Practice for Running Game, etc

Where I'm from, we do "swamp drives" where a group will fan out and walk through the heavy woods/swamp, and "drive" the deer out into a clearing or 3, with "sitters" watching the clearing... (sitting back to the walkers, so the clearings are open "clear shot" areas)

Through my childhood, my father got me into shooting running squirrels and rabbits with my single shot .22...

at the TIME, I thought it was for fun! :D

It turns out, anyone with the skills to shoot deer ruhnning in high-gear got to sit a little more often then those who couldn't hit, during these "drives"

I still drive the swamps... but I "sit" more often, because me and my '06 are famous for clean kills on running deer...

there are ALOT of uses for that skill in hunting, that aren't related to bad woodsmanship... (think waterfowl)

also, practice is a good way to learn them...

small game with a .22
Skeet
Trap
Sporting Clays - a great one!!!
Waterfowling


leading and follow through CAN be taught, but you'll still need practice...
 
Shooting at moving game is SOP in Sweden and the rest of Europe on driven hunts. Roe deer, wild boar and even red stag are hunted that way. Nobody uses a scope, open sights or red dot sights are the norm.

We shoot at moving or running moose quite often too. Stalking moose in our dense woods is only possible if the dog locates it in the forest and stops it in place through barking. Dog leader has then a chance to plan the approach properly and execute the stalk. If he’s lucky he’ll shoot stationary moose. If he spooks it, hunters in the stand chain can have a go. The moose will be running then, most likely closely followed by the dog.

We train on shooting ranges equipped with running targets - moose silhouette, natural size, distance 90 yards. The length of rail on which target moves is about forty yards
Most hunting clubs in Sweden require their members to qualify every year before opening of hunting season. Qualification scenario on such range is following:

1. Load your rifle with 4 cartridges
2. Shoot at stationary moose target standing on your left
3. After first shot, the target immediately starts to run. You have to reload quick and shoot it once again on the run, moving from left to right.
4. Repeat above with target starting on your right

You have to in hit the target four times in the “vital zone” and you have to successfully repeat this routine three times to qualify.

This kind of practice conditions you reasonably well for shooting running game in open terrain. The method with “following through” and shooting when you think that deflection is OK doesn’t work when you hunt in dense forest like I do. Here I use a method which we call “observation lane” and “shooting lane”. In most cases, I have a fairly good idea from which direction the moose may come. Upon arrival on my stand I select openings in the thicket where I can see approaching game – “observation lanes” and corresponding “shooting lanes”. When I spot approaching moose, I aim my rifle into “shooting lane” and fire when I see it there. Instant calculation of deflection is of course necessary. For this kind of hunting, I use red point sight exclusively. I can aim with both eyes open and have full control game movements.


Roman
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top