Differences between hunting and target shooting?

I bagged a 8 lb pork roast at Publix last night, Tonight I'm going for some steelhead, I do all of my fishing at Publix.

 

I can't say that I agree with the head-shot approach in most instances. The head is often the most mobile part of a deer's body, rarely making for a stationary target for any length of time. Additionally, the head offers a pretty small target zone. It's true that a well-placed shot will end the show right then and there, but if you pull one a bit, you could just as easily take out the jaw and have an animal suffer for quite some time.

I've shot a lot of deer in my lifetime and I've never failed to recover one that was hit just behind the shoulder (I don't take out the shoulders. Like you said, too much wasted meat).

 

Sounds like one of those places that charges you by the pound, but guarantees your catch!

 

Noticed that nobody mentioned bird hunting - but, for a real difference between a target range and the field, try Dove or Quail.

I did not even feel that trap & skeet was much of a preparation for the real thing.

I often saw my ex father-in-law take 4 or 5 quails on a rise; he was not even a mediocre trap shooter by Jackie Stewart standards. All a multiple-target sight picture thing, I guess.

 

Shooting (at) doves can be a very humbling experience. I used to be a pretty decent trap and skeet shooter (competed in college), and I agree that shooting live birds in the field can make the most experienced of shooters look silly. People aren't kidding when they ask how many boxes of shells per dove you average!

 

Try sporting clays for a humbling experience. I used to shoot 24-25/25 in trap competitions. When I tried sporting clays for the first time, I was lucky to hit 50/100.

Bird hunting is my dog's favorite sport. He starts doing sit-spins whenever I open my gun safe and get a shotgun out for whatever reason. He is still a pup, but he's all business when it comes to hunting.

 

Make sure you sight your scope in at the range prior to going and after you arrive in NS.

Head shots are not advisable as mentioned behind the shoulder

Hunting is no fun w/out the proper attire - so prepare for the cold

Invest in good low light field glasses

As others said the hunt is everything that occurs before you climb into the stand


Glad to see a deer hunting topic on Fchat!!!!!

 

If you can put your shots in a group of a quarter at 100 yards (which you should be able to do with any modern deer rifle) then you should be able to head shoot most game when stationary. I do this all the time when a deer is not running within 150 yds. or so. Of course when taking longer shots I aim for the vitals.

 

You're absolutely right. Sporting clays was always my favorite event to compete in, but very challenging. Working through a good course is a lot of fun and a true test of shooting abilities. One of the most memorable stands that I ever shot was set up in the woods. The first bird was a standard size that passed through a lot of trees from right to left. It was very challenging to time your shot on that bird, to avoid the trees. The second bird was one of the smallest minis that I have ever seen, zipping through on the same flight path as the first. It looked like a lazer beam and was almost impossible for me to hit.

Hunting birds behind good dogs is one of the great joys in life. Watching the dogs work a field is something that everyone should experience at least once, because it is a sight that is not easily forgotten.

 

I agree that hitting the head while stationary should not be too difficult, but in my experience deer move their heads way too much for me to feel comfortable taking that approach. It sounds like the technique works well for you, so I'm not in any place to say what you should and shouldn't do. As long as people take their game fairly and humanely, they're doing ok in my book.

 

I love shooting clays, I seem to do pretty good after missing a dozen or so, ok ok maybe three dozen. The point is i can shoot clays just fine but when i get out there to shoot birds (mainly dove) I don't hit a damn thing! Oh and Sometimes I do sit spins too when i know i'm going shooting!

 

Absolutely

 

If I was a 115lb woman (as you probably are), I don't know if I'd be able to even hold a shotgun much less hit something flying, although I've seen plenty of women out shoot men that were that weight. But then again, that was there sport also.

 

Ya but what about the dove, why can i shoot a clay but not a bird?

 

because a clay goes in one directions... those dove can dip and dive and change directions quick! especially on a windy day lol

 

+1

Another common mistake that people make when shooting at groups of birds is to shoot at the group rather than picking out individual birds. Spray-and-pray has a very low success rate!

 

Don't forget to lead, lead, lead.

 

That reminds me of another important tip...follow through after the shot. A lot of people stop their swing when they pull the trigger, causing them to shoot behind the target.

 

good advise thanks i'll work on all of it this weekend when i go quail hunting!

 

I've shot sporting clays for 20 years. 75-85 most of the time. 90 on a good day. Fortunate to have shot with those much better than I. Shot ducks in flooded timber for years. Piece of cake. You are a stick, lean out and shoot. Walking fields shooting doves is different. Tough.

We sat on buckets in a corn field last week. Doves coming in. Here they come. 2 down. Homing pigeons. Corn meal on their feet and bands on their legs. It's not illegal, but we felt bad. Then we ate them and they were better than doves.

 

LOL

 

My favorite stand is the fur & foul one where you get one running and one flying. Sporting clays resemples more of the real deal.

 

A successful quail hunt depends a lot on a good dog. Where I live you have to have a good flushing dog or one that understands that you just don't go charging in as the birds fly off away from you, but to have a dog that goes behind the covy and flushes them towards you as my dog has learned to do.

 

I was kind of taught that your dog is supposed to point at them, head and tail straight as a string, and wait for your signal to flush them out.

They will still scare you half to death when they bust up into the air, though.