Anybody have any tips for shooting offhanded?

[Doe Dumper]

I am a decent shot inside 100 yards offhanded...but reallizing that we can always get better and I know there are bound to be some serious deadeyes on here I was wondering if they had any tips to offer when shooting offhanded. Anybody can be a dead eye from a rest but I would like to hear some ideas on maybe getting better shooting without a rest. Thanks in advance.

[Briman]

I'll give you a longer answer later, but in short, get a .22 rifle that fits you well and shoot it ALOT - use reactive targets like pop cans and work your way down to smaller objects like golf balls, and keep extending your distance.

[gorse]

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Briman, I know I made fun of you once for suggesting alot of running and heart rate and all. But it sounds like you may know what you are talking about when it comes to offhand. I have came to the conclustion that my offhand shooting sucks. I can hit a pie plate at 100yards with a 270. But thats about it. I am not satisfired with that.

Maybe you can send me the long version of improving my offhand shooting.

[UncleNorby]

Practice.

I think too many guys just sight in at the range, and shoot maybe once or twice "to get ready" for hunting. Then they get an opportunity under hunting conditions, with less than an optimal rest or body position, and they just miss.

I agree that using a 22 or something very light in recoil is the best way to practice a lot without developing bad habits like flinching.

Well I realize that. about practice. I think all of us do on this page. But looking for more specifics on how to steady yourself. Mental preparation, possible posture, or form. Documention on it. I shoot alot as most people do on this page. 90% of it is load development. 10% prone or shooting sticks. I know I need to increase my free hand skills.

[James B]

Find the position that works for you. Then as said above PRACTICE. Quite a few years back some other ranchers and I set up a steel silhouette range. The targets were from 200 meters to 500 meters . This is all off hand shooting. When we started it was a joke. None of us could hit the steel critters without a rest. As time went on we all started getting pretty close. Closer each week that we would shoot. After a few months we started hitting them more and more. If we took the winter off it would start all over. To improve my shooting I would spend a couple days a week with my 22 shooting different size targets. I would off hand shoot a couple boxes of 22 shells paying attention to doing things the same each time. It works and I know of nothing else that does. All that said, I never shoot off hand if there is any other option. At game animals that is.

[Slamfire]

It is easiner to compensate for up and down motion than it is for side to side. At least it is for me. Because of that, I try to induce up/down, and stop side/side. I use a "Ching" sling, it is as fast as a hasty sling, and as tight as a target sling. Goggle it for a good explanation, and some pics. Mostly I try to shoot either from sitting (open country) or kneeling (in black timber).

[chaco]

Just a little point - If you do a lot of practicing with a .22, make sure you are using a form that is approp. to high-power hunting (if that's your goal). For example: if you practice with a form that isn't conducive to recoil control (not a concern with .22), that form isn't going to help you much when you move to your high-power rifle.

In other words - try to shoot your .22 as if it were a high-power rifle.

[losthwy]

I would find a place where you can pracice shooting from a sitting or kneeling positions, not as good as prone, but generally there will be more times you can use those positions than the prone and practice using your sling.