Getting ready for the big hunt

[CAustin]

Well you are about 30 days out now. Hope son is ok. Maybe they can put him in a brace for the hunt!

 

[Pheroze]

Well you are about 30 days out now. Hope son is ok. Maybe they can put him in a brace for the hunt!

Thanks. I am in denial about his knee, I keep hoping it is just a bad bruise. He is using a brace and gets an appointment next week. When it comes to the outdoors, he is a trooper. He broke a bone in his wrist but that didn't stop him from going on a canoe trip! Now, ask him to empty the dishwasher and his injury is incapacitating!

 

[Pheroze]

The kid got checked out. A tear in the mcl but we believe the meniscus is ok. Poor guy, in a brace, not able to help with cleaning up or taking out the garbage

That is until we went to the cabin to fish. Little did I know the true magical powers of the place. I must say, this humble cabin has the healing power of Lourdes!

The brace was off as soon as the truck stopped. A hike down a muddy trail did not elicit any complaints. Here is the poor unfortunate injured fellow caught on a trail camera that weekend

Other than looking a bit too Canadian for comfort, I don't see any reason for concern, do you?

Needless to say he is now helping out around the house more!

Off to the range. More practice!

 

[Pheroze]

I am sitting at the range in my car not sure whether to feel optimistic or bummed. I came here to practice off hand shots. At 50 yards my groups we mediocre.

I went out to 100yds and was worse. Initially, I was not within the target area. The last shot I had was spot on. But no consistency.

So, here I am doing what I only dreamed of a few years ago: A few weeks away from a safari, shooting a 375 H&H with my own hand loads. All of this would not be possible without the awesome community here. On the flip side, here I am a few weeks out from my safari still shooting off hand inconsistently. Not good enough.

This thread is meant to be a diary of sorts for any other newbie treading down this path. So, I am being honest in my assessment. But, I gotta say, some of you guys make this stuff seem really easy and it ain't!

 

[ChrisPy]

I feel wha your saying. Last year when we where getting ready for are family safari, had the guns registered we are taking. I decided to go to 180gr for my sons 300 wm, no big deal till I could not get them to group. I tried everything, different power different grains even sent it down to the gunsmith. Ended up going back to 165gr all was good. The ups and downs of getting ready to go on safari came drive a person crazy. Been home almost a year and would go through all the craziness again just to go back, man was it fun

 

[JimP]

Have you tried shooting off of sticks instead of offhand? I am sure that any animal that you will shoot at on your hunt is going to be off of sticks with you either sitting or standing.

Even when I am hunting here in the states I try and not take a 100+ yard shot just standing without some kind of rest.

 

[Pheroze]

Have you tried shooting off of sticks instead of offhand? I am sure that any animal that you will shoot at on your hunt is going to be off of sticks with you either sitting or standing.

Even when I am hunting here in the states I try and not take a 100+ yard shot just standing without some kind of rest.

Absolutely, I was shooting off sticks previously and also dry firing off sticks. I thought that shooting off hand would be good training. Little did I realize how damaging it would be to my self esteem

 

[BRICKBURN]

There is good reason to shoot from the steadiest rest you can find.

No, it is not easy. Don't get down on yourself.
Nothing like missing to drop the confidence level.


Can you hold the rifle to your shoulder for any length of time?
Have you developed the muscles to be able to hold that weight? never mind being steady.
Develop the muscle and then try again.

Also, you can try to float your sight picture instead of trying to be rock steady.
Smoothly move and find the pattern and squeeze at the right time.

 

[Pheroze]

I feel wha your saying. Last year when we where getting ready for are family safari, had the guns registered we are taking. I decided to go to 180gr for my sons 300 wm, no big deal till I could not get them to group. I tried everything, different power different grains even sent it down to the gunsmith. Ended up going back to 165gr all was good. The ups and downs of getting ready to go on safari came drive a person crazy. Been home almost a year and would go through all the craziness again just to go back, man was it fun

Do you have a hunt report? Did you guys all hunt?

 

[Pheroze]

There is good reason to shoot from the steadiest rest you can find.

No it is not easy. Don't get down on yourself.
Nothing like missing to drop the confidence level.


Can you hold the rifle to your shoulder for any length of time?
Have you developed the muscles to be able to hold that weight? never mind being steady.
Develop the muscle and then try again.

Also, you can try to float your sight picture instead of trying to be rock steady.
Smoothly move and find the pattern and squeeze at the right time.

I have to develop more strength I think. It's a strange weight because it is certainly not as heavy as what I work out with but it does fatigue the shoulder!

A lot more dry firing will be good. I think that developing this skill will have a big spill over benefit on all other positions, so I am going to keep at it.

 

[ChrisPy]

We went over as a family, my wife doesn't hunt but the kids broke the bank. I did up a report, we went with Crusser Safari

 

[BRICKBURN]

I have to develop more strength I think. It's a strange weight because it is certainly not as heavy as what I work out with but it does fatigue the shoulder!
...............

Hold a pound of butter out at arms length and you'll see which muscles you are really working out.

 

[Pheroze]

The tension builds as the time gets shorter. On Wednesday we had dinner with my parents to ensure the itineraries lined up with hotels etc. I received confirmation from @riflepermits.com that they would store my rifle and my son's bow while we travel to Sun City. I needed a set of light Binos for the hunt as the pair I have are actually marine Binos I used for sailing. They are quite large and clunky. Fortunately , @mbogo45 posted a classified and I picked up a new to me set of Swarvoski 8x30 Binos from him for a very decent price.

Trophies! Earlier in the year SSI had located a Canadian agent but I had dropped the ball on following up with them. That is next!

Permetherin the clothes...tsa lock for ammo...we are getting there...double check no permit required for bow ( I certainly hope not!)

And every day I am dry firing! Bracing with the sling is certainly steadying the off hand shots!

This is getting real, really fast

 

[robertq]

Pheroze, please call Rosella on Monday so you can have a stress free hunt.....good luck, happy hunting ..... Be safe.... 845-943-5943

 

[Pheroze]

Practise continues up to the 11th hour. Let me preface this by acknowledging there are a large number of you who shoot incredibly well. So, this disclosure is at the risk of personal embarrassment. At least Marius @KMG Hunting Safaris will know what he is dealing with!

To work on the crap offhand I did more shoulder exercise. Also, when dry firing I put a 2lbs leg weight on the rifle and did a few sets and then without the weights. I shot this group today at 100 yards offhand. One big difference was I was watching the puff of dirt behind the target. Clearly room for improvement but a big improvement over what I was doing before. The left and right two low ones (and some others earlier) were early practise. The four in a square was what I did by the end of the session. They just felt better. My thought is that I am now OK off hand at 50 yards but I know I should stay under 100. For fun I shot one out to 200 and put in in the 10 circle. That felt good so I stopped for today.

The youngest and I did some shooting from the sticks to 200 yards. He shoots great with the 270 and I have no worries.

His old man mustered this group with the 375:

And with the fact it was quite windy I think this is OK. Again, probably the best part of it is I know my limits but I feel confident within them. Not winning any trophies but not out of the range of reasonable.

 

[CAustin]

You will be fine! Looks like dead critters to me!

 

[Royal27]

And with the fact it was quite windy I think this is OK. Again, probably the best part of it is I know my limits but I feel confident within them. Not winning any trophies but not out of the range of reasonable.

This sums it up well. You'll be fine. And Marius knows how to set those sticks up quickly.

Enjoy! Can't wait to hear more.

 

[Pheroze]

Thanks for the vote of confidence guys! I have one more week at work, 15 cartridges to use at the range and then just time separates me and the African plains

 

[BRICKBURN]

You should be nearly useless at work this week.

 

[Royal27]

You're a couple of weeks ahead of me! Shame the timing isn't the same as there is a plan to meet up with Marius one evening and it would be great to meet you!

I need to start putting all my gear together....