"Get a Good Grip on It",,,,Your Hunting Rifle

[Mustangs Rule]

“Get a good grip on it”,,,,your hunting rifle.


I am not intending to get into a scrap here. It might happen, but I will do my best to turn the other cheek. As a big game hunter, one of my go to skills, if the opportunity presents itself and is within my parameter of experience, is taking running shots.

This began as kid hunting eastern white tails. My family were farmers, I had a year round deer depredation permit. As soon as meat was getting low, I hunted. I can still recall jumping a whitetail up close and just doing what seemed right,,,and the deer was dead. That was almost 60 years ago.

Given the chance I will always stalk to get closer, and prefer a standing shot from a stable rest. If however, a moving shot opportunity is present, and it is within the boundaries that I have proven experience with, actually practiced for, then I take it. My response has been honed sharp and fast. I have never lost an animal.


Anyway, to the point of this post, here are two things which I have come to consider a must for this kind of shooting. First, a low power scope,,,,max 4x,,,on the lowest possible mounts and second having a real positive defined place for my hand to lock on the pistol grip of my rifle. This I consider critical. It results in an instant match with the trigger meeting the correct place on my trigger finger. No micro adjustment needed.

For some years now the palm swell on my Sako Finnlight in 308, complete with the deep, wide groove in the stock to accept the fat part of my thumb has provided that “locked fit”. Add in the ability to use “ultra low” Sako rings and this rig has just been the perfect tool for such shooting. Over half the deer I have taken with it were moving. The faster I shoot, the slower they are going.

Pistols can have an endless choice of grips to facilitate shooting, not rifles. They are what they are nowadays.

I found the pistol grip on Pre-64 Model 70’s okay. Safari grade Belgium Browning stocks offer a better fit for me. The best ever pistol grip on any American rifle was on the model 54, Winchesters first bolt action. It was not fat, but was long allowing my finger to stretch then land perfect on the trigger. I have had two, still have one. Too bad my eyes are now too old for this iron sight only rifle.

During my middle years, I lived in Wyoming when antelope tags were “a plenty”. I chose to hunt them in the wilderness areas in high mountain meadows surrounded by groves of aspens. Their diet was ideal and they tasted just great. Often I went about with two tags to fill. After I shot the first one, they might mill around or take flight. That was where such shooting skills as I describe were a great asset.

Currently I have a Kimber Hunter in 280AI. It is a fine rifle, but the pistol grip is so skinny, my hand craves to be filled and have a fitted, specific place to land.

I am working up a custom swell for it myself with some leather and motorcycle tire tube material. When done my hand will say; “Ahhh” and my trigger finger will say; “Just right

Going back to the golden age of custom hand made rifle stocks for African hunters, part of the personalized stock design was having a made to fit pistol grip, that set the hunters trigger finger in just the perfect place instantly.

This is all but forgotten now,,,,a lost art of hunting,

MR

 

[elkhnter]

I personally like the slim wrist on my Kimber 84L.

 

[mtmuley]

You lost me at running shots..... mtmuley

 

[Sasquatchewan]

This is all but forgotten now,,,,a lost art of hunting,

A lost art or guys just didn't give a crap about wounding animals and got lucky from time to time?

I've heard all those stories but I highly doubt we younger generations somehow are worst marksmen in comparison to our grand fathers.

Everyone reminisces about the good shots, not the shit ones.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

You lost me at running shots..... mtmuley

I understand where you are coming from and fully respect your position. My shots have to be close and quick not somewhere over the rainbow.
MR

 

[mtmuley]

I understand where you are coming from and fully respect your position. My shots have to be close and quick not somewhere over the rainbow.
MR

Sooo... Running shots ok. How about long range? Same percentage of wounding? mtmuley

 

[Dougfirtree]

A similar controversy to the ol' "round in the chamber" question. Big difference between different parts of the country. In the northeast, most big woods hunters accept running shots as ok/neccessary and spend time practicing them. In more open parts of the country, they're more of a no-no. For me, I say, define "running." A slowly bounding deer at close range might get me shooting, but the real runners get a pass because I know I'm not good enough. I've shot a bunch while they were walking at a good clip, but standing still is the best, no doubt.

 

[SAJ-99]

most big woods hunters accept running shots as ok/neccessary and spend time practicing them

How do they practice a running shot?

 

[OntarioHunter]

I always avoided running shots ... unless the animal had already been hit ... until recently. In Africa two years ago I took a gemsbuck incoming at a gallop at fifteen yards ... and hit it in the heart again as it ran by at twelve yards. Not much choice in the matter. They are dangerous critters and it was about to run me over. When the smoke cleared I told my PH where I hit it. When we rolled it over, that's exactly where the holes were. That fall in Montana I clipped the hill I was shooting over with the first shot and the two big muley bucks took off running for the top of the box canyon. They weren't going to stop. I floated the crosshairs just forward of the second buck's front shoulder socket and fired again. He dropped dead and rolled to the bottom. I thought he would run into the bullet for a shot in the boiler room but I hit him exactly where the crosshairs were placed. Then this fall I shot a coyote on the fly ... right through the heart ... where I put the crosshairs.

A good fit is important, for sure. Scope relief and comb height need to be perfect. The instant the gun comes to shoulder, the crosshairs should be centered in the view. Lots of ways to change the gun so this happens: move the scope, change the rings/mounts, change the length of pull. Personally, I would place trigger finger reach at the bottom of the list for adjustments that affect effective shooting at moving targets. Perhaps more important for ultra accurate bench shooting competition. Trigger pull tension is definitely more critical for bench rest than shooting at moving targets.

The best suggestion I can make for those who want to be PREPARED for shots at running game (I do NOT recommend shooting at running game as a practice) is take up shooting trap or skeet. Yes, there's a world of difference between a shotgun and a hunting rifle, but the basics of shooting at moving targets are surprisingly universal. Most importantly, learning to float onto the target smoothly and follow through the shot. Shooting a lot on the shotgun range also taught me how important fit is. Trap/skeet is about shooting quickly AND accurately ... being highly efficient automatically. The gun needs to go into proper position pretty much by itself. Making adjustments during and after mounting is a distraction. Distracted shooters are not very efficient. They tend to second guess themselves or overthink the shot. Doesn't work when the target is moving. At the shotgun range the shooter learns to stay focused on the target instead of the gun ... IF his gun fits perfectly. Bench shooting rifles often leads to too much focus on the gun and sights. That doesn't work with moving targets.

 

[rwc101]

 

[Dougfirtree]

How do they practice a running shot?

The classic method is to find a spot with a hillside coming down from the side and a good backstop in front of you (like a cut where sand, or gravel have been removed). Then you mount a cardboard target to a tire and have a buddy roll the tire down the hill, giving you a crossing shot. I've also seen ranges where a pulley system makes a target cross the range at whatever speed you want. The nice thing about the tire is that it tends to bounce a little bit, like a deer would.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

The classic method is to find a spot with a hillside coming down from the side and a good backstop in front of you (like a cut where sand, or gravel have been removed). Then you mount a cardboard target to a tire and have a buddy roll the tire down the hill, giving you a crossing shot. I've also seen ranges where a pulley system makes a target cross the range at whatever speed you want. The nice thing about the tire is that it tends to bounce a little bit, like a deer would.

Did you grow up reading Jack O'Connor too!

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Practice, practice, practice

I does really help to begin hunting in the North East as I did where taking shots at a running deer is accepted, actually required in many places. There are mentors, older hunters who have a lot to teach a young kid. At the rod and gun clubs there is often some moving target set up to practice, like targets on pulley line moved by an old bicycle some body pedals. Or tires with targets rolled down a hill. Like shooting pool you learn to take your closet shots first.

Hunting eastern grouse is such and explosive experience too. That helps a lot. The key is to be absolutely ready to shoot at any time. Totally committed to that first second.

Fast rifles are a must. In the beginning I used classic lever guns with open sights.

Going west I read and did everything Jack O’Connor suggested, one being to hike around off season with your rifle and practice, practice, practice on any and all critters, committing to a dry fire and call your shot.

Another critically important drill is to drop to a sitting position the second you a see game animal further away on the run in open country or walking or trotting. Then immediately put yourself into a classic whelen sling. That will take well under 3 seconds with practice. Then start panning the animal with your scope and dry fire.

At 75 to a 100 yards an animal running up hill is very doable. They are going slower. Down hill is so much harder and good bullet placement is so much harder too.

Forget such shots off hand or even standing with the hasty sling

Everything needs to be right and the scope must be low power and set in the lowest possible rings.

As I said in the beginning, after a life time, my preferred rig is the little Sako Finnlight carbine in .308 with a fixed low power scope on ultra low rings,,,this is close as a scoped rifle can get to iron sights. I love this rig. My shooting hand locks into the palm swell,,,finger is just right, all automatic.

I use it for hunting rabbits with real light cast bullets loads too. When you can take or come real close to a fast jackrabbit on the run, over and over, you are ready for close shots at slower moving deer or elk in the dark timber. But first you must pass the rabbit test,,over and over

This Sako easily can shoot out to 350 yards plus if needed for standing shots.

MR

 

[Deleted member 20812]

my hand craves to be filled and have a fitted, specific place to land.

@EYJONAS! did this make you think of snapping the radish?

 

[Salmonchaser]

I’ll bet Ive fired a thousand rounds at a tire rolled down the hill, it was one of my dads favorites during the winter doldrums to keep us kids from driving mom to drink. Packing those tires up the hill is a lot of work generally pretty wore out when we got home. We also used to go over to Ft. Rock/Christmas valley area after a good snow storm to hunt jack rabbits on a friends alfalfa farms. We packed our deer rifles and our 22s. Rolling jacks with an 06 is a lot of fun. Ive killed a lot of deer and elk that were moving not flat out running, but they were are all relatively close, probably why they were moving. Of course I would rather shoot one standing still and most of them have been.

 

[EYJONAS!]

@EYJONAS! did this make you think of snapping the radish?

Negative ghost rider......

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Negative ghost rider......

@EYJONAS! did this make you think of snapping the radish?

I suggest you focus on what John Wayne meant when he said; "Fill your hand"

 

[EYJONAS!]

Looks like we got a Ontario 2.0 huh?

 

[noharleyyet]

Negative ghost rider......

Palm swell...

 

[EYJONAS!]

Palm swell...

I can't believe this is what Monday morning brings..... running shots and radish snapping