If you are a seasonal shooter, meaning you rarely shoot except to sight-in or shoot at game, that needs to change. Think about it, if you spend the funds on license fees, fuel, gear and then your time only to miss your quarry, you did not invest properly for your success.
The Basics
Basic shooting skills are honed with practice. Begin with stationary targets from a rest and remember the sequence of good marksmanship. Stock weld is where you mount the firearm and seat it in your shoulder and place your cheek on the stock while holding firmly the forend. Do not grip the stock with a "death grip." Hold the firearm the same way each time.
Sight picture is next. If you're using a scope, you should be able to see the whole field of view, not just the very center at the crosshair. If this is not the case, remount the gun to your shoulder. If the situation persists, move the scope rearward until you can get a very clear and open sight picture. You should not be straining your neck to see the reticle.
If you are using open sights, you should focus on the front sight post for practice. After years of shooting and hunting, I often am focused on the kill zone on the animal and the sights are slightly blurry, but muscle memory and practicing all the other basics keeps me on target.
Trigger fingers should easily reach the trigger and shooters should use the end of their finger and no more than the first joint, but preferably the end of their finger, to press the trigger.
Breath control is extremely important. I prefer to take in a breath, let half out and then start to press the trigger. If the firearm has not gone off by the time I need more oxygen, I hold the trigger pull and repeat the breathing sequence.
Trigger control is the act of only pressing the trigger when the sights are on the target or game animal. If the animal moves or you move as you are pressing the trigger, hold the trigger and only press when you are on target.
Practicing these basics often as possible will allow you to gain speed in sighting, acquiring the target and then firing the firearm. Do not worry about speed at first. Work up the methodology and then the speed will come. Your goal should be accuracy. The rest works itself out when the focus is on accuracy.
After becoming a consistently good marksman, there are other drills that hunters should take advantage of prior to the season.
Loading and unloading quietly and quickly
Every hunter knows that being quiet in the woods is critical to success. There are times when you end up in a situation where you need to load quickly as well. Perhaps you just arrived on stand and got seated ... only to immediately notice a game animal quickly approaching. I practice loading often (with the safety on and following all the gun safety rules) loading often, to the point I can do this without looking at my firearm. I keep my eyes on the game animal. Why? Because there are times when the animal may stop and look at you or get skittish, and you may have to stop moving to avoid spooking the animal.
Being quiet while loading is equally important. You can be as fast as you want to be, but if you are loud there is no point in loading. The game animal will be long gone! I have my bolts and actions well-oiled and I have them broken in to the point that I know exactly when they might make some noise. I hold off moving them past that point until the animal is behind a tree or not paying attention. Work your actions enough and learn where those noisy spots are!
I should note that some safeties can be very loud, too. Practice pushing them off and on (with the gun UNLOADED) to break them in and figure out the best way to move them without making much noise. Here's a tip: Crossbolt safeties can often be quieted by pinching both sides and then slowly pushing them while holding the safety to deaden the sound.
Lefty or righty? Both eyes open if possible?
How about both? I taught myself to shoot with both hands and eyes, and I have taken a lot of game by using my less dominant hand/eye. My, how that very exercise has paid off! I also learned to shoot with both eyes open. Some people struggle with this, particularly those with cross-dominance issues (in short, having your strong-side eye opposite your strong-side hand). It can be overcome, but it takes time.
Shooting with both eyes open allows the hunter to observe the surroundings, such as other animals that may suddenly go alert and spook the animal you are shooting at. Keeping both peepers peeled can also help you see other things that may make the shot unsafe or unethical, such as a branch or another animal in the background.
Moving targets
Shooting at moving game with a rifle should only be done if you are a competent shooter with plenty of practice under ideal conditions. It should not be done as a hopeful shot without good reason for success. We owe it to the animal to take only “kill shots” and put the animal down quickly and humanely. Becoming proficient with moving targets is as simple as practicing. There are loads of targets that move, like "dueling trees." This takes good concentration and execution of the basic shooting principles, as well as some prediction and anticipation of where the target is going to go.
I like to use a .22 for this exercise. There are two ways to hit a moving target in my opinion. Hunters can predict where the animal will go or show up--such as between two trees--and place their sights there. They begin pressing the trigger as the animal appears in the scope, and break the trigger at the correct time. If the hunter is very confident, they can swing on the animal and break the trigger as they cross the vitals. I find this method difficult and prefer the former method as you do not have as many moving parts to the shot.
Practicing either will take some time which is another reason using a .22 rimfire is going to be a good idea for your shoulder and your wallet!
This season, be the marksman you want to be by investing some time now practicing those hunting shots. Don’t forget to practice some shots at various ranges and with different hunting clothes on to make the practice realistic!
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