Shooting Technique

[barebackjack]

A well balanced rifle is also very very VERY handy in offhand shooting.

Most of the mass produced crap their manufacturing today doesn't balance worth a hoot (among other things not worth a hoot on todays "modern" rifles).

I have a custom built flintlock I built a few years ago with a 44" barrel and an overall length of 68 1/2". Its front heavy, and you cant hold it in the offhand position for long........but you don't have to. It just "floats" on target making the need for extended "sighting periods" unnecessary.

Its the little things in a rifle that make it a joy to shoot, something modern rifle making has lost in lew of cheap, fast, easy manufacturing.

[204sniper]

That's very true comparing old rifles to new rifles. My favorite rifle to shoot is my first rifle. It's an old Remington 511P bolt action in .22lr. It's not my favorite because it's old, but because it's a damn fine shooter that just points naturally. Having peep sights doesn't hurt either.

[Tim Anderson]

A guy just has to know how he is going to do most of his shooting and have a rifle built for it..
Back when i hunted fox pretty hard i had two custom rifles built. One was built around the idea to use it for snipeing where not a hole lot of walking was required. It was chambered in 17 rem. shooting a 25 gr. bullet. The gun was built a little on the heavey side so it would sit will when shooting it off the bi-pods and also set up with a 6.5-20x scope. Another one i had built was also on the heavey side but chambered in 221 f.b. also with a 6.5-20x scope..
After the coyotes moved in then it was time to have a few more rifles built for just coyotes.. On the first i went with a rem. 700 chambered in 22-250 ackley and was also built on the heavey side and this rifle was set up for the longer shots taken at coyotes.. As i got more exsperianced at hunting coyotes here i found that the ackley was a bit too much for useing for quick running shots on coyotes and a pain to haul around on the longer walks so it was time to come up with a rifle that fit well and was balanced well also.. I switched over to custom stocks with a high comb called the Sako hunter style and used a lighter contour for barrels and used scopes with 30mm tubes and went with a fast cartridge that was easey on hides. A 17 rem. and a 17 Pred.. I added after market triggers that have a nice crisp pull but not set up too light (2-2 1/2) and i added David tubb fireing pins and springs.. With the last two rifles my hits on running coyotes had doubled and i was really getting the hang of it..
One of the other reason why i like 17 rem or 17 Pred. is very little recoil, makes it easey to see what you are shooting at and see where you are missing.. Makes recover time a little quicker also..If i'm shooting my ackley off of bi-pods then i can see the shots most of the time but if its free hand then i miss seeing half the shots..
Another reason why i did'nt like useing a AR, double recoil. Recoil from the round going off and recoil from the bolt moveing rearward and back to the closed position.
To compensate for this recoil i could what i call Man-handle the rifle (hold tighter against shoulder) but then i would have to deal more with heart rate (gun moveing up and down or the dreaded wobble.
My gun smith who is a BR shooter told me they just have the rifle butt just touching there shoulder so that the gun can slide back in the bags when fired( simular to how a howitzer operates) So i added this to my routen of shouldering the rifle lightly. It does make a difference..

[xdeano]

Tim,

the free recoil is a good way to hold, especially for small caliber rifles. I used to do that a lot with my 22-250 while shooting targets but with larger rifles I like to load my bipod with just a small push against the butt to lock up the bipod and it takes the muzzle jump out of the rifle. It's also a different way of doing things. During the summer I shoot a lot of F-class matches more or less just for paractice and it's probably the best way to hoan your abilities.

I'm like most, freehand I would be better off throwing the bullets at them, left handed even.

xdeano

[Tim Anderson]

I pre-load my bi-pod also but i pull back on it some so that when i fire, the gun recoils back, ( i just pull it back past the breaking point so it rocks back and forth with little resistance) end up with the same effect as useing a bag.

I used to shoot the postal matches in the summer for practice. Five targets one shot each.. Then work got in the way and i have'nt done it for awhile but i still try to get out and practice as much as i can right before the snow fly's.. I have targets set up from 100 yds out to 800 and can go farther if needed.. My BDC dial pretty much takes care of bullet drop but i don't have one for windage yet so i just shoot on breezey days and find out what i have to do to bring it back to center of target...

[barebackjack]

I think most guys just plain and simple over think the running shots.

"Ok, hes 240 yards, angling away at 30 mph left to right, by the time I pull the trigger, he'll be 310 yards.....so ill give him 5" high, and better lead him a coyote length......"

I know I used to.

Ive since just started to "shoot for their nose". Dont worry about how fast their going, maybe a passing thought to the range, just put the crosshairs on their nose and squeeze one off. My ratio of running kills has risen dramatically.

[Tim Anderson]

I don't do any of the calculateing ,takes to much time and just more equipement to bring along..
If i have a coyote out there i just make a rough guess at the range and dial it in then i hold to the top of the coyotes back or between his ears depending on how far i think it is i may aim for the throat instead of the head.. I know by shooting at paper how much my gun is off roughly so like i mentioed i just get it dialed in close and hold a tadd high.. For a broadside shot you have a 6"x24" kill area and if there is a bit of wind just aim farther into it but keep on fur.. For running i do the same guess distance dial it in and aim to top of back and swing past the head and fire, if its a miss give it more lead or decrease..

[Rhoades]

Not sure how old this thread is but here is my two cents.

Shooting fundamentals are the same from weapon to weapon. Both different calibers, configurations, etc but also from rifle to shotgun to handguns.

When it comes time to fire off the round that means you have established all of the foundation needed. Meaning your grip was established, good sight picture (as our instructor says "You're seeing what you need to see to make THAT shot. And that will change from shot to shot and no two shooters need the same thing."). Solid shooting stance, etc.

When it comes times to press the trigger you want to isolate the movement to just the tip of the trigger finger. Anything else will disturb one of the other fundamentals you have already established. For example rushing the trigger press can lead to "milking" the grip causing a change in your master grip. It can also cause you to not press the trigger striaght to the rear which can cause a misalingment in the sight picture just before the trigger breaks. Also more likely is the chance that you will begin to anticipate the recoil and flinch.

NOW with that all said I am not saying that each trigger press needs to be a long drawn out process like you're shooting bullseyes from a bench. Much like the sight picture each trigger press will vary depending on the difficulty of the shot. Some shots only need a quick press of the trigger while long shots need a much more percise trigger work.


All that said I try to avoid slapping at the trigger. Sure on short shots you can get away with it but it makes for a bad habit.

[bucksnbears]

I carry a shotgun and a rifle on every stand in open country. The rifle is placed on my right and I keep the shotgun in hand.
When a coyote comes in I let him get as close as possible before shooting him . The single coyote will often become two or three if the first dog is allowed to come all the way to the call.
On coyotes that hang up or circle downwind beyond shotgun range. I place the safety on! Then stand the shotgun butt down on the ground holding the barrel with my left hand. Then I pick up the rifle and use the shotgun as a shooting stick - This is much more stable than off hand. This technique should be practiced before trying it in the field. It works well for me and I know of other hunters that use is as well.
I have had multiple coyotes come in - the first coyote coming all the way to the speaker the second close behind and the third out 40 or 50 yards. I killed the first two with the 12 guage missed the third then used the shotgun for a rifle rest and picked off the third when it stopped to look back at 200+ yards. I was taught this technique by an old school predator hunter 23 years ago. 15 years ago my hunting buddy saw me use it and called me the " Shotgunsniper" so that is how I got this handle. Don't knock it untill you try it.....
My rifle and shotgun both have slings for carrying to stand and I generally carry a folding chair or stool also. This is just the method I use and it works well for me.Thanks SGS :

SGS, your avitar is funny as hell

[Critrgtr]

I agree. Love the avatar. That is great.