How to Shoot/Train Effectively?

[BigMiss]

I am new here and have found myself jumping deep into the weeds on rifle setups, shooting fundamentals, and becoming proficient at longish-range shooting. Please feel free to point me to good threads I may have missed on this subject...

I live in the midwest and do not have access to long ranges. I can shoot out to about 160 easily, but that is the furthest I can get. There is a range that I can go to where I can set targets at 300, but it is quite out of the way and requires a full day devoted to it, and you have to shoot off a bench if there is a RO there. There is a range that I believe goes to 800, but it would require a weekend trip, which is not feasible right now except for once or twice a year.

I found an old thread a while back where Form had posted some 7, 5, and 2 moa targets for an at-home shooting test, which I have started to use a bit. Other than practicing positional shooting at 100-150 yards, what are some suggestions for becoming proficient at longer distances? My goal over the next couple years is to be 100% proficient out to 450 yards. Not "I can hit sub-moa of deer at 300, so let me try this shot" but truly 100% "that animal is dead if I choose to make it that way." Right now, I know that if I build a solid position, likely only possible for me in a version of prone, I can nail anything I want out to 300. But I also know I cannot do that repeatably unless ALL conditions are perfect. Therein lies where I create tension in my brain while hunting, and what I want to remove from the equation.

 

[Steve300xcw]

There's only one way to learn how to read wind or get good at shooting from weird field positions.

It starts with renting a Uhaul

 

[BigMiss]

A huge part of it definitely needs to be training in the specific environments. But there also must be some great ways to learn and train fundamentals at home, or at the 100 yard range. I know what my range limitations are, I am just not sure how to best utilize what I have available to me.

 

[Poser]

Do you have any National Forrest Service land where target shooting is not restricted?

 

[BigMiss]

Do you have any National Forrest Service land where target shooting is not restricted?

In MN, you can recreationally shoot on state forests, but without extreme elevation and the popularity of outdoor recreation in this state, I would feel pretty uncomfortable shooting on public lands regarding both proper safety, and public encounters.

 

[Steve300xcw]

and public encounters.

what does this mean?

 

[BigMiss]

I would assume that the majority of folks recreating on MN state lands are not very pro gun or pro hunting. I personally like to avoid interacting with the public when doing these activities. Meaning, the thought of shooting on state forest land isn't very appealing to me in part due to the lack of elevation change for range safety and in part due to how many people are around that might give me grief. Maybe it is all in my head. It just feels weird.

 

[Poser]

In MN, you can recreationally shoot on state forests, but without extreme elevation and the popularity of outdoor recreation in this state, I would feel pretty uncomfortable shooting on public lands regarding both proper safety, and public encounters.

I can certainly understand that. I do shoot on expansive public land, even then, I go pretty far out of my way to only shoot in areas that get no recreation that time of year. I mostly use an area in a nasty burn with a trail that has been decommissioned.

That being said, if you want to shoot far, you're going to have to practice shooting far and in order to do that, you're going to have to find somewhere you can do that. No way around it.

 

[Poser]

I would assume that the majority of folks recreating on MN state lands are not very pro gun or pro hunting. I personally like to avoid interacting with the public when doing these activities. Meaning, the thought of shooting on state forest land isn't very appealing to me in part due to the lack of elevation change for range safety and in part due to how many people are around that might give me grief. Maybe it is all in my head. It just feels weird.

I will say, that while I avoid such encounters as much as I can, I have been on busy trails with a sleeve over my rifle and most people seem to assume its a fishing rod. I say that because people have regularly asked me about the fishing, even when I have been orange during bear season. Wearing camo may change that dynamic, though.

But, if nothing else, walking around with a rifle on popular recreational trails will result in a lot of time consuming questions.

 

[Steve300xcw]

I would assume that the majority of folks recreating on MN state lands are not very pro gun or pro hunting. I personally like to avoid interacting with the public when doing these activities. Meaning, the thought of shooting on state forest land isn't very appealing to me in part due to the lack of elevation change for range safety and in part due to how many people are around that might give me grief. Maybe it is all in my head. It just feels weird.

You know your local ground more than we do. That said public land is just that. If they dont like it, they can get the hell over it IMO

 

[TaperPin]

A huge part of it definitely needs to be training in the specific environments. But there also must be some great ways to learn and train fundamentals at home, or at the 100 yard range. I know what my range limitations are, I am just not sure how to best utilize what I have available to me.

To 450 yards the main limitation is muscle memory, and that can be reinforced dry firing at cows or crows out the kitchen window. There are lenses that allow a scope to focus at short range just for dry firing inside. My bet would be on the shooter that dry fires a lot and only has an 100 yard range over the guy who shoots a box of ammo once a month at long range. I also don’t believe in this trend to “stay in position” or your groups will get larger. The goal is to get in position for an accurate first shot, so breaking position every time would actually be better in the long run.

Also train in a way that is fun for you. Some kids with pellet guns turn out to be really good shots because they are constantly shooting anything that catches their eye, building muscle memory.

As distances get longer, animal movement becomes a big factor. Just remember most cartridges take 1/3 second to go every 300 yards. If an animal is moving at that distance count one-Mississippi and take 1/3 of their movement and that’s your lead. It shows even slow movement creates huge problems. That’s why the running antelope in front is safer than the one behind him when combat hunting begins. If you estimated this with walking dogs or cows once a week you’d be better at it than 98% of western hunters.

You can get good at wind calls to 500 yards without firing a rifle. The mental calibration of wind speed and direction can be as easy as carrying an angle wheel and wind meter around, guessing the speed and checking the reading. If you enjoy writing things down carry a small shooting journal, write the wind speed and direction down, then measure it and track your error. If someone did this 10x a week they would have a better feel for wind than the majority of shooters who grew up out west, shoot to 500 and just wing it. Go to the range on windy days and even at 100 yards making wind adjustments will show up on paper.

 

[codym]

If I were you I would invest in a 22 trainer and try to match it as close to my hunting rifle as possible. Practice with that. That will get you so far, but you really need to practice long range to get proficient at shooting long range. Wind calls, recoil management etc is best learned by repetitive repetition.

 

[wind gypsy]

What part of MN are you located in?

I'm sure I could find some locations to shoot long on portions of public in MN but its not in the same universe as living out west. I used to go shoot on BLM weekly out west, have never setup to shoot steel at long range on public since being back in MN full time. There are some ranges around the state with longer distances but shooting at a square range is different than being in the mountains. It definitely helps but it isn't all the way there.

Once a guy gets good at building stable positions, its largely a wind game. But you can do very well learning to build positions at shorter range.