Marksmanship/proficiency of average hunter...

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As a hunter, I would never ever ever in a million years pay to take a shooting instruction course. I am doing just fine. My son will learn form me, and he will do just fine. If competition shooting is on the horizon, then perhaps. But I doubt that will happen, ..

Newfoundland always had a shooting compotent to getting your tags. That was done away with when all the foolishness of registries etc came in.
You got three shots, 2 had to be vitals.

I never assume ones ability either. I went to highschool in a small town and a girl from another small town moved there in Grade 11 to live with her Grandma (nan)

After getting to know her we would all be out drinkin beers on a friday night before the dance or at the local bus shelter:D
We were talking about going shooting the next day and she asked could she go. First thought: Cool chick

She showed up with a win 101 O/U and showed us how to shoot clays!!!!:D:D:D:eek::eek::eek::dancingbanana::dancingbanana:
She was awesome
 
As a hunter, I would never ever ever in a million years pay to take a shooting instruction course. I am doing just fine. My son will learn form me, and he will do just fine. If competition shooting is on the horizon, then perhaps. But I doubt that will happen, ..
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There is a lot of pratical shooting intruction geared toward hunting situations that will benefit EVERY hunter. It's too bad that you are willing to limit your son's potential. I'm not sure why some hunters seem too proud to take clinics or go to instructors. I guess for the same reason that some refuse to go to a mechanic or plumber.
 
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sheephunter said:
Speaking for myself...there is tons I don't know and after having taken several shooting clinics plus receiving private instruction from some of North America's top shooters, I'm a tiny bit smarter......smart enough to know there's a lot left to learn anyhow!
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The thing about gaining knowledge, is that you realize that there is more to gain.
 
It's not a derogatory or bold statement at all nor is it any indication of how he or his son can shoot.......instruction can help every shooter on this board shoot better. By limiting yourself to what you can learn on your own or what your Dad can teach you, you will never reach your full potential. I was just pointing out a simple fact that applies to everyone on this board.......definitely not a personal attack.......
 
I don't agree and I bet you'd be wrong.
Closing the door to learning at any level is opening another door to mediocrity.While you might think he is doing fine,in comparison to others he may be terrible.
The thing about shooting is that we are striving to achieve something that we can never achieve.Yet we carry on trying.
 
If you are talking absolutes, then I agree.

But to me the key is knowing your limits. I know that I can make the vast majority of shots to 300 yards, be it up hill, down hill quartering away or to or whatever. Sure I will, and have missed, and it was an error on my part and I'd like to think that I learned from my mistakes.

I would not take an extreme range shot because I don't know enough about that type of shooting. I would not take a shot at running game at 300 yards because I don't have enough practice opportunities to be proficient in that kind of shooting. I generally wouldn't shoot that far if I was in a boat/canoe. I wouldn't shoot to 300 yards in a very strong wind.

Then again I have never taken a course so I probably should have kept my mouth shut in the first place.
 
Then again I have never taken a course so I probably should have kept my mouth shut in the first place.
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LOL...well that may be a bit extreme but you would be surprised what you could learn...and in many cases unlearn. Some courses are geared at every day hunting situations...not running game and not extreme range shots. You learn to breath, to squeeze, body postion, rifle grip, stance and countless other things.Within your self-imposed limits, I guarantee there are a hundred things you could learn to be a more efficient shooter.....all it takes is an open mind. After that, the world is your oyster.
 
If there are hunter's clinics around these parts, I've never heard of one. Bowhunter's clinics, yes, but rifle hunting, no. Are we too arrogant to learn anything new? I'd be all for a hunting, shooting clinic. Those appleseeds they hold in the states sound really great.
 
A few of the Fish and Game clubs bring instructors in a few times a year out here plus the Alberta Provincial Rifle Rodeo Champ holds clinics. Shotgun instruction seems a bit easier to come by with most Sporting Clay courses having resident pros but with a bit of organization, a small group of guys can easily afford to bring an instructor in. Something to talk about with the Wildlife Federation clubs in your area.
 
Most of the American shooting schools won't take non-residents anymore. Gunsite won't, and sent me the relevent legislation. I posted it a couple years ago. Some of their laws suck just as bad as our laws.
 
There is a lot of pratical shooting intruction geared toward hunting situations that will benefit EVERY hunter. It's too bad that you are willing to limit your son's potential.
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so just how will this benefit every hunter? and how would you know he is depriving his son? Do you know his background in shooting do you know him personaly? next you will be saying carpenters need to goto school to learn how to hit nails. This is as good as saying bears that stand up and sniff the air dont attack ..... psst dont tell the people that got attacked that ;)
 
Did you even read my post? I said shooting instruction could help every shooter on this board......as seal hunter is a member of this board, it seems pretty self-explainatory to me.....but obviously I should have made it clearer.

He and his son may well be in the top 10% of shooters on this board, I haven't got a clue and have no interest in judging their shooting ability and it's certainly not germane to my post. My point is, we can all learn and by saying that you wouldn't in a million years spend money on instruction is indeed depriving his son of reaching his full potential.

I have no idea where he and his son's weaknesses lie and what their strengths are but we all have bad habits and there's things that we don't know and that's where some instruction comes in. I'm glad you're satified with mediocrity but some of us aren't. BTW, stole that from Longshot...thanks!

If you think capentry is as simple as hitting nails then you likely think shooting is as simple as pulling the trigger. Both are finely honed skills that definitely benfit from instruction. Remind me never to get you to build me a house...sheesh.
 
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bone-collector said:
next you will be saying carpenters need to goto school to learn how to hit nails. ;)
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How little you know,,, I finished my carpentry schooling and 4 year apprenticeship over 30 years ago. My youngest just completed his and is now a journeyman. It is fun to sit and talk with him and see how much has changed in 30 years. I could go back to school again and learn an immense amount and pounding nails...
 
psst dont tell the people that got attacked that
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Give me their names....I'd love to chat with them. From my experience and that of countless others that I've talked with, once a bear stands up, it's advantage biped! Of the dozens of bears I've seen stand on their hind legs, all have already begun to spin to run off as they are coming down onto all four. I'm sure some people's mileage may vary but I use it as a pretty good indication that things are about to go my way. If a bear comes in on all fours, then I began to get worried. I suppose if your bear experience is limited to Walt Disney and Grizzly Adams that you could think otherwise though. Those growling, snarling bears often attacked after standing up....guess I could be wrong. Maybe we should ask the guy that made the growly noises for the Disney movies! :runaway::runaway::runaway:
 
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sheephunter said:
There is a lot of pratical shooting intruction geared toward hunting situations that will benefit EVERY hunter. It's too bad that you are willing to limit your son's potential. I'm not sure why some hunters seem too proud to take clinics or go to instructors. I guess for the same reason that some refuse to go to a mechanic or plumber.
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Well, well well...

If I can fix my own car, and my own sink, why would I go to a mechanic or plumber,... seems a no brainer.:confused:

I will pass on a little that seems to get lost on many. Shooting is a component of hunting, ...

Am I too proud to take a shooting course, no...
do I think I have anything to benefit from one, ABSOLUTELY NOT !!!
My shooting ability is near perfect. So is my Dad's, as hopefully will be my sons. Now does that mean I hit every shot. Nope. If you hit every shot when you go hunting, for me, why go? A miss now and then means that there still exists a fair hunt. The animal CAN escape.

Does it mean I can drop a moose at 500 yrds. Probably, but these are shots that I pass on. Does that limit my son's potential, nope. Obviously I will pass on my families traditions and practice of getting closer, being quieter, etc. rather than shooting farther etc etc.

To bring it down to the basics. If you can hit MOA at 100 yrds. and your hunting style is to only shoot at 100 yrds. is there a need for formal instruction.

I would invite you to tell me what, as you did claim, are some of the things that every hunter here could be taught from a formal shooting instructor, that most do not already know.

Had this been on Martha Stewart's website, well maybe you'd find more people to benefit. On this site I'm sure you will find many who are quite confident and competent in their shooting skills as a hunter and the task required for their hunting situation. At the bench may be a different story, and I referenced that in my opening post.
 
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