Rifle shooting tips that helped you the most

[madtom]

Just curious to hear what tips helped everyone find the best consistency when shooting their hunting rifle. Obviously, we generally shoot better when we practice more. So besides shooting a lot, what things related to form or shot sequence do you focus on when executing a shot to ensure the bullet hits home? Which ones become more important when shooting longer ranges?

 

[VikingsGuy]

Take a few moments to make sure you are at a "natural point of aim", breathing calmly and squeeze trigger without torquing wrist (no slapping). Easy to do on the bench, harder to remember with the adrenaline and fatigue of the hunt.

. . . and, I have found taking the gun off safety before pulling the trigger dramatically improves terminal performance

 

[madtom]

. . . and, I have found taking the gun off safety before pulling the trigger dramatically improves terminal performance

Actually did that just this morning while target shooting. I'm sure that would have been a bullseye.

 

[haiku_rodney]

I find that for myself, a good trigger pull affects my accuracy the most.

 

[fishing4sanity]

Good trigger pull is important. At the range I've noticed several times when someone doesn't cycle a round into the chamber, dropping the pin on an empty chamber can be quite telling of your trigger fundamentals. Also, you don't have to replace every factory trigger, but a well adjusted or better quality trigger can help.

 

[JDinMT]

Practice not only shooting but gun handling itself (function, safety etc) to the point it's just muscle memory. Practice getting in position, getting the rifle up, finding or making a rest, etc. on game you don't want to shoot. Basically just work on making it so it ain't nerve racking and foreign, been there done that practice helps, but there's still "those times".

 

[madtom]

All good points. Last December, I snuck up on a herd of bedded elk from which I intended to fill my cow tag. They were 100% oblivious to my presence, so I took a little extra time and actually dry fired at the cow giving me the best shot before I loaded a round and shot her. Going through the whole sequence without a round chambered made me feel really confident when I shot. We don’t always have that kind of time, but it was nice and helped calm my nerves for the real deal.

 

[Idahoarcheryhunter]

Don't just practice from a bench, shoot in the field. I like to practice prone, from my knee, shooting off some sort of support like a tree, stump etc.

 

[Addicting]

I listened to Kyle Lambs podcast and he had a episode where they talked about loading the bipod. I’ve used it since, along with a natural point of aim techniques. It makes a big difference and I am a lot more confident when I’m shooting out to 500 yards.

 

[Rzrbck918]

Everything comes down to trigger pull. As a PP mentioned above getting your triggers somewhat consistent can be huge in making sure your shooting is as similar as possible across platforms. I made a decision a few years ago to buy one brand of rifle for hunting to help with that very issue. It worked great for me.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Just curious to hear what tips helped everyone find the best consistency when shooting their hunting rifle. Obviously, we generally shoot better when we practice more. So besides shooting a lot, what things related to form or shot sequence do you focus on when executing a shot to ensure the bullet hits home? Which ones become more important when shooting longer ranges?

Shooting in the field after sighting in...

For example, shooting in steep canyon country that I would find on a Dall sheep hunt.

I've shot more moose within 50 yards in thick brush, than beyond so quick close shots are also important for me.

I like shooting balloons because you have an instantaneous feedback hit/miss and if you can
consistently hit a balloon under hunting conditions, that is a good practical distance I shoot from,
if the distance is beyond that, I will not shoot.

 

[Lawnboy]

Was shooting out at the range next to "Carl" on here. He's an amazing competitive shooter. I noticed him dry firing 4 or 5 times before he shot. This tip alone has helped me settle down and make good shots. I've used it on my wife and kids and without fail their first dry fire they flinch or have their eyes closed. By number 3 or 4 its a nice crisp steady pull and ultimately a good shot. It's not always practical in hunting situations but were it is I do it.

 

[std7mag]

I practice different positions, and making field expediant rests. I don't shoot offhand. I always use a rest of some sort.

Natural aim of the rifle. And i learned to loosen my grip around the wrist of the stock. Found out i was not aiming the rifle, but trying to twist it where i wanted and was torquing it when shooting.

Trigger squeeze. I often set up in my basement with the lights out and practice getting behind the rifle(prone), loading the bipod, breathing, cheekweld, and trigger squeeze.
Was always told not to expext the firing pin release. Shot should surprise you.

 

[JLS]

Was shooting out at the range next to "Carl" on here. He's an amazing competitive shooter. I noticed him dry firing 4 or 5 times before he shot. This tip alone has helped me settle down and make good shots. I've used it on my wife and kids and without fail their first dry fire they flinch or have their eyes closed. By number 3 or 4 its a nice crisp steady pull and ultimately a good shot. It's not always practical in hunting situations but were it is I do it.

I routinely have my daughter do this.

 

[elkduds]

Some old-time marksmen taught me how to quickly use the sitting position, before bipods were common. I still practice and use sitting more than any other position. because it is very stable when done correctly, and because I can see over the plants and ground in front of my muzzle. The most practical position for the majority of my hunting.

 

[BackofBeyond]

Practice from the bench can be beneficial. Ultimately for me, I've gotten the most out of practice away from the bench. Practice under similar conditions to hunting has helped me the most. Taking a strenuous hike with a .22 and shooting pinecones, or doing something to get my heart rate up before I settle in behind the rifle has helped me the most.

Also, I shoot a lot with my friends. We practice shooting under pressure by making small wagers on shots, loser buy the first round, loser does the dishes, loser cooks, or actual cash wagers. I'm pretty sure the same $20 bill has swapped hands around the group at least a dozen time.

 

[Coach Chris]

"Nothing matters so much as trigger time."
"The .22LR is your best friend. Drill, drill, drill and drill some more. Aim small, miss small"
"B R A S S is a way of life, Breath Relax Aim Stop Squeeze"

 

[Boarmaster]

Installing a timney trigger and having the right scope with the proper eye relief. Those two things really inproved my accuracy and pleasure shooting.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

I struggled for years and years with slapping the trigger, which cost me more than one good animal. I was watching some Gunwerks videos on YouTube for whatever reason and came across a tip about thumb placement with your trigger hand. Putting my thumb along the side of the stock instead of wrapped around the stock relaxed my trigger finger and has made me 10X more accurate (no joke). I used to miss entire targets due to flinching and now I do much better at getting a nice easy squeeze.

 

[wytex]

I see problem with target acquisition on new western hunters. Takes too long to get on target and comfortable with the shot. No need to rush but sometimes fast acquisition is the difference in a harvest or not. Keep those scopes on low power to acquire a good sight picture and find the animal then crank up the magnification if needed for the shot.

All good responses above about dry firing and practice. Practice with the equipment you will be hunting with, i.e bipods, shooting sticks, day packs etc...
Comfortable trigger pull is big help as well.