How do you practice

[Alex Wheeler]

I thought this would make a good topic. Post how you guys practice with the focus on building your skill. What are you doing to become better at reading wind, cold bore shots, trigger control. If anyone has a local club shooting NRA service rifle matches, I highly recommend that style of shooting as almost a perfect training tool for hunting situations. I find in my own personal experience, that I almost never find a nice comfortable prone position off a bipod like we do at the range. I remember being told at some point that you should learn something from every shot, and thats stuck with me.

 

[Capt RB]

Shoot a pellet gun in the basement most days a pistol as often as I can during the week and positional more than 50% while on the range. Biggest improvement for offhand came with shooting the bow. A bow demands repeatability. Developing a repeatable shooting sequence reinforced how important that was. It carried over well.
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[Wyo220]

Where I live we have the ability to set up and shoot on hundreds of thousands of acres of public land. There is a small group of us that meet and shoot an informal cold bore shoot several times a month at different locations. We do not choose weather or wind conditions and we choose target distance based on those conditions. Sometimes its 600 yds and sometimes its 1200 yds. We look for angles, shooting across canyons, the ends of draws, ect. We try to make the shooting positions so you need a pack or sticks or some other configuration. After the cold bore we continue shooting but that first cold bore is the only one that counts. We have different skill levels, equipment levels, and calibers so all of us learn from each other. It has helped the whole group a lot. We are spoiled and we know it.
Kyle

 

[Clucknmoan]

Have 4 to 10" gongs set up at the house @ 400, 800 and 850. They are from 7 to 40 degrees incline So I can practice positional stuff from a bipod, shooting sticks, off a tree limb, whatever I can make into a rest. Learn what my limitations are and what gear I have gives me the most stable platform from a certain rest at a given incline. They are each at a little different angle from the place to practice wind calls. Probably shoot 15 rounds a week just at them with various cartridges and a lot of dry firing. Shoot quite a bit at rocks out to 1400 or so up the river from the house.

Also have load developement targets at 133 and 250. Nothing like being able to load a shell, walk 15' to the bench and shoot it. Saves a TON of time working loads.

 

[Rhovee]

My goal for this year is to practice more from awkward shooting positions. I can shoot pretty well from prone and a bipod. But I need practice with different positions.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

My goal for this year is to practice more from awkward shooting positions. I can shoot pretty well from prone and a bipod. But I need practice with different positions.

It will be interesting to hear how your poi changes from being on the bipod to of the bipod.

Steve

 

[Alex Wheeler]

One of the things that I have found the most useful is the trigger control I learned in service rifle competition. You cant hold a rifle steady while standing so you learn your normal wobble and time the trigger break while the sights are are their way to crossing the X. I rarely have had a steady position when hunting and timing the trigger break has been most useful. I highly recommend some standing practice, not because you will take a standing shot but because it teaches trigger control.

 

[Rhovee]

I have got hung up before on wanting super tiny groups and shoot to much at 100. I'll go zero my rifle and check it again a few weeks later to find I am shooting 1/4" left. Reminds me of shooting my bow. I used to move my sight every time I shot because of the smallest move left or right. If it shoots 1/2" @ 100. Time to practice shooting positions. I tried free hand shooting at 200 and couldn't hit a 8" plate in 3 shots.

 

[xsn10s]

I remember being told at some point that you should learn something from every shot, and thats stuck with me.

That is akin to what someone told me. "Every time you touch a weapon, it's a training opportunity."

 

[Capt RB]

I have got hung up before on wanting super tiny groups and shoot to much at 100. I'll go zero my rifle and check it again a few weeks later to find I am shooting 1/4" left. Reminds me of shooting my bow. I used to move my sight every time I shot because of the smallest move left or right. If it shoots 1/2" @ 100. Time to practice shooting positions. I tried free hand shooting at 200 and couldn't hit a 8" plate in 3 shots.

Your zero will move around due to the position of the sun when your shooting on the same day. It correlates with the way the light is being bent by the lenses in the optical system. The other aspect would be not being exact in your hold position. This would again be the optical alignment changing in a very minor way.
Dry fire into a mirror and dry fire in the dark (you can close your eyes also) these 2 methods will build up consistency quicker than almost anything

 

[gohring3006]

I get to the range and hang my steel at 600 yards. I get a rifle out of the truck, set up prone, dial, judge wind and shoot a cold bore at 600. I feel that's the best way to build skill in wind and cold bore. It's surprising how many hits I get with cold bore. Wind is my biggest worry when it comes to rifle shooting. One of my biggest accomplishments was getting over recoil anxiety, meaning not being afraid of the rifles recoil and just relaxing. There is fifteen 285 grain ELDs out of a Lapua in that hole. You can't anticipate recoil and shoot a Lapua like that.

 

[WildRose]

I thought this would make a good topic. Post how you guys practice with the focus on building your skill. What are you doing to become better at reading wind, cold bore shots, trigger control. If anyone has a local club shooting NRA service rifle matches, I highly recommend that style of shooting as almost a perfect training tool for hunting situations. I find in my own personal experience, that I almost never find a nice comfortable prone position off a bipod like we do at the range. I remember being told at some point that you should learn something from every shot, and thats stuck with me.

Mostly on hogs, coyotes, and the occasional rock. I prefer this to working at fixed/known ranges as it's much more similar to my normal hunting conditions.

 

[WildRose]

Your zero will move around due to the position of the sun when your shooting on the same day. It correlates with the way the light is being bent by the lenses in the optical system. The other aspect would be not being exact in your hold position. This would again be the optical alignment changing in a very minor way.
Dry fire into a mirror and dry fire in the dark (you can close your eyes also) these 2 methods will build up consistency quicker than almost anything

The only way the zero point should be moving would be if there's significant mirage. Otherwise if it's moving something is either loose or busted.

Time of day, cloud cover, etc whould never affect poa or zero point.

 

[Rhovee]

I believe it's mostly from my position behind the rifle.