Double Rifle Practice

[sureshot375]

I booked my first elephant hunt for late august. I started training on Sunday. In addition to loosing about 40lbs,I need to become totally proficient with my rifle. With the exception of stopping a charging medium/small whitetail deer with my krieghoff double in 2019, I really haven’t shot it much in recent years.

I’ve got a lot of work to do on my unloading/reloading. After spending some time practicing in the house with spent brass, I think I can save time by using gravity to clear the spent rounds, but I need to practice on the range to see if that works with hot brass.
This video is from my first run Sunday. I dont even have an ammo belt yet which is why you see me digging around in my pocket for shells.

Y’all follow along and see if I get any better over the next several months.

If anyone has any recommendations for practice drills please share.

 

[Ike85123]

Looks like your gettin it done ! Looked like a nice day there for some shootin also !Dont forget to practice while running backwards, you never know. Lol

If it helps. I always stalk with 2 rounds between my fingers. Makes my reload time for 4 shots as quick as a bolt gun. It might work for you ?

 

[CAustin]

I booked my first elephant hunt for late august. I started training on Sunday. In addition to loosing about 40lbs,I need to become totally proficient with my rifle. With the exception of stopping a charging medium/small whitetail deer with my krieghoff double in 2019, I really haven’t shot it much in recent years.

I’ve got a lot of work to do on my unloading/reloading. After spending some time practicing in the house with spent brass, I think I can save time by using gravity to clear the spent rounds, but I need to practice on the range to see if that works with hot brass.
This video is from my first run Sunday. I dont even have an ammo belt yet which is why you see me digging around in my pocket for shells.

Y’all follow along and see if I get any better over the next several months.

If anyone has any recommendations for practice drills please share.

View attachment 397434

You are wise to think about physical ability first as one hunts an elephant with his feet. Sometimes trying to walk down an elephant you can be almost to jogging. PM me if you would like to talk about rifle practice.

 

[Philip Glass]

Best of luck!

 

[318AE]

You’re coming along great. I was thinking the same thing as the other post - when it comes to elephant, ”we shoot them with our rifles, but we hunt them with our feet”. You can track elephant for miles and miles and miles, and don’t want to be fatigued when the time comes. It can be surprisingly hot too. Make the first shot count, and you’ll have a second should there be an opportunity after the first. I wouldn’t focus on how fast the third and fourth shot are.

 

[sureshot375]

Looks like your gettin it done ! Looked like a nice day there for some shootin also !Dont forget to practice while running backwards, you never know. Lol

If it helps. I always stalk with 2 rounds between my fingers. Makes my reload time for 4 shots as quick as a bolt gun. It might work for you ?

I will make sure to practice a retreat!!!

 

[sureshot375]

Looks like your gettin it done ! Looked like a nice day there for some shootin also !Dont forget to practice while running backwards, you never know. Lol

If it helps. I always stalk with 2 rounds between my fingers. Makes my reload time for 4 shots as quick as a bolt gun. It might work for you ?

I will make sure to practice a retreat

You’re coming along great. I was thinking the same thing as the other post - when it comes to elephant, ”we shoot them with our rifles, but we hunt them with our feet”. You can track elephant for miles and miles and miles, and don’t want to be fatigued when the time comes. It can be surprisingly hot too. Make the first shot count, and you’ll have a second should there be an opportunity after the first. I wouldn’t focus on how fast the third and fourth shot are.

I think you are correct. It’s really the first shot that counts. If I get into needing more shots I’m in trouble.

 

[Cervus elaphus]

I booked my first elephant hunt for late august. I started training on Sunday. In addition to loosing about 40lbs,I need to become totally proficient with my rifle. With the exception of stopping a charging medium/small whitetail deer with my krieghoff double in 2019, I really haven’t shot it much in recent years.

I’ve got a lot of work to do on my unloading/reloading. After spending some time practicing in the house with spent brass, I think I can save time by using gravity to clear the spent rounds, but I need to practice on the range to see if that works with hot brass.
This video is from my first run Sunday. I dont even have an ammo belt yet which is why you see me digging around in my pocket for shells.

Y’all follow along and see if I get any better over the next several months.

If anyone has any recommendations for practice drills please share.

View attachment 397434

Good shooting. Practice having two rounds between your fingers of left hand for fast reload. Watch this video on buffs at the 3:31 mark on how Smithy holds the two cartridges.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax8GBw4fL9U

 

[HWL]

Never ever reload while running....

Reload,.... immediately after the shot... and than move, if necessary.

While running with an empty, non operational gun, you are extremely vulnerable.

In the worst case, you run to an animal, that wants to kill you,.....

Reload, while checking the situation with your eyes and ears, and than move.


HWL

 

[Frederik]

Great advice above practise reloading while standing still and looking at your target not your rifle. You should be able to see your rifle out of the corner of your eye but the practise brings muscle memory while you can see what is going around you. When standing there looking down at your rifle while elephant might charge.

 

[Don Hinton]

I am also getting ready for hunt in September with my double rifle. The advice I got from a long time double rifle user was to practice using rear trigger first then front trigger. He said the is no chance of pulling both triggers at the same time with this combination. Said he had seen many times hunters pull both triggers due to recoil, sweat or nerves

 

[freefall]

Is it common practice to use two fingers on triggers?

 

[John Telford]

That’s great that you are practicing shooting! Always makes a PH happy when his client knows how to use his gun!
one suggestion would be to first reload and then move. Not sure where you will be hunting but I’ll guarantee it won’t be on lawn! You can’t reload on the run without either tripping or getting a stick in the eye. So your next drill should be : shoot both barrels . Open gun reload , safety on run to a new position , shoulder gun when you see the target , the safety should be slipped forward at this stage and fire twice more.
If the Jumbo didn’t drop at the first shot your PH may intervene with an anchor shot and may run infront of you .There will be a lot of commotion so the safety on off drill is a good one to have practiced.

 

[IvW]

Is it common practice to use two fingers on triggers?

Disaster waiting to happen . .

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

That’s great that you are practicing shooting! Always makes a PH happy when his client knows how to use his gun!
one suggestion would be to first reload and then move. Not sure where you will be hunting but I’ll guarantee it won’t be on lawn! You can’t reload on the run without either tripping or getting a stick in the eye. So your next drill should be : shoot both barrels . Open gun reload , safety on run to a new position , shoulder gun when you see the target , the safety should be slipped forward at this stage and fire twice more.
If the Jumbo didn’t drop at the first shot your PH may intervene with an anchor shot and may run infront of you .There will be a lot of commotion so the safety on off drill is a good one to have practiced.

Sureshot, please remind me what double you have? And where will you be hunting?

 

[sureshot375]

Good shooting. Practice having two rounds between your fingers of left hand for fast reload. Watch this video on buffs at the 3:31 mark on how Smithy holds the two cartridges.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax8GBw4fL9U

I’ll give it a try again, but I’ve never really been able to get comfortable doing that.

 

[sureshot375]

Never ever reload while running....

Reload,.... immediately after the shot... and than move, if necessary.

While running with an empty, non operational gun, you are extremely vulnerable.

In the worst case, you run to an animal, that wants to kill you,.....

Reload, while checking the situation with your eyes and ears, and than move.


HWL

This makes sense.

 

[sureshot375]

That’s great that you are practicing shooting! Always makes a PH happy when his client knows how to use his gun!
one suggestion would be to first reload and then move. Not sure where you will be hunting but I’ll guarantee it won’t be on lawn! You can’t reload on the run without either tripping or getting a stick in the eye. So your next drill should be : shoot both barrels . Open gun reload , safety on run to a new position , shoulder gun when you see the target , the safety should be slipped forward at this stage and fire twice more.
If the Jumbo didn’t drop at the first shot your PH may intervene with an anchor shot and may run infront of you .There will be a lot of commotion so the safety on off drill is a good one to have practiced.

The safety on off thing is important for sure. With the cocking system on the krieghoff, the safety isn’t quite as natural to use.

 

[sureshot375]

Sureshot, please remind me what double you have? And where will you be hunting?

I have a krieghoff in .500-.416. Extractors. I’ll be hunting in South Africa. In a game preserve by Kruger.

 

[IvW]

I’ll give it a try again, but I’ve never really been able to get comfortable doing that.

Agreed if the forend is not too bulky try two rounds in the palm of you left hand held in place by middle finger and lower grip the forend with thumb and forefinger as you break the rifle open your hand moves to chambers and uou pop both in at the same time. Put the two rounds in your palm as you close in...with practice it is the fastest reload and your eyes do not have to drop to the actiin.