How much do you practice before a deer hunt?

[Larry]

I'll shoot about a hundred rounds over about three or four sessions in the months before a hunt. I'm trying loads and sighting in the gun

I shoot at different ranges up to 100 yards. That's my self imposed limit for 375 Winchester. I try to guess the distance to different targets we set up as practice for the hunt.

I have never felt limited by my 100 yard limit, but have always been glad that I am ready when the hunt starts.

I wonder what others do.

 

[rugerfreak]

My deer rifles get the yearly sight-in drill------but most of my trigger time is with AR--AK---SKS---and my bolt action .223-----well and my .22's----mainly because of cost and recoil.

A lot of shooting with pistols and shotguns too.

 

[ACP230]

Most of my shooting this year has been with my .22s.
I shoot a .22 benchrest e-mail match almost every month, and went to one actual match in September. (Details of the e-mail match are available at www.rimfirecentral.com).

Additionally, I competed in many of the THR linked e-mail matches this year. That gave me some practice with my deer and target rifles. I sighted in late this year. One rifle was taken to the range the day before the season and the other during the first week. I shot a three shot group that went into an inch center to center with my .30-06 and was quite happy with that. The Ruger wasn't shooting quite as well, but it was good enough for the job I had in mind.

I felt pretty well prepared this fall and took a deer in an early antlerless season in September. The November season was a bust, my sons and I saw no deer. I felt prepared for shots as far as 200-250 yards and, since my Remington .22 and my Ruger .250 are similar in size and weight, I felt very comfortable with both rifles.

 

[TallPine]

None at all with deer rifle - not a shot fired between 02 and 03 deer season.

But lots of plinking with the 22 ...

 

[TODD3465]

I fire an average of about 400rds a month, anything from .22lr to .300winmag. With the ocasional .50BMG, from a rifle, thrown in.

 

[Redlg155]

I shoot year round with different weapons, so my basic marksmanship skills stay in tune.

In the month prior to a hunt I begin to practice in earnest with the particular weapon that I will be using for the hunt. I limit my ranges to what I can accurately hit a pie pan sized area both offhand and from a rest. For my BP rifles that gives me 150 yards max. With rifles a bit more.

Good Shooting
Red

 

[agony]

I practice a lot with other less-recoiling rifles through the year. But a couple months before season, I start getting more agressive with shooting skills; i.e., shooting standing off-hand, dropping slowly to sitting/kneeling and getting that shot off, shouldering from slung position, etc.

Works well for me, though in the few years of hunting deer, I finally lost a deer yesterday. Felt awful, but I blame the nasty weather as much as my own obvious mistakes.

 

[E=MC^2]

Deer season ended 2 weeks ago. I've already been to the range twice since then.

My whitetail rifle gets used year round. Most of the shooting is done on the 100 & 200yd ranges behind the new DPMS factory. I also have 1/4-mile(440yd) & 1/2-mile(880yd) gongs I visit whenever I'm back home. Rifle is a .308 Win.

This year's shots-on-deer were on a trio at 277yds. Three shots, three deer, three minutes into the '03 season. I bought 3 lottery tickets that night and all three were loosers. I was on a roll!

Most people have a maximum distance set that they wouldn't attempt a shot past. I can't honestly say that's the case with me. My maximum range relates more to how far I need to drag the SOB after it's down. This figure gets lower every year.

 

[goalie]

Hey E=MC^2, do you work for DPMS? I am just wondering where that range is at? I am guessing that it is a private company-use for work type of range.

 

[goon]

I shoot something about every two weeks.
So I guess you could say I practice all year long.

 

[Mannlicher]

Good question. Larry.

I find myself taking my main deer rifle to the range often. I have not changed the load in years, and I have not had to adjust the sights in years either. I have had very good performance from the Marlin 1894S, in .44 Mag. I use the factory Speer Gold Dot 270 Grain GDSP. I bought a bunch of this stuff, and have used it exclusivly on whitetail ever since. For practice, I shoot a lot of different loads, most of which I load. When I finish a range session, I always do a three shot group at 75 yards with the 270 grain Gold Dots.

For the rifles I hunt less with, I try to get them to the range a few times a year, just to make sure they are still 'on'.

I do a LOT of shooting with my AR types, my M1A, AK47, SKS, and AR180B.

 

[The Commissioner]

I hunt deer with a rifled barrel shotgun and the 3 in. sabot slugs cost over $2 every time I squeeze the trigger. So, I rarely practice with my shotgun and hunting loads except to check the scope right before opening day. Otherwise I shoot lots of rifle rounds throughout the year from .22 LR all the way up to 7.62 x 54R. I wish we were allowed rifles for deer hunting and then I'd be a lot more confident in the weapon and my technique.

 

[E=MC^2]

Hey E=MC^2, do you work for DPMS? I am just wondering where that range is at? I am guessing that it is a private company-use for work type of range.

Nope, it's a public range located off Hwy10 just north of the prison on the airport road. It's Del-Tone Gun Club in St. Cloud, MN. DPMS took it over last year and has been sinking alot of money into it. The Panther Arms company is moving here, from Becker, sometime in '04. The new factory is up and they're working on the interior now. They are also adding a Gunsite, Thunder Ranch-type facility for specialized civilian and LE defensive training courses. You can find more informaiton on these courses here. www.finaloption.org They have dozers and excavators out there every week.

Although most of the improvements concentrate on the rifle/pistol range they are still best known for their large Trap, Skeet, and Sporting Clays section. The new manager is prior special forces and Minneapolis SWAT. His buddies from Minneapolis have kinda flocked there and bring up some pretty cool pieces on the weekends. I've had the oppertunity to fire a couple MP5's and Berret .50cals in the past. We also see the new DPMS prototypes while being tested. The words, "give it a try" are always spoken.

Lots of fun with year-round events. Yearly membership is under $100.

 

[Pumpkinheaver]

I practice year round with various deer rifles I own.