Not sure is this is the correct forum but wanted to ask if anybody could help with links to video tutorials on how to shoot well offhand.
This is my weakness. I am adequate shooting from a bench, sitting, prone over support or with a bipod but pretty much suck at Offhand which I want to overcome.
Thanks in anticipation.

King,
Look on You Tube for any videos done by the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, you could also look on their website. All I can tell you having spent many hours and thousands of rounds practicing my offhand is, "It ain't easy" but you can learn. I still struggle as do most, but I feel I am a much better than average offhand shooter, but given the chance it is always my last option.

What Gundog said is sound advice, all I can add is that when you understand form, breathing, sling etc that you burn thousands of rounds of .22 rimfire with a full size rifle.
Ring gongs, punch paper, shoot water bottles, balloons whatever.
Practice until it feels automatic.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
What Gundog said is sound advice, all I can add is that when you understand form, breathing, sling etc that you burn thousands of rounds of .22 rimfire with a full size rifle.
Ring gongs, punch paper, shoot water bottles, balloons whatever.
Practice until it feels automatic.

Pretty much. Smaller/timed targets help and are goal setting.

quote:

that you burn thousands of rounds of .22 rimfire with a full size rifle.

I shot thousands of rounds at 4 inch steel plates at 50 yards.

That greatly increased my off hand performance.

Practice. Practice. Practice.

Forget timing to start with.

Use something like an 8-10 inch target at 100 yards.

Use a 22 rimfire.

Once you manage to continuously put 10 out of 10 shots inside that target, start timing yourself to comfortably put 80% of your shots inside the target, and increase your speed.

Like Gundog, I earned the Distinguished Rifleman badge, in my case close to 40 years ago. Unlike him, my ability to shoot standing has deteriorated with the years. Standing is a position I never use, if there is any alternative.

Sometimes there is no alternative. I can think of several situations in Africa where getting off an accurate shot quickly was of the utmost importance, and it was there that my system of offhand shooting proved itself.

Once I developed a satisfactory load with my "heavy" rifle, which I used on all thick skinned game, I never fired a full load. Instead, I fired numberless rounds of reduced, cast bullet loads, using a technique I evolved from my years of shooting International Skeet. This involved instantaneous pointing and quick trigger work at improvised targets, usually at very close range, no farther than 50 yards.

I practiced target acquisition endlessly, with an unloaded rifle, often indoors. I would look at a discreet object like a doorknob and then mount the rifle to my shoulder and look at the same object through iron sights or a scope. Eventually I was able to look through the scope and find the object I had looked at centered in the crosshairs.

I reached the point that target acquisition was entirely second nature, like pointing a shotgun.
I used this same technique in walks through the woods, at rocks, tree stumps, anything which represented a target of opportunity. The stance I used was that of a shotgunner, not a target shooter.

Military style target shooting involves shooting at a bullseye target 200 yards away. The "10" ring on that target is 6" in diameter, so even if your rifle is capable of minute of angle accuracy, there is still little room for error. The stance used has no application in the hunting field, nor does the weight of the rifle. Learning to shoot like a target shooter will teach you trigger control and little else of value as a hunter.

Gents,
Thankyou for your comments and suggestions re the importance of practise. I take your wise words to heart.
I remembered I was sort of trying to establish my basic level last year. I set up some water filled plastic milk bottles at 50 yds and shot offhand with my .375 H&H Blaser. I made a short movie ( see link ) which makes me look better than I truthfully am. Most following episodes were worse than this. Anyway it was fun at the time and encourages me to improve. Sorry about the picture quality ( phone ) but I hope you enjoy.

https://drive.google.com/file/...ZDg/view?usp=sharing

Xausa makes excellent points. Shooting game off hand is a lot like shooting a shotgun. Get on target and get it done. Trigger control is called slapping which happens right after target acquisition and a clear sight picture. If more time is allowed, usually measured in seconds, pull your sight DOWN on target vs. up, hit the trigger when on target. Bringing your sight up to your target will promote overshooting, down reduces the risk. Shooting game is a dynamic activity, the shooting of game usually happens quickly in offhand situations. Not my preferred position but have probably shot more game standing or squatting with elbows on knees than anything else.

Shooting off hand hunting, speed is of the utmost importance.

You have to be accurate too.

nugman,

An excellent rundown of what the beginner needs to know about indoor smallbore or air rifle shooting. However, in the hunting field, if you have time to do a small fraction of what you describe, there's time for the shooting sticks to make an appearance. Unsupported offhand shooting should be undertaken in the hunting field only when all other options are impossible.

I once executed a successful brain shot on an elephant with my .505 SRE while I was standing on top of a termite mound. I once shot a running Cape buffalo four times with the same rifle while standing on a six inch wide ledge. I hold an NRA Master's card in Outdoor 3 Position Smallbore, but none of my target shooting experience was of any help in those situations.

Once sighted in off the bench with 1 MOA or better accuracy it's off hand shooting only. Objective is to keep all shots within a 6" diameter target at 100 and 200m. Results shown with my 9.3x74R Ruger No.1-S for example.

Ignore everything everyone else has said and PM Shootaway.....

Actually, I was only half joking. George shoots offhand all the time, so might have a couple of useful pointers.

Personally, just like XAUSA, all my target shooting experience wasn't helpful for offhand shooting in the field. The timed shot idea has merit, IMO,, as opportunities in the field often appear and pass quickly.

The more I shoot the less I know.

there are two kinds of offhand shooting: aimed and pointed.

Pointed is how shotguns are shot and the gun is fired immediately upon getting it into position- there is no extended holding or maintaining of position by muscles.

Aimed offhand involves holding the gun/rifle while the proper sight picture is obtained, then lost, then reobtained, while the trigger is pressed when the shooter has correct sight picture. Wobble occurs, which causes loss of sight picture when muscles become strained so there are two solutions. Strengthen the muscles involved in the holding so that they are less vulnerable to weakening- this can be done with a heavier item than your standard gun/rifle analogous to a baseball player in the on-deck circle swinging a weighted bat, so that the impression with the regular bat is that it's lighter. the second option is to hold the gun/rifle with your arms in such a way that the bones and ligaments are "stacked" against themselves so that the weight is held by bones/joints that are at the limit of their movement.

This was rapid fire in 5 seconds.

I am no expert.

Follow Saeed's advise.

I used an air rifle as a teenager for about 5 years - hundreds of thousands of pellets on squirrels, crows, etc. and lots of targets. Even match sticks. I guess the muscle memory is good for trigger control of the terrible air rifle - must have been a 10 lbs trigger.

In the last 25 years of center fire rifle shooting I find that the rifle has to fit me reasonably. Rifles of 8 lbs or more loaded & scoped are easier to shoot off hand than very light ones.

I had to practice a lot with my ultralight Kimber Montana 7mm 08 that weighs 6 lbs scoped. Had to consciously pull down on the fore end to get on target. Now it is just instinctive. I even shot a running bouncing wallaby at 70 meters. Could have been a fluke but I did time its jump instinctively. It could not have been more than 2 or 3 seconds from seeing the animal chased by a dog.

On the range my sitting shots are usually better than my prone. Kneeling is my worst.

I seem to shoot the larger bores quite well - my 9.3X62 and the 416 Rigby.

Shooting rolling clay discs with a shotgun might also help. It is great fun as the discs bounce and pick up speed.

I 2nd the air rifle, a 22 rf would be about as good. Maybe 15 yrs ago I became what I consider a 'decent' off hand shot after buying a HW97 field target rifle in 20 caliber. I shot thousands or rounds in a summer, all off hand. There wasn't a starling, rabbit or crow safe within 80 yards or so. I memorized the trajectory in 10 yard increments out to 80 and laser ranged most targets. That rifle had an excellent trigger and I learned how to break my shot where I needed to. That fall I happened to go to the Winston P. Wilson matches as a new shooter with my guard unit. As a new shooter I did very well and won an award for the highest individual score among all the team matches. For the first time shooting competitively, I attribute it to knowing my trajectory on my service rifle, and practicing with that air rifle all spring and summer.

quote:

Originally posted by nugman:
1). Practice shooting from a neutral , natural position.

2). Practice shooting Cape buffalo from 6” ledges, and elephants from the top of termite mounds.

And don't forget to use full bore .500 NE cartridges or their equivalent. You need to learn to keep your balance, too.

If there are no termite mounds handy, use a stepladder, like W.D.M. Bell. A sawhorse is a good substitute for a 6" ledge.

I used to be a pretty good offhand shot. Like a score of 85 on the standard rimfire 50 ft target without a shooting jacket or sling, our a fancy palm rest, just shooting like if one is hunting. I also shot a 58 on the same target with a .22 pistol (two handed) off hand. I'm not that good anymore. I did as suggested in a gun magazine. I did lots of dry-firing my 7MM Weatherby at my folks mailbox (out the window) about 100 yards away. In general bolt action centerfire rifle can be dry fired without damaging the firing pins. Smith & Wesson said that is also true of my Performance Center .44 Mag pistol. For most .22 rimfire guns there will be damage. I am surprised nobody mentioned dry fring for practice as most people can't get to a range very often, and firing live ammo can be expensive.

quote:

Originally posted by IOWADON: I am surprised nobody mentioned dry fring for practice as most people can't get to a range very often, and firing live ammo can be expensive.

When I was in the service we dry fired the M14 for hours on end with no apparent damage, however, there was an armorer nearby with a box full of firing pins in the event one broke. I am a firm believer in the Doctrine of Conservation of Mass and Energy and as such believe that the energy driving the firing pin forward has to go somewhere, which means that in most designs it will be absorbed by the part of the firing pin that hits the interior of the bolt- which seems to me will work-harden it and cause potential for breakage. As such, I'm much more comfortable when dry firing by own guns to use snap caps or other means of simulation of a primer to absorb the energy. They cost little and provide hours of guilt-free practice.

quote:

Pointed is how shotguns are shot and the gun is fired immediately upon getting it into position- there is no extended holding or maintaining of position by muscles.

That has worked for me for a while now, starting back in 1970.

Just my opinion on this subject, but I firmly believe somev folks agonise way to much over a really simple problem.

I have been a proponent of taking the shot the instant the sights settle on the point you want the bullet to go for a long time.

All of us have learned and developed our own individual style/ techniques, but from my experiences, the longer a person thinks about what they are fixing to do when shooting at game, the more likely they are to mess up the shot.

Just another opinion, but from what I have experienced in my own hunts and in hunts with others, folks with lots of wing shooting experience seem to be pretty good when shooting off hand with a rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:

quote:

Pointed is how shotguns are shot and the gun is fired immediately upon getting it into position- there is no extended holding or maintaining of position by muscles.

That has worked for me for a while now, starting back in 1970.

Just my opinion on this subject, but I firmly believe somev folks agonise way to much over a really simple problem.

I have been a proponent of taking the shot the instant the sights settle on the point you want the bullet to go for a long time.

All of us have learned and developed our own individual style/ techniques, but from my experiences, the longer a person thinks about what they are fixing to do when shooting at game, the more likely they are to mess up the shot.

Just another opinion, but from what I have experienced in my own hunts and in hunts with others, folks with lots of wing shooting experience seem to be pretty good when shooting off hand with a rifle.

I totally agree...as soon as the sights line up where you want them shoot...waiting is just a recipe for disaster!

I get better results using a rifle that has a balanced feel with a good trigger and fast lock time.

For dryfiring a 22 rimfire us a #6 x 1" plastic screw anchor for drywall. A couple of bucks for 100 at the local hardware store.

Dave

Grab a 22, fill your pockets up with ammo and go on walk. Shoot at anything and everything that catches your eye. To really see what’s going on shoot targets in water. Instant feedback on where your hitting. I like a lever for plinking. And use iron sights when and if possible. And shoot, shoot, shoot.. ...

Rimfire rifles for crosstraining are an excellent resource.

Also, read something from the Highpower and silhouete shooters (like David Tubb), I bet you can find valuable information there.

quote:

Originally posted by tomahawker:
Grab a 22, fill your pockets up with ammo and go on walk. Shoot at anything and everything that catches your eye. To really see what’s going on shoot targets in water. Instant feedback on where your hitting. I like a lever for plinking. And use iron sights when and if possible. And shoot, shoot, shoot.. ...

Once in the summer of 1989 I was canoeing down the Teslin and Yukon rivers in the Yukon and I came across another paddler on the river from my province.He had a lever action in 357 magnum and a 22LR that he used to shoot at all kinds of things along the river.He let me take a few shots with it at some rocks on the shore.

What a cool trip! We go on an overnighter every year. Always have a 22 handy. Been shooting a browning blr for years. Carried on trapline for last 10 years. Love the short stroke and overall length. Sorry to hijack op.

If a person has access to property where they can, just getting out and plinking away with a .22 will improve a persons shooting ability a whole bunch.

You don't have to burn powder to develop muscle memory.
Dry fire,dry fire, dry fire.
Spend 5-15 minutes every night dry firing at a dime sized target as far way as you can get in your house (down the hallway or whatever). After you have done that for 2 weeks to a month you can go out and shoot.

trigger control, or with me I call it a controlled jerk!!

I shoot a lot off hand, I hunt a lot off hand, grew up shooting iron sights, we all did back in the day..

I suggest a lot of practice, hunt rabbits and varmints with a 22 rifle or varmint rifle..One thing I suggest is learn to shoot fast the longer you aim the more you will wobble I guarantee you that..I take a breath and shoot. Using a bunch of tricks and techniques is non productive IMO, learn with irons and then use low power scopes for off hand shooting.. those big scopes at high power magnify your wobble just like they magnify a target so when your heart beats its also magnified and when the cross hairs pass by the target you tend to grab at the trigger..

Ive won a lot of money over the years betting with irons against a 4 to 10 power scope off hand timed at 100 yards.

Just go shoot lots of 22s to start with, hunt rabbits with irons, peeps and low power scopes and most of all have fun, shoot fast as you can and remember the controlled jerk..you will get better and better.. Most off hand shooting comes out of the printed word and is so much ca ca..Jack O'Connor was a great off hand shooter, he was also an avid Jack rabbit hunter, Running Jacks have made some of the best off hand shots I know of. My favorite sport unless there are plenty of coyotes in the desert.

We have plenty of rock chucks and pin heads in Idaho, they will improve your off hand shooting but IMO a standing chuck is a harder shot than a running rabbit. Its a mental game.

quote:

You don't have to burn powder to develop muscle memory.
Dry fire,dry fire, dry fire.
Spend 5-15 minutes every night dry firing at a dime sized target as far way as you can get in your house (down the hallway or whatever). After you have done that for 2 weeks to a month you can go out and shoot.

I have discussed that method with others, and while it probably does work for some folks, being able to actually see where the shot is going brings reality into the equation?

Different things work for different people, there is NO one size fits all when it comes to shooting.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:

quote:

You don't have to burn powder to develop muscle memory.
Dry fire,dry fire, dry fire.
Spend 5-15 minutes every night dry firing at a dime sized target as far way as you can get in your house (down the hallway or whatever). After you have done that for 2 weeks to a month you can go out and shoot.

I have discussed that method with others, and while it probably does work for some folks, being able to actually see where the shot is going brings reality into the equation?

Different things work for different people, there is NO one size fits all when it comes to shooting.

Just my own experience from years of shooting Highpower. Your mileage may differ.

Back when I was a competent offhand shot I used a decent 22 (a Ruger 77/22), a full set of metallic silhouettes, and burned up a lot of ammo.

Just a question, nothing more.

I have read and heard of the dry firing technique, but if there is No Physical evidence of where the "Shot" is hitting, how is one able to tell what they are accomplishing?

I honestly feel that whatever method works for the individual, that is what they need to stick with, I just have a hard time understanding how anyone can tell what is going on if they have no physical evidence to prove or evaluate their method.

A lot of experience and excellent points have been made. Offhand shooting is the least accurate position. You are standing like a wind sail, prone to being pushed by the wind in varied direction. Supported on two feet only, which could be unstable or varied elevation stance and using the last thing conducive to accuracy, relying on muscle control. That is varied and diminished.

I realize offhand can be the only viable position when needed. Since you are not shooting competition with any restrictions. Use every advantage you have.


With bipod or tripod like the BOG pod that has a hand grip release. Is extremely fast and will automatically adjust to ground elevation giving you support. I use it like a walking cane, it saves my knees going up or down. In 3-5 seconds, I am on target. My rifle is not buried in my pack. Any time you feel you have the time to use it, do it. Any thing over 150 yd.'s it is the only way to go.

Snap shooting, where the animal is fleeing at close range with limited window of opportunity and time is of the essence. That is where most fail. They can shoot supported at longer range but not otherwise.
Like competitive shotgun shooting which simulates speed and timing. Most will miss close or too slow to engage.
Reason, your primary hunting rifle should fit you like a glove. Get custom fitted by a competent fitter with a try gun. Have your rifle bent for proper cast , drop etc.. until you can engage your target with precision consistently and with efficiency.
Dry fire until the cows come home. You will be able to call your shot. You will know which direction you pulled your shot from your last sight picture. Work on improving it, until it is where you want it. In the process, you are building muscle memory, strength, visual and mental cohesion.
Get a rimfire rifle that mimicks your primary hunting rifle. Same scope, full stock fitted and weight similarity. shoot as much as you can practicing properly. when satisfied, use your primary gun with light loads until everything becomes second nature. Practice making secondary shots without braking your stock weld.
Offhand technique will become second nature. The problem when you age and muscle strength changes. Your ability is not constant. You have to work on maintaining your skill.

Last point, try not to twist your upper body in contorted ways to get on target when possible. Learn to NATURALLY align your body quickly with a solid stance. The more you push your body out of it's natural state, the more it wants to return at the moment of relaxation and trigger pull to it's normal state and that is where your shot will end up.

Best of luck to you.

Ive always thought it was overthoughted!

I grew up shooting irons on mod. 94 win. 63 Win. 22s and off my hind legs in the desert and rimrock country where shots were long for deer and close for Javalina, didn't know better and for that Im grateful..In that part of the country we all did..Never felt undergunned with a 30-30 or 25-35 where now most paying hunters, ranchers, and locals are using 270s, 06's, 300s..even myself..oh yeah and "most everyone' has a scoped rifle..fewer and fewer can shoot off hand and that's too bad, some of my best trophies were killed with a snap shot at under 200 yards off hand in that window of opertunity.

I see these guys on TV passing up opertunity after opertunity at large bucks because everything must be perfect and broadside, not my cup of tea..I take the shot when its presented the first time.

quote:

.I take the shot when its presented the first time.

That has been working for me quite successfully for 50 years now.

Just a thought/opinion, but is it possible that many of us simply are not able, for what ever reason to do as much shooting as some of us were at a different point in time?

Perfection is the enemy of the perfectly adequate. Try for perfect and get nothing. Get so scared of missing that you can't hit anything.

quote:

Perfection is the enemy of the perfectly adequate. Try for perfect and get nothing. Get so scared of missing that you can't hit anything.

Interesting observation and from personal observations over the years, it is an accurate one.