How much do you shoot your deer rifle/shotguns

[Buckmaster7600]

We have a bunch of threads on practicing with our bows for hours and hours but how much do you shoot your rifles/shotguns?
 
Yesterday at work someone brought in a bunch of old hunting mags and there was an article in one of them talking about how little most hunters shoot. I have no idea how they got the data but the numbers they used were that 95% of hunters shoot less than 20 rounds a year. That seems really low to me.
 
I know I shoot way more than most, I probably shoot around 1500 rounds a year from my hunting guns.
 
 
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[Fletch]

I don't shoot many of the deer rifles or shotgun or ml maybe a dozen shots a year. I shoot a Lot of pellet rifle and 22 so my overall hands on is not too bad. But there is not much to shooting out to 200 yards with a rest and I don't shoot farther than that and 95% of my kills are under 75. Now the compound I shoot hundreds and hundreds maybe a thousand a season.


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[zoschag08]

We have a bunch of threads on practicing with our bows for hours and hours but how much do you shoot your rifles/shotguns?
 
Yesterday at work someone brought in a bunch of old hunting mags and there was an article in one of them talking about how little most hunters shoot. I have no idea how they got the data but the numbers they used were that 95% of hunters shoot less than 20 rounds a year. That seems really low to me.
 
I know I shot way more than most, I probably shoot around 1500 rounds a year from my hunting guns.
 
 
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Honestly I'd say that's pretty accurate. I know I don't shoot as much as I should, just have gotten lucky the last few years in archery so I haven't had to break out the gun. Most guys I hunt with or know don't shoot their deer rifle beyond sighting it in each fall.

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[The_Real_TCIII]

Ill be honest, I take them out and shoot four or five rounds to make sure nothings moved. Certainly not what anyone would consider practicing

[NYBowhunter]

I shoot mine a couple times a year, then before the opener just to check its zeroed in. Outside of that we shoot 22's, 22 hornet throughout the year.

[ny hunter]

I like to shoot all my guns...Not all at once but I well grab a rifle or 2 and a spend the day at the range....

[Core]

I'll go months between shooting long gun. I am a member of a range that is fairly close by but honestly it's just very boring shooting paper, so most of the rounds are when I go to land somewhere and shoot tin cans or whatever else and that's only something I tend to do a couple times/year.

[Lawdwaz]

Far less than 1500 rounds a year but I thoroughly enjoy shooting all my CF rifles.......especially the accurate ones.  Since I sold my business three years ago I shoot less than I'd like..............way the frig less.

As one of the tv gun dudes used to say, "Shoot More, Shoot More Often".  Well said!

[Nomad]

I used to send 50 - 100 12 ga slugs down range prior to deer season and an equal amount over the spring and summer .

Since rifle opened here I bought a .270 and shoot a couple boxes prior to,the season . I have my own range on our land and after a morning bow hunt , I'll shoot a bit . The farthest I've shot a deer with the .270 was 60 yards , if I was taking longer pokes I'd practice way more .

[Tughill Tamer]

Whatever guns I plan to hunt with that year I take out about 2 weeks before the season and put roughly 10 rounds through them to make sure they are still on. I know it's not the best practice but it's better than not shooting them at all.

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[rachunter]

I used to shoot every sunday and enjoy it. the range[public] I go to gets to damn crowed now but when it gets cold it's empty.most of my shooting is between dec and april. when ever I go up to my house I have a blast.

a lot of guys I know still have there first box of ammo!!!

Edited October 30, 2017 by rachunter
spelling

[Jdubs]

6 minutes ago, Stay at home Nomad said:

I used to send 50 - 100 12 ga slugs down range prior to deer season and an equal amount over the spring and summer .

Since rifle opened here I bought a .270 and shoot a couple boxes prior to,the season . I have my own range on our land and after a morning bow hunt , I'll shoot a bit . The farthest I've shot a deer with the .270 was 60 yards , if I was taking longer pokes I'd practice way more .

Same.  I get plenty of trigger time on my firearms, but just a couple of boxes on my deer rifle.  Expected kill shots would be in the 30-60 yd range, but I'd be fine at 100-200.  There isn't much need for me to run 1500 rounds of pricey factory ammo down the pipe.  

[fasteddie]

I seldom shoot mt 25-06 or shotguns . I should shoot my 20 ga Savage bolt action much more as I still havn't gotten used to the accu trigger . 

[BigVal]

I shoot every week at least one day usually two. I shoot center fire rifles frequently, my slug gun not so much. Majority by far is shooting clays. But have also been in a tanerite phase lately. (Idk how to spell it) 

[Will_C]

I don't shoot near enough! I used to shoot 200 or 300 rounds of center fire a year, but just not have the time anymore. My goal every year is to do more-wel will see how next year goes.

Will

[Swamp_bucks]

Couple boxes before season just to check and make sure they are on and to play.  Other guns not as much as i did in the past, once kids came around shooting time doesnt really exist.

[grampy]

When I hunted with the slug gun, I'd shoot one box of five, before the season, and a box or two during the summer. Now that I hunt with rifles, I  shoot minimum of four boxes of twenty, per gun, through out the spring and summer, up to the season opener. We have a shale pit range, and I do enjoy some trigger time! When I can find time to get over there. 

[Northcountryman]

Depending upon the limited time I have, I sight in my rifles once before the season, usually sometime in september, then during the season only if I decide to take 1

[Gencountyzeek]

Using a new rifle this year, so ive put 40rds through it so far. Just put a new trigger in it so id like to put another box through to get a feel of the trigger. But in the 1st 20rds i was shooting sub 1" groups @100yds, and just over 3" at 300yds. Love the gun!

[Robhuntandfish]

I shoot prob 20 rounds per gun. Usually go to be sure they are sighted in and then find myself just shooting a whole box while I am there. 

I actually have started shooting less with the bow. Seems like I actually get in my own head when I shoot too much with it.  But it is dialed in and I try to shoot 3 shots twice a week in the fall. One each at 20,30,40.

With a new gun usually shoot about 60 shells as I like to try different ammo to see what is best and get used to the trigger.   

[JRod 8G8H]

Out of my shotgun i will shoot 5-10 sabots each year to make sure nothing moved. Sabots are pricey! My shotgun spots i really dont have anything further than 75 yds..

[chas0218]

Depends on how many rounds it takes to zero. Usually about 8 rounds then or away until deer season. 3 to get on target. Then a shot at 100, another at 200 and depending where I'm shooting another at 300 with a couple follow ups to try a nice group. If I can't do 300 then just try a nice group at 200 instead.

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[eagle rider]

Before the season I soot a bit more than I otherwise would.  I would say the first step in rife accuracy for deer hunting is comfort.  What comes to the shoulder comfortably, fits decently well and has a trigger that is smooth and crisp.  Then its a good scope picture with a lot of lot transmission.  A little not what was asked I know.... but the central issue is shooting to be accurate.  Comfort of what you are shooting is the biggest part of that for me.  Once all is zeroed in, maybe a box of so.  Keep in mind if its a new rifle, you are going to want to / need to break it in.  So more shooting at a slower rate with methodical cleaning at first.  This can take 40 rounds of very slow fire to break in.  You can do double duty and zero your scope while doing so.  

[Jeremy K]

Not much , a few rounds to make sure it's still good . I don't hunt anywhere with long distance shots either so no real reason to shoot a bunch of rounds after determining it's still good.

[airedale]

I have always considered myself to be as much as a shooter as a hunter, these days I probably lean more so a shooter-firearms buff and just like messing around with different guns.  Some of my guns have never been fired at game because they were purchased to be shooters-plinkers or dedicated target firearms as I competed in both rimfire pistol and rifle matches.

Any new big or small game hunting firearm I acquire goes through the wringer to find out if it is something I like and want to keep or send down the road. When it comes to my big game firearms I must say once I find one I like and get them settled on suitable ammo then dialed in they are not fired a whole lot other than to check them for zero or the occasional shot at game.

My shotguns get fired quite a bit at clay targets which I enjoy doing and that helps keeping my wingshooting skills halfway decent, just got me a new electrically operated thrower this past summer to replace my old manual cocking thrower.

 I am a believer in practice , I just like pulling the trigger and doing some shooting-plinking. I am a big rimfire fan and over the years have assembled a nice collection of good quality rifles that duplicate the feel of my centerfire rifles in dimension, weight and trigger along with their scopes or open sights.  Many are capable of putting a bullet in a Squirrel's ear at 50 yards if I do my part. These firearms do get shot a lot at my back yard range on reactionary targets, paper targets and used for small game hunting. This type of method works well for me as I can enjoy myself and keep honing-maintaining my shooting skills for a much lower cost with firearms that mirror my centerfires saving them wear and tear. When I get wound up I can easily  go through a brick of 22s in an afternoon, also the noise factor firing rimfires does not have the countryside far and wide sounding like a war zone.

Al

 

 

Edited October 31, 2017 by airedale