Who Are The Best Running Shots With A Rifle?

[Ontario Hunter]

I haven't had an issue with fogging etc. with my wraparound glasses. I have been hit with shrapnel during USPSA competitions from the bay next door in the past and have been glad I had side protection.

My shotgun glasses are not wraparound and are aviator style, so I do NOT end up looking over or split my vision with half with and half without the glasses or frame blocking the targets, especially when shooting pairs in sporting clays.

I have aviator shooting glasses that are amber and no bifocal. That was a mistake! I can't keep score when it's my turn and can't see to work on my gun if something goes wrong with it. I liked them for road trips but again, difficult to see exactly what's going on in instrument panel. The prescription is now wrong so don't wear them at all. In my opinion, amber lenses are greatly overrated for shooting. I also have aviator shades that are dark brown with some kind of orange overtone. They have bifocal but it's low and out of the way. Good for picking out orange clays but I seldom wear them on the range or in the field.

I prefer natural colors because that's what I am accustomed to after nearly sixty years of spotting game. Back when I was a young man I found a "soft pink" tint meant for office workers under flourescent lights that was great, especially for hunting in snow. Just enough tint to knock down the glare without changing colors much. Haven't seen that tint available in decades.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

For me, as my eyes age shotgun is my best option if I'm shooting for more than say 15 minutes. For some reason my eyes start to blur even though my distance vision is 20/20. Even the crosshairs in my scopes start to blur. It drives me crazy! Pistol shooting, forget it and I really miss it. I have a ghost ring on my one double and that seems to work perfect since I don't have problems with the bead sight and the blurred ghost ring still frames the sight picture. First safari next year so we'll see how double works. I most likely will put a red dot on to be safe.

Sounds like you have cataracts starting. Look into getting that done. What a difference!

 

[ftrovato]

Sounds like you have cataracts starting. Look into getting that done. What a difference!

Interesting observation. I need an eye exam. its been a few years.

 

[Tanks]

For me, as my eyes age shotgun is my best option if I'm shooting for more than say 15 minutes. For some reason my eyes start to blur even though my distance vision is 20/20. ...

Might have the same issue as I with close-up vision. On a scope try the diopter adjustment to see if it makes a difference.

I need an eye exam. its been a few years.

I get a yearly exam now that I am older.

 

[Tanks]

I have aviator shooting glasses that are amber and no bifocal. That was a mistake! I can't keep score when it's my turn and can't see to work on my gun if something goes wrong with it.

That's why when I am not shooting, I wear my click reading glasses around my neck.

 

[steve white]

There used to be a cinematic shooting range in the Dallas Tx area, which was a boon to training for running shots, but it went under due to lack of business! Must say that besides the expense, there was the issue of getting rifle barrels frying hot with that much fast shooting. That might have put some folk off, tho' I suspect it was the cost. Shame...
Since that is what it is, does anyone know of a video replacement for cinematic shooting--something with a rifle to hold, and a virtual reality hookup or whatnot? I would love to be able to train at home at will.

 

[WAB]

There used to be a cinematic shooting range in the Dallas Tx area, which was a boon to training for running shots, but it went under due to lack of business! Must say that besides the expense, there was the issue of getting rifle barrels frying hot with that much fast shooting. That might have put some folk off, tho' I suspect it was the cost. Shame...
Since that is what it is, does anyone know of a video replacement for cinematic shooting--something with a rifle to hold, and a virtual reality hookup or whatnot? I would love to be able to train at home at will.

Holland and Holland has one in an underground range. They are very expensive to install.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

There used to be a cinematic shooting range in the Dallas Tx area, which was a boon to training for running shots, but it went under due to lack of business! Must say that besides the expense, there was the issue of getting rifle barrels frying hot with that much fast shooting. That might have put some folk off, tho' I suspect it was the cost. Shame...
Since that is what it is, does anyone know of a video replacement for cinematic shooting--something with a rifle to hold, and a virtual reality hookup or whatnot? I would love to be able to train at home at will.

 

[MarkCZ]

i have frequently hunted driven wild boar all over Eastern Europe and all the locals are very good at shooting running game. I took this fella in Estonia at 200 mtres he was not running more trotting.
Set up was CZ 550 30-06, 6 x42 swarovski and 165 grian Sierra Gameking
Markcz

 

[PerH]

One in Germany that offers very much more also . Indoor shotgun range and different ranges

 

[PerH]

It can be sped up on different targets or slowed down . This one is the standard over here

 

[PerH]

And one other In Sweden that have mix of indoor and out ranges

 

[Ontario Hunter]

It can be sped up on different targets or slowed down . This one is the standard over here

Looks like fun! Too bad they can't make the track a bit bumpy and weave in and out. That would be more realistic. If someone built one of those ranges here, I bet they would make a mint ... if they could get the idea to fly with the provincial safety crew. Fat chance of that though. Those people have zero common sense. They make a career of dreaming up new stuff to complain about.

 

[fourfive8]

IMO, only one pathway to becoming a good shot- thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of rounds of practice. Additionally, no matter the number of rounds shot, some have a natural ability to become a good shot and some don't.

 

[Longwalker]

Driven hunts are a traditional method for hunting large game in my home province of Saskatchewan in Canada. The practise has died out somewhat in recent years, but formerly it was very common for a bunch of local farmers and ranchers to hunt in groups of anywhere from 3 to 20 hunters, some "pushing bush" and some waiting on post to shoot any whitetail deer or moose that ran out of the patches of aspen bush that dot the prairies where I live. Tags were issued "either sex" and the concept of trophy hunting was unknown. The activity was almost always done when there was snow on the ground. that helped keep wounding losses down, since it was easy to track. Typical shots could be from 20 meters to as far as 300 meters.
As children we imitated out parents and relatives, so I shot my first small animals by hunting with a similar method. A few of my school buddies and I would get together and push bush for snowshoe hares, shooting them on the run with air rifles or later .22 rimfire rifles. We also hunted our larger and faster jack rabbits on the open plains. Tracking them and shooting them as they flushed from their forms in the snow. Hares are tough targets for a beginner!
When I was old enough to come along as an apprentice deer hunter, I was pushing bush only for several years. Designated shooters often did most of the serious work. Tags were considered to belong to the "group" and not the individual. All meat was shared.
While waiting to be allowed to hunt and shoot with the "big boys" I busied myself with a lot of wing shooting, for ducks mostly. A couple hundred ducks was a pretty typical total bag for September and October for me, just walking on our farm or the neighbouring properties with a shotgun. It was jump shooting, pass shooting, and sometimes waiting at one of the many ponds. I believe shotgun shooting formed my rifle shooting skills. To this day I'm a better quick and instinctive shot than a precision / long distance shot with a rifle.
My first deer and several thereafter were shot on the run, with a cut down .303 SMLE. That's just what everyone did. I actually didn't know deer could be hunted by spot and stalk! It seemed like a strange concept to me.
As I matured as a hunter those group/driven hunts and shooting running game had less appeal to me, mainly because of the chance of wounding and also because it is less selective.
There are some local farmers who still do all their hunting this way, and I would expect some are as skilled as any in the world. We'll never know.
I'm glad I know how to competently shoot running game, even though I seldom choose to do so now. I was invited on several group hunts in Germany, and found the qualification "shooting cinema" wild boar target shooting to be fairly simple but still challenging, not for the level of difficulty involved, but from the social pressure with a bunch of strangers watching the Canadian shoot. Good simulation of the nervous excitement of real hunting I suppose. On those hunts I shot two running roe deer, three boars and one fox, and missed one boar. That missed one I still would like to do over ;-)
I now seldom shoot at unwounded running game. But I almost always shoot quickly again after the first good shot on any game, and that second running shot is usually a hit. My policy is to keep shooting until it drops.
I'm certain there are many more talented running game shooters than me, but that's my story.

 

[mark-hunter]

As I matured as a hunter those group/driven hunts and shooting running game had less appeal to me, mainly because of the chance of wounding and also because it is less selective.

I am basically with similar attitude.

I still go from time to time on driven hunts with smaller group of hunters well known to me. I avoid, large driven hunting events with unknown people.

You have noted two valid points above, and I would add one more. Safety.

In large groups of unknown poeple I have seen a lot of unsafe gun handling, and trigger happy individuals, and I simply prefer not to get shot. So,I avoid it.

My winter pheasants hunts are exclusively organized by me with my best hunting friends, max 3 of us. One or two change from time to time, it is total 5 of us.

One experience::
Once few years ago, I invited friend of mine to one such pheasant hunt.
He brought his wife along. (I did not invite her, but did not object either when he suggested. Why not? She is also licensed hunter).

Now first situation we had: Papers.
The first problem was, we were in the same car, we had to drive half of the country across on the highway, and the lady forgot her gun license and papers. Ups!
But we live in Europe.
No 2nd amendment. Strict laws. Guns always travel with papers.

If we are in a same car, stopped by police, and they found out one gun without papers, it could turn to catastrophic event. (cluster F%^ck)
She just left the papers at home, on coffee table before getting out, and forgot. O, my.... it happens....
But that was just minor issue, and went well.
(Lesson learnt: be careful who you drive in a car with)

Next was safety. Same hunt.
So, we came to the hunting area, completed formalities, had safety briefing, met the guide and went off. To Hunt birds.

In the middle of pheasant shoot, one pheasant was in my sector of fire.
The lady was 20 meters from me to the left in line, walking.
Bird just flushed out in front of me and dog, and as I was waiting for bird to fly a bit more away and gain some distance.
The lady had kept missing most of the day, probably eager to get something, and pulled the trigger on the pheasant just over my head. (5 meters IN front of me or so)
She could as well spray the birdshot on me! (20 m - 25 meters away, depending of choke, has already some well spread pattern)
When bird fell, i was frozen.

So, besides the fact that her husband is my friend and excellent hunter, I am not inviting him anymore to such winter hunts.

Once was enough, and I dont want to be impolite if he brings his wife.
(Lesson learnt: be careful who you bring to hunt, in order not to get shot)

 

[rookhawk]

In what may be the first of several installments: "Who are the best shots?" it occurs to me that there must be several categories. I propose the first category be "WHO ARE THE BEST AT RUNNING SHOTS WITH A RIFLE." Although Americans once called themselves "a nation of riflemen" I just wonder if we can lay claim to being the best in this category these days. After all, I see hunters on TV waiting interminably for an animal to even stop walking before pulling the trigger. On the other hand, in many European countries, one cannot be certified to hunt moose, etc unless proving shooting proficiency, off-hand, at a mechanized running moose target at about 80 meters. Where else is this standard required. Where else is driven hunting so greatly practiced?
What say ye--who are the best running shot artists?

There is a "kid" that is in Germany and is sponsored by Blaser. He does running boar videos. Classic money-shots of kills after kills in slo-mo. I'd say he was a running shot savant. He couldn't have been 25 years old and his skills were formidable.

The average American hunting fanatic just doesn't have the years of exposure to running shots to compete with the Germanic folks. In the US, we shunned running shots (classic deer hunter ethics) so our experiences are limited compared to those managing wild boar populations in central Europe that have been doing this their whole lives. I've seen them practice on rolling tires that had targets inside of them...hell of a way to practice for perfection.

 

[Red Leg]

There is a "kid" that is in Germany and is sponsored by Blaser. He does running boar videos. Classic money-shots of kills after kills in slo-mo. I'd say he was a running shot savant. He couldn't have been 25 years old and his skills were formidable.

The average American hunting fanatic just doesn't have the years of exposure to running shots to compete with the Germanic folks. In the US, we shunned running shots (classic deer hunter ethics) so our experiences are limited compared to those managing wild boar populations in central Europe that have been doing this their whole lives. I've seen them practice on rolling tires that had targets inside of them...hell of a way to practice for perfection.

If you will go back to the first page of this now rather long thread, I believe you are referring to Prince Franz-Albrecht Oettingen-Spielberg. He is truly a savant with a rifle. Though, I am pretty sure he normally uses a Steyr.

 

[steve white]

If you will go back to the first page of this now rather long thread, I believe you are referring to Prince Franz-Albrecht Oettingen-Spielberg. He is truly a savant with a rifle. Though, I am pretty sure he normally uses a Steyr.

He was using a Sauer bolt action in one video. Man, can he cycle that thing, and there seems to be very little muzzle rise.

 

[WAB]

It may not be totally related, but we kill a lot of pigs running at night using thermals. After the first salvo there are pigs running everywhere and we seem to do pretty well on them.