Practice and fitness

[CBH Australia]

Counting down to my first safari and I went for some practice today. I hit a 6" block with my .308 breaking bits off it at 100 yards (off sticks). Is that good enough? I will be using a loan rifle possibly 7mmRM Sako.

It was a blowy day for doing any shooting but Ive been busy work wise with bush fire season in NSW.

i wasnt so good with the .375 off sticks, i am comfortable with both over the bench.

i might bring my HB .22-250 next week, I have ammo and happy to put wear on that one

If I use the .22 at 50 yards what groups would seasoned stick shooters expect? what 50 or 100 for practice.

What do you expect for a fitness regime? ? km day or suggestions?

 

[Hogpatrol]

Try practicing with a rimfire. I use a .17 HM2 and .17 HMR shooting clay birds at 100 yards. The two legged sticks don't work for me so I shoot using a tripod setup and bring it with me on all hunts along with a Harris 27" bipod for sitting shots.

 

[perttime]

It is hard to recommend anything for fitness. How much time and distance do you usually do on your feet every day? Start increasing that now, unless you already walk hours every day.

 

[Tra3]

Shooting off sticks will improve with practice. Definitely watch a couple videos of how to shoot of sticks and try the different suggestions. After 100 more rounds I bet your group size will shrink to 3”-4”. Do try to shoot as much as you can before you go.

make sure your boots and feet get along (or bring a blister kit). It is your vacation so you have a say in the level of difficulty total KM walked. 5-15km a day would be an approximate range. As with any great adventure, you don’t feel tired... until you finish dinner.

 

[Shootist43]

Keep practicing with small bore rifles off sticks. Gradually you'll get better at using them. As your proficiency with the little guns gets better so will your ability to use larger calibers. It takes time and practice, just hang in there.

 

[chashardy]

I practiced at least once week for a year with the two rifles I took to Africa: 300 win mag and a 375 H&H double. I shot off bench, sticks and off hand, standing, sitting, kneeling. It was good practice as I used all of those shots (except bench to check the rifles) on safari. As for fitness, I walked about 3 miles and carried a 10lb. weight some of the time. When I could get to a friend's ranch, I hiked a couple of miles carrying the 375.

 

[CBH Australia]

I walk on and off I can do a few hours when needed. It mightn’t be perseverance rather than fitness. I do an annual pack test for work then we get into some fire work. But it all varies and my days are not routine but I will try walk daily. I took the .375 for a walk yesterday hoping to find a pig.
I have some clays I might try do some of those with a .22 at 100. Now to support or stand them

 

[Ridgewalker]

Be sure to walk in the same shoes you will be wearing on your trip.
I don’t know where you will be hunting, but if it is in heavy bushveld (such as Limpopo) 100-150 yards should be fine. But if it is in Namibia or the Eastern Cape, you better prepare for much longer shots!
Just practice, practice, practice and it will all start coming together. Be prepared to get on sticks, sight, squeeze the trigger in 5 seconds is my experience. Africa animals don’t stand still long.
Carrying your 375 on your walks is an excellent way of preparing! I was told by my PH for my last hunt to be prepared to walk 10 miles per day. I did, but luckily it turned out to not be that far each day.

You’re going to have a grand time!

 

[Tra3]

@Hogpatrol the advice to also use a small caliber is right on. I usually bring 3-5 different rifles and shoot the small ones a lot since they don’t heat up so much. The repetition of getting on the sticks and then shooting multiple shots without lifting your face off the rifle is a learning curve. I was worried that I would get more nervous than the typical buck fever when in Africa, especially considering there is a $$$$ amount with a trigger pull.
In hindsight, the range practice really made me a better hunter for Africa and for back home.
There are lots of games you can play with friends: times shooting, position changes, etc. try also having someone video you with a phone.

 

[Hogpatrol]

I lay ten clay birds on the bank in no particular pattern, five at fifty and five at 100 and using a Ruger 10/22 converted to 17HM2, I try and break them all as fast as I can. Use your sticks, tripod or go offhand, vary the order, switching from one distance to the other. Do it enough and it gets fairly easy to get all ten.

 

[perttime]

I walk on and off I can do a few hours when needed. It mightn’t be perseverance rather than fitness. I do an annual pack test for work then we get into some fire work. But it all varies and my days are not routine but I will try walk daily. I took the .375 for a walk yesterday hoping to find a pig.
I have some clays I might try do some of those with a .22 at 100. Now to support or stand them

So you pretty routinely do some walking, and also sometimes carry stuff while doing it. No major worries there, then. You are also probably smart enough not to use brand new shoes or boots when you expect to spend some time on your feet.

Any "trigger time" is good. Practice what you might need, and things where you find weaknesses.

I get the impression that too many have weaknesses in basic operation of the rifle under stress. Work the bolt briskly while the rifle remains shouldered. Remember the safety.

A chapter on preparation by the late Jeff Cooper has stuck to my mind. He would dry fire his heavy rifle, in front of the TV, for weeks before going to Africa. He would sit with the rifle in his lap. Every time there was a letter O on screen, he would shoulder the rifle, disengage safety, aim at an O, squeeze, work the bolt ... and repeat as long as there were any letter O's to "shoot".

 

[APS]

Practice, practice, practice. Helps to hardwire your shooting technique. One less thing to think about when the pressure is on.