How well do you shoot with your hunting rifle off hand? I am happy enough with a 6 inch group at 100 yards off hand, as that is about as far as I shoot hunting, and a moose has a pretty large boiler room. I see all these pics of targets on the various forums that are much better than that, I would love to see some realistic off hand targets..
Do you practise shooting off hand?
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I don't practice nearly enough with my hunting rifle offhand, but i get in a lot of .22 rounds which helps. I can get on a 8.5x11 sheet of paper pretty consistently at 100 but that's nothing to brag about.
Had to shoot my moose from an offhand position at 250 yards last year, I was wishing I had practiced more. Got him, though
Had to shoot my moose from an offhand position at 250 yards last year, I was wishing I had practiced more. Got him, though
It's pretty rare when I shoot paper. Paper is for sighting in Scoped unit's. Once it's sighted good then we'll go out and chip some rocks across the coulée at 200-250 paces. Targeting by sonar... ricochet; check, good to go. And I agree with the smirk about lead sleds and wonder rifles.
A hunter doesn't require a uber-wonder rifle to get it done. I've only got 2 rifles with glass; a .22 and my teenage daughter's K98. Anything past 250 get's to live another day...that's just how I roll.
I pride myself on my woodscraft and getting up on them is part of it.
Got a muledeer 1/2 hour into the first day out a couple years ago. Stepped out of a jeep and shot it at 300+ with my father's HB Rem 700 .243 with a scope. Off of a fence post.
Wow, that was fun...
I felt kinda dirty afterwards and my season was over.
Not again. At least til I get old and fat, maybe then.
A hunter doesn't require a uber-wonder rifle to get it done. I've only got 2 rifles with glass; a .22 and my teenage daughter's K98. Anything past 250 get's to live another day...that's just how I roll.
I pride myself on my woodscraft and getting up on them is part of it.
Got a muledeer 1/2 hour into the first day out a couple years ago. Stepped out of a jeep and shot it at 300+ with my father's HB Rem 700 .243 with a scope. Off of a fence post.
Wow, that was fun...
I felt kinda dirty afterwards and my season was over.
Not again. At least til I get old and fat, maybe then.
I sure do. 95% of the time I can keep 100 yrd groups in a 6" circle. At 220 yrds I can smack a 14" gong 99% of the time.
I shoot clays set up on a stand at 50 yrds with a .22 alot but that is actually more challenging than shooting centrefires at longer ranges for me...due to the rimfire being very lightweight and having too short of LOP for me.
I shoot clays set up on a stand at 50 yrds with a .22 alot but that is actually more challenging than shooting centrefires at longer ranges for me...due to the rimfire being very lightweight and having too short of LOP for me.
I hunt deer and moose at home and shots within 140 yds are the norm and I don't do much practising offhand. But, I have booked a sheep hunt and intend to start shooting offhand once a week at distances out to 300 yds to see what I can do. Hunt is in 2013.
To put offhand shooting in perspective, I have Jack O'Connor's book on Big game Hunting and in it he says, you should be able to keep all your shots within a 12 inch circle under hunting conditions when shooting offhand.
He also says that , " it takes a good offhand shot to keep all his shots within a 24 inch circle at 200 yds and if he can hold in a 18 inch circle offhand he is pretty hot"
To put offhand shooting in perspective, I have Jack O'Connor's book on Big game Hunting and in it he says, you should be able to keep all your shots within a 12 inch circle under hunting conditions when shooting offhand.
He also says that , " it takes a good offhand shot to keep all his shots within a 24 inch circle at 200 yds and if he can hold in a 18 inch circle offhand he is pretty hot"
The ability to pick up a hunting rifle with a hunting scope and five rounds of hunting ammo in 270 or larger, and lay all five into a six inch group at 100 yards offhand on demand is a very high skill level.
It is certainly attainable for a fit hunter with a good rifle, but as pointed out, it is rare to see anybody get on their hind feet.
I can shoot offhand my Mossberg 30-30 and at 100, keep all 6 shots from the magazine into a group I can cover with my open palm. I'd like to be able to do the same with my new 35 Remington, but I need to fix some bits on it and get it out more.
If I'm taking my time, I can pretty well hit whatever I please out to a hundred with any of my rifles.
If I'm taking my time, I can pretty well hit whatever I please out to a hundred with any of my rifles.
Yes.
I practice bench, kneeling, prone, leaning on a tree, totally offhand, prone one hand, prone off hand (I mean left handed, as I am a right)...
IMO, putting rounds through that steel tube is a must...
I practice bench, kneeling, prone, leaning on a tree, totally offhand, prone one hand, prone off hand (I mean left handed, as I am a right)...
IMO, putting rounds through that steel tube is a must...
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Bench is for sighting in the rifle. Then the offhand practice as well as weak hand/side practice. It comes in handy being able to shoot right or left handed if needed.
In the field, I always prefer to use a rest IF [big "if"] one is available.
That being said, there are times when a rest is NOT available
I want to be prepared for that occasion, so I practice a lot in every
possible field position, including offhand.
I limit my offhand shots to the distance at which I can keep all shots in a 8" circle.
For myself, this is somewhere between 150 and 200 meters.
Shooting metallic Silhouette has been a real help with my offhand shooting.
Regards, Eagleye.
That being said, there are times when a rest is NOT available
I want to be prepared for that occasion, so I practice a lot in every
possible field position, including offhand.
I limit my offhand shots to the distance at which I can keep all shots in a 8" circle.
For myself, this is somewhere between 150 and 200 meters.
Shooting metallic Silhouette has been a real help with my offhand shooting.
Regards, Eagleye.
most of my shooting is from field type positions or busting dirt clods at the gravel pit as fast as i can offhand. generally the bench is for sighting in and checking accuracy. i've yet to find an anchored bench out in the field to shot off of. leaning up against a tree is about as good as it gets, too much brush/grass for prone to be of use.
Suka
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
The only time we shoot off a bench or rest is to sight in a scope or check accuracy as well.
We enjoy shooting but are hunters first and foremost. All of our practicing is done standing, kneeling, sitting as those are the shot's we'll have when hunting.
We enjoy shooting but are hunters first and foremost. All of our practicing is done standing, kneeling, sitting as those are the shot's we'll have when hunting.
Key is, always know your limitations when taking the shot and adjust your position accordingly. The only way you'll know is by practicing real hunting shots under real hunting conditions.
Here is some good practice ideas. Pennies at 25 yards with your 22lr. Then upgrade to 4l milk jugs at 100m and then 200m with your big bore(remember to clean up after your practice). This will quickly open your eyes on your capabilities for realistic shooting.
For me offhand shots are limited to 100m or less to ensure consistent kills on large game.
Thereafter, shooting other positions like off one or two knees, against a tree, elbows rested can extend that to 200m or so.
When ever I get the chance I'll throw in this practice after my paper punching activities. My personal best free hand was 3 of 5 milk jugs at 300m, but I'm way out of practice for that now. I still try to hit a 17" square plate at 400m off the knee from time to time to help me tune up (1 out of 5 shots or so.) I also find archery practice helps hone the free hand skills and visa versa for follow through. Follow through is my worst enemy for consistency in free hand.
Enjoy the challenge of free hand because it keeps things real.
Here is some good practice ideas. Pennies at 25 yards with your 22lr. Then upgrade to 4l milk jugs at 100m and then 200m with your big bore(remember to clean up after your practice). This will quickly open your eyes on your capabilities for realistic shooting.
For me offhand shots are limited to 100m or less to ensure consistent kills on large game.
Thereafter, shooting other positions like off one or two knees, against a tree, elbows rested can extend that to 200m or so.
When ever I get the chance I'll throw in this practice after my paper punching activities. My personal best free hand was 3 of 5 milk jugs at 300m, but I'm way out of practice for that now. I still try to hit a 17" square plate at 400m off the knee from time to time to help me tune up (1 out of 5 shots or so.) I also find archery practice helps hone the free hand skills and visa versa for follow through. Follow through is my worst enemy for consistency in free hand.
Enjoy the challenge of free hand because it keeps things real.
While I have killed two moose and numerous black bears and deer shooting off hand I don't like doing it and will find a rest or shoot from a sitting position if possible.
I do practice at 50 yards when I get a chance and the groups are so scattered it reminds me why I must seek a rest whenever possible.
I do practice at 50 yards when I get a chance and the groups are so scattered it reminds me why I must seek a rest whenever possible.
