off hand shooting

[sealevel]

how many hunters practace off hand shooting. I`am a black powder nut so i enjoy shooting my flint lock or my sharps both off hand . i shoot sillouttes with my sharps so chickens which are shot off hand at 200 meters are about 8 inches square thats what i practace at our range cause we can only shoot 200. But getting close to hunting season guys are practaceing never see anyone take a shot offhand so here is the ??? how many of you practace off hand shooting if you don`t why not

[Thunderstix]

I don't practice nearly enough. I have a friend who can hit a beer can at 100 yards pretty much every time. Even at 50 yards I am looking for a rest.

[Seabass]

I take 4L milk jugs fill them with water and fire @ 100yrds(rangefinder) off hand. I hit them more often than not. You really know when you hit them suckers when your slinging heavy lead!!! 100yrds is probally max for most guys IMHO for offhand shots (unless you got a Quigly gun:wink: ). With all the fellows I hunt with most don't practice much at all and if they do its a bench, never field postions either. The furthest shot I have made was 200yrds at a large water jug, which I hit on the 3rd shot. Which is just fine as I shoot a 45/70 and I perfer a rest for shots 100 to 200yrds. I also reload as it is actually afordable to shoot otherwise I'd be in the same catigory as my friends. At $35 or $40 bucks a box of factory or handloading at $8 to $16 bucks a box isen't hard to figure out I can shoot a hellova lot more if I roll my own. Thus blasting 40 rounds or so in a afternoon isnen't a big deal.

Cheers

Seabass

[Ronforca]

I shoot my pellet rifle(800fps.)a lot at birds in the fruit and ones trying to nest
in the buildings.I seldom miss a Grouses head offhand with my 243.I shoot hundreds of shots with the pellet rifle.It is great practise.All offhand.

[brotherjack]

Very infrequently with my .303, but I do work fairly regularly at off-hand shooting with my .22LR (scope'd). I don't do it as much as I'd like, but I do it enough that I've never shot a critter off-hand that went very far. :)

[Barracuda]

That is one of my most used positions . I would say it is very important to practice standing on your hind legs and shooting when hunting in thick cover or for dangerous game (all game can be dangerous in thick cover) . When i am shooting at GS or grouse standing is used alot also.

[mainland hunter]

i make an effort to practice it everytime i'm at the range. still should do a lot more butr the cost of ammo gets in the way for me

[troutseeker]

I practice it every time I'm at the range. I'm satisfied with pie plate at 100 yards. Every animal I have shot to date have all been offhand shots as I like to hunt in the heavy bush! Maybe this year I'll get a long shot at a moose and have a log to rest upon..

Troutseeker

[3kills]

not enough thats for sure like tstix said i look for a rest even at 50 yards but i know guys that shoot better off hand then they do with a rest...

[Offroad]

That is the main position I use unless sighting the gun in or trying a new load.

[Steeleco]

I've hit animals on the run before and a moose at 200yds standing once but only broke it's shoulder, then chased it for another klick, that was hard work. For me it's whatever I can get away with. A clean kill is what I'm after, that and less work for me to get the animal out.

[Freshtracks]

Here's some cheap practise for off hand shooting. Go to the range (or indoor if available to you) and shoot a .22. It will hone the mechanics of off hand shooting and take some of that shake out.;)

[youngfellla]

Good advice using a .22 for practice - very cheap and helps you get the form down. I do a lot of shooting off-hand at 100 yds with my 45/70 Marlin - open sights at an 8" square plate, and at 200 yds with my magnum rifles also at an 8'' square. If you can hit that target with confidence, you should be able to nail the vitals on deer-sized game.

[PGKris]

I won't shoot offhand unless I'm inside 50 yards. It's just too wobbly. I'm looking for a rest wherever I end up. I think you always want to have the most solid shooting platform you can.
KRIS

[rrfred]

I wil opt for a rest anytime one can be used, but dedicate some serious time to offhand in the off season; and can comfortably deliver a round into the kill zone to about 125-150yds off hand if the situation is to my liking, and my shooting timing is on. Practice on moving targets at reasonable ranges is important too, I passed on a broadside full- tilt whitetail buck at about 275yds this fall, couple fellows I spoke to said they would have gone for it, when I questioned about them about the lead required, based on bullet time of flight and target speed/ angle, they did not have a clue. cheers rrfred