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Actually, I did answer just that. I don't own a double but that is what I have to offer this discussion, since the answer to that question doesn't hinge on the gun {no pun intended...

}. See my above post:

Only thing NEW I'll add here is try doing wind sprints before your shot strings. It sort of helps to duplicate the adrenaline rush/stress most feellows experience in the presence of game. We sprint, ski, snowshoe, whatever. Do pushups if you are at a public range {my range is on my own place}. All that stuff works.

I read an interesting report some time ago that linked steadiness of police under "street" stress to competitive shooting, the point being made that similar physiological conditions exist {adrenaline, breathing, etc} when under the stress of timed competitive events and when faced with a "Bad Guy" in an confusing street situation. Cops who were competitive shooters performed better. How that was judged exactly I do not know.

Anyway, we have found that adding physical stress to shooting sessions acts similarly, i.e., the physical challenge duplicates the stress often facing us under field conditions when hunting.

Doing wind sprints, etc at the firing line is helpful even if your hunt is not going to be physically challenging, as it helps teach you to settle down, calm your nerves, control your breathing, deal with YOUR abilities, and most importantly, LEARN YOUR OWN LIMITATIONS. Think about it. Most shots in the field are blown because a hunter tries to accomplish something he is unsure about, hasn't tried before, or is totally unprepared for. Anything that can help you learn what your own limitations are {fitness or shooting}, and then allow you to verbalize them to your PH, will make you a better and more successful hunter. Don't ever look at another guys groups and assume that is what you MUST do. Shoot enough to find out what YOU can do, then work within your limitations.

These are lessons we have learned here. No, it is true, we do not have the amounts of game that some other places do. But that forces us to be all the more ready for the shots we are given. And to add injury to insult, what we do have is darn hard conditions and physical challenges that force us to get ready for it all year long {daily conditioning} OR adopt "Pasty Fat Ass" hunting methods {riding around on a 4-wheeler, etc} that bring no satisfaction to this hunter. For example, in a half hour, in the dark, I'm headed out for my normal morning, 1 1/2 hour snowshoe hike up the mountain, packing a gun, naturally. Some days I ski. Being quite honest, this is a very tough pull and not particularly pleasant, and those who have done this type of activity in steep and rough terrain in varying depths of snow and ice can back me up here. That's this time of year. We maintain our workouts all year long, varying with the seasons and they serve us well come hunting season. I have a host of physical ailments to contend with, but I do what I can. Fortunately, everything below the waist still works fine!!

Much African hunting is amazingly easy and amounts to in effect what we call "road hunting" until critters are identified, followed by either almost no stalk or a stalk of very short distance {up to a mile}. But that is not always the case, and some hunting is quite physically demanding. On an expensive hunt, it would behoove the hunter to find out just what he is going to face and then prepare for it. It may demand nothing more than "liver prep" or it may demand an intense cardiovascular program. Find out before the hunt, not during!

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What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

Edited by 9ThreeXFifty7 (09/01/08 01:15 AM)

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