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I have a question that maybe some of you more experienced members could help with. In preperation for my safari this summer I have so far put 450 rounds down range in shooting preperation. Most of these have been with a .22 that I had built to match my heavy rifles. I started out hitting everything I shot at, but the more I shoot the worse I seem to shoot. I am aware of my stance, the rifles postition on the sticks, finger placement on the trigger, trigger squeeze, rifle to cheek weld, breathing, and just about everything else I can think of runs through my mind. Am I over thinking things? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, David Brown | ||
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It's a .22 whens the last time you cleaned it? ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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I have been where you are in the past. What happens is that we tend to get sloppy in our follow through after the trigger sear breaks. I have found that going to a strict regimen of dry fire practice solves this problem. Try to spend several minutes every day dry firing a scope sighted rifle at a target around 100 yards away. Pick a target about the size of a light bulb. When your sear breaks you will see the cross hairs jump off of the target. What we are trying to do is get our trigger control to the point that the cross hairs don't move. Start out from a rested position, say off of a bench and when your doing really good switch to doing it from the off hand position. That will be much much more difficult. Grade each try, A if it doesn't move, B if it only moves 2" or less, C if it moves 2 to 4 inches etc. If your jerking it will show up easily. Shooting heavy recoiling rifles will in all likely hood play havoc with your ability to do this exercise correctly. I try to do at least 100 dry fire attempts for each shot fired on the range. 465H&H | |||
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I cleaned it about 150 rounds (one session) ago. As that thought occured to me as well I plan on giving it a thorough scrubbing tonight. David B | |||
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Stop shooting that g**dam paper shoot clay birds, balloons, rocks. Pick spots to shoot at. Draw some blood and not yours some critters. Here is some other advice, its the best!  Mike | |||
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I am shooting 3" balloons at 50 and 100 yards from shooting sticks. I also throw in a gopher spinner and shoot it until I peal the paint off. | |||
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You are ready now shoot the big gun. Mike | |||
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Thanks for the suggestions. The dry fire practice last night seemed to help in this mornings session. I will break out the heavy rifles this weekend. | |||
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My African experience is practically nil, compared to others here, so take this with a grain of salt...but I would plan on putting at least that many rounds through my actual hunting rifle before going on my hunt, if you aren't already shooting it regularly. The .22 is also good practice...any shooting is good practice...but nothing beats experience and familiarity with your hunting rifle. I also put one box (50 rounds) through my .22 virtually every day, rain or shine, year round. It of course depends upon the ease of access you have to a safe shooting area, but more frequent range sessions, with fewer rounds per session, are generally more fun and more useful practice. If a single shooting session drags on into the hundreds of rounds and begins to feel like a chore, chances are that the quality of that practice is much lower. It's easier to make every shot count with shorter practice periods. | |||
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I have a good problen in that I own a shooting preserve and I get to hunt birds a lot. In the course of the 6 month season I will go through about 2500 rounds of shotgun shells. Unfortunatly shotgun shooting and rifle shooting do not translate well to each other. I wait until I am completly through with bird season to practice for Africa. My logic being the 22 lets me get my form back and reminds me of all the mistakes I make without the recoil of my large rifles. Big bore practice comes next and before I leave inn July I will put 200+ rounds of 9.3 and 100+ of 416 rigby down range. I just hope my shoulder holds out. | |||
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Some real good advice here. I dry fire every 3 to 4 days. It really helps when shooting for real, either on the range or hunting. | |||
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Once you've zeroed the rifle and sorted out the loads, get off the bench. Call your PH/outfitter and ask what the likely shooting positions will be in the area you are going and also the type of ranges that you will be required to shoot; seated, standing off sticks, 100m / 120m etc. Shoot at all likely ranges (and maybe a few shots longer) to know your trajectory and your comfort zone. You don't want to be wondering when that buff of a lifetime is standing broadside at 130m. Shoot your hunting rifle too and check the hunting ammo at all likely ranges for zero. Don't overdo the practice. Dry firing is great as suggested. Particularly limit the number of shots per session with your heavy rifle (to about 15 or at most 20). I like to shoot two shot "groups" and do that 6 to 8 times. Spend more time practising getting on the sticks quickly and comfortably. It is a problem that many hunters have. Set them up and take about three steps back with your rifle. Practice walking up smoothly. Placing the rifle on the sticks and taking the shot in a short time without rushing yourself. This is in my opinion the best practice you will do. I like paper. Reactive targets are sometimes too forgiving and, if not, a miss is just a miss without feedback regarding where or by how much. Call each shot and go and see whether they went where you thought. This has been the single most useful principal in my preparation. Shoot no more than 3 shot "groups". After that the positions can be taxing to hold. Then take a walk to the target to see your hits and patch the holes. | |||
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im one of Juan Pablo Pozzi guides ,he train us ,with small classis ipsc targets and always agains the timer .First day of the course is basic rifle ,second day shhoting against timer in diferent ackward positions ,rapid reloading ,obstacle course and a bit of angle shooting from towers .We use air rifles ,airsofts ,22s and centerfires .Much of the training is copied from RIFA RIFA examination . | |||
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Several things you may try. First, withg the .22 - you should clean it very good after shooting it. Many .22's will foul with lead quickly depending on ammo tyo and/or the bore itself. To get a good cleaning use hoppes then clean well and after cleaning, put more hoppes in barrel then turn upside down on an old rag and leave it overnight then next day swab out bore - that should do it. Next, you may be overthinking the shot. Get on the sticks and when the shot looks right, take it - sometimes waiting for it to be better is wrong because it cant get better - try trusting your eye. When I train for Africa I shoot hundreds of .22 as well as my safari rifles from all positions and off sticks. I sometimes make small .22 targets in the shape of an animal and then get on the sticks, get on the animal and come up the front leg & shoot when it looks right. Time on the trigger will only help, especially after you figure out what your problem is right now. Hope this helps. | |||
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I dry fire every day, but from the sitting position using a shooting sling. I shoot once per week on Friday mornings at steel gongs at 500 yards. I use a bipod sitting position with a shooting sling and also practice a lot with just a sling. On Tuesdays I go out in the desert and shoot from 600 to 800 yards using a sitting position with a bipod. On Saturdays I shoot off the sticks at the gongs at 200 yards. I also shoot offhand at 200 yards. I rarely shoot closer than 100 yards. I may not shoot at long range in Africa, but shooting at long range really makes you aware of the effects of wind. I hardly ever practice with a 22 rimfire; I don't need lessons on trigger control. I sometimes take my .22 in the desert and shoot rabbits with it, and sometimes gong shoot at 200 yards, but I can't say that is really great practice for Africa. I do practice a lot with my .204 Ruger and .223 Rem off the sticks, and I think the Ruger African chambered in the .223 is a great idea. Before a trip to Africa I will accelerate my practice off the sticks, and often shoot at 300 yards. Since 90 percent of what you shoot in Africa is off the sticks, I would stick to shooting off the sticks at ranges between 200 and 300 yards. You might not shoot a buffalo at those ranges, but you very well might shoot plains game that far. As far as targets go, I like shooting at steel gongs or rocks, esp at long ranges. Yesterday the wind was gusting between 10 and 15 mph and shooting at 500 yards on black steel gave me instant feedback on the wind drift. You can do that with reactive targets or paper, unless you drive down after each shot. | |||
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What is probably happening is that you are looking to see where your hits are on the target and not following through in maintaining your sight picture. Although you don't realize it, you shift your focus from your front sight or reticule to the target just as the shot breaks. The above will help cure this. Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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I have shot over 200 animals in Africa and have yet to shoot one from sticks.  465H&H | |||
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Setter, what more could you possibly accomplish with practicing, that you have not done already? I'm not sure I would go to the extent Mike did, and get a tattoo, but he's right. Killing is a mindset, no amount of practice IMO can make up for one's ability or lack there of to be a killer. You're obviously familiar with you gun by now, so focus on being a good hunter/killer, and hunting/killing is how you do that. Quick story. I am sitting on Alaska airlines now, flying to Seattle from Anchorage, returning home from a bear hunt. Gotta love WI-FI at 30,000 feet. Lining up to shoot my bear last week at 305 yards, as he laid motionless in the snow, mostly obscured by a wall of thick alders, I realized I had an ammo problem. Suffice to say, 1/2 mile later, and with the bear running downhill to my left, and the guide's gun in my hand, I rolled the bear, on the run, twice at about 250 yards, with a gun I've never shot in my life. One more shot as he came to a stop, and he was done. It was no special feat, but sometimes things happen, and you have to adjust. Being confident in yourself and your ability as a hunter, is much more important than target practice, over and over and over again. Know the anatomy of what you are hunting, know regardless of the angle, the anatomy never changes, and as Mike always says, "Make the Shot"! Once there, only the field/hunting conditions change. Does your trigger pull change, does your eye relief change, does the animal you plan to shoot have a red balloon tied to it's chest, nailed to a motionless board, nope!!! Stop way over thinking the whole thing, and go do what you already know how to do. Just my opinion. | |||
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Aaron said : Stop way over thinking the whole thing, and go do what you already know how to do. Some of the best advice given on this forum about shooting, killing, hunting and attittude..... | |||
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I would guess you are the exception rather than the rule and undoubtedly you do that by choice. Aaron: There are those of who just plain love to shoot! | |||
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I've shot nowhere near 200 animals in Africa, but I agree about the sticks. I simply do not shoot well from sticks, and because I hunt mostly with double rifles they seem to interfere with the rifles regulation by retarding the muzzle flip. I have used the sticks on occasion for a very long shot, but I seem to have knack for snap shooting off hand. I do use a hiking staff to steady my hold for hunting with two handed hold with a handgun in the USA, however. ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith  | |||
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Thanks again to all that offered suggestions and advise. My first shot (100 yds) from my 9.3 x 62 with a clean cold bore was 1" high and the next was in the bull. The next two (different load) were touching each other in the bull. (I would add pictures but I seem to be computer illiterate this afternoon) One more practice session with the 9.3 and then I'll break out the .416 Rigby. | |||
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