Ok, we beat up the use of "premium" vs "standard" bullets. We all know accurate shooting is really the key point in cleanly bringing down game. How many of you acutally practice, on & off the bench?
I have hunting friends who drag the rifle out a week before their trip to Montana, Colorado, etc. & fire 3 rounds to check the scope & then go hunting. Me, I like to shoot as much as possible. I hate to miss!

In my case, its not a matter of missing, I do that well enough with practice. I just like to shoot. 99.9% of my guns are Rem 700 and they're set up pretty much the same -on the varmint guns, the trigger is set a bit lighter- so regardless of which rifle I am using at the moment, I am "practicing". Also, I usually shoot several rifles during the same session so barrel heat doesn't become a factor. Everytime I shoot I include a certain amount of time to spend using field positions.
If it were not raining, I would be shooting right now. I keep telling my wife I need a covered firing position on my range. And she just give me "that look" and goes on about some unrelated stuff like the living room needs painting or her car needs brakes.

[ 06-12-2003, 00:03: Message edited by: beemanbeme ]

About the best practice I get during the year is going after sage rats with a full-sized .22 rifle. The weight and feel are very close to my hunting rifles and I can practice all day long on moving targets at various ranges for just a couple bucks a day.
Of course, my varmint rifles also get a workout on some of these shoots, but most of that is shooting from a bipod, which I seldom do during big game seasons.- Sheister

I just got in from the range where I was doing some practice with shooting sticks at 100 yards. I just built them from 3 6 foot bamboo garden stakes and an old belt from the snowblower. Very steady, I see why they use them all the time in africa. I'm going next april and will put a few hundred rounds through each of my rifles before going as well as shooting a sporter rifle league in the winter indoors for more practice. No Bench,offhand with and without support, sitting with sling which i find very steady and prone with sling. I use a ching sling on my hunting rifles which is very similar to the support my military sling gives on the target gun. I also shoot about 3-4000 rounds of .223 in HighPower competition and practice each year.

I try to get a lot of practice. I do a lot of testing from the bench. Pdogs during the summer but the best practice in the world, IMHO, is running jackrabbits with the hunting rifle I intend to use that year. Hell, I even hit one(proof positive God helps fools) once in a while.

I started reloading a few years ago because I like to "practice". Now that I reload I spend way, way, more money on practicing than ever before.

I abel to shoot 2-4 times every week, but it really depends on what I am working on. I very quickly find an accurate load and do not try to fuss with it too much. I bring guns and items of senerio to informaly shoot when testing to break up the boredom of bench work. My range is a private one and am not bothered. If I am not out at the range testing bullets or load development, I am usually hunting coyotes,bobcats,hogs,misc. varmits or mt lion unless something else is in season . Now if I am not doing that, I am butchering guns
Hunting varmits makes for great practice.

I get to the range once a week.

I develope 95% of my loads on the bags. Then I shoot sitting, standing, kneeling, braced on a post. Left handed on occasion. My best offhand group with a #1 at 100 yds was 9 in less than 3"...then along came # 10. oh well...

I've been out about 5 times so far this year and we're going again on Saturday. I would like to get out more but with taking classes on Saturday and the weather not cooperating it's been tough. I do spend a good amount of my time at the range shooting from hunting positions. This weekend I'll be sighting in a new scope so most of my work will be from the bench.

I shoot between 300 and 500 rounds before every season. I know, becasue I record every group I shoot. Case. Bullet. Powder and charge. Last year was an exception. The good days I had family obligations and the others it rained or snowed, so I only got in around 100 rounds. The last 100 or so rounds are fired under field conditions at metal targets out to 375 yards.

I was out yesterday, and will go out Sunday for sure. I have a range not far from where I work, so I can go out after work, at lunch etc. I try to make it out at least once a week, and more when I can. Reloading and "testing" loads is a good excuse I shoot a few rounds from the bench to check zero, then shoot from hunting positions as much as possible. The adrenalin is missing though.

I usually shoot 200 to 400 rounds of centerfire per year and a few thousand rimfire.My centerfires are shot at various distances out to 500 yards regularly.

I shoot between 2 and 3 hundred rounds a week of centerfire rifle and handgun. Some weeks double, depending on upcoming competitions. Both bench and practical, alot of it walking in the mountains and shooting at varying distances, and in different positions.

I normally spend many a weekend at my private club, which used to be a good 20-25 miles from my house.

In January I moved to within 5 miles of the club, and have only been, maybe, twice so far this year.

Funny how a new house and new baby change things. I haven't even got my reloading bench set up yet. Yikes!

RSY

I've been to the range at least 9 time in the last 10 weeks and hope to go at least once this weekend I shoot off the bench, off-hand, off two sets of shooting sticks and seating. I've been throught at least 300 rounds of center fire ammo and one 550 box of rim fire. I'm making someone at Nosler and Barnes rich

My goal is to go to the rifle range once a week, but my average is probably closer to once every two weeks. I shoot a variety of rifles and always focus on the hunting rifles/muzzelloader/slug shotgun from the middle of August to hunting season.
I also try to go to a nearby indoor range once a week for CCW practice with my Beretta.

I practice three days a week, weather permiting. I shoot my rifles, my families rifles, and my friends rifles. If you want yours shot, I am your man. I shoot anything from .14 Cal to .50 BMG and enjoy every minute of it. ----- I head a group that hunts Colorado each year for Deer and Elk. Those that hunt with me shoot with me and I pass judgement on their skill, if they are not real serious about the shooting end of the hunt they can forget going with me. ---- When we get on the mountain each has shot many rounds in preparation, if we miss it is from the difficulty of the shot not the preparation. Our group brought home 17 Elk last year, from 11 hunters. 4 hunters brought home nothing, making the choice to not shoot rag horns, waiting for the big one. Good shooting.

[ 06-12-2003, 21:19: Message edited by: phurley ]

Once a week I spend 1-2 hours shooting my hunting rifles, field positions only. I use cast bullets to save money.

I will shoot my 10/22 sometimes twice a week.

Ben Reinhardt
Pocatello, ID

I try to shoot weekly, but its more every two weeks lately. I especially like shooting during cold weather because that most simulates hunting conditions.

Lately, I've been shooting once a week. Mostly, I shoot prone, offhand, and braced on the left or right side of a vertical post.

I don't like shooting anything 30-06 or bigger at the bench, because I don't like the recoil.

H. C.

I practice a minimum of twice a week. Once a load is developed for a particular rifle, then I get away from the bench and shoot from sitting, off hand, with the sticks, and leaning across the hood of my Jeep. I use either 9" paper plates or an 8" steel gong as targets and the ranges are anywhere from 25 to 300 yards. The gong is reserved for shots of 100 yards or more.

Good Hunting,

[ 06-15-2003, 04:39: Message edited by: ACRecurve ]

Every september and October our gun range has a deer rifle sight in for "the public." this is when we get to see the hacks shoot their autoloader 30-06 in 10" groups at 100 yards and profess "that'll do". These are the guys in the blaze orange cowboy hats. I just have to hope they aren't near my stand when the shootin starts. It doesn't take much practice to be consistant at 100 yards with a high power rifle.

Same as most of the above it seems.I try and get to the range once a week and blow anything from 7.62 x 39 mil, 22LR, shotgun slugs(!), 300 cals, 375 H&H to 585 Gehringer in varying quantities. If with a friend we pick visible objects out on the mounds and call 'snap shot' prone or offhand etc.

Karl.

Hey Pat what part of Colo do you hunt-and if it is with an outfit which one?

By the way we share the love of the 340-wonderful round!

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

Oh and by the way about the practice you bet--to me if you don't you should take up golf.

I get to the range as much as 4 times a week and as little as 1 time a week. I don't spend much time on the bench I do enjoy shooting groups off of field positions up to 450 (our longest range).
I also love going to the hill and shooting rocks at long ranges from all positions-it teaches me many nice things-especially about calling my shot-angles-and that good old buddy of mine the wind!

I also spend a a fair bit of time during the year shooting PD's/gophers and chucks and yotes from laying down, sitting, or standing. I do not take a bench with me to shoot PD's-a while back I saw that and I thought it was way too funny!

My favorite rifle is on its 8th tube if my memory is any good this morn (Grandson is visiting so sleep is not all that it could be--grins). Oh yeah it is a 700 in the mag persuasion. And to quote someone from the past-and I don't know how it was but I loved it "it is a rifle I can talk with out in the field". And I use it for not all but for the large share of my game/varmint shooting.

Enough and probably way too much from me-have an awesome day-make it your best!!

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

Oh yeah one last last thing-for me I practice becaues I enjoy the time away, I love to be out at the range on a night when there are not many around. I also love being on the hill-where I am not on stage like we are on life most of the time.

And for me practicing does a couple of things, it helps with my confidence in a rifle. And it defines my abilities with said rifle, and what my discipline will be with it!

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

Otto, in Memphis, during the "get ready for hunting" period at the public rifle range, we regulars would just hang around. When a shooter(s) showed up with their loudenbanginshooter, we'd ask if they saved their brass? Getting no for an answer, we'd snap up everything. Later we'd sort out what each of us needed. I still have coffee cans of 30-06 brass that I picked up 20 years ago.

I currently have 9 different calibers of rifles ranging from 22 LR to 300 win mag. I shoot every other weekend to stay tuned up. I even have taken a 7mag and 300 win mag prairie dog hunting, I just figured if I can hit Pdog's with my mag's I can surely kill elk with them. besides I just like to shoot during the spring summer and earley fall because when season opens you don't shoot much unless you are a terrible shot.

Mark -- I hunt between Craig and Meeker Colorado. This is not an outfitter. My group hunts mostly BLM ground, but we pay a rancher a trespass fee to cross his land, then hunt on our own. That .340 is a real honey of an Elk round in my book. My 14 year old grandson is shooting one this year, he has already shot a one inch group with it, and can handle it quite well. Good shooting.

Thanks-PHurley I'm glad your G-son can shoot the 340-to me it is one find round.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

ps sometime I'd like to chat you on the phone-if you want e-mail me your #-if not no biggie

beeman;

do women actually use brakes on a car???
what a concept.

All I know is that practice can make perfect, or a shitload closer to it.

When I am out shooting ground squirrels I am amazed at how much further I can shoot and keep hitting them with a bolt action 22, the longer I am out there. Even out to 150 yds, with a 3 x9 scope. after seeing dust fly from a shot that is short, the eye just developes the hold needed for trajectory. Kentucky windage!

Funny just was at the rifle range with my friend in Montana last week, and he about fell over when I searched the garbage cans as soon as I got there. He thought I was searching for food or something. Of course when I showed him finding 5 boxes of brand new once fired 7 Mag brass, that I gave him since I don't shoot a 7 mag but he does. I love non handloaders at the rifle range, especially the ones with a lot of money to spend on ammo just to throw it away.

I do alot of practice with my big game loads on groundhogs.
Before I started reloading that was sometimes a $1.50 a pop just to shoot a whisle pig.
But I figured it was money well spent.
Shooting groundhogs is under field conditions much like big game hunting only the groundhog is a smaller target.When I can consistantly kill them at ranges out to 300yds.it does wonders for my confidence in myself,the rifle/ammo combo and I figure big stuff is gimmes (almost) out to at least 300yds.
It's alot of fun and I enjoy it.
But I have a good friend who doesn't practice at all period.The first round of the season is at deer and 99.99% of the time its a one shot kill,he says the rifle is sighted in noboby has messed with it and it will hit where he aims.Only he could get away with that and he makes 200-300yd. shots year after year.But I prefer practice.

I practice shooting off hand more than most...At one time I could hit 3 out of 5 going away clays with my old double rifle that I sold, but I have to practice a lot to hold that score..I probably couldn't do that today.

I shoot a good deal at our range testing loads, sighting in, regulating sights on doubles and that sort of thing...I always finish the session up with a few offhand fast snap shots at varius targets and ranges like clods, rocks or whatever is available and safe to shoot at...I was shooting a coffee can (that someone left lying at the 200 yard range) offhand at 200 yards the other day with a double rifle, it did pretty well, I could have killed a Buffalo with it that day with all in the heart lung area...I tossed the can in the trash BTW...

I try to practice at LEAST once a month.