How to practice for field shooting?

[Kart29]

My desire to be a better marksman stems from my desire to deliver accurate shots on game. Shooting from a benchrest is much different than shooting a rifle in the field. What can I do to improve my shooting skills in real life hunting situations?

 

[ATM]

Get thee to an Appleseed shoot.

Check out the subforum here on INGO:

Appleseed - INGunOwners

and click the link in my signature line for the national website.

 

[adam]

Get thee to an Appleseed shoot.

Check out the subforum here on INGO:

Appleseed - INGunOwners

and click the link in my signature line for the national website.

This^^^

Get a .22lr and practice as well. The Appleseed is a good reason to buy one.

 

[sloughfoot]

+100 for Appleseed. What you are really asking is how can I become a better shot from real field positions.

There is only one or two answers. Appleseed is the lowest cost and you learn so MUCH more too.

Come join the family of Riflemen, you will be welcomed..

 

[bschmidt]

Shoot as much .22lr as you can. The main thing one can do to improve shooting is trigger time without dealing with heavy recoil or muzzle blast and a .22 does that for you and it is cheap to shoot as well.

 

[Kart29]

I've looked into the Appleseed deal and it looks like something I would like to do sometime. Seems like, though, they mostly teach you how to shoot from specific positions. That's good and I've already done some reading on that.... could always learn more.

But after I attend the Appleseed, do I assume I've got it all figured out and there's no need to practice? Or do I keep working on it and trying to improve?

I read an article one time that suggested putting playing cards on a board at 50 yards and taking 10 shots at a card from various positions and see how many holes you can put in a playing card. The article suggested taking single shots each time the rifle is shouldered and taking less than 5 seconds to fire after the buttstock hits your shoulder.

I think trigger time is a key ingredient. But what exactly do you do? I used to spend some time at home firing snap caps at targets in the living room to practice breathing control and get familiar with the trigger. I think that helps some.

What else?

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Run, bicycle, and practice yoga.

Work out with the rifle. Carry it around the house.

Jeff Cooper used to advise dry practice while watching the news and shooting the "Os" in the type on the screen. It would work where he lived, not so much for me as I live in a subdivision.

Carlos Hathcock used to run through the shooting positions in his down time (such that it was in the Marine Corps).

Read Art of the Rifle by Jeff Cooper.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Rifle-Special-Color-Edtion/dp/158160307X"]Amazon.com: The Art Of The Rifle: Special Color Edtion (9781581603071): Jeff Cooper: Books[/ame]


My experience at Appleseed was less than optimal but I hear good things. Certainly going to school will help. You don't know what you should know until you go to school.

 

[USMC_0311]

I've looked into the Appleseed deal and it looks like something I would like to do sometime. Seems like, though, they mostly teach you how to shoot from specific positions. That's good and I've already done some reading on that.... could always learn more.

But after I attend the Appleseed, do I assume I've got it all figured out and there's no need to practice? Or do I keep working on it and trying to improve?

I read an article one time that suggested putting playing cards on a board at 50 yards and taking 10 shots at a card from various positions and see how many holes you can put in a playing card. The article suggested taking single shots each time the rifle is shouldered and taking less than 5 seconds to fire after the buttstock hits your shoulder.

I think trigger time is a key ingredient. But what exactly do you do? I used to spend some time at home firing snap caps at targets in the living room to practice breathing control and get familiar with the trigger. I think that helps some.

What else?

Shooting from positions is exactly what you would do in the field. Appleseed will show you how to use your sling when you don't have a rest to shoot from. Appleseed is a great start, shoot as many as like, and just remember you will always have to practice. Snapping in is very helpful, the more the better. Dry fire is the key ingredient.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Appleseed will show you how to use your sling when you don't have a rest to shoot from.

Perhaps some, but certainly not every Appleseed.

 

[ATM]

Perhaps some, but certainly not every Appleseed.

It's part of the required Appleseed course of instruction.

If hasty, hasty-hasty and loop sling usage were not covered, it was an error. Apologies.

 

[Kart29]

Seems like every time I take a shot in the field I have one leg fallen asleep, a heavy coat on, fog on my scope lens and my torso twisted at 60 degrees because those stinking coyotes never come from the direction I expected they would.

 

[ATM]

Seems like every time I take a shot in the field I have one leg fallen asleep, a heavy coat on, fog on my scope lens and my torso twisted at 60 degrees because those stinking coyotes never come from the direction I expected they would.

You can practice this at home or at the range by putting a tourniquet on one or both legs, wrapping yourself up in a rug or carpet remnant, twisting your torso to 70 degrees and taping a dirty twinkie wrapper to your scope or shooting glasses.

I like to drink lots of coffee and a Monster energy drink to simulate the adrenaline rush as well.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

It's part of the required Appleseed course of instruction.

If hasty, hasty-hasty and loop sling usage were not covered, it was an error. Apologies.

No error. It was deliberate because I asked about it (me and my questions, yack, yack, yack). I had brought an web sling that they sell on the Appleseed website and asked for the instructors to go over it but was told we "had to move on".

Needless to say the execution of Appleseed does not match the rhetoric but my experience must be outside the mean.

 

[ATM]

Needless to say the execution of Appleseed does not match the rhetoric but my experience must be outside the mean.

I trust that you'd be quite pleased at how the consistancy and quality of the program of instruction has been continually refined and improved since its infancy.
Let me know when you can attend another event for free and we'll talk about it over sushi.*

Mmm... sushi...




*(blatant bribe tactic)