How well does the average big game hunter shoot?

[Roughrice]

Seriously guys!
Don't know if you've tried having fun and challenging your shooting partner but that freehand off the shoulder shooting is funny as hell!
It really adds to the dynamics of your shooting skill!
Like the old days of running deer dogs and pumping that lever action on a deer popping out of nowhere and on the move!

By the way… 300 yards on an 8" plate isn't as easy as it sounds.
We've even went 100, 200 then 300 consecutive with a $5 on the table !

 

[bamban]

It's even perplexing to others when told shooting 1000 yards with military sights and shoot HM scores.

 

[Roughrice]

Seriously… I agree with all the comments about people dropping a rifle with bullets and asking to sight it in .
Then take it hunting next week.
I've asked them to come shoot after sighting to confirm their aim point. I most often get the " if it shoots good for you then I'm good" comment.
A few weeks later they may come back and ask to check zero because they shot five times and missed.
I'll ask, "how far".
Then I hear…" not sure, but far" !

We do what we can.

That's all I'll say.

 

[Roughrice]

It's even perplexing to others when told shooting 1000 yards with military sights and shoot HM scores.

Oh!
I don't do military sights.
That is impressive to me!
Everything I shoot is scoped… except the oldies of course.

 

[scpaul]

Ya'll talk about fabbing a rifle, ammo, sighting and then the guy misses because he didn't atleast put the final touchs on zero. If I were doing that, the rifle might cost more if he didn't do the final tuning in my presence. I did my job right and I don't want him to go out put on a lousy showing and blame me by saying that I put it together.

There's alot of smaller golf courses going out of business. How about set one up to be used as a rifle range part time and golf course/driving range other times. Might make for some heafty greens fees and memberships Rent carts with rifle/golf bag carriers for the long range targets or pay to have targets changed. Not every body shoots steel. You need to sight in on something.

 

[7Rum Slayer]

I shoot about 5600 rounds on average a year. I would say 1K+ of those are between 600-1400.

All to make that ONE shot count when it comes time.

Although I do not shoot nearly this much... I shoot my long range hunting rifles more than my target rifles these days just to prepare for that ONE shot ONE kill! Component shortages have a lot to do with my high volume target shooting. I practice mostly at 700 to 1000 yards and love to shoot rocks at odd ball distances and shot angles. My Son is a student of this practice and has become a great shot and a darn good spotter! I would say the majority here are better than average. Happy shooting, Jason

 

[bamban]

Oh!
I don't do military sights.
That is impressive to me!
Everything I shoot is scoped… except the oldies of course.

I still love the 14 for 1000 yards. First time snd last time I shot at Best of the West before they shot the place down.

18 wide 24 tall with irons. The rest of field (bolt gunners) were shooting optics from the bench or prone bipod and rear bag, the organizer said I don't have to shoot sling as I normally do at prone.

 

[Roughrice]

Just like many of you high volume shooters… I get bored with my bench rifles shooting steel every weekend.
That's why I try to make some fun and occasionally bring the hunting rifles to do the hunting scenario shooting.
My range has 100 yd to 800 yd then skips to 1000, then 1330, then the loooong one… 1750 yds.
I always try to help the guys that are interested in shooting long range.

True story-
Once, a couple of guys went to a long range shooting school, bought a rifle that has had load development done included with the package and came here bragging how good the rifle and the LR Ballistic Rang-finder combo and is.
I said "show me".
They hit the 600 plate 50% of the time and hit 1000 once in 5 shots.
They blamed the ammo.
I then pulled out my 6.5-284 hunting rifle and dialed 600, bang, dialed 1000, bang.
They put the rifles in the truck and left.

Practice, practice, practice

 

[AGGRO]

I am a Firearms Instructor at the S.O. Range and we have a Hunter Sight in day every year before hunting season. In addition to that, we have a public shooting day the first and second Thursday of every month. Shooting from sandbags off of a bench, most people can't shoot a three inch group. They come with equipment in awful shape, with a WalMart scope on a 7mm mag that won't group at all. Again, this is off of sand bags off of a concrete bench. A hodgepodge of ammunition, different brands and bullet weights. They shoot as fast as they can chamber another round regardless of what we instruct them to do. A six inch group at 100 yards, and they want to start cranking on the adjustment turrets not having any idea about shooting a "group", then moving the group. They shoot 5 more rounds into a worse group, then crank on the adjustment turrets. At the end of the session, if the shots are anywhere on a sight-in target at 100 yards, they proclaim: "That's good enough". They then throw their rifle into the bed of their pickup and drive away. Most have no ammo left, and say they are heading to Cabelas or WalMart to get more ammo, not realizing they need the same brand and bullet weight they are sighted in with, but realistically wouldn't matter the way they are shooting. Of course we have exceptions to the above where someone will show up with a rifle already sighted in and shoot a nice 3/4 inch group two inches high at 100 yards. BUT that's not very often but it does happen.

I've seen 2 different boxes of "slightly" different ammo, same maker, bullet weight but different age shoot 4 inches up and left from the other. That's why I reload.

 

[jessej]

I built a 6.5 man bun took a shot on a deer and straight up missed ( I looked for blood and saw where the bullet hit) because I went off someone else's bullet drop.

We can forgive the miss, the manbun,,,,,, May take a while.

Seriously… I agree with all the comments about people dropping a rifle with bullets and asking to sight it in .
Then take it hunting next week.
I've asked them to come shoot after sighting to confirm their aim point. I most often get the " if it shoots good for you then I'm good" comment.
A few weeks later they may come back and ask to check zero because they shot five times and missed.
I'll ask, "how far".
Then I hear…" not sure, but far" !

We do what we can.

That's all I'll say.

This mentality is not limited to you Coonasses. We have our fair share redneck bubbas that think a milk jug at 100 is great.

 

[jessej]

And I have been guilty of it also, I built a 6.5 man bun took a shot on a deer and straight up missed

What was I thinking. You are forgiven. After all, it's pride month!

 

[Chadp82]

I have seen plenty of people that chase their tails.

Shoot 1, adjust scope, shoot 1, adjust scope, and so on. They eventually say good enough or leave thinking something is wrong.

I was always taught the 3 shot group needed to be present before we adjusted the scope. The only exception was a new scope or rifle to get on paper. Once within the paper, no movements until the group showed up.

 

[Straight Shooter]

I seldom shoot without a rest, tree, pack, sticks, etc. 300 yards is a long shot for most people. I shoot fairly well on game. However, when calling coyotes I have made some of the most spectacular misses you have ever seen.

 

[bamban]

I have seen plenty of people that chase their tails.

Shoot 1, adjust scope, shoot 1, adjust scope, and so on. They eventually say good enough or leave thinking something is wrong.

I was always taught the 3 shot group needed to be present before we adjusted the scope. The only exception was a new scope or rifle to get on paper. Once within the paper, no movements until the group showed up.

When I zero the sighting system (irons or optics) on a new build, I move in one direction only and not even full value correction to the center at that. If the adjustments follow a straight line, it gives me a good indication that almost everything is working fine in the system; rifle, ammo, sights, and trigger monkey.

It does not matter which axis I move first, it depends where the 1st shot landed after boresight.

The 200 yard line at our range is open most of the days, everybody is at the 100 yard. Since the 1st stage of our matches is at 200 standing, I developed the habit to get bench zero, then to standing. One time when I was out of town, John at WOA sent me an upper that did not arrive till the Friday before the match. He assured me he had roughly aligned the irons at 100. I had to utilize the 2 sighters to zero the upper in standing at 200. And the two sighters at 300, and 600 to get zeroes.