|
|
Post by bushog on Jun 19, 2019 20:44:08 GMT -5
Practicing different hunting shots is kind of a regional thing I think but every hunter should practice a fair amount of off hand shooting regardless of their preferred style. If you can master offhand out to 40-50 yds on a paper plate size target it really gives you confidence in the field. You might not have to take that standing shot but you always have to be prepared for everything coming at you. Where I hunt every step & the terrain changes, every angle changes, etc. That's how it is hunting in the west. You can't count on a single type of shooting working out for you, be prepared for anything in order to be successful. Last year I took 4 deer, an antelope & a late season cow elk, & I used the standing, kneeling, sitting, shooting stick & PSR shooting positions to take them. Just about everything but prone. Dick That's it..... I'm going to get a job at INL and move to Idaho.... |
|
|
|
Post by contender on Jun 20, 2019 9:03:21 GMT -5
Dick has it right again. Off season practice on varmints in actual field conditions is about the best practice you can get. I used to do a lot more squirrel hunting with a handgun,, (until the places I frequented were closed off,) and to keep in practice,, we'd go snake hunting all spring & summer. Sadly,, those areas we used to hunt are no longer available either. So,, you should try & find a way to hunt varmints & vermin in the off season,, in a field type condition,, to sharpen your skills.
|
|
|
|
Post by leftysixgun on Jun 20, 2019 9:29:13 GMT -5
Dick has it right again. Off season practice on varmints in actual field conditions is about the best practice you can get. I used to do a lot more squirrel hunting with a handgun,, (until the places I frequented were closed off,) and to keep in practice,, we'd go snake hunting all spring & summer. Sadly,, those areas we used to hunt are no longer available either. So,, you should try & find a way to hunt varmints & vermin in the off season,, in a field type condition,, to sharpen your skills. Hunting vermin in the off season is great advice but very difficult given your region. Thats the problem Im facing. Im grateful to have access to some private land but the shots are still very few. But I keep trying. Me and a friend are going after coyotes this evening if its not raining.. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2019 10:37:20 GMT -5
Hunting vermin in the off season is great advice but very difficult given your region. Thats the problem Im facing. Im grateful to have access to some private land but the shot are still very few. But I keep trying. Me and a friend are going after coyotes this evening if its not raining.. Yep, varmint shooting here in the Southeast equals a lot of hunting with very little shooting. |
|
|
|
Post by bula on Jun 20, 2019 10:47:00 GMT -5
Agreed. There are varmints around, woodchucks and red squirrels and at camp porkies. But not numbers such as you could make a day of it. Nope. Increasingly too, less designated varmints per the law. Nearly everything has a season, fee or tag now. Soo.. cardboard must die ! Trying to be creative that way. Just can't find a decent recipe for cardboard.
|
|
|
|
Post by leftysixgun on Jun 20, 2019 10:51:16 GMT -5
Agreed. There are varmints around, woodchucks and red squirrels and at camp porkies. But not numbers such as you could make a day of it. Nope. Increasingly too, less designated varmints per the law. Nearly everything has a season, fee or tag now. Soo.. cardboard must die ! Trying to be creative that way. Just can't find a decent recipe for cardboard. You need Lots of bacon to make cardboard taste good, Bula lol |
|
|
|
Post by bula on Jun 20, 2019 11:07:02 GMT -5
I try and avoid that kinda bacon. LOL. McDonalds burgers come to mind. Some kinda slurry of something..used to make those burger patties. The whole recycling thing can be taken too far.
|
|
|
|
Post by boolitdesigner on Jun 20, 2019 13:22:34 GMT -5
I handgun hunt quite a bit. You need to learn to hold the handgun the same way, from any position you'll use. The sights should be sighted in for that type of hold. Your load needs to accurate along with a bullet and load that will do the job properly. You can run into any position in the field except prone.... usually you will find sitting and standing (rested or free hand) to dominate what you'll use. To practice hunting you need to do one thing and one thing only. Learn to hit a precise point at a precise instant in time, The shot should go off when you want it to, not a surprise break and shouldn't take very long at all. When you can do that at 7 yards, you proceed out from there. Learn this and walking targets in brush should be relatively doable. The bottom of a pop can at 50 yards (all the time) is a reasonable goal.
|
|
|
|
Post by jfs on Jun 20, 2019 16:48:14 GMT -5
If you can hit a small target offhand at 50 it should be much easier to hit a larger target at the same distance... I remember some old gun mag articles that spoke of rifleman preparing for a big game hunt by going out and shooting jack rabbits with their main weapon.... Good practice whether its jacks or soda cans...
|
|
|
|
Post by sixshot on Jun 20, 2019 23:16:50 GMT -5
When it comes to practice it's hard to beat rabbit hunting. Cottontails are always a challenge and if you're wearing snowshoes it's going to be offhand shooting. These were taken with one of my old model 357 maggies shooting light 38 special loads with a Keith cast bullet & Unique powder. When they are holding tight in the heavy brush many times what you see first is that big black eye ball, it stands out like a bowling ball on a snow bank.  Ground Squirrels are every where this time of year, you can burn up a whole bunch of ammo if you're willing to get out & walk a bit, plus you might pick up a bonus & get a Badger that's hunting the same Squirrels you are. One time, years ago I had a model 41 S&W Target & a 357 Python & got 183 Squirrels in one day. On this day, with gloves on as always I gathered up a few. The guns, left to right were a Ruger 30 Carbine, an OM 357 shorty, and an OM Ruger 45, all shooting cast bullets. This was only a few as I don't like to handle them.  If you want the ultimate challenge in off hand shooting then Jackrabbits is your game with a six gun. These guys can go from 0 to Mach 2 in about 3 seconds & cover 8-10 feet in a single bound if they are in a hurry, it's fun! You get humbled in a hurry unless you're carrying a machine gun! They are heavy so it's hard to round up very many for a photo shoot but here's a few. Many, many times we've shot a full brick of 22 ammo & went home while there was still daylight left. This was with either my old model 357 shorty or old model 41 shorty, can't remember.  Dick |
|
|
|
Post by 45MAN on Jun 21, 2019 6:32:31 GMT -5
BEFORE YOU GO AFIELD TO HANDGUN HUNT YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF RESTS YOU MAY NEED/CAN USE, WHETHER HUNTING/SHOOTING FROM A VEHICLE, A STAND, OR AFOOT. FOR ME, PLENTY OF QUALITY TRIGGER TIME OFF A REST, AND A FEW OFF HAND, WITH LIGHTER KICKERS SUCH AS 22's AND 357 MAG's, MIXED IN WITH SOME SHOOTING WITH MY HUNTING REVOLVERS AND LOADS (1/3rd OFF A REST AND 2/3rds OFF HAND AND/OR OFF SHOOTING STICKS) WORKS BEST.
|
|
|
|
Post by contender on Jun 21, 2019 8:58:44 GMT -5
I about busted a gut laughing at the following; "If you want the ultimate challenge in off hand shooting then Jackrabbits is your game with a six gun. These guys can go from 0 to Mach 2 in about 3 seconds & cover 8-10 feet in a single bound if they are in a hurry, it's fun! You get humbled in a hurry unless you're carrying a machine gun!"
When I was at Ft. Hood,, and we'd do door gunnery practice,, I'd look for jackrabbits to chase with my M-60 door machinegun. I burned a LOT of ammo trying to hit one of them with it. Occasionally I'd get LUCKY as I know they are hard to hit.
Even with a machine gun
|
|
|
|
Post by nvcaller on Jun 21, 2019 9:23:56 GMT -5
I may have missed it but yardage, I practice at twice the range I'm willing to shoot. With rifle I shoot 1000 to shoot 500, pistol I wouldn't shoot over 80 so I practice at 150 to 160yards to get used to my sight picture. Even with my autos I'll shoot one steel plate 8inch at 88yrds every time I shoot. I do this and 50 and under feel like I'm shooting point blank but I shoot 500 to 1000 rds a month. Nothing replaces well practiced trigger time.
|
|
|
|
Post by bula on Jun 22, 2019 7:34:33 GMT -5
Hope to make progress on my sliding, moving bear target today. Purchased some parts yesterday at tractor supply type store. When I bowhunted we lived next to n abandoned sand quarry with convenient piles and banks of sand left everywhere. Ponds for frogging too ! But us boys carried lawn dart rings and coffee can lids and placed them on sand hills for random distance targets. We threw a foam football for flu-flu use practice and I got a few Mourning doves that way. We built a wooden open ended box with layers of hanging indoor/outdoor carpet to shoot our wrist rocket slingshots in a friends basement. Rigging our practice ranges as needed for whatever not a new thing for us.
|
|
|
|
Post by nvcaller on Jun 29, 2019 20:40:17 GMT -5
Forgot to mention yrds with the gun you use. 22 ,22mag lighter caliber's are great for the mechanics of trigger squeeze , sight picture . But repition with the gun you hunt with . Like archery I find the pistol a muscle memory skill , you lose it if you don't practice. When I switch caliber's I find it takes 100 rounds in the new gun to get acclimated to feel, shot and picture and recoil. Took me 50 today just to get used to recoil and settled down. Accuracy started in and started questioning my hold at 75 groups tightened remembered glove and nuckles stopped hurting.
|
|
