Firearms Proficiency

[twofifty]

Originally Posted by Dick284

to ctd:
You miss understand my point.
They buy the cheapest without consideration to how it may or may not perform in their rifle.

Steven's 200's are a very inexpensive rifle, and by geez they shoot, But feeding it Brand A one year and Brand B the next because of a few Dollars price difference, without considering the possible pitfalls in performance is being cheap.

Thinking that because you run equiptment bought on a budget will get you the snub at a range is a very bold statement I'd say.
I've never seen that in the half dozen or so ranges I've belonged to over the years.

Sounds like an attempt at justifying not practicing to me, kinda like balking at a $50.00 range membership.

If your sreious about your hunting you'll endeavour to better yourself. If your not so serious about hunting well, you'll likely find other excuses for not bettering yourself.

We all have family and job constraints. I mange the boys hockey team, coach soccer in the summer, do standby every 3 weeks, work out of town some times, have a yard to care for, kids to tutor in school, but yup you guessed it, I find time to stay practiced and current with my shooting skills.

I hear you loud and clear, and you will have to pardon my idealism.

I guess it is just part of human nature that priorities vary. How many golfers practice in a systematic way, all season long...? Many, like me, are content to puts along mired in mediocrity. But then, no animal suffers if it takes me five shots to get onto the green. Those who are in my foursome, on the other hand, are in for a painful experience. lol

Say, will you run that fun AO mail-in shoot again this year?

[Jamie Black R/T]

Originally Posted by 209x50

So to all you control junkies out there who just have to have more government interference in our lives I ask how often would you have to qualify? Don't tell me just once as we all know that would as useless as never, so, what every year, every second year? Do you see the frigging nightmare you are promoting here?

promoting?

we are discussing...that is all....talking about something in a public setting is hardly going to result in a test being added to the list of regulations we have to conform to.

read the OP again...a "test" exists in other parts of the world...could it work here? consensus is no

i think the best post of this whole thread was whomever first wrote about adding an element to the hunters ed course or even the PAL course that has a practical shooting exam and some instruction on setting up a new hunting rifle.

another great point is even with all the training in the world, you will never fully prevent people from taking stupid shots they are not capable of making cleanly.

so maybe we need a new thread on discussing how to prevent idiots??

[rugatika]

I remember when I took my hunter safety course back in Saskatchewan we had to do some shooting with a 22 at the range. I can't remember for sure but it seems to me we had to meet some standard.

By the way...what is considered a decent/acceptable grouping when shooting offhand (I think that is the term). Assuming your rifle is doing it's part and is say shooting MOA what is an acceptable 3 shot group to shoot offhand?? I currently am shooting about a 3" to 6" group at 100yds with my 300wsm featherweight when shooting offhand no sling, no rest of any kind. Should I be allowed out into the deer fields?

What is average? What do most people here shoot at 100yds. Be interesting to hear what a really good shooter (Dick or Cat) can do at 100yds off hand and what I should be "shooting" for.

[catnthehat]

If you are doing 3-6" at 100 with your rifle, you are doing a lot better than most people I have seen !
I also believe that most hunters use some sort of rest when the shot happens, be it a tree branch, bipod, log, their backpack, etc., and there is nothing wrong with that at all.
I use a rest whenever one is readily available......
Cat

[deanmc]

If a marksmenship course was offered locally I would love to take it thought! I am just an Alberta redneck that hates to be told what to do.

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

If you are doing 3-6" at 100 with your rifle, you are doing a lot better than most people I have seen !
I also believe that most hunters use some sort of rest when the shot happens, be it a tree branch, bipod, log, their backpack, etc., and there is nothing wrong with that at all.
I use a rest whenever one is readily available......
Cat

Huh.. And I thought I was bad. I am not happy unless I have 3 shots inside of 2".
Ok here is a bit of "Self" back slapping. (I would have high 5 myself.. But I thought I might hurt my shoulder)

250 yards Regular water botle on a stake.. BOOM!!
HAPPY GUY!
Get down there and find I hit it dead center. For some reason I was shooting well this year.

Jamie

[ctd]

Not to stir the pot anymore then I have, but I have expieranced and seen first hand what happens at a range, (more then a few) when a person doesnt have the most expensive of things. Lots of people come over to check out your gear then go huh, then walk away.

Funniest thing is they usually have one of those huge scopes, bipods on their rifle, with some kind of fancy shooting rest, $60 a box bullets, and then shoot the same as me or the other shooters.

Cheap ammo works fine for the majority of rifles,( 1-3inch groups @100 yards) going from year to year, and buying different ammo is a personall choice some make for a varity of reasons.

It really doesn't make a person any less then some one else.

Now buying all the guci gear and not being able to shoot is what cracks me up.

Cheers all

[catnthehat]

Some of the rifles I shoot look like they belong in the recycle bin!

My range gear is old, tattered, and scratched up - same as blackman's, and neither of us snear at cheap gear or inexperienced shooters.
We do get a kick out the situation when a guy finds out his rifle will actually hit a clay bird at 200 meters with him driving it once we show him how to get things right!

We usually spend more time helping people out than shooting ourselves, but that is part of the fun of range time.

I do know others that are of the "snob school" however, and I also get a charge out of it when they look at "old Ugly" sitting in the rack, then see it shoot!
Cat

[Jamie Black R/T]

Originally Posted by ctd

Now buying all the guci gear and not being able to shoot is what cracks me up.

i hear ya LOL....i like to take out my 17hmr with el cheapo tasco on top of it and lay down .25" groups at a hundred yards when i see a "snob" as you describe them

They are out there....but i havent ran into them a whole lot and i spend a ton of time at the range...some people are there to see who's d*ck is bigger and some are there to shoot. Ill take a rifle that shoots anyday over one that made the front of a magazine.

go savage!!

[calgarychef]

Well yea the bullet does cross your line of sight, but many don't understand the theory, they simply think the bullet goes up.

cheers

the chef

[Matt L.]

I stand by my original post that we should include a firearms proficiency element to the hunter's ed course. When I took it we had a range day;ya know, .22, skeet, bow. But it was more for fun than actually learning how to shoot properly.

[sullijr]

Once you know the gun shoots from the bench.Start PRACTICING sitting kneeling and standing.I spend a lot of time at the range (cutting grass)and see the same guys week after week shooting from the sand bags but they can't hit squat standing ,sitting or kneeling.How many of us hit the antelope at Drayton Rodeo prone ONE!

[Dick284]

I wonder if I put on another postal match in 2009, how many of those who chimed in here are willing to participate?

Afterall practice makes perfect.

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by Dick284

I wonder if I put on another postal match in 2009, how many of those who chimed in here are willing to participate?

Afterall practice makes perfect.

Can I send in my watter Bottle?



Jamie

[Copidosoma]

Originally Posted by Jamie Black R/T

so maybe we need a new thread on discussing how to prevent idiots??

Wow, man. If you could figure out a way to do that you would solve alot of the worlds problems.

Too bad natural selection doesn't seem to apply as strongly anymore.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Jamie

Can I send in my watter Bottle?



Jamie

You will have to send in ten water bottles , Jamie!
Cat

Originally Posted by 209x50

So to all you control junkies out there who just have to have more government interference in our lives I ask how often would you have to qualify? Don't tell me just once as we all know that would as useless as never, so, what every year, every second year? Do you see the frigging nightmare you are promoting here?

Hum i would think every time "your win card exp."you need to take the test not everyones win card exp at the same time that way there is a rotation that wont clutter the system.

It truely is a good idea to test peoples shooting .

[pogo]

Originally Posted by Jamie Black R/T

promoting?


so maybe we need a new thread on discussing how to prevent idiots??

Precisely my point a ways back in the thread. How, or why, would you measure the proficiency of the nut behind the wheel? Figuratively speaking.

Define proficiency for me. Is it accuracy under ideal conditions? Is it accuracy under pressure? Is it superior or adequate judgement under adverse conditions? Extreme conditions?

I think we're chasing our tail now regarding this subject.