Shooting better

[Rich]

Unfortunately, I have found that one of the biggest improvements in my shooting comes from working out at a gym. There is a lateral lifting machine that builds the shoulders. I hate the gym and working out, but it has improved my shooting and when I stop, my shooting declines. I guess that's why it's an olympic sport.

[northmn]

My problem in working out is that I get to put up firewood pretty regularly.  Also my job requires a certain amount of walking.  One of the reasons I recommend shooting anything is that so few people actually shoot offhand or field position.  No matter what the shooting forum you see pictures of beautiful bench groups.  They prove the gun can do it.  I used to sight in offhand rifles offhand.  They can shoot differently off a bench than offhand.  Practising stance and form is good.  The great archer Howard Hill used to work on form very regularly at very close range as he believed in it that much.  I see so many shooters that would have to backpack a bench rest to hit anything as that is all they ever shoot from.  My strength in offhand was consistancy.  It seemed that I did not win so many individual events, though I would a few, but I would win aggregates, where the total of 3 or 5 targets counted.  One was a state shoot, where I did not win a single individual but got 2nd or 3rd in the individuals, but won the aggregate very handily.  Younger and shot more then.  Got to get out and shoot more. For myself I should do what I say and not what I do.

DP 

[J.D.]

  Got to get out and shoot more. For myself I should do what I say and not what I do.

DP 

Yeah, me too. I probably haven't burned over a coupla pounds of powder in the last three to five years. I do, however, dryfire for a coupla weeks prior to shooting the few matches that I do shoot. The dryfire pays off in top scores for shooting, however, most events in this area are agg matches. My shooting, in the last match I shot,  was far better than all of the other competitors, but my 'hawk and knife throw were nonscoring events, for me. The person who out scored me beat me on knife and 'hawk, and fire start...by enough to beat my total score by three points. I out shot him by 20 points, but took second.

Gotta either shoot better, or work on the other events scored for the aggregate.
Shooting is more fun. Fire start is easy, however, my setup is geared toward reliability when woods running, not speed. Never really learned to throw knife and 'hawk. Gotta work on that.

God bless,
J.D.

[Daryl]

Agg. matches are where Taylor usually wins all.  He's very consistant and rarely has 'bad' days - consistency, though art a jewel.

[tg]

"  As he explained it, he would line up his sights above the target & then come down vertically to his sight picture while squeezing the trigger. I wonder if that would work with a flinter? "

I did it once when hunting Mt. Quail that were setting mid way up a willow tree with a .72 fowler....no birds but I totaly shredded the top of a willow tree..

[Daryl]

I used the line up above and slow descend method - shot the best offhand target at 100 yards I'd ever shot - a 98/100. Rifle was a .308 BR Unlimited at 22 pounds with a 36X scope.  I guess that doesn't count.

[Dphariss]

When really serious I take a deep full breath with the rifle pointed up 45 degrees, with my non-shooting upper arm against my side and the rifle gripped well back toward the lock/action I lower to the target. Not very comfortable but I have won a lot of 50 ft 22 matches this way when doing winter practice for BPCR silhouette. But its not NMLRA legal as I recall.
This is a "schuetzen" type stance and will work with a palm rest too. Moving feet determines where the muzzle ends up so consistent placing is helpful.

Dan

[Daryl]

Being able to hold the left elbow against the side with arched back depends pretty much on a person's back condition. My back won't allow such a hold for very long and only for very few shots - thus I hold the forend at the entry-pipe in the left hand.  It is much easier on a wrecked back.

[Osprey]

Another point I noticed. Osprey mentioned using a 45 with 60 grains.  That is not a very heavy combination but for a 45 is plenty.  I used to shoot 45 grains ok.  JD mentioned shooting light charges in his 54 as part of his training regimen.  Most of the veterans shooting heavy guns have a few years and a lot of powder under their belt.  I feel the current popularity of the 40 on these pages is that it is easy to shoot.  Starting out with lighter guns and charges does not hurt.  Shooting bigger guns is a seperate discipline in itself.  As to the elbow to the body in holding the gun some used to claim that with caplocks and flintlocks that it was considered as safe as one had their hand under the ignition.  Never seen anyone hurt doing so but it was a consideration.  I always held out on the forearm similar to what Daryl describes. 

DP

I've shot it with lighter loads, but in MD 60gr is minimum for hunting and I want to keep things consistent.  I'll be using that in the field so I want to shoot it at the range, too.  Bullseyse are fun, but fur and meat is serious!   

[northmn]

If you use the 45 for deer only then using the 60 grain charge makes sense.  I ahe taken quite a few squirrels and other small critters with a 45 and lighter charges.  That is very good hunting practice.  One other point I can make.  A lot of shooters are deadly at 25 yards, especially those that shoot at a lot of primitive matches.  I used to practice a lot a 100 yards.  Thats where the aggregates get won.  While you may not shoot many deer at that range, it helps for the closer unknown ranges in the field and seems to create a better discipline.  Fur and meat is serious.

DP

[Daryl]

My .45 is a 42" GM barrel with 60" twist.  It prefers 70gr. 3F or 80gr. 2F with a .445" ball and .0215" Denim Patch lubed with LHV or spit. It will shoot well at 25 yards with about any load, but to shoot at 50 yards or farther, it demands more powder.  I never have to wipe the bore with these loads - fouling does not build up.

3F does not shoot 'cleaner' than 2f in ANY of my rifles - never has.  If you find 2F to shoot dirtier than 3F, your patch is too thin, or the ball too small. If you can't load a tight enough patch, the crown needs smoothing. Emery cloth wet with oil or dry and your thumb can make a perfect crown. Rotate the barrel every now and then. I shove a large cloth patch down the bore to stop grindings from coating the bore. I pull it out with long tweezers after I'm finished crowning the barrel.

Good luck.

[Roger Fisher]

I used the line up above and slow descend method - shot the best offhand target at 100 yards I'd ever shot - a 98/100. Rifle was a .308 BR Unlimited at 22 pounds with a 36X scope.  I guess that doesn't count.

Tried that and find that crawling in from 6 O'clock takes less seconds and likens to crawling up and hanging on a string.   Coming down from 12 ,to me, causes me to drop below the 10 ring and must stop and recover from 6 O'clock and crawl in from the bottom anyway.   Probably not making too much sense; but thats my story and I'm sticking to it

[Daryl]

I couldn't raise that rifle - it dropped at a steady pace. With the muzzleloader, I raise onto the bull more times than not.  One thing I've learned, is to take the shot the first time it comes into being perfect.  Waiting for another 'perfect' hold will cause problems - eyesight and more wiggles as time goes by.