how do you know you can shoot xxx yards?

[KodiakHntr]

20 hours? You are better off keeping track of rounds sent down range.

I would have to look in my book, but if I popped less than 1500 primers a year at distance I would be rather surprised. Shooting is a skill that goes away if you don’t practice.
Every time you go out and shoot you should
be analyzing the conditions and your shots.

That said, shooting at 100 yards is a complete waste of time in my book after you have a base zero. A cold
bore round at 600 yards will tell you a LOT more about your rifle that 6 shots at 100 yards...

I couldn’t care less about a 100 yard shot to “check zero” after a fall. But I will damn sure pay attention to where a 400+ yard shot lands.

Make notes about conditions, barometric pressure, temperature, anything and everything, and where your FIRST round lands when you go out shooting. Not many people fire warm up shots at animals (ok, ok, some folks do, lol), but that first one should be the one you concentrate the most on.



And shoot. Shoot lots. Shoot farther than you would ever shoot at an animal. If you are hitting soft ball size rocks at 600 yards, a deer at 300 is pretty easy.

[Astepanuk]

Practise is definitely the key I believe but also practising on actual MOA targets it’s frustrating at our range seeing guys hit a 30” plate at 500 yards thinking they are good to go on Game. I Personally shoot out to 1000M at our range and consistently hit the target. I for one would never attempt such a shot on game at a km however it has given me the knowledge and skill to understand the elements that effect accuracy of the shot. I practise long so when the shorter 300-500 shot present them selves I have full confidence to make an ethical kill.

[porthunter]

I've found less time in the range and more time spent in areas that I can practice more realistic in field shooting situations has improved my shooting and confidence.

Practice setting up prone on dirt, rock, etc. Practice taking shots up hill and down hill, all sorts of different positions to work on and get comfortable.

Range time is great, but I feel practicing for actual real hunting conditions is key as well.

[Bustercluck]

You don't need an instructor. There's so much to learn on the internet. It's really not that hard to shoot out to 500m consistently if you have the right gear. Start reading articles, find a budget you can work with, pick a calibre, buy your gear, start shooting. you can go as far as you like down the rabbit hole. If you're going to do any amount of "precision" shooting I recommend you start reloading, not because it's cheaper but because you'll start to understand a lot more about the effects of bullets and trajectory and you get a lot more options.

In my opinion, an average factory rifle with a cheap 3x9 powered scope will be limited to about 300 yards.

If you haven't already, start an account on Canadian gunnutz and start reading the "target and precision rifles" forum and also the "reloading" forum.

I think rob furlong does some courses, but I think they're geared towards people with a bit of experience.

[Outbound]

I hear so many hunters "brag" about how they can shoot so many yards etc and like fishing it seems to get bigger after a pint or two.

So how do you get better at longer shots?
how often do you go to the range?
How do you learn to correct your mistakes?

In the States there seems to be courses to learn good shooting practises and range days for teaching people but i seem to be drawing a blank, and i get youtube has many great videos but even as a member of the range here in Kamloops no one offers lessons??

Are we missing something in the hunting world and just hoping people can learn good habits themselves?

So being honest how many of you actually put in OVER 20 hours in at the range to get better at shooting?
There is no right or wrong here i am a fairly new hunter that is trying to learn good practices for all parts of hunting and just looking forward to hearing everyones experiences.


cheers

Practice, practice, practice. I know hunters who buy 1 box of ammo per year, use 3 rounds to make sure they can hit a pie plate at 100 yards and call it good. That is unacceptable to me.

I shoot hundreds of rounds per year from my hunting rifle, a couple thousand combined between pistol, AR, 10/22, shotgun and long range rifle. I shoot in all weather conditions, from all different positions. I shoot while sitting comfortably and while "running and gunning".

I know my DOPE (Data On Previous Engagements) for each rifle. I know my Maximum Point Blank Range. I know my zero. I know my ballistics. I know how my rifle will shoot. For example, with my hunting rifle I know with my handloaded ammunition and zero that I can hold on an 10"x10" target at any range from 100 yards to 500 yards and get a hit with the first shot. I know what my holdovers are beyond 500 yards and have consistently made hits with my hunting rifle at 700 yards. My personal best shot was behind a long range precision rifle and I made a first shot, cold bore hit at 1200 yards.

Making a shot on a game animal is almost always sub-300 yards (especially since I'd be unlikely to take a shot at an animal beyond that) and the target area is big. The shot is child's play to an experienced shooter. It's the finding of the animal and the "buck fever" that make or break a hunt.

[Astepanuk]

Practice, practice, practice. I know hunters who buy 1 box of ammo per year, use 3 rounds to make sure they can hit a pie plate at 100 yards and call it good. That is unacceptable to me.

I shoot hundreds of rounds per year from my hunting rifle, a couple thousand combined between pistol, AR, 10/22, shotgun and long range rifle. I shoot in all weather conditions, from all different positions. I shoot while sitting comfortably and while "running and gunning".

I know my DOPE (Data On Previous Engagements) for each rifle. I know my Maximum Point Blank Range. I know my zero. I know my ballistics. I know how my rifle will shoot. For example, with my hunting rifle I know with my handloaded ammunition and zero that I can hold on an 10"x10" target at any range from 100 yards to 500 yards and get a hit with the first shot. I know what my holdovers are beyond 500 yards and have consistently made hits with my hunting rifle at 700 yards. My personal best shot was behind a long range precision rifle and I made a first shot, cold bore hit at 1200 yards.

Making a shot on a game animal is almost always sub-300 yards (especially since I'd be unlikely to take a shot at an animal beyond that) and the target area is big. The shot is child's play to an experienced shooter. It's the finding of the animal and the "buck fever" that make or break a hunt.

Great comment!!

[Quince2]

shot out to 850m at lr course with precision rig.
last 2 elk shot at less than 50m, last moose 45m.
distance shootin is fun, but work working on set up and trigger pull even with a .22 will go a long way for hunting

[simonvancouver]

Guys loving these comments and the great information,
One of you asked if i am missing... no i am not i am shooting 100 to 125 yards only though and while i can hit that standing or sitting or prone or off a table i want to extend my range as i would like to always be hitting 250 in the field or an ethical shot on an animal.
So it was more curiosity and a follow on from a conversation with another fairly new hunter.

Cheers Guys

[elknut]

Google proper shooting techniques...Lots of info about holding the gun ...check placement ...breathing ...Also a good rangefinder is a must ...A good scope also ...Search and ask questions on Google and get answers ...Go to the range and ask questions ...Hope this helps ...Dennis...Also learn your rifles ballistics ...

[ACB]

I have a friend in Alberta that stated while we were in route for pheasant hunting, that now he had a new Leopold CDS scope on his 7mm mag that he could shoot out to 650 yds. So I asked him, has he been practiced out to 650yds, he said no, no, but the rifle can now do it. I said back to him, your right, the rifle can but unless you practice alot and prove that you can to yourself don't think that just because your rifle can that you can. And of coarse he took affront to that and helped a two and half hour drive go faster.