O.K. I'm curious -does anyone have any ideas on practicing with a shotgun or rifle how to simulate a hunting situation for practice.Basically ,At various range with a gun carrying hunting loads a way to practice hitting a vital sized target that is moving,reloading on the go and fast shooting.Lately ,I have been practicing hitting spent shotgun hulls at 20 yd. with a .22 to simulate long range shooting and can get about 3 of 5 .I also have been using a shotgun to blast at targets quickly and practice hip shooting for fun,50 yard deer sized target and fast reloading but I need a moving target about 20-40 yd. away for practice.

When you are hunting "reloading on the go" is a no-no. Hunting IS NOT WAR. Most shots at largegame is done on a non-moving target or one that is walking. It is not advisable to try to shoot a running animal. Yes...I've done it, but it was at very close range (less then 20 yards to less then 35 yards). These close in shots are more difficult with a scoped rifle. Mine were with my ol' Jack Handle and iron sights...

Sooo...Practicing for hunting is a matter of making sure you can hit the target with a kill area of 6 to 8 inches in diameter free standing at 100 yards. Shots made at greater ranges are usually done with some kind of support like shooting sticks or a tree, rock, stump, lying prone or your knee.

Hunting with a shotgun (in my case) is a matter shooting clays. Fouling is shooting at moving targets and requires a different form of practice. Not sure what the range of a 12 gauge slug would be, but I bet it's no more then 100 yards or less and again on a standing or walking target and not a running target.

I agree with Bushy. Hunting is about making one killing shot, not hosing off rounds hoping to hit something. Start trying to pick off those spent shotgun shells at 50 yards. Concentrate on shooting accurately and worry about "fast" later.

I've got some "TARG-DOT" targets from Lyman that are scaled to be shot at 25 yards and represent various game animals at different yardages. I hope to spend a lot of time at the range with a .22 and these targets before next season as I know that my shooting is VERY rusty.

Ignore Bushy.......you know those oldtimers........gotta have them their iron sights........can’t shoot nothing up close with a scope !!!

Rest assured, I’ve shot more than a few deer well inside 35 yards, in heavy cover, without them standing still and broadside with a 1.5-5 Leupold !!!
Using a scope at close range IMO is easier than open sights!!! Think about it... a scope has a single sight plane and can be shot with both eyes open when set on a low magnification, iron has to have one eye lined up with the front and rear sight while closing the other eye limiting your field of view.

I will however agree not to be shooting when they decide they need to be somewhere else!!!

Chambered...Go back and re-read my post. I have shot several deer that were running, but I can shoot that ol' jack handle. I've had it sense I was 18. In fact I have shot on at 3 yards right in the eye...

I just don't recommend it to those that are just starting out and are a bit young...You have to be good and know your rifle or handgun.

By The Way...My .30-06 is scoped...

Bushmaster wrote:

These close in shots are more difficult with a scoped rifle. Mine were with my ol' Jack Handle and iron sights...

This what I was referring to!!!

And you would perfer a scoped rifle for 35 yards or less?

Or shotgun!!! depending on the state I'm in at the time of course !!!

Can't hunt with a shotgun...The only shotgun I have is a Browning BSS 12 gauge with MC and OC. Don't think it would lend itself well to slugs...Works great for upland game birds though...

Silver or gold trigger???

Silver...

Aah!!! Earlier non-selectable model!!! I believe that eventually those will be worth more than the gold trigger!!! Getting harder and harder to find any of them.

What was this post about anyway???

Oh yea!!! practice !!!

Clothes line, a couple of pulleys, a target, another piece of rope and a dog that will chase a stick!!!

"...and a dog that will chase a stick."

Early? 1970. And yer correct. I paid $500 for it in 1994 and you have a hard time fining one at $1,000 now.

Need something to make that target move!!!

Production started in 1971 and I believe the silver trigger was 71-72 only???

Whittling, IMHO, the best "hunting" practice you could do is NOT by making a lot of shots.

Best hunting practice is BUSHCRAFT.
This is where you define successful hunters, the one that always bring meat home.
You would learn how to stalk, how to keep the wind in front of you, how to look at tracks/trails,
how to plan your hunt and where the animals would likely be.

The shooting part is NOT hunting practice, but it is in fact a shooting practice.
You get a gun that you are comfortable with, and you shoot it so you can group the bullet predictably at your hunting range depending on your stalking skill.

Hunting practice is not how fast you can send lead downrange,
but it is how patient you can be while moving closer to the animal to gain a good comfortable shot.

Would anyone disagree on this?