Hunting Season Tuneups
Oct 01, 2023
Precision, Fundamentals, and Accuracy with an upcoming Hunting season in mind.
As hunting season approaches, it's essential to fine-tune your skills and equipment to increase your chances of success. Whether you're experienced or a beginner, focusing on the long-range fundamentals will improve your accuracy and consistency in the field. This post will explore some important components of precision rifle fundamentals that apply directly to hunting.
Precision thinking
Precision applies directly to hunting. Firstly, it ensures a humane and ethical kill, minimizing the potential for a wounded animal. Secondly, precise shots increase your chances of cleaner kills and quicker recoveries. Lastly, precision allows hunters to engage targets at further ranges with increased confidence and accuracy.
One of the essential components to keep in mind here is the consistency of your shot. Every hunter should strive to develop a consistent shooting technique that includes breath, trigger control, and follow-through. By practicing these fundamentals, you can improve your shooting mechanics and overall accuracy.
The Fundamentals of Accuracy
The foundations of accuracy in hunting involve a combination of marksmanship and equipment proficiency. Here are a few key fundamentals to focus on:
1. Sight Alignment/ Sight Picture
Ensure your sights are properly aligned with your target, and your sight picture is clear and parallax free. This involves centering the target within your sight picture and maintaining a focus on a clear non shifting reticle.
2. Trigger Control
Mastering trigger control is vital for consistency and accuracy. Practice applying smooth, steady pressure on the trigger at a 90 degree angle without disturbing the sight alignment. This technique minimizes the chances of flinching or jerking the trigger out of alignment, resulting in more precise shots.
3. Breathing
Controlling your breath is essential to minimize the effect of different inputs and outputs to the rifle system. Rather than some I like to focus more on shooting in a place of respiratory lulls because this is a more repeatable state under stress than other parts of hte breath cycle.
4. Stability
Adopt a stable shooting position, such as a prone or supported kneeling stance, to minimize body movement. Use a bipod, tripod, or a solid rest that does not add excessive wobble to the system to provide additional stability. A stable platform allows for better shot placement and improved accuracy; the more work you put in training these positions the better.
Cartridge questions
The 6.5 Creedmoor has gained popularity among hunters for its excellent long-range capabilities and low recoil. This caliber offers superior ballistic performance, allowing for greater accuracy and energy retention at extended distances. With its ballistic characteristics and exceptional accuracy, the 6.5 Creedmoor is well-suited for elk hunting and other big game species. With the appropriate bullet weight and style for your target species, its hard to go wrong with this as an overall great cartridge for hunting.
Check out reputable shops like mile high for a rifle and ammunition, they ship everywhere!
Other Considerations
When preparing for any hunt, ensure you have a clear understanding of the species anatomy and shooting angles. Take the time to practice shooting at various distances and positions (like the Kraft drill) to simulate real hunting scenarios.
Shot placement is critical when hunting. Aim for the vitals, which include the heart and lungs. A well-placed shot will lead to a quick and ethical kill.
Wrap up and some additions
As hunting season approaches, investing time in honing your precision and fundamentals will greatly enhance your success in the field. Focus on developing a consistent shooting technique and mastering the key aspects of accuracy, such as sight alignment, trigger control, breathing, and stability. Consider the advantages of using the 6.5 Creedmoor caliber for its long-range capabilities and suitability for the species hunting. Remember to always practice ethical hunting practices.
I like to remind everyone that its wroth the weight to carry some essentials so you can also maintain equipment in the field. I always carry the following in addition to my other shooting equipment: