Hunting Running Game

[PerH]

https://schmidtundbender.de/en/downloads/data-sheets/category/444-running-moose-ii.html?download=1347:running-moose-ii-4-16x50-klassik

This is a reticle for running moose targets , but if speed is the same in the field it work well . On each turn you put the dot on the «beard» of the moose as aimpoint

Mil Dot scopes with dots can be used the same also .

 

[skydiver386]

Shooting running game is akin to using a rifle to break clays at the sporting clays course. And not the normal sized ones, the much smaller mini ones.
View attachment 648162

Most Sporting Clays courses will have a running rabbit type thrower somewhere on the course. Think of it as a clay target thrower mounted on its side, launching a clay target that is flat and solid instead of dome shaped and hollow. Although not the same as shooting a rifle, firing a shotgun at Rabbit Clays will allow you to practice the same fundamentals as running boar. Like Beemaa stated above, crossing targets like the Midi and Mini clays can be excellent practice for running game type shooting.

 

[HankBuck]

All deer and bear drives in the northeast are done with rifles. Some states use to be shotgun slug only but buckshot isn’t legal.

@375Fox - deer drives in South Jersey were very common from the 1940s thru 1980s when NJ was a Buckshot Only State for deer. It is a very effective way to shoot in tight cover and 00 buck is effective out to 30-40 yrds at a running deer. In Maine, semi auto and pump rifles have been commonly used on running deer that are often tracked for miles in the snow and then “jumped” & shot on the run - several fast shots being most helpful. Maybe not the “cleanest” kills but effective.
As for Me - I’ve only shot at running deer when following up an already wounded animal or on coyotes. A friend in Canada who had taken several bucks on the run or “trot” told me he developed his skill at hitting running game with a rifle by shooting “jack rabbits” with his BLR in .243….I’ve read that guys out West got that same type of practice and would guess that’s about as “perfect” a practice as you could get to shoot running game with a rifle.

 

[WAB]

Are there any books that discuss shooting technique for running game? In much of the US it is almost unheard of. I am also interested in the aspects of offhand shooting at stationary game. Drifting the sights into the target instead of trying to hold them there.

I’ve looked, but have found little.

If you google it you will find many resources on shooting running boar competitions and hunting wild boar. Top competitors are using a system of improving aim which results in faster more accurate shots. A good friend was the UK running boar and sporting rifle champion a number of times. To see him at work on the range is somewhat daunting!

 

[Longwalker]

In my formative years in Western Canada I didn't know a deer could be effectively hunted by stalking it when it was standing still. All the deer hunters and most of the moose hunters participated in driven hunts. All the game was shot on the run. Our local terrain is open country dotted with aspen and willow groves, varying in size from a few hectares to a square Km or so. Neighbouring farmers got together in groups of three to a dozen, and "pushed the bush" taking turns as "bush pushers" and "standers". Favourite firearms of my father's generation were Remington pumps, semi-autos, and some Winchester and Browning semi auto and lever actions. Very few bolt actions. Most rifles were chambered in .30-06, .308, or .270.
I've retained a fondness for such hunting, but it has fallen out of regular practise here in Western Canada. Most now only shoot at stationary or slow moving animals, and carry bolt action rifles with big, high power scopes.
I learned to shoot running game with a bolt action, equipped with open sights or low power optics. It was several years before I ever shot at a standing animal. I've retained some of those early skills, which were put to use in recent years on several driven hunts in Germany.
The German hunters I met have honed their skills with practical shooting in the field, but also have shooting cinemas where you can bring your regular rifle and shoot at projected movies on a screen that records bullet strikes. What fun! No wounded animals. And great practise. It was also required to qualify for some German hunting invitations.
A test document with a minimum score of 5/8 proper lethal hits on running wild boar was required to be invited on two of those hunts. I was able to qualify with a minimum 5/8 score both times, and as it turned out my 4 hosts all shot 6/8.
I agree that shotgun shooting, especially sporting clays can actually be a help for rifle shooters wanting to get away from a dependence on bench-rest style shooting. There are many similarities of technique that do actually translate between disciplines.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Most Sporting Clays courses will have a running rabbit type thrower somewhere on the course. Think of it as a clay target thrower mounted on its side, launching a clay target that is flat and solid instead of dome shaped and hollow. Although not the same as shooting a rifle, firing a shotgun at Rabbit Clays will allow you to practice the same fundamentals as running boar. Like Beemaa stated above, crossing targets like the Midi and Mini clays can be excellent practice for running game type shooting.


View attachment 648291

The running rabbit station for clays is useful but I personally believe skeet is the most useful for learning the fundamentals of shooting running game ... but ONLY if the shooter pulls the targets low gun. And NOT low gun like international competitors. Hold the gun at ready arms and standing normally like one would when walking on a pheasant hunt or tracking a wounded animal. I have even shot stations one and seven with target pulled and gun under my arm. A time or two when shooting alone and no one watching I will turn my back and pull the singles on station seven. I can hit targets low gun on station eight but my reflexes and eyes are getting old man-itis so I usually take it high gun. Anyway, I found my scores increased when shooting low gun. Less likely to overthink the shot or revert to aiming the shotgun. Quickly becomes apparent when shooting low gun how important it is to have a gun that fits perfect.

Trap is pretty much useless for running target basics. If the range allows you to stand seven or eight yards behind the house it can be very useful, especially for uplands. However, conventional trap requires pulling high gun because shooter is so far from the house (sixteen yards?). High gun teaches nothing useful. In fact it encourages aiming the gun which is highly detrimental.