Time at the range?

[HuntOrBeHunted]

How much time do you spend at the range??

I like to get out at least 2 times a month for a few hours of shooting.

In the summer i'm out all the time.

How bout you??

[Doewhacker]

Lately I have been quite a bit, I also shoot my bow a lot too. I lke shooting as do my wife and kids, fun family activity.

[WNYBuckHunter]

It all depends on what time of the year it is, etc. I really would like to get out there more than I do though.

[ants]

Same here.. During the cold months, and deer season I don't get out at all but off season and warmer weather I'd say twice a month.

[BizCT]

Once or twice a year with the guns.

Crossbow more often since I can shoot it in my parents backyard up to 40-50yards.

[G-Man]

I shoot just about every day, bow, gun or pistol. benifit of having my own 200rd range right out my door. more people need to shoot more often... see way to many people that don't know why/how they missed.. I always make anyone i hunt with on my property come out before the season and shoot.if they do't do it they don't hunt! its that simple!

[Doc]

I do not have a regular schedule for target shooting. About the closest I come to regular target shooting is with the bow. During the winter, I shoot a couple times a week down in my basement. When the weather gets decent in the spring I move outside. At some point around July or August, I begin to get a bit more intense and jump my rate up to about 4 times per week, but shorter sessions. The reason for the shorter sessions is to avoid muscle damage. Also, I found that practice that becomes too intense eventually is counter-productive in that I start working in target panic and flawed form from fatigue.

With the rifles, my shooting is whenever the weather cooperates. My 100 yard range is up on top of the middle of the hill, and I need to be able to get the ATV up there to lug all the rifles and equipment. So in the winter I'm pretty well locked off the hill because the ATV road is steep and treacherous when there is too much snow. Other times of the year, rain is the main enemy. But I manage to get up there every couple weeks, or if I am experimebnting with new loads, I get up there more often. I also have a 50 yard range behind the house just up into the woods. So that allows me to get in some lower quality range time but at a more frequent time interval. Almost all of my target shooting is "bench-rest shooting.

[shawnhu]

Ive put more time shooting at the range than I have hunting. Same goes for bow.

Have probably put a combined 200-300 hours at the ranges this year alone.

[HuntOrBeHunted]

I do not have a regular schedule for target shooting. About the closest I come to regular target shooting is with the bow. During the winter, I shoot a couple times a week down in my basement. When the weather gets decent in the spring I move outside. At some point around July or August, I begin to get a bit more intense and jump my rate up to about 4 times per week, but shorter sessions. The reason for the shorter sessions is to avoid muscle damage. Also, I found that practice that becomes too intense eventually is counter-productive in that I start working in target panic and flawed form from fatigue.

With the rifles, my shooting is whenever the weather cooperates. My 100 yard range is up on top of the middle of the hill, and I need to be able to get the ATV up there to lug all the rifles and equipment. So in the winter I'm pretty well locked off the hill because the ATV road is steep and treacherous when there is too much snow. Other times of the year, rain is the main enemy. But I manage to get up there every couple weeks, or if I am experimebnting with new loads, I get up there more often. I also have a 50 yard range behind the house just up into the woods. So that allows me to get in some lower quality range time but at a more frequent time interval. Almost all of my target shooting is "bench-rest shooting.

Now DOC would you say that after a lot of practice shooting from a rest that when your in the feild its a different syle of shot maybe throwing one off?

I'm asking because when I practice I use what I would in the feild and I hear lots of people missing deer but going to the range nailing the target with no problem.

[Doc]

Most of my bench-rest shooting is a fascination with how well I can make my gun perform. I do a lot of experimental reloading trying to get little tiny groups. However, in the process, there is an awful lot of things like breath control and surprise triggering and other features of the technical parts of shooting that get to be second nature just through repetition. All practice has value relating to hunting.

I also do some occasional off-hand shooting just to try to re-affirm that I ain't worth a damn at it. That too is some good knowledge to gain from target practice. Knowing your short-comings is a good thing, and applying that knowledge to your hunting set-ups can be a great advantage over those that do not do much shooting. I know from actual shooting experience that nothing will ever make these old arms rock steady again. So Through my practice, I have learned what must be done to make a good ethical and humane shot. That is why I never take running shots. That is also why I always use a tree or something to steady myself down when shooting in a hunting situation. Also, on the thread about ground stands, you will notice that the constructions shown in the pictures there generally are built with 360 degrees of horizontal logs to be used as "gun rests" wherever I need one. I usually have everything but the sand-bags .... lol. My bench-rest shooting is a direct contributer to those features in my stands. They are probably something that wouldn't occur to me without my shooting practice and understanding what it takes for me to get the accuracy edge.

[fasteddie]

I am only about 1 mile from the club range . I don't use it enough .

I have access to discarded real estate panels and make up target holders for the club . I get a bit frustrated when I drop a bunch off and go back in a couple days only to see where the AR guys have shot up the wooden supports . If only they could hit the panels !

I plan to use it much more this upcoming season .

[NFA-ADK]

I do not shoot as often as I would like since they closes the local range. Usually I make about 3-5 trips to the rifle range to make sure the guns are true. Most of my shooting is done on the bench untile the last cleaning and test fire rounds before I go on my trip. Those last 10-20 rounds are free hand usually at the sand burm and some paper. (Sitting only as the range does not alow standing) I was always a good shot since I was a kid... Now I just need to get glasses, lol... Sucks when while you are hunting you discover you need glasses... Getting old sucks!

I shoot my bow 2-4 times a week, I try to do it every other day weather permiting. Just came back from shooting thier and hunting a new property today in Riverhead. Trying to get my good friend and new hunter into his 1st deer!!! Hoping to post a success story soon as we just scoped the place today and it has some large tracks, rubs and we saw 3 doe at dusk! Good potential! Going for my 1st bow harvest as we are thier for population control!!!

[Doc]

Getting old sucks!

As fasteddie always tells us ..... it beats the alternative .... lol.

[HuntOrBeHunted]

I'm lucky to be close to a really nice peice of state land that a lot of local shooters and myself have set up really nice.

Other than a few people leaving shells all over theres never a problem letting off as many rounds as you want.

I can't wait for spring already so I can get some solid time in with my bow thats still new to me.

Happy Shooting.

[Nomad]

Best thing I did was build my own range on our land in Canandaigua, hired a local to build a berm, dragged in a picnic table .

Blast away ! Try for at least 2x a month .

[HuntOrBeHunted]

Best thing I did was build my own range on our land in Canandaigua, hired a local to build a berm, dragged in a picnic table .

Blast away ! Try for at least 2x a month .

Heck yea Larry sounds sweet that's what we did was build a berm a big one.. By hand lol but it was all worth it. And we built a bunker in the ground for yote hunting.

Are you hand feeding a deer in your profile picure lol thats pretty sweet!!

[Doc]

I'm lucky to be close to a really nice peice of state land that a lot of local shooters and myself have set up really nice.

Other than a few people leaving shells all over theres never a problem letting off as many rounds as you want.

I can't wait for spring already so I can get some solid time in with my bow thats still new to me.

Happy Shooting.

When you say you all have it "set up really nice", you don't mean that you have done any clearing or backstopping or other modifications .... right?