Off Hand Shooting..............

[Lawdwaz]

One of my friends likes to hit the turkey/ham shoots in the Finger Lakes region.  He is a terrific shot, be it bench, prone or off hand.

 

I've never been to one as I'm smart enough to NOT waste my money and embarrass myself at the same time. Grin..

 

Today my buddy shot in a turkey shoot and took 4 shots at clay birds.  Off hand at 100 yards................he hit three out of four and the fourth shot actually hit the post and knocked the bird off.  That one of course didn't count but the other three did.

 

He uses a smokeless muzzle loader he built himself and sabot-less bullets.

 

Damn is he good!

 

He wins so much I don't think he is very welcome at some of the clubs.  Sore losers........

[Dinsdale]

Been in an off hand competiton for a few years running on another forum.......scouts honor type of thing.Scope and non-scoped.

There's some damn good shots out there, and I ain't one of them. LOL

But practice and a few bricks with the 22 helps out.

[Early]

Problem is...Those .22's are scarce and expensive !!

[Dinsdale]

Early, on 02 Nov 2013 - 7:39 PM, said:

Problem is...Those .22's are scarce and expensive !!

 

Ain't that the truth. LOL

Sure could use some CCI SV and a 10 brick case about now.  

 

[Pygmy]

I have a friend who is a deadly offhand shot.. He regularly cleans up at the turkey shoot at our local gun club shooting iron sighted military rifles against scope mounted sporters at 100 yards.

I have seen him repeatedly hit a 12" square steel plates on his private 300 yard range with his Swiss K31s and Swedish Mausers shooting offhand with open issue sights and peep sights.

[ants]

I watched one of those shoots at a local range, a few years back. Guys were shooting off hand, with  old military rifles, with iron sights, out to 200yds. Most of them were very good shots. A few were doing what I couldn't do off a bench with a modern scoped rifle.

[Lawdwaz]

I'd like to observe some of those guys one day.  Compete, me?  

 

It'd be cool if they let me pick up their brass.................................grin.  Those clay birds are prettttttty small.

 

A few years ago I watched my friend drill a crow, off hand at 150yds with his 300WSM.  Cool as a cucumber!  As he prepared for the shot, I said; "hey, why don't you just lean on the side of the barn?"  Nope.............too easy. 

[Pygmy]

Yeah, Larry... back years ago I used to be a FAIR offhand shot....

Woodchucks at 100 yards were in reasonable peril...

No more...Nowadays I can't hit a bull in the ass with a banjo offhand...Unless he is REALLY close.

Actually, I shoot better at MOVING targets offhand than stationary ones..

The fluid motion plus my wingshooting experience seems to help...Still, they need to be CLOSE...

Edited November 3, 2013 by Pygmy

[Lawdwaz]

Pipe dreaming for me................

 

One of the best shots I ever saw was a fellow who took an open sighted S&W (either a .44 or .357 I can't recall which) sat on his ass and banged a woodchuck at 150 yds while resting his elbows on his thighs.  My friend Tom was with me as we watched, I don't know who was more surprised, me & Tom or Punxsutawney Phil's bro.

Edited November 4, 2013 by Lawdwaz

[Doc]

Off-hand shooting? ...... Not me. Can't do it. Too wiggly. Get me to a tree or something I can brace myself against then yeah, I do alright. But I never had the steadiest hand, and old age ain't helping that situation any.

 

I'll be honest, when I set up a deer stand, I create all these nice horizontal log surfaces to bench rest the gun on. Works great. If I'm still hunting, I'm always hoping to have a tree or sapling or something to help steady things down.

[Pygmy]

 

Off-hand shooting? ...... Not me. Can't do it. Too wiggly. Get me to a tree or something I can brace myself against then yeah, I do alright. But I never had the steadiest hand, and old age ain't helping that situation any.

 

I'll be honest, when I set up a deer stand, I create all these nice horizontal log surfaces to bench rest the gun on. Works great. If I'm still hunting, I'm always hoping to have a tree or sapling or something to help steady things down.

I do the same things Doc...I often use screw in treesteps placed in strategic places for gun rests, and I always carry a set of shooting sticks besides..The only treestands I hunt out of are ladder stands or constructed stands with a shooting rail.

On one of my favorite watches I stand between three big round hay bales, which make an excellent rifle rest.

[Doc]

I am seriously considering buying some shooting sticks. This rifle shooting is a new thing here in Ontario County and there are some new things to consider. I never deer hunted with a rifle before. But the other day, I lifted my .270 with the scope set at 9X, and I swear I never could settle those crosshairs. I used to have a 2-power scope on my shotgun, and it wasn't quite as sensitive. Leaning against a tree didn't send me into all that panic that you get from watching a 9X wobbling all over the place. So, I have to be thinking of better more steady methods of shooting.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I am seriously considering buying some shooting sticks. This rifle shooting is a new thing here in Ontario County and there are some new things to consider. I never deer hunted with a rifle before. But the other day, I lifted my .270 with the scope set at 9X, and I swear I never could settle those crosshairs. I used to have a 2-power scope on my shotgun, and it wasn't quite as sensitive. Leaning against a tree didn't send me into all that panic that you get from watching a 9X wobbling all over the place. So, I have to be thinking of better more steady methods of shooting.

 

 

I think that is actually the root cause for many people that dislike the higher power variables. Truth be told the two power IS wiggling just as much as the 9x. we just can't see it..lol. I think the higher power makes me tighten down a bit more.

[bluecoupe]

When I was young I was a fairly good shot off-hand.  But I shot more rounds than you could probably imagine. In my opinion, that's the key.  I wouldn't even hazard a guess at how many rounds of each caliber I've sent.  It'd be one hell of a big number though.  With the prices today, that'd be tough to do.

 

Today, as Doc said, I look for a tree, or settle on my knees if sitting, etc to stabilize things.  Doc: You're not wobbling any less on 2x vs 9x - the movement is simply shown more at 9x but 2x is wobbling the same amount, you just don't know it.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I had one range instuctor when I was in Scouts and he was an Army Ranger. He showed us all how to utilize the sling on the gun to really help in all the shooting positions if nothing else is available to use as a stabilizer. It has stuck with me and is very useful.

[Doc]

I think that is actually the root cause for many people that dislike the higher power variables. Truth be told the two power IS wiggling just as much as the 9x. we just can't see it..lol. I think the higher power makes me tighten down a bit more.

I'm not sure that the super wiggle of high magnification doesn't promote a bit of a gun-version of target panic and boost up the correction and over-correction wobbles. Of course that is just theoretical, but either way, I am now using 9X (for the same reason as you) and I desperately need a shooting rest or I'll never have the confidence to pull the trigger. And for still-hunting, it would be nice to have something portable. On stand I always have something built in for a bench rest. At the very least I can get pretty steady in a sitting position, or even a kneeling position against a tree. But when still hunting, those options aren't always available or practical. I don't know, I am still looking for solutions, but I think one thing that has to be an improvement would be some good shooting sticks.

[bluecoupe]

I still-hunt when I can and have often thought of getting a shooting stick of some sort. Haven't yet though.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Doc, my father uses this one. He likes it becasue it is adjustable quickly and no need to adjust teh spread of shooting sticks to adjust height. He aslo uses it out of his blind and on stand becasue it can collapse so far. almost fits in his pack when he isn't using it.

 

http://www.basspro.com/Primos-G2-Trigger-Stick-Mono-Pods/product/1304041553/?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&om_mmc=shopping_googleproductextensions&kpid=1304041553

Edited November 6, 2013 by Culvercreek hunt club

[Doc]

Doc, my father uses this one. He likes it becasue it is adjustable quickly and no need to adjust teh spread of shooting sticks to adjust height. He aslo uses it out of his blind and on stand becasue it can collapse so far. almost fits in his pack when he isn't using it.

 

http://www.basspro.com/Primos-G2-Trigger-Stick-Mono-Pods/product/1304041553/?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&om_mmc=shopping_googleproductextensions&kpid=1304041553

That's exactly the one that I bought yesterday, except I got the "bipod" version. I spent a lot of time checking out the two side by side. There was a pretty substantial difference in price. But it seemed that the extra leg made a big difference in steadiness. Apparently I am lot more wobbly when it comes to right and left movement ... lol. That "trigger" style adjustment is great. It works real smooth. The bipod is a lot more bulky to carry and that was one of the reasons I spent so much time figuring which one to get. But in the end, I opted for the more steadiness of the extra leg.

[Cabin Fever]

Culvercreek hunt club, on 06 Nov 2013 - 09:09 AM, said:Culvercreek hunt club, on 06 Nov 2013 - 09:09 AM, said:

Doc, my father uses this one. He likes it becasue it is adjustable quickly and no need to adjust teh spread of shooting sticks to adjust height. He aslo uses it out of his blind and on stand becasue it can collapse so far. almost fits in his pack when he isn't using it.

 

http://www.basspro.com/Primos-G2-Trigger-Stick-Mono-Pods/product/1304041553/?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&om_mmc=shopping_googleproductextensions&kpid=1304041553

I LOVE the triggerstick monopod!! Bought one for my son too! Quick, smooth, quiet adjustment! Believe it or not, the monopod is rock steady! Where it REALLY shines is in a treestand, where you don't have much room to screw around with worrying about both legs being positioned on the stand and them not falling off the platform grates! Especially when a deer is running in and you don't have time to screw around, worrying about positioning 2 legs on the stand! Really nice in a turkey blind too, when you're sitting up on a stool, as it helps support the weight of the heavy gun. Can be cumbersome to carry in all the time, but well worth it!!!

 

Actually want to rig up a shoulder strap or something for it before season this year.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Cabin Fever

[Doc]

Yup .... Some kind of sling or strap or attachment to my back-pack is definitely on the agenda for the near future.

[A Sportsman]

I don't practice enough to be good at off hand shooting. Living on LI I can't shoot out my back door. And with the cost of ammo its just not something that I'm driven to do. That said, with the type of hunting I do(mostly still hunting in the catskills) I think having the skill to shoot off hand real well would be a major asset. Where this topic gets a little gray is in defining the shot. 100 yds standing still(not easy). 50 yds standing still (not to bad). 40 yds on a trot in moderately open woods (not to bad), etc, etc.

[dbHunterNY]

off hand is difficult at anything more than 200 yards.  helps at that point to have a good sling and get your non-shooting hand under the receiver.  I've got a slogan outdoors ultraflex sling on my rifle.  it's all rubber except the swivels which I changed out to outdoor connection talon quick release ones.  it stretches just enough for comfortable carry and to get your arm in there in a hurry for an off hand shot.  http://www.sloganoutdoors.com/

 

I got the longest shooting sticks I could find.  got them from Gander Mountain years ago.  Shorten up enough to sit and use them and then extend long enough to stand at height of 6' and use them.  They can go taller too if i'm standing on a side hill.  honestly you're better off taking 1.5 seconds dropping to one knee or sitting quick to be more stable most of the time.

[dbHunterNY]

I never tried one of those off-hand competitions.  I don't know of any being around here.

[Lawdwaz]

I never tried one of those off-hand competitions.  I don't know of any being around here.

 

I've never participated in any either.  They call them "turkey shoots" or "ham shoots".