Shooting Offhand at 100 Yards

C

ckpj99

New member
What type of accuracy is considered "good" at a 100 yards, shooting from the standing position?

I know this is a pretty relative question, but I'm starting to practice with my Mosin in a standing position rather than from a rest. I'd like to able to hold 8 inch groups, but I'm wondering if that's a lazy goal to set.
 
I dont know if it's lazy, but my goal is to hit an 8" steel plate when shooting offhand (with a sling). I just want to hit a deer so the 8" plate works for me.
 
I've heard it over and over again, "You are a 2 MOA shooter at best" from multiple High Masters who can clean the target at 200 standing.

So 8 minutes of precision is completely doable. I don't know if the particular rifle/ammo combination you are using will be able to do it, so see how your rifle shoots from the bench first.

Jimro
 
I shoot my Mosin standing up, almost exclusively.

The barrel looks like a sewer pipe inside, and 4" groups at 50 yards are common - but I can make a steel man-silhouette ring every time at 100 yards with it, and find the practice to be most enjoyable.

My other guns are usually shot from the bench - but who carries a bench with them when they go hunting? A little practice at shooting "up on your hind legs" is a good thing for anybody who might have to do that in the field.
 
The normal targets used in High Power and CMP GSM Games has a 3.5 MOA X-10 ring. You shoot 3.5 inches in offhand you'll win dern near every match you attend.

But that's no practical in off hand. The 9 ring is 6.5 moa. It stands to reason that if you can hold the 9 ring, two thirds or better of your shots will be in the X-10 ring, so you're looking at 96-7%, an excellent score.

Matches are won and lost in the standing position. The problem is, our egos like results, we can shoot better the closer we are to the ground so we practice prone and setting.

We all know that (prefect) practice makes us better. The good thing about offhand is its cheap. Your best practice for offhand is dry firing. That cost nothing.

Just pulling the trigger doesn't accomplish anything. Notice I said Perfect Practice. Dry firing should be done just like ever shot is critical. Get a score/data book and plot everything you would normally plot while shooting. Plot you calls, plot the conditions, plot any change you make.

Another problem with offhand is we loose it when we have a bad shot. A muffed shot affects the remaining shots. We need to get over that. Don't think of off hand as a 10 or 20 shot match. Think of it as 10 or 20 one shot matches. Attack each shot as if its the only shot you'll get to take.

Forget the last shot, remove it from your mind, its history. Don't let it affect the present or future.
 
A month or so ago I put 3 shots inside 4 inches at 100yds. I was ready to take the target home and put it on the wall!
 
One of the fellows who frequents the local range can hit clay birds at 100 yards, with his K-31, standing upright, more often than not.
No scope, just the regular sights.
He let me try with 5 rounds.
I think I scared a couple, but no actual hits, though.
Now, I can hit birds at 100 yds fairly well, with my trusty .22 and a scope, though.
But I've done quite a bit of .22 rifle silhouette.
There's a good game for inexpensively sharpening one's skill.
 
Last edited:
For fun shooting we use a 10" steel plate at 100 yds and clay pigeons at about 75 yds. With scoped rifles like the AR15 we can hit the clay pigeons about 3/4 the time or better. Sometimes it seems to fall apart and I can't hit that one pigeon mocking me, but usually pretty easy to hit them once I have the range figured out. The 10" gong is no problem with open sights of course, even with a Mosin and old M1 carbines. The older iron sight rifles can still hit the pigeons about 1/2 the time.

I like the combination of large and small reactive targets such as steel plates and clay pigeons. The steel plate is about the size of medium game vitals or torso for self defense. The clay pigeon is good for testing about the limit of recreational offhand shooting. If I can hit a clay pigeon, then I am not really interested in whether I could hit a 2" disk, but if I want more challenge then I put some out to 100+ yds. Out past 100 yds, the clay pigeons get a lot tougher.

For general hunting practice I would get a 8" or 10" steel plate. Put that out at various unknown distances from 75 yds out to your max and see how you do. Especially with the "first shot."
 
8" at 100 is pretty darn good under field conditions.

I pretty routinely (well, used to, don't hardly hunt them anymore) shoot woodchucks in the head off hand at 50 yards or a bit further. Any further than 50 is no surprise to miss.

How big is a woodchucks head? I don't know, 3-4"? Something like that.

I am not and never have been confident shooting at deer off-hand at 100. I would consider anyone who could make that shot reliably to be exceptional.
 
I had some 1/4" steel cut into 4"x6" and 2"x3" rectangles.
I was terrible to begin with, but with practise I could easily hit the larger one every shot and the smaller one most of the time.
The practice made a huge difference when I was hunting.

With practise hitting a 4"x4" steel plate will be easy, but the big thing is PRACTISE! Use a 22 and it'll cost you not much to practice.
 
I agree with the idea to practice with small targets as well as the "kill zone size" ones. The human mind/eye/body is pretty amazing that it can somehow compensate for so many variables in offhand and still make good shots. For some reason I do a lot better with a small reactive target like a clay pigeon than I do trying to hit the bullseye of a larger target offhand.

I think it is good to practice with a variety of target types and sizes and see what works for you. For me, paper targets are the hardest and least fun.

I have not tried moving targets of any sort except the swinging of the steel plate. I would not take a field shot at moving game. Birds in the air with shotgun, you bet. But running game, no way for me.
 
So I did some offhand shooting today with my 10/22, with no sling, at 25 yards. I consistently was getting three inch groups. Extrapolating that out, I guess I should be hitting 12 inch groups at 100 yards.

Granted, I have a peep sight and a fiber optic front sight on that gun, which is quite a step up from the sights on my Mosin. And my Mosin weights, I don't know, six or seven tons. I'm not a big dude, so I think fatigue will affect my shots more than anything else.

I do have a Smith Sights front sight on my Mosin instead of stock, so that helps a little. I can shoot five inch groups off the bench at 100 yards with it, which is pretty terrible, but I'm working on it.
 
The Willsboro , NY fish and game club holds Turkey shoots in the winter , for both center and rim fire shooters . The Centerfire targets are clay pigeons at 100 , 150 , and 200 Yds. Shot standing freehand , Scopes to 4X are allowed . It's great fun , on a winter day ! With practice , you'd be surprised how well some people do . My rig is a post 64 M70 , in .243 Win. with an old M7 4X Leupold on it . need those fine crosshairs , especially on the 200 yard targets .
 
The standing position is the easiest position to shoot from. It just also happens to be the most difficult for hitting your target. Shooting groups is fun but is not a useful reference for individual skill. Jeff cooper once said a rifleman shoots a shot. Not groups. Accurate shooting is a result of repetition. Repetition requires practice. Perfect practice, as kraigwy posted. A good training involves using the same target and recording scores. This emphasizes the single shot whether it's five, ten or twenty shots on target. Keeping track of the results in a data book or diary provides evidence the shooter can review showing their progress thus giving the shooter reason to continue to try to improve.
 
Jeff Cooper may have said that a rifleman shoots a shot, not groups, but that is not an excuse for poor training. You don't rise to the occasion and make the shot, you sink to your lowest level of training and hopefully it is good enough to make the shot.

Jimro
 
Another problem with offhand is we loose it when we have a bad shot. A muffed shot affects the remaining shots. We need to get over that. Don't think of off hand as a 10 or 20 shot match. Think of it as 10 or 20 one shot matches. Attack each shot as if its the only shot you'll get to take.
Click to expand...

You don't rise to the occasion and make the shot, you sink to your lowest level of training and hopefully it is good enough to make the shot.
Click to expand...

There is some good stuff in this thread but the two quotes above are something I'm putting on my reloading room wall .

I just finished working up a couple loads for my hunting rifle . I'm now starting to shoot off hand and it's pretty tough for me . Hitting a 12" target 3 times in a row at 100yds is a challenge . I can do it but not every time . I'm practicing for a hunt I'm going on early next year . I believe I'll get better the more I shoot off hand but If I can't hit a 12' target every time . I will know not to even try that shot in the field .
 
Metal God,

Watch how 300 meter free rifle is shot from the standing position. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0VU-LNuC7c

I do not know if you have had anyone help you fit your rifle to your body, but the things to make sure you have is proper length of pull and cheek weld.

Length of pull should be set so that when you hold your rifle in the crook of your arm, your trigger finger can naturally rest on the trigger. If you have to crook your wrist because it is too short, add on a slip on recoil pad. If you have to stretch your finger, have your stock shortened.

Cheek weld should have you making a "chipmunk cheek" over the stock. If you have a scope that is mounted too high, you can add an adjustable cheek piece (like a Karsten's) or duct tape on some closed cell foam padding.

Once you have your rifle properly fitted to your body, practice your offhand stance (google "offhand rifle stance") and dry fire a LOT.

Jimro
 
An air rifle is an excellent training tool.
Lots of nearly free trigger time.
Mine is an inexpensive, medium velocity one, suitable for home use, with a 4 power scope.
The usual target is wine bottle corks at just under 20 yards, the maximum distance available.
Shot from the standing position, of course.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top