Practice Exercises- How do you prepare?

[Viral_SIGness]

I will be practicing, two shots at a time with my .375 Ruger, to get ready for Buffalo hunting. Yesterday I stuck a foam plate on a piece of cardboard as a target. I stood at 30 yards, fired, quick reload and fired again. My first shot hit center. I'll keep doing this until my two shots are nearly touching, then I'll back up to 40 yards.

This was of course suggested to me by my friend/PH.

I'm doing it with my iron sights, because I plan to hunt my Buffalo that way. I did swap the white plastic bead out for a fiber optic.

 

[Ike85123]

My dad had a way he taught me and my brother.
He would stack beer cans on the side of the targets. It might sound funny, but with things moving, it helped us sort out a quick second.
Messes with your mind alittle, to have things moving down range.
I also have 4 snap caps. I practice my shooting reaction and reloading at home.
Iron sights are great. But a small 1x red dot, helps too.
Great shooting ! Good luck on your buff hunt !

 

[Viral_SIGness]

My dad had a way he taught me and my brother.
He would stack beer cans on the side of the targets. It might sound funny, but with things moving, it helped us sort out a quick second.
Messes with your mind alittle, to have things moving down range.
I also have 4 snap caps. I practice my shooting reaction and reloading at home.
Iron sights are great. But a small 1x red dot, helps too.
Great shooting ! Good luck on your buff hunt !

I have a Nikon 1-4x24 for PG, but for some reason I want to do it with irons. The Red Fiber Optic front is a nice addition!

 

[curtism1234]

I'm doing it with my iron sights, because I plan to hunt my Buffalo that way. I did swap the white plastic bead out for a fiber optic.

I applaud the iron sights. I would just be careful of which fiber optic front to use. You want the rod very protected so it doesn't break.

 

[Viral_SIGness]

I applaud the iron sights. I would just be careful of which fiber optic front to use. You want the rod very protected so it doesn't break.

I bought a gold bead front sight too. Just in case this one did not work out.

 

[Petey J]

I was listening to a couple podcasts last week with Dr. Kevin Robertson. In them he specifically talked about some shooting exercises to train for a buffalo hunt. Some of them were geared for game rangers and PHs, but would still be applicable.

One I recall was setting 3’x3’ solid black targets with 6” and 8” bullseyes in the middle on the back at 30, 20, and 10, yards. Load 3 rounds in the magazine. Then time yourself on chambering a round, and working through the targets at decreasing distance. Then reload 3 more rounds, and shoot the targets going back out. So it would be: chamber the first round, shoot 30, shoot 20, shoot 10, reload 3, shoot 10, shoot 20, shoot 30.

You get 10 points for each shot in the 6” bullseye, and 5 for the 8”. See how fast you can do it. Dr. Robertson said the fastest he ever saw it done was actually with a Ruger No. 1.

There were other drills he talked about as well.

The podcast was “The Big Game Hunting Podcast.” Just search for it wherever you get podcasts and look for the episodes with Dr. Robertson.

 

[Viral_SIGness]

I was listening to a couple podcasts last week with Dr. Kevin Robertson. In them he specifically talked about some shooting exercises to train for a buffalo hunt. Some of them were geared for game rangers and PHs, but would still be applicable.

One I recall was setting 3’x3’ solid black targets with 6” and 8” bullseyes in the middle on the back at 30, 20, and 10, yards. Load 3 rounds in the magazine. Then time yourself on chambering a round, and working through the targets at decreasing distance. Then reload 3 more rounds, and shoot the targets going back out. So it would be: chamber the first round, shoot 30, shoot 20, shoot 10, reload 3, shoot 10, shoot 20, shoot 30.

You get 10 points for each shot in the 6” bullseye, and 5 for the 8”. See how fast you can do it. Dr. Robertson said the fastest he ever saw it done was actually with a Ruger No. 1.

There were other drills he talked about as well.

The podcast was “The Big Game Hunting Podcast.” Just search for it wherever you get podcasts and look for the episodes with Dr. Robertson.

Are you saying put the bullseye on the opposite side, out of view?

 

[Petey J]

Are you saying put the bullseye on the opposite side, out of view?

Yes. You just shoot the middle of a black square. That's how Dr. Robertson described it.

 

[Mike70560]

Always operating the bolt immediately after the shot and reloading the magazine when you finished shooting builds good habits. Running up to the target before shooting mixes things up and raises your pulse.

 

[Ed Lally]

I am hunting Cape Buffalo (with my Krieghoff 470 NE) and PG in Zimbabwe in May and my PH suggested the following:

1 - Walk everywhere with your rifle so you get used to carrying it. In my suburban community, I would soon be arrested for disturbing the peace as some in my area would freakout upon the sight of a firearm. I purchased a round steel 15# rubber coated exercise bar with square plastic end caps from Amazon and cut off a bit so it weighed the same as my Krieghoff. Drilled in sling swivel studs and added a sling. I walk everywhere and no one cares.

2 - He suggested setting up 2 8" shoot & see targets at 50 yds and 2 more 8" targets 30 feet to the right. Then shoot 1 on the left, then quickly one to the right, run quickly 30 feet to the right while reloading and shoot the second target on the left and the second target in the right. Repeat 5 times, eating a full box of shells or until my shoulder says quit. (Glad I reload, but running out of powder!!) Having 2 targets to each side forces more concentration.

3 - Dry fire with snap caps and reload with 2nd set of snap caps and dry fire again. Repeat 10-20 times a night.

 

[Mekaniks]

Practicing at the range is all good and necessary. But, IMO actual hunting is the best practice, it builds the most confidence, muscle memory and gear shakedown. Hog hunting is reasonably inexpensive and available. But whitetail, black bear, antelope, elk whatever you can arrange will pay large dividends when you get off the backie in Africa.

 

[Frederik]

While its good placing your bullets in targets that first shot is the most important and shot placement obviously vital. Hunters who are use to shooting plainsgame in Africa tend to shoot buffalo especially frontal shots too low.
The rule of a third up the leg still works but you could go as high as half up.
I know of two hunters in the last 18 months wounding their buffalo both frontal shots aiming too low like they would shoot at a wildebeest.

On frontal shots buffalo rarely lift their heads higher than their backs while painsgame frontal always have their heads up high and you have full view of the chest. So you basically have to split open the skin on the lower jaw on a frontal buff.

Study the shot placement and if you could buy some targets of buffalo even better!

Mike, love what you said learing to relaod and refill mag after shooting just as important.
That could mean the diffeence between being ready when that buffalo suddenly gets up again or seeing it vanish.

 

[calling4life]

Coyote hunting.

You can also buy a baseball/softball thrower, place it out in front of you 25 yards or so, have it throw balls at you and shoot them.

They don't have to be real balls you can use the practice version, you can even use the plastic ones depending upon what throwing machine gives you the distance you want and what it will throw. Some of those practice balls are a foam that'd likely last a few more shots.

A clay target thrower placed out in front of you throwing rabbits back at you is good practice too.

If you're not specifically after "charge" practice, turn the clay target thrower and have it throw rabbits perpendicular to you and shoot them.

All this can make for good defensive handgun practice too

 

[Philip Glass]

While its good placing your bullets in targets that first shot is the most important and shot placement obviously vital. Hunters who are use to shooting plainsgame in Africa tend to shoot buffalo especially frontal shots too low.
The rule of a third up the leg still works but you could go as high as half up.
I know of two hunters in the last 18 months wounding their buffalo both frontal shots aiming too low like they would shoot at a wildebeest.

On frontal shots buffalo rarely lift their heads higher than their backs while painsgame frontal always have their heads up high and you have full view of the chest. So you basically have to split open the skin on the lower jaw on a frontal buff.

Study the shot placement and if you could buy some targets of buffalo even better!

Mike, love what you said learing to relaod and refill mag after shooting just as important.
That could mean the diffeence between being ready when that buffalo suddenly gets up again or seeing it vanish.

Good advice

 

[Brandon.Gleason]

A lot of good advise here. I've been practicing with snap caps and shooting sticks going from sling to solid aimed shot across the basement within 5 seconds on bad weather days. I've been doing the same at the range with a 22 at 50 yards once a week as weather permits. I did the same at 100 yards with my 300 win mag and an 8" plate today, albiet at a slower pace (maybe 10 seconds per shot from slinged).

 

[Viral_SIGness]

A lot of good advise here. I've been practicing with snap caps and shooting sticks going from sling to solid aimed shot across the basement within 5 seconds on bad weather days. I've been doing the same at the range with a 22 at 50 yards once a week as weather permits. I did the same at 100 yards with my 300 win mag and an 8" plate today, albiet at a slower pace (maybe 10 seconds per shot from slinged).

My PH told me to leave the sling at home. So I haven't even tried using one.

 

[Alaska Luke]

After watching a young caribou hunter miss a shot due to adrenalin, heavy breathing etc, I have a new idea. Set the rifle down, go back 50 or 100 yards, sprint to the rifle, grab and shoot. Haven't tried it yet but sounds smart.

I'm a big fan of snap caps and dry fire. This past year most of my shooting was from a bench sorting out rifle quarks. But I managed a LOT of dry fire in a more realistic setting. When I had a bear in my sights I shot it, reloaded and shot again without even thinking about it. Much better reactions then my younger days.

With ammo scarcity dry fire might be a good idea. Safer to if you are practicing running etc. Yes I know you always treat a gun as if its loaded, but if I'm trying a speed reload or a run to cover drill I like the idea of a non firing gun in case I fall on my face. Also my shooting gets noticeably worse when I mix things up. Might as well do a few dry runs to save ammo. I'm honest enough with myself to say "yeah that would have been a miss."

 

[Viral_SIGness]

After watching a young caribou hunter miss a shot due to adrenalin, heavy breathing etc, I have a new idea. Set the rifle down, go back 50 or 100 yards, sprint to the rifle, grab and shoot. Haven't tried it yet but sounds smart.

I'm a big fan of snap caps and dry fire. This past year most of my shooting was from a bench sorting out rifle quarks. But I managed a LOT of dry fire in a more realistic setting. When I had a bear in my sights I shot it, reloaded and shot again without even thinking about it. Much better reactions then my younger days.

With ammo scarcity dry fire might be a good idea. Safer to if you are practicing running etc. Yes I know you always treat a gun as if its loaded, but if I'm trying a speed reload or a run to cover drill I like the idea of a non firing gun in case I fall on my face. Also my shooting gets noticeably worse when I mix things up. Might as well do a few dry runs to save ammo. I'm honest enough with myself to say "yeah that would have been a miss."

Why do so many people use snap caps? I will be 40 next month, and I've never seen a firearm break from dry fire. So I'm asking genuinely.

For practicing chambering, I use the bullet I'm going to be hunting with. That way the bolt feel is identical. I loaded three rounds with used primers, with 77 grains of sand in them, and the 300gr VRG-3 seated and crimped.

 

[Tanks]

Why do so many people use snap caps? I will be 40 next month, and I've never seen a firearm break from dry fire. So I'm asking genuinely.

For bolt guns no. However, every manufacturer of double rifles I have talked to stated NOT to dry fire without proper snap caps.

 

[Alaska Luke]

Okay I'll be honest. I don't currently have snap caps for my 358 and 375. I do have dummy rounds but a rarely use them (too real looking). I would prefer a red snap cap to be extra safe (see red in there, no real ammo by accident). Failing that I dry fire on a empty chamber. Check gun, empty, practice.