target shooting...range...ahh eeerrr help
didnt know how to word for subject line....so here i go
i got an upcoming elk/mulie hunt later this year. i got my rifle sighted in at 100yds, and am feeling rather comfortable shooting a little circle. my question is, when i practice at longer ranges; 200-400yds what in the heck should i use for a target. im looking for something that will be more realistic as to what i can expect looking threw my scope at an animal. are there silouhette (sp) targets made for this?? something like "life size"???
im open to ANY and ALL suggestions...what works, what doesnt. thanks in advance.
"Not many like us, in fact very few, and most of them are dead" LtCol Pratt - USMC
i got an upcoming elk/mulie hunt later this year. i got my rifle sighted in at 100yds, and am feeling rather comfortable shooting a little circle. my question is, when i practice at longer ranges; 200-400yds what in the heck should i use for a target. im looking for something that will be more realistic as to what i can expect looking threw my scope at an animal. are there silouhette (sp) targets made for this?? something like "life size"???
im open to ANY and ALL suggestions...what works, what doesnt. thanks in advance.
"Not many like us, in fact very few, and most of them are dead" LtCol Pratt - USMC
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Use lifesize paper animal targets, these are available for different species. $3-$5, staple it to a piece of cardboard and blaze away.
http://www.thesportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=9771910 -
there are tons of animal targets out there. have a blast and go shopping!
former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, former navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction. NRA certified instructor.0 -
MN Hunter,
The answer is: D. All the above.
But just as important is to practice shooting prone, sitting, kneeling and standing. You may come across many situations where you could only shoot from one of those positions. Get good at shooting from them and getting into them.
Use your standard lined targets to get an idea of how you're shooting(adjusting zeros, elevation/windage corrections) at various ranges and then switch to the animal targets and practice good bullet placement. If it is windy outside, take advantage of that and see just exactly how far your bullet moves at 200 and 300 yds. -Good luck with the Mulie/Elk hunt.
We have the second amendment so that all the rest are secure....UNK>0 -
MN Hunter,
Check the Archery websites and advertising for full-size animal targets. When you shoot out a particular area on that target, replace it on the back with brown construction paper or just plain cardboard. There are some slightly less expensive than the photographic offset printed such as outlines and silhouettes. But at the same time, these are large targets and cost a bit more than the 12x18's that rifle shooters are used to.
Best.0 -
I just use the same size targets at 300 yards as I do at 100 yards. The important thing is to pick a target or spot on the animal when shooting, too many people who are adequate on a paper target get a little excited and forget to pick the exact placement on their animal consequently missing or wounding that buck.
One method I use when at the range just before hunting season to remind myself that 300 yards is a long way is to shoot a group at 100 yards, then using the same target shoot at 200 yards then 300 yards. I've taken a lot of freinds to the range that were amazed at the size of their groups at 300 yards (12" group or worse). 300 yards is a long way for most folks to shoot so practice practice.
On another note lots of folks in the west use this method for sight in works good on most calibers if you may take a long shot and are able to do so, sight your rifle in at 100 yards for approx. 3" high, somewhere around 175 the rifle will be at it's highest trajectory ( nearly 4") at 200 yards it will again be a little under 3" high, at 300 yards it will be 3" low, at 400 yards you will be between 8"-16" low depending on your particular cartridge used. Adjust this method to suit your needs, I personnaly sight my 30/06 in 2" to 2.5" high at 100 yards and have the rest of the figures commited to memory, some guys print up a little card and tape it to the cheekpiece side of their stock for quick reference in case you don't remember. Spend a lot of time at the range, if you ask most outfitters will tell you that the biggest problem they have with clients not filling tags is because they aren't good shots.
Good luck and good hunting.[;)]0 -
I like what my local range offers, they have full size steel cutouts of various midium size game animals. Smaller pigs are the most common and when the same is located at 200yds and 300yds it really gives the perspective needed to get the feel for open country shooting. Also by painting them black, the impact points can be clearly seen with a good spotting scope. They also ring when hit so that there is no doubt that some kind of hit was made. See if you can talk your local range into something like that. Or if you have your own backyard range, then scrap steel is cheap. 0
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