I am going to put together a hunter marksmanship program for a Venturing Crew of teenagers I work with. I would appreciate your thoughts on developing a program with a view to having them hunt big game in the Spring.
I’d break the program into three phases:
- Position shooting
- Timed shooting
- Field shooting
Position shooting would be working on fundamental marksmanship from shooting positions. Unless you are working with physically disabled people, use no benchrests.
I’d do this as 3-5 shot slow fire exercises shot and scored on appropriately-sized bullseye targets. Appropriate size would be an aiming mark scaled to vital zone size with at least two interior scoring rings. For example, the B-6 pistol target is an eight-inch mark (suitable for smaller big game animals) with a 9, 10 and X-ring inside. The SR-3 rifle target is an 18-inch mark (suitable for large big game) also with a 9, 10 and X-ring inside. If you’re limit to, say, a fixed range of 100 yards, use scaled targets (a four-inch bullseye for an eight-inch vital at 200 yards)
Let the shooters work various positions, sling, and other equipment options. Rather than dictate a given group be shot from specified positions, let shooters decide what intermediate position (sitting, kneeling, squatting, etc.) better suits them. Recruit shooters with a High Power, Smallbore or similar background to help with coaching.
Timed shooting is single shots starting from some ready position and fired on the clock. Don’t establish or enforce a time limit, rather, have shooters determine the best way to secure hits quickly. I’d do this on appropriately-sized steel (same size as the estimated vital zone) scored hit or miss. Strictly enforce an accuracy standard based on percentage of hits, which should be nearly 100% on the vital-zone targets. Going faster is encouraged but missed shots are NEVER acceptable. Doing this after scored position shooting ensures fundamentals are learned first. If possible, recruit 3 Gun, Service Conditions, or similar action shooters with long gun experience to help coaching.
Field shooting is shooting on silhouettes with performance and time pressure in some sort of scenario. In other words, a HunterShooter event or similar.
Obviously, this template took me all of five minutes to spell out, so there’s more detail worth considering. Just spitting out some ideas.
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Ted Sames
Aug 10, 2016 @ 10:02:21
Just an observation and not being critical but I can easily see your background is competive shooting. Successful hunters have very slow movements esp when they are mounting the rifle. Using time for a score might be detrimental in teaching anyone how to hunt. I teach a deer hunting class where I insist that the students make very slow movements in getting into positions and mounting the rifle. For this class, use photo realistic animal targets-almost exclusively. Have different types of animals like squirrels for precision. Be care with anything to do with speed and timing unless you teaching them to hunt fast moving dangerous big game. I am an accomplished Florida hunter and the foremost criteria to to use the least amount of movement. I spent time in PA and this criteria stayed the same. Otherwise, you have a good template. You might want to consider doing away with scoring altogether–just have hit or miss. Or, have them jog 100 yards after a “miss” to simulated tracking a wounded deer.
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John M. Buol Jr.
Aug 10, 2016 @ 11:14:03
>> Just an observation and not being critical but I can easily see your background is effective training for higher-level shooting skill.
FIFY. Also, why do you (wrongly) assume I have no hunting experience?
>> Successful hunters have very slow movements esp when they are mounting the rifle…. foremost criteria to to use the least amount of movement.
No, they have efficient movements. “Efficient” means smooth and devoid of wasted motion. A timer measures movement efficiency. A better time measures who had the least amount of movement IF the hit was made. Given a solid hit on a particular target and distance, a lower number on a timer indicates less wasted motion, thus greater efficiency.
Spastic, wasted motion – even if done slowly – is just a greater amount of motion.
>> Using time for a score might be detrimental in teaching anyone how to hunt
First, this is about teaching hunters solid field shooting – which is critical for good hunting – not about teaching hunting.
“Buck fever” is caused by a perception of time and performance pressure. A hunter with a guarantee that the animal will remain motionless and allow another attempt if needed will never experience this. Performance pressure (one chance to get it right) plus time pressure (a need to do this really soon) yields buck fever.
Outside of fair chase hunts on wild game, the only way to experience and work with this is instituting some sort of performance and time pressure on the hunter. Better to learn (and make mistakes) on a range with targets instead of on live animals.
>> I teach a deer hunting class where I insist that the students make very slow movements in getting into positions and mounting the rifle.
That’s great for novices on day one. Reread the part of my post where I suggest doing the exact same thing by starting with untimed slow fire. This remains useful for improving marksmanship for everyone.
Photo realistic animal targets are great but bullseye targets provide a more definite aim point and more rigorous evaluation of marksmanship, probably why low-level shooters dislike them.
>> You might want to consider doing away with scoring altogether–just have hit or miss.
For marksmanship fundamentals, given a mark the same size as the vital zone, interior score rings provide objective measure if shooting is improving.
Hit or miss is great for field shooting. HunterShooter events are scored hit or miss with a Decline option. The timer is there to simulate the time pressure (needed because a stationary target on the range isn’t going anywhere) and there are no alibis or do-overs for the performance pressure. No reward for being “more centered” provided the hit is there, but the very large penalty for a miss means the elapsed time serves only as a tie breaker for those getting their hits.
A standard event is five to seven scenarios shot from three different target angles. A single miss puts a participant out of contention regardless of time. Failing to achieve better than 80% hit rates for all the shots (excluding Declined scenarios) completely zeroes out the score for the entire event. The correct emphasis is first on getting a solid hit. Elapsed time only becomes a factor when comparing results of those doing so.
>> Or, have them jog 100 yards after a “miss” to simulated tracking a wounded deer.
Good idea. Given the number of hunting license buyers I see shooting exclusively from bench rests and never testing marksmanship from position, much less on animal targets or involving time pressure or physical stress, there are very few listening to either of us.
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Colorado Pete
Aug 16, 2016 @ 00:13:27
Slow movement to mount the gun implies the quarry is close enough to see your movements. While this might be true in some areas (thick woods) it is not necessarily so in all environments. In more open areas like much of the west you might spot an animal at some distance that is completely unaware of your presence, allowing you to take a quick position. And at the other end of the spectrum you might jump something very close and need a good fast “snap shot” much like a bird hunter.
Your template is pretty good. I’d add in Cooper’s rifle bounce.
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