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Practical field shooting practice
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I shoot a lot of deer (UK based) for which I always use crossed sticks. Over the years as I get older and wiser I've become more and more a very deliberate shot.

In a few months I'm off back to Sweden for moose hunting over a dog. My last experience required me to shoot a bull calf on a road at 150yards with the cow and two dogs milling about. No way I could make that standing unsupported so I got a bit closer and tried kneeling. No dice so I got a bit closer and went prone over my rucsac. That was a very accomodating moose to give me that time.

My issue is I can dry fire with astonishing accuracy (according to the cross hairs) but the moment I put live rounds in the gun I get nervous of the shake and 'hunt' for the perfect picture.

Anyone think of some good practice to help. I may end up having to ditch the sticks and pass on more deer.
 
Posts: 2032 | Registered: 05 January 2005Reply With Quote
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Shoot a .22lr. Shoot it a lot from the positions you have the most trouble with.

Start with a big swinging target, and move down in target size as you go. You want success in the beginning, while still keeping it challenging as you improve.
 
Posts: 218 | Location: KC MO | Registered: 07 April 2009Reply With Quote
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Hey 1894, I've used the "Hasty Sling" to shoot with for a very long time. It really helps steady my aim. I do better with it than trying to get into position with a bi-pod style support. And I can use it from ANY position.

Eliminating or reducing the "stimulants"(caffine, nicotine, sugars, etc.) has made a HUGE reduction in my Heart Beat. I'm running below 60 and have been as low as 44(when I was able to measure it). Doesn't matter that much on close-up shots, but it does for me on the longer ones.

Any "practice shooting" is better than none and helps condition the mental reflex(flinch) to where is smaller. A buddy of mine has Arthritis in his shoulders which created pain when he was shooting his 12ga. He wanted to buy a rifle to Kill Deer and Hogs with, so he came to try some of mine to see where his threshold for pain began. After the Testing, he purchased a 30-06, but it has a new(actually old now) "R3" Recoil Pad similar to the Decellerator. He shot 12-15 shots with it and never experienced any pain that day or the days following. Thus, his mind is accepting that this particular rifle will not "hurt" him and there is no need to flinch.

We started him off with both Ear Plugs and Muffs so the "sound" would not induce the flinch.

Good Hunting and clean 1-shot Kills.
 
Posts: 9920 | Location: Carolinas, USA | Registered: 22 April 2001Reply With Quote
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Do they have Hunters Silhouette shoots were you are????????You are only allowed to shoot offhand ,standing,sitting or prone depending on the yardage.Slings are allowed,no bi-pods or cross sticks.You can use a 200 Yd. Range for this sport and size the Silhouettes accordingly.This is very good practice for hunting.
 
Posts: 4372 | Location: NE Wisconsin | Registered: 31 March 2007Reply With Quote
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Physcial assertion, stress, or excitment have the same general affect on impeding fine motor skills; e.g., the ability to hold a steady aim.

Overcoming them takes practice operating in the "stressed" state.

To practice, do something to get your heart rate up. For example if your range sits in a bowl, walk up and the hillside or stairs several times to elevate your heart rate and then shoot off your sticks. Doing 30-40 deep knee bends may be pratcical or jog back forth behind the firing line.

If any of your mates given you a bad time, just ask them how often they practice under realistic huniing conditions.


Mike

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.



What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10096 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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Picture of RaySendero
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quote:
Originally posted by OLBIKER:
Do they have Hunters Silhouette shoots were you are????????


YES

Pop up timed targets at 100 and at 200 yds w/ 10 shots per target.


quote:
Originally posted by OLBIKER:
You are only allowed to shoot offhand ,standing, sitting or prone depending on the yardage?


Our's did not allow prone.


quote:
Originally posted by OLBIKER:
Slings are allowed, no bi-pods or cross sticks.


Correct



Targets were scored by vital area hits (10 pt max per shot) - My best score was 155.


________
Ray
 
Posts: 1786 | Registered: 10 November 2004Reply With Quote
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Just a thought here.

While everyone is giving good advice, to me the issue has nothing to do with stress or exertion, but with a mental block.

quote:
My issue is I can dry fire with astonishing accuracy (according to the cross hairs) but the moment I put live rounds in the gun I get nervous of the shake and 'hunt' for the perfect picture.


Unless I am mis-reading or interpreting what you are saying, you are okay as long as you know the gun Is Not Loaded.

Once you Knowingly/Physically load the gun, is when the problem starts.

Have you considered having a friend/mate, go to the range with you, and then, have that person hand you your rifle, Without, your watching to see if they have loaded it or not, or them telling you whether it is loaded or not.

After being handed the rifle, then bring it on target and fire.

It will be similar to seeing how recoil sensitive a person is.

That may be your real problem, recoil sensitivity.

Hot Core touched on that in his response.

You did not mention what caliber rifle you are shooting, but that may be your real problem, you know that the unloaded rifle is not going to recoil, and that when you load it, it is.

This is just my opinion.


Even the rocks don't last forever.



 
Posts: 31014 | Location: Olney, Texas | Registered: 27 March 2006Reply With Quote
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