Ok we have had the thru the shoulder, behind the shoulder, meat waste thread.

Now how do you practice in order that you can hit your deer in the chosen location?

Myself: 500-600 reloads per year. Off the bench and various field shooting positions. Couple bricks of .22lr/yr off hand and field positions while barrel cools or just screwing around.

I guess most can get it done one way or the other, but to be consistant it takes practice. What say you?

Battue

In addition dry firing. I have a deer print on the wall I've shot at so many times it should fall off the hanger. Good for acquiring subconcious sight pictures so when the real thing happens it becomes automatic.

I don't practice much anymore, but I do shoot a lot..I shoot rockchucks out my kitchen window, and a Badger or Fox from time to time...I do some testing and chronographing and sighting in..I always finish each session with 10 to 20 off hand shots.

I guess my practice is jack rabbits running with about any rifle I happen to have handy...

I believe every hunter should be able to shoot well off hand and to take reasonable running shots with a 95% success rate..I think every hunter should be skilled with both iron sights and scope sights, but that is not always the case with this generation as the scope dominates and I think many don't realize how accurate iron sights can be and how much fun it is to hunt with them. I believe hunters should have to take a shooting test to get an hunting license, but in a free society that will not happen and I can live with that.

I practice a lot. Regularly. I hold hunting game in high regard, and want to make the best shot I can when in the field. I'll bench a rifle, or go prone with it, but only to get zeroed in and develop a good load. After that - I practice from standing, kneeling, sitting and prone. Other than targets, I'll go for rockchucks, coyotes and other vermin as things permit. I practice regularly from 25 yards to 600 yards. Lots of fun. Like you, I make heavy use of the .22 rimfire. It's accurate, easy to shoot and inexpensive to shoot. I can burn a LOT of .22 rimfire ammo without beating myself up, without burning up an expensive barrel and without breaking my shooting budget.

Besides - it's fun! Time to time I'll shoot a match, but mostly I just shoot.

How much/how often? About every two weeks I'll spend a day or a half day at the range. I go through 1000 - 2000 rounds of centerfire rifle ammo every year. Somewhere around 2000 - 5000 rounds of .22 rimfire ammo is not unusual either.

Regards, Guy

I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't get in nearly enough range time. We are just plain running out of place to shoot here around the Twin Cities. The last public range left on the south end of town closed a couple years ago, lost to urban sprawl. We have an hour drive to get to a range open to the public. I just found out about a range not too far from here run by the American Legion. You have to be a Legion member. I've been told that I can join the Legion due to the the fact that I'm the son of a vetern. I hope to explore this opportunity soon. It sucks having to go so far to shoot, but if we want to get our range work in, this is the price we pay.

Pointer said I shoot "too much", so there you go.

I get some range time here in So Cal, some long range practice in the desert and one can shoot the Running Deer first Sat of each month at the Corona Sportsmans club, a real hoot with a full size NRA deer target at about 135 yards,, runs on a cable, each shooter gets 5 trys at 4 shots apiece,, good practice for Whitetails busting the woods,,Best practice for me is in Montana and North Dakota, shooting at long range. load testing etc

Between squirrels and rifle tuning, I do about 6 to 7,000 rds a year. Who has time to practice.

There ya go! We don't have that many squirrel critters here. They sure make good pop-up targets though!

I don't shoot much, anymore, except when wringing out a new load or rifle - then only enough to find out what it will do, what flavor it likes, etc. But I do shoot careful at game! Flinging shots at distant and/or departing game just ain't my thing, and I can make most other shots... with a solid rest if I can get it, offhand if I must and conditions are favorable (read close and not moving fast). And bigger is better!

I've said this numerous times before, but here goes again- of at least equal value to pouring a lot of rounds out of your barrel is carrying the rifle a lot in off-season, dry-firing, and practicing getting into the various field positions quickly, until the firearm becomes a natural extension of yourself in the field, and choosing the correct posture/position/rest comes nearly without thought. I don't do enough of the latter, admittedly. But I carry one or another firearm nearly every time we go for a woods/trail hike, and even around the hill in back much of the time (There was a bear track I could put my size 10 boot in back there a couple nights ago... and the Lab had his hackles up and a deep rumble, with no indication he wanted to go chase a hare!))

It's like riding a bike - once you learn how (and for newbies, learning how does take some practice), it doesn't take relentless pounding out of the miles after that to be able to pedal down the road (99% of hunting-shoot situations) a few miles.

On the other hand, if you are entering an ironman or other competition, you'd better condition yourself for the task at hand. Especially in the more difficult endeavors of handgunning and wing-shooting.

Pouring many many rounds down the barrel of a rifle is over-hyped for most of our usual needs/conditions, IMO.

As it was said in the movie Dodgeball, "If you can dodge a wrench you can dodge a ball."

If you can hit a clay bird MPAJ/standing etc at various distances you can kill a deer.

Bench is for your press.

I have a 600 yard facility 10 minutes from my house,so it's no sweat to be at the range 2-4 times a week.I burn a lot of 22 RF ammo off-hand,and generally a couple thousand rounds of CF each year. This down from what it used to be, but I still get enough in, I think.

I stay on the rifles I hunt with pretty hard,and spread the shooting load over several rifles to save wear and tear. I rarely have a day before hunting season when I have to go "sight in", because they are in zero pretty much year round, unless I change scope or load.

A lot of time is spent at 200-500 yards, occaisionally 600; and off hand with the centerfire at 100.What is interesting is shooting with a tight sling from the off-hand position at 185-200 yards.It is sorta fascinating to see how much better your groups get when you are looped-up.

Most of my shooting (95%) is from the bench. Due to reconfiguration ot the range at my club, I zero for calculated MPBR at one of the 100-yard ranges, then shoot at 300-600 yards.

I do enough shooting from field poositions to feel comfortable, mostly with sticks, prone, sitting and kneeling, and usually with some kind of improvised rest. The least used position is offhand while standing - can't remember the last time I took such a shot at game, might be 22-23 years.

'Yote Hunter - I'm with you on wanting to shoot from a rest if possible. But I gotta tell ya, several of my deer over the past ten years or so were taken when I was quietly walking in on 'em and got a shot opportunity. A couple from standing, and a couple when I had time to drop from standing to sitting or kneeling. Took my big elk from sitting a few years ago after stalking him while he was bugling. That was cool...

Seems to me I've shot several deer from standing - although I'd have rather shot 'em from a good solid rest. Ranges were pretty short on the standing shots, furthest was about 125 yards I believe. Hunting with a traditional muzzle loader got me into stalking game more - to close the range. And has apparently had a side affect of giving me more shots from standing.

But yes - like you I'd rather be steady as a rock, with my rifle rested over a nice cushy backpack or something and gently squeeze the trigger once the crosshairs settle solidly in place...

Regards, Guy

Yes, plenty of time with the units in hand is valuable too, and automatically comes with lots of shooting. All aspects become more instinctive, and one can operate all the components from loading, finding the safety, and aiming without thought. I see these processes as being extremely important for those in dark timber where time and opportunity are fleeting. Less so in spot and stalk situations where one may wait 2 hours for a target to stand and offer opportunity.

I've not been one who was into speed loading or shooting. If we have two rounds down the tube and the animal isn't down, it's time to go back to camp and rezero. 1Minute
1Minute

I think the kajillions of BB's and pellets I put "downrange" (ha!) in my childhood really help me with my offhand shooting. I'm not naturally steady offhand, but I have a gift when it comes to grabbing the shot as it goes by, if that makes any sense.

Gun handling is often overlooked in practicing. How many people practice speed loading? That is, shoot one, load three (or four as the case may be). I like to shoot double taps at pie plates, the first at 100, the second at 150.

For good fun I set up a El Presidente' and shoot it with my '06; targets at 50 yards...

Exactly!

No one is "naturally steady" in off-hand. Hell no one is steady at all! The trick is to anticipate the wobble and co-ordinate it with your squeeze....

Shooting at running game (which I have done rarely), is like wing shooting, usiing the same technique. start from behind, swing through, and pull the trigger as the crosshair passes your chosen point of aim.

Sometimes it even works! I don't practice at tires with targets rolling downhill, so the "sometimes" tends to keep me away from running shots except at very close ranges.

I only shoot outdoor about 1/2 times a month. Indoor with the 22 on Sunday nights is more frequent.

Lots of position shooting, some pistol and some sporting clays/trap as time permits.

My best practice the last ten years has been on sage rats. They seem to improve my other shooting a great deal.

Dry firing or "snapping in" nearly ebery day the last month before the seasons start is another important tool.

Finally airguns of various types are a big deeal in our backyard.

I second the sage rats.. Amazing what a 22 can do to those things

The correct offhand shot is taken on the move and coming into the target.. Some folks can hold better than others in offhand, but no one is still, so you get used to it and fire. I used a PC trainer enough to tell you that even in prone slung up, I still have movement, along about half MOA with iron sights, almost none with a scope and a rest. But there is still movement.
I don't like offhand shots and never have. But the last big game I took was offhand and it worked out.

Practice, I'm with Las.... I used to shoot a LOT for many years. Once its learned its there. Most of it is mental after the fact, my simple thing is I don't press the trigger unless its all correct. That might or might not happen. I wont' just fling them in the direction like a lot of folks end up doing basically.

Clay targets scattered in safe areas mixed with a case of 22 through the year or steel reactive targets is always good practice.

To be honest ,right now in life I shoot to check sights and to hunt. I don't actually practice much if any. It hurts my ability to be good way out there, but say 400 and in, its all really easy.

Good point.
I think "kajillions of BB's and pellets" is somewhere near my totals also.
I have developed into a much more confident rifle shot in last few years by shooting pigs at each of our hunting places. Before I might shoot once or twice in a season at deer in hunting conditions. Now I shoot many times a year (year round) under every field condition from close range offhand to long distance from a rest. Usually .243's, I specifically target head,neck when possible. DRT

stumpy

Jeff -

I'm with you, I think a gajillion BB's downrange helped me, at least with moving targets. As a kid I put two sparrows in flight down with my Daisy as well as one pheasant in flight with a Ithaca M49 .22. (Yeah, I know it was illegal. I was rabbit hunting CRP land and the dang thing flew up at my feet. It was an instinctive thing that I immediately regretted.)

My hunting buddy and I like to shoot balloons offhand at 200 yards. Need to get him to the range more often.

I generally shoot whatever I'm hunting with at rocks, gongs, steel discs, paper, crows, whatevers open season, at close range to out past 400 yds.. I don't call it practice, I just enjoy shooting. Knowing what your gun does in your hands at every imagineable situation is far more useful than a BR gun and 1/8 min. accuracy.

Deer can be shot near, far or running. Helps to be prepared.

Once I have the basic zero and drop cards figured out I like using my hunting rifles in "tactical matches". Usually you are against the clock, slightly winded and hitting small targets from improvised conditions under all weather conditions. Until I commit to using a magazine fed bolt gun I will never finish within view of the top spot but I learn alot about my ability to perform under more realistic conditions.

Truckloads of .22 works wonders as well.

i reload for my 300 rum and my 300 wm and practice year round shooting hogs. we have feeders on pipe lines and senderos out to 980 yrds makes for fun practice when you can bbQ your target

I take a CZ 452 out in the woods at least once a week, with 100 rounds of 22 LR ammo..

I run 4 targets off of the internet on 8 x 10 sheets of paper, and staple them to a piece of cut plywood....

I lean the plywood up against something, and then walk 100 yds off, sit down and shoot 25 rounds at each target from various positions..

once you learn to coordinate your eye and trigger finger, the biggest challenge is to learn to control your breathing...

once a week of this will certainly improve your skills much more than shooting 100 shots a day at the range every day of the month...

I vary scope power from 4 to 6 power when shooting..

you will also be surprised how very fast this will tighten up your shooting skills!

Groundhogs during the spring and summer, squirrels during the fall....

If you can head shoot a squirrel at 75-100 yards, and make hits on groundhogs at 350-400, hitting a deer in the shoulders at anything under a quarter-mile is a chip shot.

That everything is set-up as close to same/same as possible, and wears like glass (fixed 6x) makes cross-training easy.

I shoot running jack rabbits as much as possible and dry fire off hand 20 to 30 times every day. I work out of my home office and have my rifles next to my desk.

I shoot archery deer targets offhand at 300 yards.

I don't think but once I've killed a deer standing still. Every big game animal I've ever killed has been moving.

+What is a Sage Rat?

I am blessed as I have 125 yds outside my front door with a half mile overshoot of my property and a half mile of crown land behind that. I am also blessed with a job that keeps me busy 4 days on (24 hours) and four days off. This year I have been able to shoot once on average every 8 days. I also do a lot of dry fire and target aquisition unloaded. I am just getting to know a new rifle and becoming familiar with it. Next week or so will see me practicing with sticks, and possibly bipod. I am getting ready for this fall, and next spring. I also agree the 22 is a great fun way to get in practice of sight aquisition and trigger control.

Randy

atkinson


I rarely disagree with you. This suggests the goverment would be involved. We have too much government already.

For practice, I dry fire. Its cheap and I see where the crosshair is when the gun clicks. Really builds confidence.

We just did some thing last week that was kind of fun 3 of us made a trail walk. We set up 3 deer targets from archery targets on card board and then we did a walk though and shot the guns we had targets set up to 250 yards and in we did it about 4 times so it was fun we shot off hand setting on the ground and on the long shots we used a bipods it was good practice and beat punching holes at the range.

Yesterday I stapled two 5-6" balloons to the center of NRA 200 Yard Slow Fire targets.

Took them out with consecutive shots.

Of course I cheated and used a rest, but the first was at 600 yards, the second a mere 500.

Ruger M77, .30-06, 168g A-MAX, 2688fps.

This has come up before.
I use the archery target of full-size deer printing on corrugated cardboard, which is brown like a deer and hard to see in most terrain. Put then in the woods on a hillside for a backstop. Walk with my son like we are hunting. When he sees it, he would decide whether to shoot from there, try to ease up to a tree for a rest, or stalk closer. It is pretend, but I think it builds valuable skills, including picking an aiming spot, instead of shooting at the whole animal.

Vermin control is my source of practice.

Striped gophers, p dogs, skunks, what have you.......

Aim small, miss small......

Boy, I used to love going to the city dump and shooting rats on the move at 25 to 100 yards with a .22 LR.

Or you could be more accurate and paraphrase me saying that if I was shooting out a rifle barrel a year, that I'd rather shoot less and use the saved money for hunts. That's where me and you differ. You like to dicker with rifles and WAY over complicate hunting. Me, I'd rather just go hunting...

PS- Why don't you give some elk hunting advice while your at it?

I dunno, nothing wrong with burning out a barrel or 3 a year....one can still go hunting.

I don't do that anymore as life has changed, but there was a time when I'd fire 8-10K a year of centerfire, plus untold rimfire and dry firing and a pellet gun, and still happily knocked over a handful of deer each year too.

Some like to tinker, others don't. Doesn't mean its wrong or right.

Jeff

CZ 452, set up a target 100 yds away from me on a piece of plywood, crank my scope up to six power.. set the elevation to be dead on... then shoot a 100 rounds off hand at it.. from various positions..

I dp this once a week, twice or 3 times, if I can get the time..

it is challenging ,but it sure keeps your eye and trigger finger tuned and timed together...

the hardest thing about shooting off hand in the field, is not so much your accuracy as learning to control your breathing or learn to work with your breathing patterns to coordinate when you pull the trigger...

a 22 at 100 yds, on an 8 x 11 target ran off the internet can go a long way in helping one get better... and once you start, improvements don't take very long at all... substantial improvements...

I favor moose. Haven't missed but one in 40 years.,,, You have to work at it....

Had Daughter #2 and my future son-in-law at the range last Saturday.

Before we left my future son-in-law was hitting the 500-yard steel more than not and Daughter #2 had her share of hits, too. Winds were gusting and constantly changing direction from dead behind to 90 degrees, so I was pleased to see them hit at all.

I was getting my licks in, too, using the .257 Roberts, .308 Win and a couple different .30-06's. Just before we left I took three shots at the 500-yard steel with the .22-250 and all were good hits.

Took about 5 shots at the 600-yard steel but couldn't dope the wind and the fresh paint went untouched. If I compensated for the wind I'd miss right, if I didn't I'd miss left. Oh, well.

All in all a good day. Future son-in-law will be elk hunting with me this fall and I'm confident that his shooting skills will be adequate.

Moose Vermin? Dang....Things are tougher in Alaska....