hlp azmuleygrl practice

D

dirtman

Guest
whats everyones opinion on how much u should practice with your deer rifle before going deer hunting? I alaways thought u should practice as much as u can to become a better shot so thats what i do and enjoy it... Now azmuleygirl says she only takes one shot a year to check her scope and see if its on and that alot of practice mite develop into bad habits and shooting... come on monstermuley members tell her to start shooting more... or am i wrong do i need to just shoot once a year to be at my best when the buck of a liftime shows ? this year i hope.
 
Shoot/practise year round. get snap caps and practise at home on trigger squeeze.
Take into consideration that I am ex military and shot 1000 rounds a week or more and when not actually shooting I was snapping in( working on positions).
Shoot year round, will do much for your confidence and turns tough shots into chip shots.

mix it up, get a 22 and shoot thru the hole in a life saver candy at 50ft... or shoot the empty 22 cases off a ledge...

or have fun...

get a rubber groundhog. rabbit, ect, fill it with gun powder and primers.... set it out about 300 yards and shoot at it. makes a nice detonation when you hit it.

45134a8c12432d37.jpg
 
Once you develop a comfortable familiarity with your rifle, you really don't need to burn up a lot of ammo to stay sharp, unless you have flinching issues -then you should shoot as often as you can. I generally only shoot once or twice before the season for sighting in -never lost an animal to a bad shot. If you do flinch and can't seem to get over it, downsize calibers if you can, even if you go down to a .243 it has plenty of power and no kick....
 
I look at it like this....

do you only go to the gym once or twice before the hunting season?

do you only go scouting once or twice before the hunt?

do you wait till the last minute to go check your sights out? like the day before the opener? or wait till you get to deer camp and then remember" O yes... I forgot to replace that broken firing pin or cracked stock" ect
 
Check out "all a dollar" or a toy store, sometimes you can find a nice big dinosaur... blow up Godzilla or a T-rex.
 
Ain't it funny - everybody says what deadly shots they are and yet you get out there on the mountain and they can't hit their butts with either hand. And a lot of them know it, which is why they're packing 20 rounds on their belt.

I was standing with a DWR officer last year during the elk hunt when we heard shooting nearby. We counted 23 shots. Somebody had really got into the elk. So the officer went to check it out and I met up with him again later that day. 3 guys had shot one lone spike at a range of 150-250 yards. They had hit it 3 times. Good shooting!

I figure that if you respect the animal you're hunting, there's no such thing as good enough. Others can dabble if they want - it's a free country. But I always assume that my next shooting opportunity is going to be the buck or bull of a lifetime, so I'm going to be ready for the shot. Besides, I enjoy shooting.
 
it never fails to amaze me at the number of guys that shoot at a rock 500 yards out in a field to cheak their zero, if dust fly's anywere close thir good to go! these guys dont shoot paper because it is embarassing too their ego or some thing, but it seems ok to unload the gun at an animal at 200 yards, that they think is 400! folks need to challenge there self more, go shoot get the best you can out of your rifle on paper, then bang away at the fun targets!
 
practise makes perfect..

In my case , it helps me to practise my breathing... after running up a hill to get ahead of a elk,carabou,sheep, whatever and your all out of breath, concentrating on your breathing sure helps... big breath... let it out... big breath... let about half out.... bang....

sure helps ya hold steady.
 
Nochalk, you think blackpowder would work in your plastic animal targets ?
Sound advice is what you give, I think some people just don't enjoy shooting off rounds as much as I do, or they are worried they might burn out a barrel. either way, get over it.
 
For deer and Elk..

Browning storm @ 30in
Easton xx78 2216
Zwicky Black Diamond Deltas

for Godzilla plastic targets with black powder and primers I use

Rem 700 custom 308 (sometimes you are allowed to purchase your rifles when you are discharged from the service)

or

Rem Sendero 7mm Rem Mag.
 
Good points NC. For myself I just don't have the time I did a few years ago to practice as much as I'd like to, as far as hunting, all of the above is important. I'd have to say though, that if I shot the same rifle for years and just needed to keep it sighted in, I'd rather spend any extra time doing the other two, exercising and scouting. For myself, those two take more effort to stay on top of throughout the year.
 
I have a buddy that doesn't practice much. He missed twice and wounded once last year with his rifle, and wounded another one with his bow.
He also says he never has time...........bull! When I suggested he walk out his back door when he goes home for lunch (he lives in the country) and shoot a few shots he said "Oh, I never thought of that." Or how about getting up a little earlier and shoot before you go to work, or in the evening? I find a lot of people saying they don't have time, but in reality they just don't want to.

Lien2
 
What does your buddy have to do with anyone else? Nothing. If you read a little more carefully, I say my time, because of my own strengths/ weaknesses are better served on working out, scouting etc. If shooting all year is your priority, great. Don't knock others if they have other priorities and shooting accurately isn't an issue for them going 3-4 times a year....
 
-AND guns do get shot out, I inherited my dad's '59 .308 and it shot perfect for years, then all of a sudden I could never hit paper, shot out because as a teenager I shot all the time and it had already been used hard. To each their own ( I wish more on here subscribed to that). As long as you shoot responsibly THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS. If it blows your skirt up to melt the barrel down constantly than good for you..... I'll be spending less on guns in the long run... The ONLY reason people make bad shots on deer is by making bad choices, if your weapon is sighted in accurately. I don't beleive one ounce of this BS that it's because people don't go to the range year-round. If you ALWAYS shoot within your ability AND your weapon is sighted properly, you will not make a bad shot on a deer. Absolutely every hunter I've known who lost a deer, lost it because they made an ill-advised shot. Deer being incredibly strong will sometimes go a dood distance even fatally hit. THIS BRINGS ME TO WHAT REALLY GRIPES ME. You said "your buddy wounded one"? Were you there? Was it never found?? It is the worst thing you can do hunting in my opinion to hit an animal and not track/ call in help if necessary until that animal is found. Again, I HAVE NEVER LOST AN ANIMAL. I'm not saying I'm a gold medal winning marksman, just an ethical hunter....
 
It's ludicrious for anyone to think they can shoot one round a year thru their shooter and be able to shoot offhand, prone, on sidehills etc. in the field with any proficiency. Fact is, it's highly (dare I use the U word in this forum?) unethical NOT to practice from a variety of positions each year, so that you "re-familiarize" yourself with your firearm and it's and your combined capabilities.

Things change over time, both guns and people. Right thing to do is burn a box or two just prior to each season.

Lastly to help bring this home........if anyone thinks they're really that good year to year, check this out; I shot skeet a few years ago with a young lady at the (then) Pachmeyers shooting range here in Los Angeles. This girl wasn't breaking clays, she was SMOKING them. We asked her how many rounds a week did she shoot, and at the time, she was shooting 1,200 rounds/week. After speaking some more, we found out she was on the National shooting team. She went on the following year to take the gold medal in Olympic double trap. Yep, her name is Kimberly Rhode. And yep, as good as she is, she practices all the time..........and she's practicing for clay birds. We're aiming at live animals. We owe them at least a box or two before the season, ya think.....
 
I also inherited my father's shotgun. Never before having even fired a shotgun, I took the gun over bird hunting and the day prior, they had the pre-opener skeet shoot. I hit 28/29 clays, then killed more ducks the next day then all 14 other people. True story..... I do go through a couple boxes at the rifle range every year. I don't know anyone here said it's OK to fire one round a year. I couldn't disagree more on your "unethical" statement. I do not believe one loses familiarity with a weapon once they've established it. Yes, when first breaking in a weapon you need to spend a lot of time with it until you are consistently making quality shots. My uncle who is the best shot I know, rarely has the time to get out and shoot. Last time I hunted with him he shot a bear quartering away at over 100yds directly through the heart, it did not take one step.
 
Dmanmastertracker, interesting post. To you and to all the rest of the self-proclaimed (or otherwise proven) experts out there who believe you are above the "average joe" in your shooting abilities; My comments weren't directed at such talented and wise people such as yourself with such uncommonly wonderful shooting skills. Not at all. So that was obviously my fault, and my most insincere apologies to you folks.

I probably should've prefaced my comments and opinions on this subject that they (the comments made) were aimed at the average Joes and Joesettes. Or just regular folks in the general shooting public who quite honestly don't shoot their deer rifles year-round. Or perhaps people who have become relatively good marksmen over the years, but who have the wisdom to check their shooting effectiveness in a variety of shooting stances and situations to emulate field conditions they might encounter prior to entering the field each season.

As I stated, guns get older and so do we. What that means is that things (such as muscle strength, skills, sears, muzzle crowns, etc.) do by fact change over the years, and the bullets placement on the target will change with those changes. To stay consistantly the same year after year is a fallacy for anyone to believe as true, even for the most elite of shooters, such as Ms. Kimberly Rhode. I know my dad used to be a heck of an offhand shooter and killed more deer than most people on this forum. Today, though, he couldn't hit a pie plate offhand at 100 yards (he's 79).

So from a couple thoughts I have now on your post, I understand why you wouldn't agree with me about it being unethical not to burn a few rounds before you go hunting. Unfortunately, that's not the real world for most of us, and that attitude kinda puts Hunter Safety instructors such as myself in a bit of a pickle, as we have pledged to always teach EXACTLY WHAT I STATED to the general public and to teach that for some very good reasons. One, most folks are in the average Joe/Josette category when it comes to shooting (vs. in the 1/10th of 1% of folks in that elite "can't miss in my lifetime" group). Two, that unless you've proven to yourself every year what your EFFECTIVE RANGE (that is, the range in which you have demonstrated your shot placement effectiveness to within the animals vital areas consistantly), then the average Joe is taking a bona-fide risk on his shot on an animal. And taking a risk shot (one where you're not SURE where the bullet will go) on a big game animal is not only unethical, it's unsportsmanlike to your fellow hunters and just plain stupid. Aside from basic ethics, conservation, sportsmanship, firearms/bow/treestand etc. safety, habitats, game identification, game care, orienteering and survival, a couple other important things I get to teach our Average Joes/Josettes in the Hunter Safety classes are these CARDINAL RULES of hunting; KNOW (by recent proof) YOUR EFFECTIVE RANGE with the firearm you will be using in the field, clearly identify your target (and the background beyond it) and never pull the trigger unless you are sure of where your bullet is going to hit, taking all things into consideration (distance/bullet drop, windage, elevation and, again, YOUR EFFECTIVE RANGE).

Shoot straight and shoot safe to one and all. And please always only shoot within your effective ranges.
 
A debate post in disguise I think this was... Anyway, I din't disagree with your stating that some rounds need to be fired prior to the season, if you read it again, I disagreed that you label anyone unethical who does not shoot year-round from a "variety of positions". If a person only shoots from say a tripod, what good does it do to practice shooting standing up with no rest if they will never take that shot and know they won't? It's always too easy to generalize and slap labels on poeple without taking in to account a whole lot of factors; does the person hunt year round? If so, do they also need to be at the range all year long -not if they are putting rounds through their weapon and keep it sighted in. I recall one recent post by a member who just took up bowhunting this year, practiced a couple months, then made a good ethical shot on a deer. My main gripe is it continually seems some on here can't make a point without calling names and such. Maybe we should start an MM "Daycare"..
 
I think everyone is different. Personally, I hate to shoot. I would rather pull weeds than go to the rifle range and shoot.:) I do it every year to make sure everything is in order, but I hate it. And I stay there until I'm confident all is well. My .300 Win.Mag. shoots factory ammo about 1.25" groups at 100 yards. (5 shots).

It's about a 2 hour drive to public land to shoot other than the range, so I don't get much "practice"

However, I grew up in the country and shot a lot as a kid with pellet gun and .22. And I've killed well over 1000 ducks and geese. I know how to shoot.

I've seen guys who "live" at the rifle range and can shoot great but should never even be issued a hunting license. They fall completely apart when an animal appears before them. Buck fever, I guess. So practice doesn't always work!

I would rather be a killer than a shooter. Like Dman said it's all about taking the ethical shot. The ethical shot for you personally.

Steve
 
Eelgrass, couldn't agree more about it's all about taking the ethical shot.

Dmantracker, I never said people needed to shoot year-round. Never. What I did say is the right thing to do is to burn a box or two before the season (preferably RIGHT before the season) to understand where you are with your shooter. If you don't get that notion, I won't try any further.

The whole point I was making is that shooting one shot thru your rifle prior to the season ain't enough. I can't and won't try to be any clearer than that for Monsteregos.com
 
And I would agree with you, though not being rude, but I'm not sure that point was all that related to what was said prior. No ego here, you hit the nail on the head I am an average Joe and don't pretend to be an expert marksman as some do. I posted my own shooting regimen in my first post and you took issue with that. Don't act so slighted when I defend my position. that's like crying foul after you kicked your self in the nuts...
 
To each his own, but personally I need to get out there and practice. I don't think it is going to hurt anything but the pocketbook. When I played basketball we shot 100 free throws at each practice. Why? Because we became better shots.

I do understand you guys where it is hard to go somewhere to shoot. When I lived in Phoenix I would only shoot when I was visiting family in Northern AZ. I don't like being out on the firing line with a bunch of guys and paying money to shoot, but thats what you have to do in places like Phx.

Rackem

***************************************************************
?Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider!?
~George Carlin
 
I just want to clarify my very first post, when I said "shoot", that was is the plural sense of the word. I don't think it's adequate to fire a round or two prior to any season if you've been off all year. That wasn't what I stated. When I shoot each session, I will generally go through close to a box per session. Two per year, unless I have a newer gun I'm breaking in.
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-29-06 AT 10:41PM (MST)[p]Thanks for providing that clarity, Dmanmastertracker dude.....There's a pretty big diff between shooting once or twice or shooting a box or two. OK, HUGE difference....

Aside from that, the other thought I wanted to post on this goofy thread was comments I read about "never losing an animal that I've shot" (can't recall if that was you or someone else, no matter, though).

First off, I think that's terrific, no question! My comment on that would be when someone makes a broad statement like that, it's not calibrated and is hard to quantify. For example, if you make that statement but have only killed a few deer, that doesn't say a whole lot overall. But if you can truthfully make that statement and have taken a variety of AND a number of animals, well, then that statement holds a lot of water and you've certainly got my attention and respect.........Hope that makes sense.

Of course I can only speak for myself, and basically don't feel comfortable doing that. But I'll make an exception here because I think the subject matter is important. I've never, ever been the type of guy who feels comfortable talking about my shooting abilities or inabilities, as I feel fortunate with the skills God has given me. I do a little extra work during the summer to maintain whatever I have the best I can, and I reload my 30-06 shells to take the gun and cartidge out of the shooting equation. In other words, I just work to git the job done best I can, with my equipment and my own personal capabilities. I've never posted this before anywhere, but to help make my point, I can honestly say that over 20 years, I've cleanly missed two deer (both due to an extreme case of buck fever, which for me, has been directly proportional to the size of the antlers and had nothing to do with my equipment!) and have never lost a hog or deer in the 30+ muleys/hogs I've shot and taken home during that timeframe. So I'm no big killer or anything, but my point is, Ido my best to ready myself with my firearm before the season opens. I believe that has paid off for me in the field year after year consistently. I think a lot of folks do the same thing and that is the norm. And, it's what I preach to my students (practice, practice, practice).

All that said, what truly bothers me are those people who think that they don't need to practice (and of course, don't) simply because they ASSUME everything is still the same as the last time they shot a bunch of rounds. And the people I see in the field who are throwing lead at good animals (most often I believe are those same people......and if they're not in that group, would they be in the group who practices a lot? I bet not....) who don't know where their bullet is honestly going to go, who consequently wound animals or spook them. So to me, those people are slob hunters, and the same people that give a bad name to our wonderful privelege to hunt. From that, I have little patience for those kind of "hunters", and I hope that I will never feel different about that.

OK, I'm plain worn out on this thread.........again, my point is BE proficient with your firearm thru practice, know where your shot is going, and only shoot within your effective range. If you can do that by taking one shot out of your rifle a year before the season, then you're much better than any Olympic champion I've ever shot with, for sure....... Peace and good hunting to all.....
 

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