Preparing to shoot in the real world...

[fatbacks]

Wondering what drills or practice regimes folks are using to prepare for shooting in the real world?

I am guilty of too much time on the bench chasing tight groups and getting mad at a poorly executed shot resulting in a +1 moa group. As I reflect on recent hunting seasons I really didn't have any shot on an animal that comes close to how I shoot at the range. In the military we always said train like you fight and I have not been doing that... that said, I made the resolution to shoot in the prone, off the pack, offhand, etc. more while at the range.

Does anyone have any drills, training regimens that you can share to help us all be a better shooter in the field? Things that we can do at the range if we're not able to get out to the mountains to practice shooting?

Asking because I train here:


But I need it to count when I am here:

 

[PNWGATOR]

This is great advice:

Equipment versus practice posts and Rifle practice/shooting

This isn’t in response to anyone I particular, but there is an up tick in the amount of “I want a XXXX distance hunting rifle” traffic the last few months. I am getting a lot of questions relating to this, which I do not mind helping, but thought a public post might help answer some questions...

www.rokslide.com

 

[brsnow]

I don’t shoot far enough in the real world to see an issues. I do take a few free hand shots each session though

 

[brushape]

Shooting ground squirrels is my favorite practice lots of quick shots, offhand, moving If you like, short range, long range. Sitting and waiting or walking.


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[OXN939]

Wondering what drills or practice regimes folks are using to prepare for shooting in the real world?

I am guilty of too much time on the bench chasing tight groups and getting mad at a poorly executed shot resulting in a +1 moa group. As I reflect on recent hunting seasons I really didn't have any shot on an animal that comes close to how I shoot at the range. In the military we always said train like you fight and I have not been doing that... that said, I made the resolution to shoot in the prone, off the pack, offhand, etc. more while at the range.

Does anyone have any drills, training regimens that you can share to help us all be a better shooter in the field? Things that we can do at the range if we're not able to get out to the mountains to practice shooting?

Asking because I train here:
View attachment 171637

But I need it to count when I am here:
View attachment 171636

I always do a few "run and gun" workouts before trips out west. Generally circuits involving some running and some body weight exercises, and in between sets I'll shoot steel from off packs, shooting sticks or kneeling etc. All about executing the fundamentals with an elevated heart rate.

 

[16Bore]

If you want to shoot better, you’d better shoot.

Anxiety never helps.

 

[elkguide]

I've never been man enough to carry my bench with me when I go hunting so once I have my rifle hitting where I want it too at known distances, I step away from the bench and start shooting at my targets from any position that I can get myself into. I always keep a log of the positions that I have shot at game form in the past and try and replicate those shots. Mostly, I try and keep myself in the mode of shooting a lot and making the rifle an extension of my body.

 

[Terrapin]

I shoot rocks... thousands and thousands of rocks. Any canyon or clear cut seems to have targets in N Idaho. Every shot is off a bipod while laying in the dirt or sitting if the terrain requires it. I use a spotting scope with my phone as a camera. That way I can analyze any misses without needing a person to spot. I’m mostly to the point of doing my load development on a particular rock at 818 yards. I’ve shot that poor rock so many times, I can tell how well a load shoots just by sending 5 rounds at it... oddly enough, it’s not always the load that did best off a bench at a real range.

So pretty much exactly like I hunt...


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[16Bore]

So rounds shoot better in a variable environment vs. a stable one?

 

[silasbowhunter]

I shoot coyotes and prairie dogs haha just shooting in general helps


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[Varminterror]

Shooting PRS matches and practice all year tends to help make hunting shots seem a lot easier. I used to, extensively, but I don’t practice for hunting any more.

 

[Terrapin]

So rounds shoot better in a variable environment vs. a stable one?

I got lazy in my typing. I sometimes find loads and bullets that may be lackluster at 100 yards (at the range) that shoot better at 800 yards (in field like conditions) compared to loads that shot better at 100 yards. I’ve never been able to adequately explain this phenomenon using geometry or ballistics...


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[WyoElk]

I shoot rocks... thousands and thousands of rocks. Any canyon or clear cut seems to have targets in N Idaho. Every shot is off a bipod while laying in the dirt or sitting if the terrain requires it. I use a spotting scope with my phone as a camera. That way I can analyze any misses without needing a person to spot. I’m mostly to the point of doing my load development on a particular rock at 818 yards. I’ve shot that poor rock so many times, I can tell how well a load shoots just by sending 5 rounds at it... oddly enough, it’s not always the load that did best off a bench at a real range.

So pretty much exactly like I hunt...


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This is what I like too. Those targets are never at the same distance just like in the real world, plus it's a lot more fun. I record the shots with my spotter/phone so I can analyze. It takes some time to set up but that gives my rifle time to cool so I'm good with it.

 

[Varminterror]

I got lazy in my typing. I sometimes find loads and bullets that may be lackluster at 100 yards (at the range) that shoot better at 800 yards (in field like conditions) compared to loads that shot better at 100 yards. I’ve never been able to adequately explain this phenomenon using geometry or ballistics...


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Bryan Litz has a reward for you, whenever you’re ready to claim it.

 

[IL Rifle]

I'm in a more populated area than it looks like a lot of you are. At most I can get a 100yd range at home. I have to go to ranges for longer distances. For practicing field shooting as opposed to range shooting there have been a couple of things that have helped me. One is to not shoot off a bench, even at a range. A few years ago I took an Appleseed course to learn and understand prone, sitting and off hand positions. Now I use the prone position with a sling and a pack instead of a bench. Also I'll shoot my bolt action .22 on our property as much as possible to practice from different shooting positions and using a sling for support. A website I found valuable is on from an outfitter in New Zealand called ballisticstudies. There is an article on using a sling and a pack that I found helpful. By using the .22 regularly I can shoot more than otherwise. And the sling and position basics I practice on translate when I do get to shoot my hunting rifle. Anyway, maybe not the best situation, but that's what works for me in a reasonably populated area where I can't shoot my hunting rifle as much as I'd like.

 

[Terrapin]

Bryan Litz has a reward for you, whenever you’re ready to claim it.

The difference is Bryan Litz is a scientist that worries about things like single variable analysis and epicyclic drift and variable ballistic coefficients... I just care about hitting what I’m shooting at as often as possible

Different bullets at different speeds perform better at long range than other bullets at different speeds. Some bullets perform very well at 100 yards off a bench, and then don’t do as well at longer ranges in field conditions. Other bullets print mediocre groups at 100 yards and then seem to hold up at distance better than expected.

I notice the biggest difference when comparing similar bullets from different manufacturers. Published BC might be the same, 100 yard groups might be the same... but out at distance you can certainly notice a difference. Lots and lots of variables... All I’m saying is sometimes I’m surprised when a load I’ve written off at 100 yards, ends up pleasantly surprising me out at distance.


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[Varminterror]

The difference is Bryan Litz is a scientist that worries about things like single variable analysis and epicyclic drift and variable ballistic coefficients... I just care about hitting what I’m shooting at as often as possible

Yeah, those Applied Ballistic guys don’t ever do any real shooting Actually read up on what they are doing and you’ll see your buzzwords you’ve dropped so not describe the multiple degree of freedom analyses being done by these groups...

But it stands - prove in the real world that you have a load which shoots better at long range than it does at short range, and there’s a reward waiting for you. It’s never been successfully demonstrated, despite many claims like yours.

 

[Bubblehide]

There is no replacement for practice. But admittedly I do not spend enough time at the range as I should. However, I do hunt pigs year round and get way more than my share of opportunities along with killing way more than my fair share of pigs. For example, on a fairly recent trip a friend I took and fired 8 shots between us killing 7 pigs, hitting one twice. I killed 4 of the 7 pigs and fired 5 times, hitting one pig twice. My buddy shot 3 of the 7 pigs firing 3 shots. (I only had 3 rounds in my rifle, and I needed to reload) That trip was a bit of an exceptional trip as most result in me getting single, double and triple pigs. Distances vary, but most are within 100 yards. I am very fortunate to be able to have year round real world hunt opportunity. I do still hit the range, but I prefer hunting over range time, so those hunting opportunities usually win out over range time.. My point here is that the amount of time I spend hunting year round (an excessive amount of time) provides me with an abundance amount of real life shooting experience that I am much much faster at initially acquiring my target, cycling my bolt, acquiring another target... than my hunting partners that I invite on my hunts. For example, I have invited the above buddy several times. When we get into pigs I have always had him take the first shot. With the exception of the 7 pig trip, he has taken 1 pig only; where as I have always taken multiple pigs on every successful hunt with him.

I know, the above sounds like bragging. I do not say the above to brag. I say it to exemplify the benefits of actual or simulated real life shooting when it comes to the results while actually hunting. We all have our obligations with work and family, and making enough time to make the difference out while on a hunt is difficult. But the benefits should be obvious.

I am sure we all know that bench shooting is seldom like shooting at animals when out hunting. We seldom have the opportunity to take our time on an animal as we can do at the bench. We very often have a very short shot window before the animal is back in the brush. We seldom have a good rest, unless we are in a blind in which we have set such up. I find myself often using my pack as a rifle rest, so I always carry my pack. But at least with the pigs, I often find myself making off hand shots. Where as when hunting deer, I generally have my pack at the ready for when a deer decides to get out of it's bed and step out. Simply put, I generally have very different hunting styles for pig and deer. My point here is that while at the range, you should be practicing shooting as you do in those real life situations. For me those real life situations have included laying, sitting standing and any position you can think of, including some very awkward uncomfortable positions; and obviously some where time is of the essence.

 

[Terrapin]

Yeah, those Applied Ballistic guys don’t ever do any real shooting Actually read up on what they are doing and you’ll see your buzzwords you’ve dropped so not describe the multiple degree of freedom analyses being done by these groups...

But it stands - prove in the real world that you have a load which shoots better at long range than it does at short range, and there’s a reward waiting for you. It’s never been successfully demonstrated, despite many claims like yours.

Your obviously very knowledgeable, and I’m not certain if you are angry or just come across that way in your writing. If you are angry, I apologize.

I don’t disagree with Linz that there are no loads that shoot better at long range than they do at short range; hence the comment about epicyclic drift. I’ve never really seen that. All I was suggesting is that it pays to shoot different loads at distance rather than just 100 yards off a bench. I’ll give an example. I was messing around with a Tikka in 6.5 Creedmoor (trying out the kool-aide). I figured I would buy 6 boxes of factory ammo to break in the barrel and get a feel for the gun. I bought Berger 140 grain Hybrid Target (G1 .607/ G7 .311); and Hornady 140 grain ELD-M (G1 .646/ G7 .326). The Hornady ammo consistently shot tighter groups at 100 yards and had a lower ES than the Berger ammo. Then I shot a bunch of both loads side by side across a canyon at 800 yards. The Berger ammo consistently shot significantly tighter groups than the Hornady, to nearly the same point of impact... go figure.

Now obviously there are a ton of variables here (hence my earlier comment about single variable analysis and variation in ballistic coefficient). Really, my only point was that it pays to shoot your gun and your loads at extended range in field conditions, rather than just 100 yards and go off the published information about a bullet.


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[Fatcamp]

We live close to a 200 yard private range and do a variety of cold 1 shot and 3 shot drills.

Drive to range and fire 1 shot each at 200 off a bipod, sitting or prone, for bragging rights and the honor of asking the other if they would like any tips until the next session.

Drive to range and fire one shot offhand at 50, run to the 100 yard range and fire one shot using the upright post as a brace, then drop down and fire one shot off a bipod either prone or sitting at 200 yards. This is for the same bragging rights and offers of assistance until the next session when everything resets.

Unfortunately, my wife is a better shot than me, but doesn't handle the nagging as well which is always a part of the three shot drill, but not the one shot.