at much longer distances, but I'm trying to stretch out my range. You'll be amazed how much you will improve by shooting from a standing position rather than just hunkering down on a sand bag...
John

I prefer to take my 22-250 out in the desert and shoot at stuff. Any stuff where I can tell if I've hit it or not. Shoot from different positions. I've never shot an elk from a bench but I've shot lots of them from sitting or prone positions...with my head downhill and my feet tangled up in brush. For rests, I've used limbs, trunks, my pack numerous times, rocks, etc. I've never had a Lead Sled in the field. I like to practice like I'm likely to shoot one.

Pretty much the same here...I practice at the range...leaning on poles, sitting, kneeling...anything but the bench...no benches or rests where I hunt either.....
In answer to the OP...for elk I will ( used to...) practice out to a measured 500 yds.....mostly I'd shoot at 200 and 300 yds. And Hundreds of rounds will be fired before each season from shooting positions...

I have an advantage in that I'm only 7 miles from BLM land that extends from so. Idaho south clear through NV. About 15 miles from me is a deep canyon with vertical walls. Pigeons love the place. It's good practice to use a 22 cal of some kind to try to pop them on the rocks. They make a tiny target at 150 yds when hanging over a rock for a rest.

The main thing is you go out and pull the trigger atleast every weekend to keep from getting rusty. Practice all the fundamentals. I'm not going to list them becasue we all know what they are. As long as your practicing you'll be golden. Practice at different yardages too in different positions. The only time you need your bench is when you are working up that awesome load. I shoot off the bench quite a bit, but still take time out for shooting offhand, sitting, etc. I recently made up some shooting sticks to try since the "hunting" rifle shoot I'm going to next saturday will require me to use them in conjunction with 3 other shooting (field) positions. That's another thing, if you belong to a gun club maybe you can get them interested in having different shoots to keep you from getting rusty. The club I belong to has bowling pin, golf ball, milk jug, rimfire, centerfire, hunting rifle, pistol, and trap shooting events. Great way to keep yourself up on your marksmanship. Most importantly, make damn sure your rifle is shooting great (I prefer my rifles to all shoot less than 1 moa consistantly and check them periodically off the bench to make sure they still are). I use a 338 win mag for elk hunting and don't shoot it very often. I've got other rifles that emulate this heavy kicker and they are the ones I practice with (from 223 to 30-06). I'll take the 338 out a week before season and make sure it is still dialed in and it usually doesn't need any adjustment. It's a damn good shooter and I am totally confident that it will get the job done. Here's how this one in particullar shoots:







Ruger M77 MKII 338 win mag W/ 2.5-10x40 elite 4200 W/firefly reticle.

One thing I have to add is everyone's skill set and ability varies. Your question may be a little ambigious and may depend on your level of ability. I grew up shooting jackrabbits in Nevada and all my shots were offhand and many were from the back of a moving pickup truck . One thing I've thought about recently is offhand shooting usually seperates the men from the boys. I've got a friend that had to get down on one knee and shoot a deer a couple of years ago at 60 yards and I always thought that was kind of funny (but to each his own I guess).

I practice at my gun club using a 6.5/06 in various shooting positions 2 months prior to the hunt. The rifle is the same as my .338 model 70 Win mag & .338/06....same trigger pull, same stock except the .338/06 is a featherweight stock. No big deal.
I always end with shooting the .338 Win mag several times.

A month before the season or trip, I practice more in the field at 250, 350 & 450 yards. I also practice quick shots at 50, 100 yards. Once again various shooting positions and prone especially over my pack. I do this twice a week, plus shoot coyotes etc. too with my 6.5/06 model 70 Winny.

The best thing you can do is take your hunting rifle and attend Gunsite 270 or Randy Cain's Practical Rifle class. If you have a rifle you can't shoot 80-90 rounds/day you probably have way too much rifle.

If you shoot 80-90 rounds/day your rifle barrel will probably be worn out by hunting season . If you need to shoot 80-90 rounds per day you better take up golf. To each his own.

I run a shoot out here in phoenix several times a year.



we shoot at life sized animal targets at realistic distances of 100 to 400 yds, from field positions. I keep it to 5 shot strings to avoiding heating up barrels. We shoot maybe 25 to 35 rounds in a morning's shoot and I often use a different rifle for each stage.

http://arizona-rifleshooting.com/hunting-rifle-shoot-PRGC.html

I just built a full sized elk target for this weekend's shoot, I'll post pics when I can.

Poole

A good practice technique is to dry fire a few minutes every day. Start from the carry position, practice mounting the rifle smoothly, getting on target and squeezing off the shot, WITH GOOD FOLLOW THROUGH! Cycle the action with the rifle at your shoulder while watching the target and fire two follow up shots. Also, practice dropping into a sitting or kneeling position.
Dry firing doesn't replace real shooting but is a good supplement to it.
I'd also do a fair amount of offhand shooting both because sometimes you have to shoot offhand, and offhand shooting shows up all your weak points.

I didn't mean 80rds/day x 365, 80rds/day for the 3-5 day course.

John Burns can do things most of us can't do with a rifle, he burns up a barrel (or more) every year, you think there might be a connection there?

I believe you need variety and a combination of shooting to prepare for elk hunting.I even think it is important to shoot some trap and sporting clays to prepare. Shooting pistols helps your rifle shooting as well.

Round Count? For me I would guess 7-10,000 rounds a year. The bulk of it is 22LR probably 5,000 rounds minimum.

The rest is mostly .22 Magnum, .223,.30-06 and .338 Win Mag.
If I get an antlerless tag I use one of my "collection" to fill the tag. This year it will be a .308 Norma or 7x61 Sharpe & Hart.

I shoot targets [targets show how you really did] with centerfire and rimfire most of the year, I plink away from the range about once a month and hunt a variety of varmints with sage rats and gray diggers being the most numerous. I try to find time to coyote hunt as well.

Practice Positions? A lot of my practice is indoor at night. There I shoot at the paper silhouette targets off hand, kneeling, sitting and prone I allow myself only two rounds per silhouette, the second fired without lowering the rifle from the shoulder if necessary. I practice the same positions outdoors but vary the target.. If I am shoting from a bench I try to approximate field positionsas much as possible. I sling up, use my pack, shoot off shooting sticks, lean against a tree or post, etc.

Practice Ranges?; I have easily available ranges out to 300 yards. Longer is available but it must be planned. Since I zero my rifles at 3-3.5" high at 100 yards and then shoot at known distances to confirm zero this is not too inconvenient.
Where I go to field shoot centerfires I have up to 700 yards. I use a laser range finder to verify the range as I am shooting across a canyon.

-Practice Targets?; Paper, clay birds, silhouettes, metal gongs, spinner targets, varmints.

Etc. A couple of things to vary your practice.

1.The more hunting I do prior to elk season the better I seem to do.If it is Starlings with an air rifle it is more beneficial to me than strict practice.

2.Drill A; My favorite drill is to shoot one shot each from offhand, kneeling, sitting, prone and one more offhand from 100 yards using my '06 rifle. I try to do it in one breathing cycle per shot. By the end of summer I can usually keep all the rounds in the 6 in center of a pie plate. With my .338 and other rifles with three round magazines this requires a reload.

3.Drill B;Double Taps- This is best done in a gravel pit with tincans, empty propane bottles and clay targets. If possible shoot with a partner. Shoot at the chosen target two times in rapid succession, take the weapon down from your shoulder and if you hit both times shoot again. With a partner, if you miss, it is your partner's turn.

Hardest part about elk hunting is finding them, and the physical demands of the country. Making the shot should be a moot point...

Dogcatcher, it should be if he's got hundreds of thousands of rounds under his belt like many here, but what if he doesn't?? For a lot of us it seems so natural because we've done it so many times, the crosshairs find their mark and blam before we know it the real work begins . I'll agree though, "finding them" is the hardest part. We owe it to the animal to be practiced up so we can make that humane kill shot.

I honestly don't practice that much, but I've been shooting the same rifle for 30 years, with some modifications. I'm used to it, and it's used to me. 2 lb trigger pull, which helps. But...practice from offhand, using an aspen tree to steady the rifle, using your pack on a bush, etc. What Col. Cooper calls "jackass" positions in the field. Elk don't stand in front of bench rests that often. I even used a backpack folding chair for a rest once, at a pretty long distance.

Good advice offered by all. For me it comes down to doing three things:

1) Spend some time at the range learning the mechanics of the rifle I'm going to use - making sure it's dialed in, and I'm dialed into it.

2) Spend some time in the field - targets from field positions, small game, and varmints.

3) This one is a bit different - shoot a shotgun a lot. Birds and clays. It really helped me with identifying and focusing on the target, mounting the gun, picking a spot, and getting the shot off at the right time (either quickly, or knowing I needed to wait a moment). I've seen so many guys that shoot rifles a lot just not be able to get it done on a target that isn't a motionless piece of paper with a bullseye printed on it...

When you don't have access to shoot as much as you'd like, practice by dry firing. You can practice many positions and get a rhythm/habit pattern down. With a couple of snap caps you can even get used to taking two quick shots. Doing this will make the opportunities to shoot for real much more productive.

I do shoot handgun about once a month now and may take a lever gun in.357,44mag, 38-40 or such out also. Sometimes muzzle loader.However I really don't practice much anymore.

I could not tell anyone with 100% accuracy how long it has been since I did not shoot an elk every year, but it has been a long time.

My .06 elk rifle has been with me many years and I know how to shoot it.Most of my elk kills are within 100 yards with this rifle, many 50 yards or so. The close ones I shoot off hand. The ones a little further out,I usually find a rest or my pack.I have carried shooting sticks for several years,but have never found an instance where I could use them. Either I don't have time or I can find a more stable rest.

When I do have time for a rest,I usually can find one just as stable as any bench.I won't handicap myself firing off hand, kneeling,sitting or even prone ,if I can find and use a better rest.I can shoot with those methods, but there if a better way is better way, I won't.

Ive found that the vast majority of the guys in my ELK camp can shoot decent groups of a bench rest but it takes a great deal of experience and skill gained over time to shoot a consistent 3" or smaller group shooting from a sitting or standing position at 100 yards in the field.
when you can do that consistently youll be fine.
we generally practice using a 1.5" orange dot on a 10" paper plate backer , at the range and shoot off hand with a sling and sitting with a sling. a bench rest is great for getting the RIFLE and SCOPE sighted in, but its practice from field positions thats most useful, Id also suggest sighting in so the bullets 3" high at 100 yards
and if you learn to shoot both fairly fast and accurately thats a huge advantage, and get to understand game anatomy, and trajectorys
http://www.targetz.com/targets01.htm

http://www.targetz.com/targetzlib/10110.pdf