So, ill try and make this quick. I have been hunting for three years and more or less get something every year. They arent all trophys, but they satisfy me. i do not need help finding the big deer. What I need help with is shooting. I usually make my shots without much problem, out to 200 yards. But although I make these shots they are not where I want them, often high, low, back or front of where I aim. I shoot a 7mm-08 for deer and a .300 mag for anything bigger. I want to be comfortable shooting out to 400 yards and out to 200 yards for running shots. I know many people will tell me "practice makes perfect" and i absoultly beleive this works, but there has to be a method, or tips, a website, maybe a BOOK? anything would help as I want to practice this off season extensivly and go into next hunting season with a very lethal and confident shot.

Thanks for any help.

First congratulations on entering the hunting arena. Sounds like you are already well on your way to where you want to be.

Don't know of any books, others might, so I will just tell you what has worked for me.

1) Does the gun feel comfortable, not too long or short? If not, figure out which and figure out a solution

2) Trigger contol. This has several areas to consider. I only shoot rifles that have had trigger jobs to eliminate trigger "creep' and lower the amout of pressure to get the gun to fire. Usually 2.5-3 lbs of pull is good. I spent my youth yanking on triggers that had creep and were 6-8 lbs. By the time they go off, you are so anticipating the shot that it is very hard to be accurate. Next, only pull on the tigger when the crosshairs are approaching the bullseye. No matter how steady you are, the crosshairs will wiggle. Make a conscious effort to only tignten on the trigger when the crosshairs are wiggling toward the bull. Sounds hard, but you can really do it if you concentrate.

3) Be sure the gun and bullet are accurate. For this, I usually shoot 100 yard groups with a gun vise. Be sure the gun can shoot at least 1-1/2" groups. Sometimes just changing ammo will tighten groups. On one of my guns, I had to float the barrel before it started driving tacks.

4) Are your recoil shy at the range? I am. On one gun, I had a recoil arrestor put on it and I immediately tightened up my groups. However, these things should only be shot with hearing protection because the do damage your hearing. Another gun I put a Limbsaver recoil pad on and that tremendously reduces the felt recoil. If you are recoil shy at all on your 300, you may want to try this.

5) Practice. And not just at the range. Dry fire the gun at home. Some people put a penny balanced on the end of the barrel. They dry fire the rifle and try to get the penney to still be there after firing.

These are the main points, I will try and think of more. However, managing recoil and trigger control have done more for my accuracy than all others combined.

thanks a lot tx, that was exactly what I was looking for. A couple questions, first with the recoil arrestor, do you mean muzzle break? are they the same thing? second what is a limbsaver recoil pad? just a rubber pad at the butt of the gun? is so I get one of em on already.
The gun vise may be an idea, one of which I will definatly consider.

Anymore tips from you or anyone else would be very much appericiated.

Thanks

Yes, recoil arrestor = muzzle brake, at least to me. I have a KDF recoil arrestor on my featherweight 7mm mag. It is LOUD. You would need to wear hearing protection even in the field to protect your hearing with this type of brake. Supposedly there are some newer genreation brakes that area quieter. I am not sure they can ever make one that is not somewhat louder.

All butt pads are not created equal!!! Some people have said they like the "decellerator" pad, but I tried and really like the Limbsaver pad with so called "SIMS" technology. It has some space age gel that does a good job of disseminating the recoil and vibration of the gun. Cabelas has them. I got the slip on model and slip it on to several of my guns. However, this does make your stock longer, so your gun may not fit as well. The main gun I use it on is my T/C Omega blackpowder rifle, which is too short for me anyway, so that works out. However, they sell ones that replace the pad that comes with the rifle. This pad makes a tremendous difference compared to the one that comes standard with rifles. They run about $30-35, so it is pretty inexpensive to try. You will not be sorry.

"Shots At Big Game" by Craig Boddington sounds like a book you are looking for. After reading it you may rethink attempting 200 yds running shots.

Good point lostwy. The only running shots I ever take at game, no matter what the distance, is after I have already wounded it. Then keep firing until he goes down or out of sight.

The post on this thread have all been right on the mark, so to speak. Let me see if I can add a few tips that may have been left out.

First, control your breathing. You want to squeze the trigger at the end of your exhale. Also you want to control your excitment...the more excited you become the more your heart pounds, and (believe it or not) that will effect your aim.

Second, (and this works really well for me) use only the tip of your finger on the trigger. The natural motion of the human finger when you curl it is to pull to the inside of the palm, that's to the right if you are right handed and the other way if you are a lefty. using the tip of the finger (from the last knuckle up) helps solve that problem. Your finger should be almost strait before you put pressure on the trigger. Also have your trigger pull adjusted for a light pull.

Third, wear hering protection!!!!! The krack of the rifle will instill an automatic reflex action in you that will throw off your shots. You will never see anyone in the military or the police on the range without them.

Forth, the more rounds you fire through your rifle at the range the more comfortable you will become. I go to the range 4 times a week in all weather conditions so that I will KNOW how my rifle and I will preform under any conditions.

Lastly (unless someone brings up a good point) never fire your weapon at a moving target at the ranges that you indicated. Chances are that you will miss and the only thing you will get out of the deal is to change it's direction of travel, making it harder to pick up it's track after you come out of the stand. That's happend to me more than once and I still get pi**ed just thinking about it.

Try these things with the penny trick at home (DRY FIRE) and see if they help

Good luck and let us know how it works out.

Thank a lot guys, I will be sure to try all of these techniques and get back to you with sucesses