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How to Hunt and Marksmanship Training
How to Hunt
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditHunting is an effective way for getting food. The following information will provide limited tips on how to hunt effectively. Be sure to take an approved hunter safety class before taking up the sport of hunting.
Steps
- Gather all your supplies and make a checklist of what you will need.
- Make sure you have the landowner's permission, your hunting license, the right ammo load, safety eye wear, emergency kit or survival kit in case you get lost, a knife(preferably a hunting knife), the proper amount of orange clothing for sight of other hunters and any thing else you would like to bring.
- Map out how you are going to get there, what path you are taking through the woods, and make a time limit so you have time to get to and from your truck, atv, or other automobile.
- If somebody is coming with you, make sure they stay in sight of you.
Tips
- While hunting stay as quiet as possible so you don't spook any close animals you are hunting.
- Always carry a large knife or small fire arm just in case a predator attacks you at close range.
- Make sure you tell others where you are going and what time you plan to come back, so if you get lost you can rely on them to search for you. You should always take a fully charged cell phone.
- Make sure to wear scent cover so animals you are hunting can not smell your sent and get spooked.
- Take approved hunter safety classes to learn how to hunt safely.
Warnings
- Be aware of any predators while hunting, due to the serious damage they are able to inflict on someone or some being.
- Make sure your tree stands or blinds are secure before going hunting.
- Make sure you know the terrain very well so you don't meet up with a bad situation.
- Always wear the right clothing and shoes (boots) for the climate and terrain.
- Make sure you are aware of any close hunters near you.
- Always be careful while getting down from stands with any weapons.
- Never point a weapon at something unless planning to kill it. Good advice to heed. In other words, always treat a gun as if it was loaded in order to hunt safely.
- Do not put your finger on the trigger until prepared to fired
Things You'll Need
- Rifle, shotgun, bow and arrow (weapon), right ammo, knife, clothing for climate, shoes or boots for terrain, orange clothing, survival kit and other items including a small snack or water.You'll need some water too.
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Hunt. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
How to Train Your Dog to Hunt
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditEver been waterfowl hunting without a bird dog? There is nothing quite like hunting near a lake on a frozen winter day, shooting a duck, swimming in the near freezing water to collect your prize, and swimming back to shore with duck in mouth. Let's face it: all serious waterfowl hunters understand and appreciate the convenience and rewards of a hunting partner with four legs. With the proper training your dog will not only be able to help you successfully hunt waterfowl, it will also serve as an obedient, loving, lifelong friend. If you want to fill your hunting bags will birds and your heart with love, follow these simple steps to choose, train, and develop a first class waterfowl hunting dog. This method does not work with all dogs. It works best with Spaniels, Terriers, Pointers, and Retrievers.
Steps
- Research the different breeds of water dogs. There are many dogs suitable for hunting waterfowl. Some of the most popular are Labrador Retrievers,Golden Retrievers and Springer Spaniels. Look into the different breeds and decide which one is best for you and your hunting adventures. You should also be mindful of the amount of care a particular breed will need. Some dogs require a lot of room to run, for example, while others are more sedentary. Choose a dog that you can provide a good home for.
- Pick out a puppy. Although there are many adult dogs that are trained to hunt waterfowl, it is generally best to train your own puppy. Not only will a puppy allow you the time to train the dog for your hunting style, starting with a puppy will also ensure a loyal dog that is bonded and conditioned to its owner. Make sure you use a reputable breeder; you can research breeders online or at your local dog or hunting clubs.
- Introduce the puppy to water at a young age. Instill the idea that water is good, water is fun, and playing in water is a way to earn rewards and other positive reinforcement. You can start in a small wading pool at first, and in no time your dog will be ready for the open water.
- Teach your dog to sit and stay. Although these are basic and cliché dog commands, they serve as the foundational commands for more complex hunting demands. Use food as a way to teach sitting. Hold food over the dog's head. Give the command to sit while simultaneously pressing gently on the dog's hind legs. As soon as the dog sits give it a treat. Repeat this over and over. Soon your dog will sit at the first glance of a treat. Eventually, he or she will sit without requiring a treat.
- Introduce your dog to decoys and to the scent of waterfowl. It is important that your dog quickly understand the difference between a real duck and a decoy. You can utilize waterfowl scent and dummies to train your dog. Be sure to set decoys far away from the dog before throwing the dummy so they are able to find out where the dummy is and knows the difference between a real bird and a decoy.
- Practice daily, if possible. Make waterfowl training a fun, rewarding experience for your dog.
- Reinforce positive behavior with positive rewards. When you attach a scent to a decoy or training device, throw it in the water, and see your dog fetch the trainer and return it to you, make sure to let your dog know what a good job it has done. There is nothing a dog wants more than to please its owner, and to establish a lifelong hunting partnership it is important to let your dog know from a young age that retrieving game is something he or she will be rewarded for.
- Expose your dog to actual hunting situations before taking it out into the field. A dog that is trained only in theory may not perform to expectations in the field. A dog that is expected to perform around guns needs to be trained in the presence of guns. Take your waterfowl dog with you when you target practice, or set up simulated hunts in a proper shooting area. The key point is that your dog has to be prepared for actual situations if you expect it to perform like a seasoned hunter. Condition your dog prior to the hunt. You want your dog at peak performance in the field.
- Use training dummies early and often. The more you train your dog to the scent and feel of waterfowl, the more your dog will impress you in the field. Remember, a dog's biggest pleasure is pleasing its owner, so if you show appreciation for good behavior in practice your dog will certainly please you in hunting situations.
- Train your dog in a boat prior to a hunt if boats are going to be used. Load it in and out, and practice retrieving dummies from the boat..#Re
- Simplify the training by keeping it simple. Your basic goal is to get your dog to retrieve the bird. In your training program focus on rewarding your dog for retrieving the training dummy. It is in the natural instincts of a retriever to want to go after, retrieve, and return a shot bird. It is the job of the owner to get the dog trained to consistently and methodically do so.
Tips
- Don't be afraid to use treats in training your dog. Again, you are trying to reinforce good deeds, and a treat means an awful lot to your faithful companion.
- Use actual hunting scenarios as much as possible in the training phase.
- In training, start out shooting away from the dog and slowly adjust until you are shooting right over the dog, so that it won't be afraid during actual hunting.
- Research waterfowl dog training on the internet or consider purchasing one of many training videos; if nothing you do seems to work, enlist the help of an experienced trainer.
- At least one person has used films with the sound of guns in them successfully to achieve this.
- JOIN A HRC (Hunting Retriever Club)In your area. Search Hrc in the google search box..These clubs are everywhere in the US
Warnings
- Dogs are animals; they are not human. Do not expect your dog to automatically understand what you want it to do. Training a dog to hunt waterfowl takes time, patience, and positive reinforcement. Don't get mad at your dog if it doesn't understand your commands. If your dog isn't learning, the problem is probably you: explore as many training methods as possible, and be prepared to devote plenty of time to training.
- You can not learn to train a dog by reading or via the internet..
- You learn by doing and making mistakes...
- Most of the training is common sense something that is in short supply today..
Things You'll Need
- Dog
- Waterfowl decoys and dummies
- A lot of time
- Real birds
- Land to train on.. Shoot on
- Leash or some sort of training restraints (if training a pup)
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Train Your Dog to Hunt. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
How to Understand and Adopt the Four Fundamentals of Marksmanship
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditThis article will address understanding and adopting the Four Fundamentals of Marksmanship- Steady Position, Breath Control, Good Sight Picture and Trigger Squeeze. These fundamentals serve as the cornerstone for any type of ability to shoot.
Steps
- Understand Steady Positioning. Steady Positioning is when your rifle only moves with the natural pattern of your breathing in a gentle up and down motion. Hold your rifle along the grip and stock of the weapon firmly.
- Use Breath Control. Breath control is the ability to breathe calmly and know the moment to fire. For the optimal chance of hitting your target, it is recommended to fire at the natural pause at the height of your inhale or the bottom of your exhale.
- Keep a Good Sight Picture. A Good Sight Picture will have your front sight post or assembly and your target clearly defined in your field of vision, the rear sight post or assembly somewhat blurry. Keep the top of the front sight post at roughly center-mass- in the middle of the chest for a human-sized target.
- Squeezing the Trigger. Place the meat of your fingertip on the trigger and pull back with a smooth motion (you should actually be surprised when it finally goes off).
Tips
- Do not squeeze the grip and stock tightly.
- At the natural pauses when breathing, you may be able to hold the inhale or exhale for longer than normal.
- Since humans are binocular (we use both eyes to spot and focus), you may find it easier to keep both of your eyes open when achieving your sight picture.
- Do not "jerk back" on the trigger with your finger or "anticipate" the firearm going off.
- Practice these fundamentals with different exercises such as the Dime-Washer exercise.
Warnings
- Too tight of a grip and your sight picture will not be on target. Too loose of a grip, and the weapon will 'buck', or jump, in your hands.
- Do not hold your breath for too long or your body will begin shaking from lack of oxygen.
- It should go without saying, but as a responsible firer- Do not point your weapon at any person, animal or target that you don't intend to shoot.
Things You'll Need
- Rifle or Pistol
- Ammunition
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Understand and Adopt the Four Fundamentals of Marksmanship. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
How to Snipe or Be a Marksman With a Rifle
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditBeing a good rifle marksman takes a lot of practice, patience, and knowledge. The amount of effort put into training your skills directly affects your ability to use the rifle in any situation, especially while under pressure, such as competition or even combat.
Choose a Rifle
The rifle must, in all respects, fit the needs of the marksman. Choosing a rifle of insufficient quality or too expensive to shoot may greatly reduce your ability in the field.- Consider the brand of the rifle. Most brand names are good buys, but, in the current active gun-buying market, can often be overpriced. Shop around, as prices at local dealer and on-line auction prices can vary considerably.
- As a rule of thumb, bolt-action rifles can be somewhat more accurate and have a slightly higher muzzle velocity than an equivalent (price and quality) semiautomatic (auto-loading) rifle. The current crop of AR15 variants have achieved much higher accuracy, and are often advertised as capable of sub-MOA (Minute Of Angle)accuracy. This means they can group shots within one "minute" of angle (roughly 1" at 100 yards) which is competitive with the better bolt guns.
- Faster rifle twist ratios allow for heavier bullets to be shot more accurately through the rifle. For example, a .223 barrel with a twist ratio of 1:12 may only be able to shoot a 40-52 grain bullet accurately, while a barrel with a twist ratio of 1:9 will be able to shoot, accurately, any bullet between 40 and 65 grains, it will also compensate (to a point) the .223's tendency to tumble after penetrating a target.
- There are drawbacks to higher twist ratios though, muzzle velocity may be reduced by a percent or two, there can be extra wear and tear on the barrel, and over-stabilization of the bullet can result in less damage to the target (these are minor drawbacks, however).
Choose a Caliber
- For target practice (AKA "plinking") it is usually best to use a smaller caliber such as .17 HMR, .22LR or .223. Stick to rifle-style rounds (easily identifiable by a necked-down casing, unlike the .22 where the case is the same diameter from end to end). These rounds have a much higher powder to bullet weight ratio, which results in higher muzzle velocities.
- For competitive target shooting, match-grade ammunition is preferred as it is more consistent and uses higher quality bullets; for plinking, cheap ammunition selection is fine.
- For small varmint shooting (smaller than coyote %u2013 such as squirrels, rabbits, birds, etc), apply the same rules for plinking. Almost any caliber will kill a small varmint, so a round which can be shot cheaply and accurately is best.
- For large varmint shooting (sizes such as coyotes or even small boar) a .223 round is likely the smallest round you would want to use. Though it is possible to kill this size of animal with smaller rounds, it becomes essential to get a head or heart shot; else the animal may die a slow painful death, or not die at all. Though for smaller animals a round as large as a .308 will be approaching the range of overkill, something in between these sizes is recommended.
- For wild game (boar, deer, etc) a .308 (or other .30 caliber rounds such as .30-06, .30-30, or .300 Magnum) round will be sufficiently large enough and could put a good portion of traditional game down quickly(deer, elk, bear, and almost anything else). Even a .223 could kill easily these animals, but with smaller rounds, the bullet precision is much more important. If using smaller rounds for large game, heavy bullets may help a bit. Larger bullets such as the .338 Winchester Magnum or .40-caliber and larger are more essential for use against very large wild game such as moose and buffalo. However many people will suggest that accuracy is more important for hunting than caliber size, for instance some guides would have a client use a .270 for animals like bear and moose if they can shoot it accurately over a higher powered cartridge like the .300 Winchester Magnum
- Though we will be dealing more with targets and animals, if a situation arises which a human must be shot, a .223 round to a vital area is plenty, but a .308 or other .30 caliber round is arguably a better bullet as it will cause more damage if vitals are missed and will impact a human wearing heavy clothing more than the much lighter .223 round.
- As a supplement to the above, 7.62 x 39mm ammunition used by many Kalashnikov AK-47, SKS and similar rifles is inexpensive and extremely effective against human targets. While the round lacks the maximum accuracy and muzzle velocity of a .223 round, within 200 meters the 39mm AK-47 or 54mm AKM or SVD (Dragunov) systems are highly effective, yet are not accurate. Use of non-corrosive full metal jacket with steel bond core ammunition (a.k.a. armor piercing) will penetrate most body armor and light-skinned vehicles at a far greater distance than the 5.56 / .223 round. While the .223 round is more accurate on the range (especially beyond 300 meters and up to about 500 or 600), most humans are shot well within 300 yards in real-life self defense, law enforcement, or combat situations.
- Weight of the bullet is something to consider, but in most situations it matters less than many may think. Bullet weight is expressed in GRAINS, a common measure of gun powder and bullet weight.
- Light bullets are often favored for varmint and target shooting. The higher velocity allows a flat trajectory within a couple hundred yards of the muzzle. The bullet reaches the target quicker, so less leading is required as well.
- Heavier bullets are preferred for game shooting. On contact with target, it delivers more energy in a shorter amount of time (which is more lethal). It may also reduce the likelihood of over-penetration. Over longer distances, due to ballistic coefficients (how streamlined the bullet is as it flies through the air), heavier bullets can produce flatter trajectories than light bullets, and are ultimately less affected by crosswind.
- An example for a .223 (each caliber and rifle will behave differently): a 42 grain bullet (3700 FPS) at 100 yards will drop (with no sight-zero) about an inch and a half. At 500 yards, it will drop probably around four feet and maintains about 80% of its velocity. A 65 grain bullet (3000FPS) at 100 yards will drop two inches, but at 500 yards will only drop three feet. At 500 yards the bullet maintains about 85% of its velocity.
- As a point of interest, if a bullet is dropped from your hand at exactly the same time as the same weight bullet leaves the muzzle of the rifle, BOTH bullets will hit the ground at the same time. Gravity has the same effect on a bullet that is stationary as it does on a bullet that is flying through the air.
Stay Safe
- Assume ALL firearms are loaded and ready to fire until you PERSONALLY SEE that there is no ammo in the chamber. Insert a yellow plastic "empty chamber indicator" when handling guns.
- Be aware of your surroundings, specifically in the direction you are shooting. High velocity rifle rounds are capable of traveling miles. Most bullets can easily penetrate drywall in a home.
- Point your rifle ONLY at something that you intend to shoot. Otherwise, keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
- Keep your finger off the trigger and the safety enabled until you intend to pull the trigger.
- Insure that your firearms and ammo are secure from anyone when stored in your home. Children and guns do not mix.
- Be sure you have read and understand How to Handle a Firearm Safely. All the rules should be followed at all times.
Pick a Location
- Pick the right location (keeping safety in mind). You want to be able to position yourself comfortably. When shooting paper targets (and the like), comfort is your number one goal. You want to be able to practice at your optimal performance. When shooting animals, you want to be invisible to them. Even squirrels have a very keen sense of predators (that's you). If they see you, they'll likely run, and it may take several minutes before they brave the open land again.
- With animals, height advantage is good. It allows you to see more area. But be sure to conceal most of your body in a thicket, tall brush, or by crawling.
- With larger game, studying their patterns and location over multiple trips to the same area can be very useful; if you know a deer's escape route is past a long straight path, force them to run their escape, post on the path, and wait for them to cross.
Stance
- Bench rest: This is the most accurate stance. Although, this is less of a stance and more of a location of your rifle. This allows your rifle to rest on something other than you or the ground.
- It gives the most stable platform without human input. This allows you to sight in your sights or scope, so you know when you are holding the gun that it is your fault when you miss. If you are planning on hunting you should get better at the below stances because you are probably not going to take a bench with you on your hunt.
- Prone: By far, this is the most accurate field position for "sniping". The most common position is lying on your belly with your legs spread out, your feet arch down partly embedded in the ground and the rifle tight in your shoulder. The position will look like you are in a " Y " shape. This position is the most stable prone position as to have the recoil be absorbed through your body. This will cut the recoil enough to give you better accuracy at longer ranges. Also as a note, your breathing has the most effect on your shot.
- With a bipod or some other way to hold the front of the gun, it is often best to put your support (non-trigger) hand under the butt of the stock. This allows you to position the elevation of the sights or scope more precisely.
- If there is no bipod or other item to hold the front of the gun, your support hand should hold the front of the gun, this is less accurate than a bipod so invest in a good quality leather military style sling. Use a "loop sling" position. This is made by having the sling connected to the front swivel and the other end in a loop to go as high up on your bicep as possible. Then put your arm through the area between the rifle and sling. Then in a clockwise motion end up with the forward hand gripping the rifle under the front stock close to the swivel.
- You also have the option of making a make-shift bipod or tripod, or resting the front of the rifle on some other stable platform, like a backpack.
- Crouching/Kneeling: This stance is considerably less accurate than a prone position. There are many stances for crouching. A common one is to sit on one foot laid sideways on the ground while putting your other foot in front of you as tight to your body as possible, this will bring your knee toward your face. Having something against your back is never a bad idea. You then place the rifle in your hand which is resting on the knee in front of you. You can also kneel or crouch behind anything hard, and rest the front of your gun (or bipod preferably) on it. Or you can use a "kneeling roll", this is nothing more than an old carpet, shirt or old pant leg rolled up and duct taped up stuck where the laces in your boot are and the ground. This position also requires a "trick", to make you more stable, point your forward foot's toes inboard to your trigger fingers arm. You should be able to make accurate shots at 450 yards with this position.
- Standing: This is not a recommended stance, as it is very inaccurate compared to either of the other stances. However, the best way to stand is against a tree or a rock to reduce some of the sway. Yet another trick is to start with the rifle in your shoulder, pointed up at the sky, your trigger hand on the stock and your supporting arm on the foreend stock. Bring the rifle down meanwhile tuck your supporting arm into your hip, lean back and calmly breathe at the same time your cheekweld is bieng applied. You can shoot accurately up to 300 yards like this with proper practice.
Techniques
- Choose your rifle position. This often changes from person to person and changes a good deal depending on the situation. But the most common rifle position is the butt of the stock in the pocket of your shoulder (just above your armpit), your cheek lightly against the stock, looking down the sights or scope in the most relaxed position possible. For larger caliber rifles with more kick, the rifle should be brought in some so the butt is resting partially on the pectoral muscle.
- The forearm under the stock (if prone) or under the front of the gun where there is obviously a grip. The forearm should be pretty far forward on a traditional length grip which goes about 14 inches in front of the receiver.
- Become aware of your breathing. This affects the sway and oscillation of the gun, which in turn affects how consistent your shots can be.
- There are many different techniques for breathing while standing, often it is recommended to have your lungs most of the way full. Hold your breath and wait until the reticle goes over your target.
- For prone and kneeling, it is best to open your mouth and throat until your body is relaxed, this is when most of your air has exited your lungs. Relax, if your heart rate is slow enough, you can stay like this for 10 or 15 seconds, be patient and wait until the reticle stops over your target.
- Once you practice while exhaled a few times you will notice the reticle bounces in sync with your heart beat. You want to fire between beats (on the down beat of your heart) which allows the most time for a stable shot (this will be only a fraction of a second, but that is when you are able to be most accurate).
- Consider trigger pull. When pulling the trigger (with any type of trigger), be sure to pull the trigger straight back toward your shoulder. Keep your firing hand and support hand loose and relaxed. You want to squeeze slowly, and release the hammer precisely when over the intended target.
- If the gun does not have a set trigger, then it likely has a trigger pull of about 2-5 pounds. In this case, you must get used to your trigger. Practice pulling the trigger most of the way back, just before the point the hammer releases. Try doing that until you are at the point that you can release the hammer (smoothly) on command. It is important never to fire before you want to, so be sure there is some threshold where you stop.
- With a set trigger, the trigger pull is closer to 8-14 ounces. This makes life much easier. The effort to pull the trigger can be done as soon as you intend to shoot. Be sure to practice and get used to the light pull.
Scopes
Scopes assist riflemen by allowing them to see more precisely at further distances. The power can range from 1.5x to 50x for conventional rifles. Standard combat rifles or varmint rifles are usually zeroed at 100 yards (we will assume, from now on, 100 yards is zero distance).- Depending on the selected zero range, bullet, and rifle (you must do research or testing to find the case with your setup) this may mean the bullet is below the reticle before zero, then above after zero, and eventually falls again to (at a different distance) be lined up with the reticle again (this may be 120 yards or 300, and it will likely change from rifle to rifle, even in the same caliber).
- Another scenario is that the bullet climbs sooner, and from (say) 40 to 100 yards is above the reticle, it then falls to meet your zero, and from then on (100 and more yards) is below the reticle (this is likely low-power rifles like .22LR).
- The most conventional way to zero the scope is to fire a shot. Determine how far off target the bullet lands, then adjust the scope accordingly. Most scopes have windage and elevation knobs which can be turned to compensate for inaccuracies. The elevation is usually on the top and affects the bullet's point of impact (POI) vertically. The windage is usually on the right side of the scope and affects the bullet's POI horizontally.
- Most scopes have either mil-dot or ballistic plex reticle which allows the shooter to easily line up a shot at distances further than the zeroed point. Most scopes come with a chart to show based on the bullet's caliber and weight where to line up the reticle. Though it would be much more accurate if you make your own chart.
- While military snipers practice adjusting the windage and elevation for the specific situation, it usually isn't practical for hunters or recreational shooters to measure wind speed and other factors to the target and adjust the scope. It is often best just to do approximate calculations and "hold-off" the reticle, so re-zeroing the scope is not necessary. There are many factors that need to be taken into account when adjusting the scope, here are a few of them (in general order of priority):
- Distance to target, bullet velocity, cross wind, bullet weight, shot angle, and others.
- There are computer or PDA calculators which can calculate the exact landing position of the bullet based on all the information above (at least the major points). The calculators usually assume you re-zero your reticle. That is the best way to be perfectly accurate, but for target shooting where you don't need a one-shot-one-kill, re-zeroing is a lot of hassle.
- Scopes (except low-end scopes) also have adjustable parallaxes which allow the shooter to essentially place the reticle on the same distance plane as the target. This is essential to take an accurate shot. Most parallaxes have distances listed on them, use them as basic guidelines.
- A way to "cheat" the parallax is to place your head in a relief position where you can see black around the edge while viewing down the scope. Move your head and eye to make the black area even on all edges around the reticle.
- Read How to Use a Rifle Scope for more information on most of the points in this section.
Tips
- Safety first! Always make sure the gun is unloaded and the chamber empty before moving or transporting the rifle.
- Enable the safety when you do not intend to shoot immediately.
- Breathing exercises are good for lowering your heart rate before shooting. The slower your heart beats, the more patient you can be before you have to take another breath, or pull the trigger.
- Slower heart rates can also give you longer times to make an accurate shot.
- If the rifle has a set trigger, and you set it, it can be unset by first enabling the safety, then pulling the trigger until it clicks. Be sure to have your gun pointed in a safe direction when you do this.
- Have regular shooting days. You can always practice more, with any firearm. The more you use your firearm, the better you will get.
- Be sure to clean your rifle after using it. Moisture and dirt can corrode or damage your firearm if used in such a state.
- A rule of thumb to know when you are at a good level of accuracy, is to be able to hit a quarter (or any other 1-inch target), 100% of the time at 100 yards, while prone.
- One way to let people know how accurate are you and/or your rifle, is by using minute of angle (MOA), as a measurement. Approximately, one minute is one inch at 100 yards. So, if you are able to make one inch groupings (about the size of a quarter), you are able to "shoot at one MOA." This, of course, equates to three inches at 300 yards, or half an inch at 50 yards.
- If you want to learn how to find the distance to a target using your scope, read How to Calculate Distances With a Mil Dot Rifle Scope. This can be a very helpful tool if you do not have a laser range-finding device.
- The military way of controlled trigger pull is to apply constant, slow pressure to the trigger, so you don't know when it will fire. By doing this, you will be less likely to 'compensate' for recoil by tightening your shoulder.
Warnings
- Using a rifle can be very dangerous. It should only be used by people experienced with using rifles, or under direct supervision of an experienced rifleman.
- A rifle can inflict much harm or even death. Be sure to always point the rifle in a safe direction, and never point it at something you do not intend to shoot.
- Be sure to know what is down range. Bullets can travel for miles, or can bounce and ricochet into unintended directions.
- Any firearm should only be shot in a safe and legal location. Be aware of state and local laws on use and transportation of a firearm, and follow them carefully. Laws change drastically between states, and can change between counties, or even cities. Get this information from your local police station, your gun club, or official government websites.
Things You'll Need
- A rifle (any caliber, though a rifle-type caliber is recommended).
- (highly recommended) A scope (at least 3x for marksman,10x for sniper).
- Ammunition (the caliber of your rifle). Be sure this ammunition is from a reputable source (factory-made is best). Self-loaded or reloaded ammunition can be dangerous if not loaded properly, but can also give the opportunity to make custom rounds for specific purposes. It is a good idea to use hollow point boat tail bullets from a reputable source. A competition shooter will use a 175 grain Sierra Boat-tail hollow point .308 round at 1,000 yards. With these rounds they are accurate the most, and are able to group about 8 inches at 1,000 yards.
- Out door clothing. Wear clothes that are warm enough for the weather expected. Pants are always recommended. If going hunting, or are located where there may be others with firearms, it is best to wear a bright orange vest or shirt. Better stay alive than "cool".
- Always wear close-toed shoes; there is nothing worse then a hot shell casing landing on your foot. (OK, there are worse things like, "toe-nail getting torn off by a stump", but you get the point.)
- (optional) A mat is often comfortable to lay on, if you are shooting while prone. If you don't own a mat, a large piece of cardboard is a cheap solution. Look around, and if you see dry grass, corn stalks, hay, or wooden palettes, use that to create a dry surface.
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Snipe or Be a Marksman With a Rifle. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
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