One shot staff test

[Joseph Peterson]

I applaud the results of the Fresh Tracks one shot video. What does it show? Most hunters overestimate their shooting abilities. The milk jugs is about right for a pronghorn, a bit small to represent the vitals of a deer and about a quarter the size for an elk.

Jim Carmichael wrote an article in Outdoor Life years ago about shooting skills. The test was hitting a paper plate 9 times out of ten shots to demonstrate proficiency at different ranges from different shooting positions. He came up with about 80 standing, 175 sitting and less than 300 prone.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

I also applaud this video and encourage more. I think there was another one with Michael showing use of game bag as rear bag which was also great.

Backfire did the 100 jug challenge last year which got me thinking about doing this but this video prompted me to actually go out and start.

2/2 before ran out of time. These were both prone over my pack with game bag as rear support. 200 and 300 yards. Would like to get out once a week or so and do even just 5 shots from various positions with my hunting rifles (not target rifles weighing over 10lbs.) and with hunting gear. I’ve always been a bench guy because of how my mind works I want to know best capability of myself and rifle and also that’s how I was raised/taught. Now realizing better to count on your worst capability as that is more likely what will be encountered in the field.

I think I may switch to a paper plate and use alligator clips to simplify the bulk of a milk jug.

I like the idea of 9/10, I was thinking of just doing 5 shots and setting the goal as 5/5.

Regardless this exposes struggles with support and various positions in addition to the obvious max distance.

 

[Salmonchaser]

I almost never pull bullets during load developement. If an effort reveals a particular load I’m trying doesn’t measure up I simply get off the bench and shoot what ever I have left at a paper or steel plate. Always take a bolt action 22 to the range. Need to let a rifle cool down, get off the bench and shoot the 22. I think it’s great folks are trying to actually challenge themselves as a shooter.

 

[seeth07]

I like the idea of 9/10, I was thinking of just doing 5 shots and setting the goal as 5/5.

I really struggle with the goal of 9/10. Are people really ok with missing 1 out of every 10 times they attempt to kill a deer? That is a lot of wounded deer!

It's 10/10 for me at least in the practice of gauging my personal ability and distance.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

I really struggle with the goal of 9/10. Are people really ok with missing 1 out of every 10 times they attempt to kill a deer? That is a lot of wounded deer!

It's 10/10 for me at least in the practice of gauging my personal ability and distance.

So if you miss a jug at 200 yards you’re not taking that shot in the field? What if it was a flinch or your scope got bumped? That’s where I was seeing the 9/10, presuming you can determine cause of miss and learn from mistake or take corrective action. I think the more shots you take the higher chance for a miss so that’s why I was thinking 5/5 for me (and that’s what most rifles hold).

 

[seeth07]

So if you miss a jug at 200 yards you’re not taking that shot in the field? What if it was a flinch or your scope got bumped? That’s where I was seeing the 9/10, presuming you can determine cause of miss and learn from mistake or take corrective action. I think the more shots you take the higher chance for a miss so that’s why I was thinking 5/5 for me (and that’s what most rifles hold).

If you miss, then yes - learn from it and try again. If you keep getting 9/10 for whatever reason, the target is too far and you need to reduce your effective range.

Your effective range is where you are providing a lethal shot more like 99/100 times (perhaps the ammo or something out of your control is to blame). I like to take the serious mindset that this is the only shot I got and the target represents to me life or death - If I miss, the target will shoot back and I'm dead. It was how my brother was taught to shoot in the Marines and its a great psychological tool when it comes to shooting.

My effective range for the conditions I practice in at home is 250 yards with a 8" steel plate. You can hand me a bullet and I'll go grab my hunting rifle out of my gun case and I'll put my life on the line that I'll hit that target. I wouldn't take that bet at 275 as I've proved to myself that on a few rare occasions I miss.

 

[LuketheDog]

Are people really ok with missing 1 out of every 10 times they attempt to kill a deer? That is a lot of wounded deer!

Yeah, I think they are ok with it, and based on my observation over the years I bet on average they're still ok with something more like 3/10 wounding loss, which sucks...

 

[LuketheDog]

I almost never pull bullets during load developement. If an effort reveals a particular load I’m trying doesn’t measure up I simply get off the bench and shoot what ever I have left at a paper or steel plate. Always take a bolt action 22 to the range. Need to let a rifle cool down, get off the bench and shoot the 22. I think it’s great folks are trying to actually challenge themselves as a shooter.

I do the same. I go to a controlled range with long hot/cold range cycles, which makes barrel-cooling time a waste of range time, thus I take my various .22s and have some fun at 50-100 yds instead of just sitting there watching other guys shoot.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

If you miss, then yes - learn from it and try again. If you keep getting 9/10 for whatever reason, the target is too far and you need to reduce your effective range.

Your effective range is where you are providing a lethal shot more like 99/100 times (perhaps the ammo or something out of your control is to blame). I like to take the serious mindset that this is the only shot I got and the target represents to me life or death - If I miss, the target will shoot back and I'm dead. It was how my brother was taught to shoot in the Marines and its a great psychological tool when it comes to shooting.

My effective range for the conditions I practice in at home is 250 yards with a 8" steel plate. You can hand me a bullet and I'll go grab my hunting rifle out of my gun case and I'll put my life on the line that I'll hit that target. I wouldn't take that bet at 275 as I've proved to myself that on a few rare occasions I miss.

That makes sense, we agree. I was interpreting as if you miss then you should never take a shot at that distance until perhaps the following year.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Yeah, I think they are ok with it, and based on my observation over the years I bet on average they're still ok with something more like 3/10 wounding loss, which sucks...

Pretty sure this was proven with the Backfire milking challenge and Marine Mike or whatever the guys name was. Even after missing a LOT of jugs beyond 400 he was still confident to like 5 or 600 yards IIRC. Made no sense to me. I agree he probably is not the minority either. I think people tend to base their max distance on the fact they hit a target once or twice at a given range and usually off a bench. So the mindset is “I did it once I can do it again.”

Idk, that’s all I can think of.