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Got out the range this morning between rain drops to do a bit of shooting off of the sticks in preparation for an upcoming buff hunt just under a year out. Ended up bringing a 223 bolt rifle to do the majority of my practice with without breaking the bank or beating myself up too much. Spent the most of the morning practicing a first shot off of sticks with an instantaneous reload and transition to a second and third shot offhand. Finished off with the same drills with two full mags from the 375H&H and then 40 rounds from the 470 double (20 with trail boss loads, 20 with full house). The practice sessions in the basement with snap caps have been a great help with reloading the double from a belt. Waiting for an amazon shipment of 375 snap caps so I can start practicing my reloading with that. | ||
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Good fun and great practice! I like that you are shooting with a smaller caliber too. After I have confidence in my big rig and loads, the trick becomes to not develop bad habits (flinch). Prior to a trip, I practice in the back yard with a pellet gun, shooting at anything other than paper (HB eggs, apples, etc). I'll do some everyday, "sets" of 20 or 30, as fast as I can mount/acquire/shoot, to develop muscle memory. Try getting your heart rate up prior via exercise, and vary the sticks height (set randomly and practice mounting the gun and adjusting the stick up/down while handling the rifle safely). When on the ground, don't just site in but practice with whoever will be carrying and setting up the sticks. Go through the drill so they see what you like, and you see what they default to. Refresh every now and then, good humor too when in the field. Enjoy the prep and anticipation! Where are you going and who with? | |||
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Good for you practice practice Practice .Get so shooting of the sticks is second nature . Do it when you are tired and in a less than ideal position low lite conditions exec. . Of the 2 buff i shot neither one was was in a ideal position Buff are hard to kill and the first shot is all important also practice second shot. So many hunts are ruined by bad shooting. Practice ammo is the cheapest thing on a $20,000 Buff hunt. Good luck on your hunt | |||
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I bought some of the targets from Safari press and shot them with my son @25 or so yards with a bolt action 22 off sticks. Fun practice! Hunting: Exercising dominion over creation at 2800 fps. | |||
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Thanks, guys. Was thinking about a 22LR, but don't have any in bolt guns. Figured I could use the practice instinctively moving my hand to the bolt to cycle the action as soon as I pull the trigger. I was shooting all three at 50 yards, first shot off sticks was dead on where it should be, the off hand shots were all within a 4-5" circle. I've a large cache of both 223 (65gr) and 375 (300gr) SGK's that I plan on loading up practice ammo for the bolt guns with. The 470 just digests woodleighs for a hefty price tag. I've a few boxes of the 350gr 375 woodleighs squirreled away. Found a wonderfully accurate load for those over IMR4350 that I'm planning to use for one of the buffs. Duckear, you just reminded me I have a few of those buff targets down in my gun room!
Headed to South Africa just outside of Hoedsprudt (sp?) next September with JWK Safaris for a bull and cow buffalo combo hunt. First time over, I'm very excited for it. | |||
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As you are obviously a reloader why not use cast. Can load these to any level you want from squib to full power, use your 375 and 470 double. No need to use 223 or 22RF. Cases will last forever as will your barrels. Don't need to worry about trying to regulate either gun, 375 easy enough but likely harder with your double if you wanted to regulate. It is more just the practice of shooting over sticks and fast follow ups that you are obviously wanting so POI of cast loads is not overly of concern. | |||
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I've been looking into loads for cast boolits in the 470. I've a few boxes of 425gr .475's for a Linebaugh that doesn't get shot too much (TFC injury in dominant wrist) that I've been eyeing up. Not finding much for reliable data. Might just try some Trail Boss per their recommendations for loading and see how those shoot. Can't even imagine how comfortable those will be with a lighter bullet, as the 500's over that powder are a complete joy to shoot. | |||
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Cutting Edge has a .474 Safari Raptor bullet that weighs 320 grains. It won't save you much cost wise, but recoil will be reduced at least 25%. That allows me to practice with a load that has significant, but not painful, recoil. I load it in my .470NE double with 103 grains of IMR 4831 and a foam wad from Trader Keith. Accuracy and regulation at 50 yards was very good. I used it in Manitoba this year on a bear with devastating results. My wife and I also have a .223 bolt gun that is great for practicing off sticks. | |||
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Great practice, but let me suggest: When you get there, practice a bit with whoever will be carrying the sticks. You need to be a team, coordinated. (I'm a lefty.) | |||
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Good advise here. I hunted with PH that told me his pet peeve was "when a client adjusts the sticks" Well, thats just too damn bad. make them fit you. He's not going to pay the lost TF because of an un-comfortable shot. I'm a lefty as well. Formerly "Nganga" | |||
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When I was prepping for Africa, I would take a .22 to the range, plus the .308 and .416 Rigby I actually took over with me, and shoot them back to back to back. It helped me get in practice with the specific rifles I was going to take, but having the .22 in the mix was really informative and educational. When I was making shots with the .22 but not with the rigby I knew to really focus in and concentrate on my trigger squeeze! | |||
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Practice brings experience and that brings confidence.Shooting is very complicated.I believe everything counts. | |||
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Getting accustomed to sticks is understandably acceptable for those who are used to benches, tree trunks or shooting prone on the ground. It does not however take hundreds of rounds and multiple trips to the range a year in advance to get used to a rock-steady tripod. As long as the sticks are sturdy and don't bend in the middle, there isn't a better support. It also goes without saying that all the shooting is directed at a piece of paper at the far end and its wide grins all round when the holes appear in a 4" group, a grin that quickly fades when the shot really counts. The real accuracy is achieved not so much through practice on paper but more through the confidence that is acquired by the number of times one gets to re-visit Africa. A classic example is the way Saeed shoots off the sticks. At the given word its no dilly-dallying or farting about; the rifle has barely the time to nestle into the crook and the shot is fired with dead accuracy. | |||
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"The real accuracy is achieved not so much through practice on paper but more through the confidence that is acquired by the number of times one gets to re-visit Africa." nonsense | |||
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Great practice drill, keep up the good work. And keep having fun. You will do great Tim | |||
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FFemtRN5287, Sounds like you have some good practice sessions lined out. Shooting off sticks at the range at different distances and dry firing at home is invaluable. I worked with a client this spring and summer who literally went from not being able to hit the target board to shooting 3-4 inch groups at 150 yards from sticks. He now has 8 animals in the salt and has 3 hunting days left. Practice is very important. Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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I take my own sticks to Africa. I practice with them at the range and dryfire as well at home. On safari, I use what I am comfortable with. I have never had a PH complain about me using my own sticks. If anything, it is a confidence builder. No doubt confidence builds with more African hunts as stated above. However, not everyone is fortunate as to have gained that much experience and good practice before your first few trips is invaluable Kodiak 2022 Namibia 2019 Namibia 2018 South Africa 2017 Alaska Brown Bear 2016 South Africa, 2016 Zimbabwe 2014 South Africa 2013 Australia 2011 Alberta 2009 Namibia 2007 Alberta 2006 | |||
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Thanks, guys. While I get to shoot trap at least once weekly, I only tend to get down to the rifle range at the club about twice a month. I try to go week days (I, thankfully, typically only work 4 days a week!) to the rifle range to avoid crowds and be able to move around and shoot rather than just sit at the bench and get pelted with brass from the inevitable AR that parks to my left. Having a blast doing this prep. Just spent 20 min practicing reloads on both the double and the bolt gun. First "shot" off of the sticks, and then transitioned to off hand. The wife looked at me a little crazy when she went down stairs and saw a cape buffalo poster on the wall for me to aim at!  | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting practice session off of shooting sticks
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