Holding Techniques for Hunting

[O2bmark]

My guns are sensitive to any change in hold or technique when shooting from the bench so I was wondering how other members sight in and use their guns for hunting. With firearms while hunting I go for a fairly tight spot weld kind of hold with a good grip on everything. Instinctively I tend to do so with an airgun. If I'm using a bipod on the ground there is not so much variance but most often I'm offhand or offhand leaning against something and gripping gun shall we say "securely". Should I be trying targets offhand with and without support to determine hunting zero? In the field when I miss there are so many things that could be the reason that I cannot readily detect an error in zero. I realize being stranded at home has me overthinking everything (you should see me make coffee) but since grip has such an effect on the bench especially past 50yrds that I wondered if I should work on how to hold and how to zero for hunting.

Color me bored

 

[ChuckHunter]

With springers I always sight in from a bench or a bag on the hood of my truck...

Then walk around taking random shot from all different positions...usually have to make fine tuning adjustments taking shot from standing or kneeling off hand...and making shots from leaning on a tree or what ever rest you can find in the woods...learning your gun and consistency in hold is critical with spring guns...also a good idea to take several shots before going hunting...some guns need a warm up and other will change just with slight temperature differences...

It's a challenge to hunt with springers but I love it !!!

James from Michigan 

 

[Yo]

Bubble level works... No need to get all nitty gritty just trust me on this... Cheap $10 and under works... Yo!

 

[O2bmark]

I've had a few powder burners that were more art than science to shoot. I shot military high power with a M14 which was a hold sensitive rifle. I had different sight settings for every position. My newest airgun is .25 RAW which has considerable mass. I am surprised by how little changes in hold move POI. I use a very basic front rest and rear bag and the RAW does not like to free recoil. Maybe if the rests were designed for more consistent friction that would change. The rifle does like to see some shoulder behind it even if lightly. To Chuckhunters point, when in the field with other than a bipod most of us grip the forearm. When shooting from the bench on bags I do sometimes place my hand against the forearm, sometimes gripping the front rest. It will slightly affect POI but if I keep doing it consistency is OK. Completely offhand works better than I expect from watching all the movement in the scope combined with the long shot time of a pellet gun! When the crow drops he is only the second most surprised. 

Yo, I can rob the level off my Lapua mag since I never shoot it (I'm on the east coast---do you know how hard it is to find 1500+ yards without climbing a clock tower?). My scope is 2.2" above bore which really magnifies cant I suppose. I also need to increase upper body strength since I'm now at an age where nothing good comes automatically but only through effort. 

ChuckHunter, what's your favorite springer? I'm looking at the TX200 variants. In past used R-1 and R-9 (& FWB65 MKII for urban pigeons!) but this time around I want to do more shooting than tuning, if you know what I mean. I shoot crows and pigeons mostly but I'm a little intrigued by ratting. Not sure sitting up all night will suit me. I've killed some raccoons with both the .22 (Airwolf) and .25 but I really do have to put it in their ear or base of skull. I've hit one straight on in the forehead with a 22lr and it didn't penetrate! It fell over and gave the old nervous system death spasm and before I could walk to it, it just got up and walked away.