What competitive shooting have you done? There are many of us who were or are very serious competitors. How do the fundamentals of marksmanship and competition techniques enable your shooting of dangerous game rifles? Let’s discuss?
Sport background:
I am certified shooting coach rifle/pistol in the club, and ISSF referee for pistol, rifle and clay targets.
Recently I am more coaching then competing. (not to mention admin work in the club)
I think I was at some phases in my life competing everything with various success, but biggest number of competitions I made in long range. (ok, actually medium range, 600 meters), and pistol bulls eye shooting.
IPSC, and IDPA recreational on local level, not seriously competing (no time due to nature of my job).
Clay targets, my shooting is recreational, not competitional.
DG rifle.
How to define DG rifle?
For purpose of my answer, I will define DG rifle as any rifle in caliber 375 H&H or bigger.
So, if that is so, my experience is limited, as I have done only two safaris with 375 H&H. (and one with 300 H&H)
Benefits, and drawbacks of target sports, in hunting:
Stress control:
Every competition is stressful. Experience in competition, in long term trains the shooter to control stress. I am guessing that experienced target shooters will less likely experience buck fever. Or more likely keep cool under DG Charge. Possibly.
But competition in part is stress control. Fact.
In hunting, and DG hunting this is very important.
Safety
Experienced target shooters, have absolute safety habits when handling the firearms.
This is not typical for many hunters, who hunt seasonally and fire less then box of ammo per year.
Rigorous safety rules and habits are most typical for IPSC sport, but for other shooting sports as well.
This is most important lesson learnt from sport, to be used in hunting, Firearm safety.
Long range shooting (f class and similar)
Come to think of it, long range experience thought me to zero the rifle to my preference, and to trust the scope, and to trust myself. It builds self confidence. It also thought me that long range shots are sometimes unpredictable due to wind and other gizmos, and in hunting, I prefer close range shots, preferably under 150 meters.
Experience of occasional bad shots at paper target at longer ranges, thought me modesty.
Good shots at paper targets at 300 meters gave me self confidence. Its a good mental balance.
However, there could be bad habits developed.
Possible bad habit that can come from classic bulls eye disciplines is that in those sports you are not extremely limited with time at range, and not under time pressure. At range - you are focused on breathing, aiming, natural point of aim, getting a perfect stance, etc.
For all that, you have no time in hunting. In hunting, you have no time for perfect shot in most of cases.
In hunting, you must react fast behind the scope.
I know several good target shooters, who are not confident in stalking animals and shooting in field conditions, exactly for that reason (my guess), so they prefer hunting from high stand or blind. And they do it fine. But fast sight line up, and quick shot is not their strong side.
In blind they take time, and choose their perfect moment for perfect shot.
Bulls eye pistol shooting (or rifle):
Keeps you trained with mechanical sights.
Now enter: dynamic shooting, under stop watch.
IPSC and IDPA.
they come in all shapes and sizes. (pistol or rifle, without scope and some with optics)
Shooters compete under stop watch, and at closer range.
Moto of IPSC sport covers well the complexity of DG rifle usage in the field.
Diligentia – Vis – Celeritas / Accuracy - power - speed.
All three factors are accounted in final result. If you can shoot accurately more powerful gun, it accounts for better result. 416 is better then 375, is it not?
The best prep, for DG rifle in the field, is IPSC. Especially with rifle. Where targets are scattered around the range, at various distances, and engaged in shortest time possible.
The drawback in this sport is, the shooter does not get used to recoil of DG rifle. Nobody shoots IPSC rifle match with 375. But the shooter gets good habits.
Drawback, semi auto rifle, does not teach fast bolt operation or break action fast reload.
Benefits are overwhelming:
When comparing target shooting with DG rifle shooting, I would say, any competition target shooting is beneficial for getting skills for hunting. But it does not fully compensate for lack of trigger time behind DG rifle.
The DG rifle training:
Once the skill is established with trigger time with other guns - in competitions and training sessions, then DG rifle must be trained in as real as possible circumstances on the range, to get used to recoil, to rifle, and to build self confidence. DG rifle will always have less training then other guns, because of price of ammo and cumulative effects of recoil, so training with smaller calibers is essential in field positions similar to those how the DG rifle will be used. Training session to start with smaller calibers, can be 22lr, over middle power calibers like 308, and then built up to final dozen or more shots with DG, in field positions and from sticks
