As a hunter, you want to be efficient any time you step into the hunting fields. It would be best if you found the right ways to achieve that success, and that takes time. You have to put in the effort to be efficient as a hunter, especially with your shooting. 

It would help if you learned some shooting tips since you are likely to use long guns. Your accuracy needs to be at the top of your game. You also need to ensure that you are safe while you hunt; here are some shooting tips that ensure safety and efficiency while hunting. 

Position

Positioning is everything when it comes to shooting, and you should have the proper position if you are to hit the target. The first position that you may opt to take is the prone position. This is where you lay your body flat on the ground. 

 

This position is ideal if the target is far away from you – if it’s close, you won’t have enough time to get to the position. When you are laid down, your rifle needs to be aligned with the direction of your body. 

 

When you change your rifle position, you need to change your body position too. Don’t lay with your legs at an angle from your torso; this can throw you off. It would be best if you supported the rifle with your shoulders when you were in this position. 

 

The next position is the standing up stance; this one is when you are close enough to the target. This is when you can’t reposition your body to the prone position. Here, you want to have your left foot slightly ahead of the right foot – for right-handed shooters. 

 

If you are left-handed, have the feet stance, vice-versa. You then want to have your shoulders support the butt of the gun, and they should be in front of the shoulder. It would be best if you then had the other hand supporting the rest of the rifle.

 

Line Up the Circles

Whether you are good at shooting or not, you won’t hunt successfully if you don’t use the equipment right. One aspect of your rifle that you need to master is the scope. You need to ensure there are no shadows or tunnel effects in your scope. 

 

You can always learn how to line up a scope through various online sources. You want to ensure that your front and back lenses are aligned – objective and ocular lenses. The diameter of the front lens should be a bit bigger than that of the back lens. 

 

That’s what hunters refer to as lining up the circles. It would be best to practice how to do this so that you don’t get distorted and mess up your aim on your next hunting trip. You’ll be far more efficient on the hunt with your circles lined up. 

 

Technique

You probably have heard various people talking about beating the wind when it comes to shooting. The truth is, there’s no way to beat the wind; you can only monitor it and work around it. This is where technique comes in while you hunt. One of the few things you need to have on point is how to dope a scope if you are to be efficient in your hunting. DOPE is Data On Previous Engagement – a compilation of data needed to hit your target from various distances. Most hunters use this as a reference chart to guide them while dialing elevation and wind.

 

It sounds pretty hard when you look at it literally, but if you are to enjoy any success, you need to master it. The good thing about tech is that today, there are apps that can help you with this if you aren’t into the whole math involved. 

Pull the Trigger

It would help if you gripped the gun firmly enough you could handle the recoil. Don’t have that death grip that some hunters tend to have; it will only throw your aim off. You then want to take the safety off the rifle and pull the trigger straight back. 

Don’t use the knuckle on the trigger, as this can pull the trigger diagonally. You want to have the fingernail run parallel to the trigger while you pull it straight back with the flat part of your finger. You then need to follow back to allow all the parts of the gun to do their job. 

To be both careful and efficient when hunting, you need to have some tips backing you up. These are some shooting tips that you can use on the next hunting trip to improve your success chances drastically. 

Published on Holr Magazine