Practice

An important element to every hunt is to be able to make a clean, accurate shot to ensure a quick kill.  Heading to the woods or water without practicing is irresponsible as an outdoorsman.  Practice should be done on a regular basis and with intent.  Just going out and shooting a few days before the season does not prepare you for the situation.  Here are some of our tips.

Archery – Practice should be done no less than once a week.  Decide what your longest shot will be during the season and practice from that yardage and closer.  Set your “pins” to adjust for varying distances and practice from each of these.  You should also be able to guesstimate yardages within two yards for the pins to make a difference.  When the season comes around never take a shot beyond your max practice range.  Also as the season nears, start to practice in your hunting gear and even practice from your tree stand.  Situational practice makes for better shots during the season.

Rifle – Shooting two or three times before the season will help prepare you for that big kick from the rifle.  Many hunters will flinch at the kick and the only way to get over it is to shoot several times pre-season.  It is also crucial to sight in your scope.  We recommend using sand bags and shooting 100 or 200 yard targets to zero in.  After the scope is zeroed in, then shoot from each of the positions that you may encounter during the season- standing, prone, sitting, and with a rest.  Once again, do not take an unreasonable shot during the season.  If you feel comfortable shooting at 200 yards, by all means take the shot.  The bullet will do its job; just make sure that you can do yours.

Shotgun – There are two different ways to prepare for the seasons with a shotgun.  First off, it is important to “pattern” your shotgun.  Shoot your different choke tubes and size shells to see which will give you the desired pattern.  Then we recommend shooting at a sporting clays course.  This can prepare you for any bird or rabbit season and also is fun for the entire family.  If you need locations of nearby sporting clays courses in your area, please contact us.

Each of us does our homework with scouting and mapping where we are going to hunt.  Take the time to make the shot when the time comes.  It is not only more fair to the game that we chase, but is fun to get out and shoot without the pressure!!!

Practice Makes Better