I have been fireforming a bunch of cases lately, and using the opportunity to practice my offhand shooting (no sling or support, just holding the scoped rifle against my shoulder).

How good do you think we should be with OFFHAND shooting for hunting big game?

I think being able to keep 3 shots (in a string of 3) inside a 10 inch circle at 100 yards is good enough for hunting's sake (please note that I wouldn't apply this to rifles where you wouldn't normally take a shot at 100 yards-470 N.E., etc).

What do you think?

Garrett

I bench rest sight in my rifle
Then I use a 2x10x10 oak board at 100yds placed against the bank [backstop]
Then I fire freehanded 5 rounds into the board
As you can guess the board gets smaller with each shot and it moves also

I figure 10x10 in is the kill zone


by the way I deer hunt in Cedar Hill, Tenn.

I routinely practice on gallon plastic jugs. I read somewhere years ago that a milk jug was about the size of a deer's vital area, which seems about right. I usually practice between 100 and 200 yards. If you shoot off the bench a lot, offhand practice will humble you in a hurry.

DGK

When I am in practice, I can put five rounds from any of my hunting rifles under the palm of my hand at 100 yds, shooting offhand, no sling and with a 4x scope. This is with any of my rifles from .243 to .375 and with a 4x scope; I consider this to be reasonable and not difficult to do if you shoot frequently and practice with a good .22RF.

When I do not practice, my edge drops off fairly quickly and the group size expands to about 10", so, it is continual practice that really counts. I find that the best offhand rifle(s) I ever shot were the old .300H&H Mod. 70 originals with the 26" bbls., due to the fabulous balance and superb accuracy; my shorter, lighter rifles are more difficult to control, but, with practice, it can be done.

quote:

practice with a good .22RF.

I agree with Kute on this, practice, practice, practice! Offhand shooting is easier if the gun is a bit heavy in front though this doesn't equate to easy carry or quick handling if it gets too far out of hand. I think the most important feature for OH shooting is a very good trigger. When in form I can generally shoot 3" groups offhand with selected rifles. Group size is proportional to the span of time between offhand shooting. Suffice it to say, offhand shooting will not improve an inaccurate gun. I take unrested shots in the field rarely except when still hunting in close cover. Those shots are typically measured in feet, not yards.

I don't shoot "offhand" much past 75yds, you can usually kneel, sit or rest if you have to shoot farther. I can keep my shots under 8" offhand @ 100. Out to 250yds I'll sit, past that I am prone or looking for arest of some kind.

In addition to group size and distance, I think you should also add an element of time to your test. While 10" at 100 yards is okay for field shooting, I think your range testing should strive for something a bit smaller, say, an 8" group at 100 yards, given that you won't be under hunting stress. Then I think you should strive for three shots in at most 15 seconds (better if you can do it under 10 seconds), starting with the rifle at field ready (butt at your belt level) and ending with the third shot. If you can do three shots into 8" at 100 yards in under 15 seconds, I think you'll be good to go in the field.

Good point and something to definitely consider.

I hate shooting off-hand and avoid it 99% of the time...but I do agree with kutenay all the way..the more you practice the better the shot you will be. And I also agree with Slingster on the timing. The only time I shoot OH is when when I have had to shoot fast, usually at moving animals. That has worked for me often enough, but it is a lousy alternative to a thoughtful shot made from a good rest. Shooting OH can also be done reliably at animals that are at close range, but even then a solid rest is prefered.

I shoot offhand at 50 yards 4 in steel plates. I found out over the years this has greatly improved my hunting.

I also shoot at other ranges all paractice is good

Good Topic. I try to avoid a bench as much as possible. I've had my share of shooting service and match rifle competition off-hand at 200yds. I now avoid shooting off-hand at long distances(too often) as it is not realistic to my style of shooting in a hunting situation. For me it is better to practice off-hand at shorter ranges on smaller targets in short periods of time (to include follow up shots).

One of the better courses I've seen for this was the "Tashinga Three Step" based on the practical shooting test from the South African PH final exam. This was put out a while back by The African Hunters Guild.

This practical represents a buff charge w/ your target being a brain shot thru the nose (3 1/2" x 5") the same size as an index card.

Place 1st index card 50yds down range and 15yds off to your left. 2nd card straight down range 25yds. 3rd card 10yds down range and 15yds to your right. Start w/ safety on at port arms. On command, fire three shots starting w/ 50yd target, then 25yd target, then 10yd target. Minimum score to pass is to shoot at all three targets w/ in 10 seconds hitting at least two. You don't start getting good until you are hitting all three under 9 seconds.

W/ a bit of practice you can get some scary fast times. It really helped me improve my ability to manage my time more efficiently when given a short period of time to shoot a game animal at close/realistic range.

Gary

Offhand is my least favorite field shooting position by far. I think the 8" group is manageable with a little practice but if I can get into a good kneeling position the normal results are easily 1/2 that size or less.

I like to practice offhand with a 22 and my hunting rifle both - game shooting isn't just about science - it also is about feel.

When you know your rifle the sight picture occurs and the trigger pull automatically matches the best place and time to shoot, even running targets. It is a lot like shooting a shotgun, when you trust and swing smoothly without a big jerk you will make great shots even offhand.

Offhand shooting at big game is not advisable based on the reading I have done and experience I have. I have AA NRA rating for rimfire silhouette. As a practical matter it may be convenient but is not reliable and thus best avoided. It is tempting at times though!

Seamus, that's a pretty broad statement for hunting big game. I would tend to agree w/ you if one has time to take a better position or is shooting a long distance and has the option of a better position. Beyond that I disagree. Just last week I was hunting whitetail on a kill permit along a thick (very thick) creek bottom. I removed the scope from my rifle and slowly worked my way along the creek. I kicked up a deer and made an off hand snap-shot resulting in a later venison BBQ feast. I can think of two bears I've shot at near point blank range shooting off-hand. There is a video on Ebaumsworld.com of a client shooting a fenced lion(wounded) that charges him, in my opinion the client displayed lacluster off-hand skills and would probably have been killed but for the PH making a "BEAUTIFUL!!!!" off-hand shot in a very low position to hit this charging lion in the vitals. I do not like the looks of hunting that lion along the fence, but that client should send the PH money every year for saving his life.

In a nut-shell I think your statement is too broad. Good training and practice shooting off-hand can make for a better big game hunter from non-dangerous deer to charging buff.

Gary

For hunting small blacktail deer in thick brush in western Washington, I train for a fast first hit on an 8" disc at various ranges out to 100m. These deer give you 3-5 seconds to shoot after you spot them. The brush usually keeps range around 30m, but the occasional open area can make shots a bit longer. Last year I spotted a spike at about 80m across a clearing. He was moving by the 3-second mark, but the 150-gr. CoreLokt was faster.


Okie John

I do my off-hand shooting practice at 8 1/2 X 11 sheets of paper. I figure that's a little under the heart/lung area of a small whitetail, and if I can consistently cut paper on that size of a target, I've got a dead animal. BTW, I never put a centre mark or "aiming point" on the paper.

If you can hit a paper plate at 100 yards your ok. If you can't shoot off hand stay in your tree stand. Both my boy's can knock a row of soda pop bottles down at 50 yards with a 22 with out missing much. Shoot more often is the key.

When I'm in good form, I can hit a 12 Ga. shotgun shell almost every shot from 25-60 yds. I start by practicing at 25 yds. and gradually increase my distance. Just because you can hit paper at 100 yds. doesn't mean you can hit an animal. Try praire dogs or rabbits offhand.

I bench my rifles to get zero. Then Do the milk jug shooting up to 200 ydsfrom various off hand positions, it really helps but if I can find a rest in the field, I use it !

N. Garrett

I bowhunt more than I rifle hunt.
My grandfather taught me back in the 50s that the best target for hunting is a 9" paper plate.
If you can hit the paper plate with either you rifle or with your bow you will hit the vitals.

The heart represents a 4" area in the bottom of the 9" paper plate. - probably not that important to a rifle hunter but important info to a bowhunter. Bowhunters try to slide over the top of the heart and pass through both lungs.

Just remember - it's just a paper plate..

When I practice for hog hunting I try for pop cans at about 50yds. I hunt in fairly heavy oak so even a shot across a small clearing won't be longer than that. I practice to not only consistently hit the can, but to do so in a timely fashion. Also practice taking repeat shots with the rifle at the shoulder.

I agree... For training if you can keep your snapshots from field positions in a pie plate then you're in business for deer and up.

I believe that practice in very similar conditions will yield far better results than other types of practice.

This past weekend I took my little boys out chasing jacks with .22lr and I brought my heavy .22-250. When one of the jacks out ran thier confidence I took him off-hand when he slowed down at about 100 yards. I don't use a heavy barreled, BR stocked rifle for hunting anything big but practice in a real situation does wonders for your confidence. Nate

I shoot from 3000 to 4000 rounds with from .223 up to .416 Rigby per year from a 100 and 200 yard private bench, chronographing each and every shot. I will shoot my .22 approx. 500 rounds per year. My pistols will get another 500 rounds per year. About a month before a hunting trip I will use those loads researched by all the bench shooting in all manner of practice from fence posts, trees, prone, sitting, etc. I shoot out to 400 yards, that is as far as these eyes need to shoot. I can count only three shots I have taken at Big Game over the years offhand. I can always find something to rest on unless I jump the animal hunted, as I have Elk in Colorado twice, and Caribou in Alaska once. I carry a Stony Point tripod used as a walking stick when not aiming from it. I have hunted Deer at home, everyting in Colorado and Alaska, Buffalo and plains game in Africa. All the bench shooting will make you acquire the target quickly and efficiently, pulling the trigger also comes more instinctively if you put in that much shooting. I can still miss, those come with hunting, if you do a lot of it. This is what I do to prepare, and I am to old to change now.

I set a target at 100 and 200 yards. At the range I'll shoot three shots off the bench at 100 yards just to make sure everything is kosher. Then I switch between the 100 and 200 yard targets doing off hand. After about ten rounds on each target and a cleaning I'll switch to kneeling going back and forth between targets. That is the fun stuff. Back at home each day I'll dry fire with snap caps 10 or 11 shots accross my back yard canyon at a trail head sign I've lasered at 300 yards. I find this dry firing practice has given me flat out the best trigger control I've ever had.