Making the jump from long range shooting to long range hunting

[Wedgy]

I like to spend a fair amount of time glassing animals even when I'm not hunting, just to watch and study their habits, movements, etc. and I still get excited with no gun. Long range prairie dog or ground squirrel hunting is great practice and a lot of fun.
Great post !

 

[bigngreen]

There a a few things that really help a guy feel confident in pushing his effective range.
First is if possible shoot the area you hunt during the of season, we know what trails elk us and having hunted the same area for years we have spots we just kill elk so we have rocks rolled up next to trails or into spots where we can actually shoot spots so we aren't just going at it guessing, we record those shot and get shots into a data book.
Second is making a life size cardboard target, I use an antelope because the colors on a goat give someone hold references. This really helps when shooting game since usually when you pull down on game the reaction is, wow that's a long way, even though it's a range you'll beat steel without a thought.
Even today I dry fire on every animal I take at range, any animal I can in fact, it's usually a little surprising what you see and it gets you settled down mentally and reconnect the brain and trigger.
Having a spotter is invaluable too but not everyone has that available.

 

[Gamesniper19]

You made some tough choices and some great decisions. IMO any ethical hunter should absolutely get as close as they possibly can to a game animal prior to taking the shot. If you cannot get within your maximum effective range, proven by DOPE, don't shoot.

The range has no real consequences and we can have a very different mindset and thought process due to that environment. My experience in shooting, and seeing hundreds of shooters at long range, is that the range itself can add 25% more distance to your max effective range just from the environment.

Shooting in the field is a non-sterile environment. The variables are apparent in the Flora, Fauna, landscape, and with the critter. This has an effect on you because the shot presented may not have been practiced. The distance may, the shot, perhaps not.

Military shooters have this scenario presented to them all the time which is why shooting data is called DOPE. Data On Previous Engagements. Generally, they do not take a shot that they have pre-proven by DOPE, unless it is person or mission critical.

A few tips to take your range expertise to the field:

• Shoot all your DOPE...confirm it
• Shoot at various distances at various times. Once you have your DOPE, only shoot a target one time, switch to another at another distance, and so on...till you can hit them all every time
• Raise your heart rate on the range. Do some jumping jacks, push ups, or other actions that change your comfort zone and go through your routine. Calm yourself and run the drill in point 2
• Using Point 2 and 3, find your max effective distance under duress, and do not shoot any farther in the field.
• Lastly, having practiced as much as you can based on points 2-4, get as close as you can, and push all doubt out of your mind. Find that tuft of hair, that point of skin, that ripple in the body that you settle your cross hair on and have absolute confidence when you pull the trigger. You can manage the what if's, when they happen, don't manage them as part of your shooting routine and you will have success

Hope that helps

 

[Dylan Pipinich]

Just as an update, I went out to the winter range last weekend and found some elk. Did the whole routine at several different ranges, ranged and dialed, got prone and augered in and dry fired on live animals out to 1000 yards. It was good practice and is helping me feel more comfortable.

So if you see a guy who looks like he's poaching elk on the winter range, it's just me and I'm just shooting snap caps

 

[Bravo 4]

Just as an update, I went out to the winter range last weekend and found some elk. Did the whole routine at several different ranges, ranged and dialed, got prone and augered in and dry fired on live animals out to 1000 yards. It was good practice and is helping me feel more comfortable.

So if you see a guy who looks like he's poaching elk on the winter range, it's just me and I'm just shooting snap caps

My neighbor's equine have been shot thousands of times! I have been known to set up in field expedient positions (tripod, sitting, over pack, shooting sticks, etc) and dry fire. There are 3 of them in 3 different sizes (large male, donkey and a mini), so it's like I can really extend the range.
This year I hunted a new area in the region I elk hunt and caught myself, when seeing elk, thinking "that's a long way" and get intimidated. Only to range them and think "I've made hundreds of shots out past that!" and get my confidence back. I guess when elk look small, things are getting on out there. That just tells me I haven't been shooting enough, and far enough. Not that long back I think I shot so much at longer ranges that unless the wind was doing some crazy stuff I felt confident in my (and my equipment's) ability to make first round hits at some really long ranges. Now it seems our operation tempo is so high and the fact that when I do go to the range I'm training/assisting other shooters, that my trigger is getting cold. I told myself I need to make more time and focus more on my own shooting this year. Only 10 more months till elk season!