As hard as i try, i cannot see the advantage of moving closer. To me it seems if one is more accurate when close, this will still not help one be accurate out far. However, if one is accurate out far, one will be accurate close.

Most of my tags are for antlerless Whitetail. I need to glass every deer, to be sure it isn't a small spike. My hands need to be free. I don't want to carry a stick. If i practice without a stick, i will be able to use a stick, if it becomes necessary.

After these many days of shooting, i feel more comfortable than i did on January 7. Certainly i have need for more improvement. Holding a rifle without support, and aiming a rifle without support, feels better now than it did on January 7. In less than a month, i have already improved. The last 6 shots that were shared here, would have resulted in freezer meat. Freezer meat is what we are after, nothing more.

My hope is to continue to improve. Shooting guns is something i really enjoy, so practice, practice, and more practice is not forced.

Oops, gotta go shoot that rifle.........















..

Every mistake you make at 25 yards will be amplified at further distances and it is apparent from looking at your targets you are making mistakes. You started at 89 yards according to your post. It would have been helpful for you to see how you shot at 25 yards first. You say you are feeling more comfortable now more than when you started, however your targets are pretty much the same which should tell you something. Liking to shoot and doing it correctly are two entirely different different things. What ever you are doing, it is not correct so it will not help you to continue doing it. Several people here gave you good advice on how to do better which you choose to discount. It is hard to help someone who really doesn't want help. If I had to guess, I would say you are rushing the shots because you are holding the gun up too long and running out of air and pulling the trigger as the sights pass over the bullseye. If that is what you are doing, lower the rifle, take some deep breaths and start over. You do not have to shoot just because the gun is on your shoulder.

Well it's an advantage because you can identify your mistakes in timing more easily. Move up to 40 yards. If your groups tighten up immediately, which they most likely will A BIT, practice till they are even tighter. Then move back to 60 and see if they are still as tight. Just as with archery, distance transfers ANY misstep in form. You must get your timing with that particular rifle down pat. At a closer range practice, you will be able to see more easily where you goofed or didn't goof. You will be able to concentrate more on your form and timing and relaxation, rather than the target, at closer distances also building confidence. Right now your confidence is suffering and that is transferring to the shots. I teach archery quite often and this is a key element to good form.

That is possible. After shoveling the driveway, i will use your advice whilst shooting this morning. That will work on deer too. Much of the advice i have read in this thread, has helped me be more comfortable whilst shooting without support.














..

goodness NO. Don't shoot right after doing some work like that. Your muscles will be tired and your shooting will suffer. Heck when I had a match I didn't even drink coffee that day or smoke (that's when I did smoke). Both gave me the jitters and my shooting suffered.

And I believe what Muley and a couple other were saying earlier is this. Practice does NOT make perfect. PERFECT practice makes perfect.

Clem, Ron isn't practicing for competition, he is practicing for hunting. Shooting after a brisk walk or some kind of stressor is actually good practice. Granted you kinda want to get the basics down pat first. Stress shooting is more of an advanced training for after you get your form to acceptable levels. But for hunting, especially since Ron tends to spot and stalk more than most other forms of hunting styles, it is a necessary form of training he needs to do.

Good!

When I grew up it was with a firearm in my hands, and shooting off hand was the only thing I ever knew. I had never shot off a bench until I started putting scopes on firearms. I haven't shot 100yds off hand in at least four years, but I'll say this, I'm not in the shape I was four years ago either.
I'm not used to holding and shooting off hand any more. For me to start shooting off hand again, I'd have to practice holding the rifle up, doing the best to gain my strength back for doing so and to learn to remain steady, but I wouldn't be sending rounds down range until I could hold the rifle steady. That doesn't mean perfectly steady.
I guess that might be the reason for my earlier post, where I mentioned great shooters practicing holding weights out.

That's what I was getting at. No reason to add unnecessary stress at this stage. That would come later.

Ron, I am not the greatest off hand shooter you will find especially now at my age but if you take a look at this utube video you will see pretty much what I do.


I really like the front hand to come to the front of the trigger guard with the elbow tucked into the body. This provides a very stable base of support. Do not spend a lot of time on the target - locate - sight - and shoot.


These a 1000 different ways to shoot you just have the find the techniques that work for you.


http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...13&FORM=VRDGAR


Actually I feel a bit foolish suggesting this because others probably have many different ways. I just know this works well for me...


Also look at the shooter get and establish a really 'solid' cheek weld on the stock - another small thing that will help steady the shot.

I'll give you a tip I've never seen on the internet before. It's not completely unsupported but it's in line with a pretty standard practice of getting up against a tree at the least if you have to stand to shoot.

In that situation, every person I've ever seen do it will try to trap the gun between their supporting hand some how to steady the gun against the tree while they stand there trying to get the gun steady on the target to take a shot with the front sight at least making a little slower figure eights crossing over the target.

Just a suggestion but next time you have your rifle out set your self up for that shot situation, may be up against a post or something. Look down that barrel and watch the sights over the center of the target and note the improve steadiness you have achieved.

Now, don't pull the trigger.

Back up about one step. Take your BEST OFF HAND HOLD YOU KNOW get the barrel NEAR the post you WERE leaning against. Now in your best off hand shot position, just touch the END of the barrel against the post enough to make it stay there and look at your sight picture.

Take a couple shots from that position and see if that isn't a whole lot better results than leaning against the post and balancing the rifle against the post in the mid length of the rifle closer to the trigger.

I've not had a rifle I own yet that it affected barrel harmonics enough that it was still a better shot than with the barrel OFF the support. At least not at the distances I can count on a heart shot shooting off hand.

It's still not "exactly" shooting off hand unsupported. But it is something you can combine with every other skill you have or learn to improve off hand shooting.

Same principle can apply to shooting hand guns at longer ranges while standing. If you have the choice between resting your hand against the tree to steady it or the barrel, rest the end of the barrel near the sight or just touch it against the tree to stop the "waving" sight picture.