Assistance Request

[p dog shooter]

Ian M what I find is that on close targets under 100yds people tend to lead them to far with high power rifles and at the longer distances they don't lead them far enought.I find that shooting runing game up close a low power scope helps like 1.5 or so. I can tell you of a shot on a running rabbit at 54 yds with a 22 brush really thick he breaks out into the open and bang flips over dead. Just last weekend I was hunting with a 13 year old never shot a deer before chased out a good doe for him flat out across a feild he pulls up say he aim at her pulled the trigger and she flips head over heels. about 75 yds. He has done abit of shot gunning and I think that helps a lot.

 

[Ian M]

p-dog,
I agree that over-leading is a tendancy on realatively close shots (out to 100 yds) as we had that occur a bunch during a running target shoot at a recent long range course. The deer target was getting hit in the brisket quite frequently.

I am catching each shot on a 3'x4' piece of plastic cardboard so that I can determine actual lead required at different distances, angles, speeds and bullet velocities.

A few years ago I was hunting caribou in northern Quebec, sitting on a rock near a big muskeg. Caribou were really moving, running on a trail around the far end of the muskeg - 175 yards from us. Saw a nice bull running at a fairly good pace. Asked the guide how much to lead and he said to hold on its' nose. Shot from Underwood shooting sticks, caribou piled up at the shot. After we field dressed him we went back to the rock, another nice double-shovel came running down the same trail, same distance so I held on his nose and repeated the kill - maybe ten yards apart.

Interesting thing was that the guide had no idea where to hold, he admitted he was winging-it. He had never shot through a scoped rifle, particularly something as fast as a .300 Weatherby. PLUS both bullets struck the center of the heart of each bull. Made me look good but I really did not know what I was doing either, other than trying his suggested hold.

Lots to learn about hitting movers, just like learning to shoot at long range.

 

[Ian M]

I am currently working on an interesting shooting topic - hitting moving targets - for some magazine assignements. I would appreciate any advice or info that members of this forum might have on shooting at moving game. Particularly interested in hearing about shooting styles, procedures, successes and failures and what distances you guys feel we should even be shooting out to.

The tactical guys have some interesting training and "calculations" for movers, and I believe we should be using their knowledge for our hunting shots.

I don't expect anyone to do my work for me, I have a lot of experience and opportunities - including the Portatarget electronic moving target system that is providing accurate data on lead and moving marksmanship. I just thought that we all might benefit from a discussion on how to hit moving critters.

I know that this is not Long Range as such, but there are some shooters that consistently make 400+ yard shots on moving game and that is a long shot in my books.

I just got the moving target system going and have already determined that trigger squeeze will make or break the accuracy of each shot. We tend to focus on lead and follow-through but jerking the shot high with an "un-smooth" trigger release is a very real problem - at least it is for myself and my ammo-eating son.

There is so much experience on this forum that we all might gain from sharing views on this topic - and I hope to gain some in-sight for my writing.

I would prefer that we share info via this forum but welcome any direct e-mails if you prefer.
ian