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Hunting >> Hunting in Africa & hunting dangerous game
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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40614
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: To the PHs... how good do I need to be? [Re: quigleysharps]
      #8423 - 07/02/04 11:03 PM

Back to the original question.

I used to make up large red circles 9 inches in diameter. And try to shoot them for practice at ranges from 50 metres to 300 metres, plus some at 400 metres just to see if I could do it.

Offhand at 50 and 100 metres.

It is surprising how hard it is to hit at 300 metres consistently but a little practice improves it considerably.



--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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quigleysharps
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Reged: 02/02/04
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Loc: Arkansas City, Kansas
Re: To the PHs... how good do I need to be? [Re: NitroX]
      #8429 - 08/02/04 02:06 AM

You'll do alright. Keep on shooting. Myself I shoot under all conditions from hotter than hell to cold. Calm days, windy days. Rarely off a bench. Majority is with sticks that I carry in a pouch slung over my shoulder, carry them hunting also. But I also shoot offhand and kneeling cause there have been times when I don't have time to get those sticks out. I like those paper plates myself for targets. Out back of the house I set up bowling pins at 200yds., figure if you can knock those over you're good to go. Course that's off sticks, I'm not gonna be shooting at anything that far out without them anyway. Where I go to play I can drive to my targets out to 625yds., after that it is footwork. Like most, I'm not going to be shooting game at that range. But my sight sets are there if I ever chose to. With the ole Sharps a good hit is a "given", out to 450yds., after that I'm not quite as good on my shot placement. But it's good to know what ranges you can get good hits on, shot many varibles this year, ended up with a buck at 20yds, one doe at 87yds. Wasn't a long shot one. But it's there when I need it. Good luck

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475Guy
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Reged: 22/08/03
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Re: To the PHs... how good do I need to be? [Re: Dark_Helmet]
      #8552 - 09/02/04 12:48 PM

dasMafia, I agree that using a paper plate at whatever distance that you can hit is the best way to practice. I used to use 12" plates from 10 yds to 150 yds. After burning up a bunch of ammo, I then got smaller plates and started over again. Ultimately, I need to get good enough to hit off-hand or with shooting sticks at a 4" or smaller under pressure and time.

--------------------
Lo do they call to me,
They bid me take my place among
them in the Halls of Valhalla,
Where the brave may live forever.

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atkinson6
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Re: To the PHs... how good do I need to be? [Re: quigleysharps]
      #8662 - 11/02/04 03:58 AM

A 10" plate??? Not in my opinnion, if your 25 years old with good eyes, then your a man with a mans responsibilty,and you are obligated to shoot a 4" group off hand at 100 yards with a scope and 6"s with iron sights in my opine...You owe it to the animals to learn to shoot, anyone can do that if they apply themselves....

If a man is going to be a hunter then for Gods sake learn to shoot, to much of this well thats OK if you can hit a barn door, going around, I have no patience with those who do not learn this skill and yet continue to hunt and probably wound game...I see game wounded every year by dunder heads who cannot shoot.

Sorry, if I offend but thats the way I feel....no quarter on my part, its a passion with me.

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Dark_Helmet
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Reged: 09/01/04
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Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Re: To the PHs... how good do I need to be? [Re: atkinson6]
      #8676 - 11/02/04 06:22 AM

one problem Ray...

"with good eyes"

not even close my friend, not even close!!!

I shoot about 6" off-hand at 100 as of last week, I think a little more consistent practice and a few tweaks to the rifle (clear optics, trigger under 8lbs) can get that to 4" inside the year.



--------------------
_________________________________________________________________
When someone says a rifle is "ugly," what they really mean is "push feed."

-me

(long live the Mauser 98!)

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atkinson6
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Re: To the PHs... how good do I need to be? [Re: Dark_Helmet]
      #8734 - 11/02/04 12:06 PM

Das Mafia,
If you can shoot 6 inches now then 4 inches will come with practice..Now rev up the motor and shoot the minute the sights are lined up, fast as you can but not rushed to the point that you give up accruacy...Most folks hold the gun to long and squeeze to long and muscle fatigue sets in and the tremors start....I think a controled flinch is what I have...

If you cannot improve that 6 inch group, then by all means you will get by and your now better than most by a good deal....Keep your ability and your range coordinated together, if the game is beyond a 100 then find a rest..knowing your limitations is the best shot you have in the hunting fields...

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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: To the PHs... how good do I need to be? [Re: atkinson6]
      #8743 - 11/02/04 01:22 PM

A local hunting club I belong to has an annual shoot each year for a trophy which is awarded at the annual dinner.

Usually it consists of several deer sillhouette targets. One shot fired at a standing target off-hand maybe 80 yards away, then 2 or 3 off-hand shots at a running deer target which passes in front of the shooter maybe at 50 to 60 yards down hill. Then a long range target at about 250 yards with any field position permitted.

One year one of the members suggested the 250 yard target should also be off-hand and most of us thought the idea stupid but I think that's the way it was done.

Maybe the year after two or three of us tied equally in points so a shoot off was held. Off-hand at the 250 yard target. Most of us got 9 or 10's. Which were rare the year before.

Personally my off-hand shooting could be better. I feel the use of shooting sticks in Africa looses a lot of animals especially if they are close and spook because too much fiddling is done. That was my experience anyway.

Not enough preactice I feel. Now the real fun practice is live targets such as goats and pigs and other fast moving targets. That's the real fun way to practice.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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Dark_Helmet
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Reged: 09/01/04
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Re: To the PHs... how good do I need to be? [Re: atkinson6]
      #8745 - 11/02/04 01:43 PM

I have a controlled flinch with my 10/22 that's rediculous (trigger is too heavy)... I actually have the scope dialed in to it... everyone else shoots low and left... I'm a mid-90s shooter at 50yds)

the 375 has a trigger light enough that it seems to surprise me, which is good I think. the Mausers, well, one is new to me, and the other is getting a new trigger next week, so I can't tell you for sure on those... both timneys)... my rem 700 has a trigger pull of about 8.5lbs I swear (its getting.... "retired")

I'm also quite excited about the new optics for the good rifles... a trio of VX-IIs...

3-9x40 on the 30-06
2-7x33 on the 35 Whelen
1-4x20 on the 375 H&H... (waiting on the new rings)

up to this point we've had very poor and inconsistent optics, I'm very very excited (in case you can't tell!!!) to see if I can "gain an inch" just with a better sight picture (shooting off-hand at 100 through a cloudy 4x is a pain in the butt....)

--------------------
_________________________________________________________________
When someone says a rifle is "ugly," what they really mean is "push feed."

-me

(long live the Mauser 98!)

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quigleysharps
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Reged: 02/02/04
Posts: 25
Loc: Arkansas City, Kansas
Re: To the PHs... how good do I need to be? [Re: atkinson6]
      #8764 - 11/02/04 04:55 PM

(re:quigleysharps) atkinson6, I'm confused I guess. I've never mentioned a 10" plate. Some specifically said they did. Now after all of this was said, I mentioned I used plates and bowling pins. Now if you're comparing my bowling pins at 200yds. to a barn door, now that's a pretty small target with iron sights and I'd like to know what you consider a good target at that range? Cause now you are telling dasMafia his 6" groups at 100yds. will get him by and he's now better than most. Line me out here cause I'm really confused!

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Dark_Helmet
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Re: To the PHs... how good do I need to be? [Re: quigleysharps]
      #8813 - 12/02/04 07:52 AM

ray's point was that with the rest of the investment made in a safari, you should be able to shoot 4" groups off-hand at 100yds at the range. that is "ideal" as it ensures consistent placement in the vitals and minimizes the chance of loosing an animal, and it gives you a bit more margin of error with the pressure of the field.

now, apparently my 6" off-hand are better than normal (couldn't tell you personally... ) that makes me a bit sad actually, I always considered myself decidedly average off-hand.

its about practice, practice practice... get as good as you possibly can... that extra $100 of ammo you shoot up is minescule compared to the 10-grand you're dropping on the safari.

personally, I've got a few boxes of ammo ready for the whelen already, and we've got ~140 rounds of -06 just waiting to be shot-up. tomorrow afternoon I'm going out to unload a brick of rimfire...

--------------------
_________________________________________________________________
When someone says a rifle is "ugly," what they really mean is "push feed."

-me

(long live the Mauser 98!)

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quigleysharps
.224 member


Reged: 02/02/04
Posts: 25
Loc: Arkansas City, Kansas
Re: To the PHs... how good do I need to be? [Re: Dark_Helmet]
      #8821 - 12/02/04 09:30 AM

I'd said all along you'd do just fine. Just keep on shooting. I shoot every chance I get, year round. I've got a couple of brother-in-laws that are like alot of them you read about! They will come out once, right before deer season and shoot a half a box, sometimes more. Then that's it till next season. To me that's pathetic. I can smoke them at any given range with the ole Sharps and iron sights. In all fairness it should be the other way around, cause they've got flatter shooting rifles with scopes. But it just boils down to that one thing, practice, practice and practice. Good luck on your hunt.

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475Guy
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Reged: 22/08/03
Posts: 1088
Loc: Kali, US
Re: To the PHs... how good do I need to be? [Re: Dark_Helmet]
      #8836 - 12/02/04 12:22 PM

dM, I use a pair of CZ's in 22 and 7.62X39 for my really cheap shooting while offhand. I just force myself to concentrate on sight pic and fully cycling the bolts forcefully each shot. When I shoot my RSM's, even though they have much longer bolt throws, it comes in handy as it is the same motion that you make no matter what rifle. Somebody asked me a while ago if I had some special reloads for the commie round and I laughed my ass off since the ammo is so cheap that I can buy cases and cases of the stuff. I don't even buy softpoints for hunting small critters, I just use a tool that faces off the point on FMJ's and get a nice flat point with some lead exposed.

--------------------
Lo do they call to me,
They bid me take my place among
them in the Halls of Valhalla,
Where the brave may live forever.

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
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