Need more practice

[mitch4570]

So what say you. Would this have killed a buff. Not showing my 50 yard off hand because it's well, bad. I want to shoot a buff with my double but starting to feel like I need to take one of my bolt guns. I have my load workes out so I still have 6 months to practice. I'm spot on at 25 yards off hand but struggle at 50. Thoughts are welcome.

 

[Tanks]

Well, most likely you will shoot off of sticks. Shooting ability does not move with the guns though optics might help. Do you have a red dot on your double?

 

[mitch4570]

I agree but it depends. My bolt guns have better triggers and I do shoot them better.

 

[mitch4570]

Yes a red dot. trijijon.

 

[matt85]

If your sure your load is sound, then it's a matter of practice. All practice should be done off sticks.

A simple practice method is to find/make paper targets that have a 6" black dot in the center. The goal will be simple, keep all hits inside the 6" dot at 50 yards. I recommend 4 shot groups to give you a better idea than just two (R,L,R,L).

Stretch the distance to 75 yards after a bit. This will help you decide on a maximum range.

 

[mitch4570]

So if I can mantain group pictured
I'm good. The 8 ring is 6.4 inches in dia.

 

[mitch4570]

Typo it's 5.4 inches

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Make sure your load is good. Not sure how you established the load was sound but it could be diverging and you didn’t realize it at the distance you initially worked the load up at.

Shoot at 75 and 100yds as well - If you can start grouping at the longer distances, it’ll improve your 25-50yd groups.

You’ll likely shoot off sticks BUT that’s not a guarantee and I with the cost of the hunt I wouldn’t bank on that.

Shoot 10-12 shots per range session no more. You don’t want to punish yourself or develop a flinch since the 470 is likely the biggest and hardest recoiling caliber you’ve shot a lot of off hand.

I like a 50yd L-R, w/ a quick reload L-R off sticks. A 100yd L-R off sticks w/ a reload and a 50yd L-R off hand. From there my next 2-4 shots will likely be random distance L-R, and another L-R at a different distance. Some off hand some off sticks. Sometimes I’ll set sticks then walk away carrying the gun walk around the yard, down the driveway and up to the sticks, quickly get the gun in them and shoot.


Personally I’d want a better group before the hunt but that’ll come w/ practice

 

[Altitude sickness]

Your weapon of choice already has self imposed distance and accuracy limitations.

So after you are convinced you have gleaned everything from that rifle. And as long as you are ok with passing shots that are too far. Or not enough visual clarity to see the one hole in the cover to send a bullet into. And you’re ok with potentially walking away from that one chance after 50 miles and 10 days.

Then find your effective range with your chosen tool and ensure you stick to that. And you’ll be fine.

It took two trips and day 5 of the second trip to get one 25 yard archery shot for my first Buffalo. And I was fine with that.

 

[matt85]

So if I can mantain group pictured
I'm good. The 8 ring is 6.4 inches in dia.

Double rifles are not precision tools and shooting sticks are not perfect rests. Practice will improve accuracy, but remember what your shooting and what your real target is going to be.

These days I do ALL my shooting off sticks, regardless of caliber. Practical accuracy is more important to me than theoretical accuracy.

 

[skydiver386]

Since my early teens, I've practiced standing offhand, kneeling, sitting and prone rifle shooting. What feels wobbly at first will become steady with daily practice. When you add sticks, it'll feel rock solid.

To me, fundamentals come first.

 

[mitch4570]

Agreed I used to shoot high power and offhand at 100 on a reduced course and 200 yards on a full size course is part of it. Shooting the 470 double is a different animal to manage. Like you guys say practice is key.

 

[KevinNC]

You are overthinking it. Go enjoy your hunt.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Well, most likely you will shoot off of sticks. Shooting ability does not move with the guns though optics might help. Do you have a red dot on your double?

@mitch4570 A 50-yard money shot at a cape buffalo, elephant, or other dangerous game is expensive in terms of trophy fee. $5000 or often more is nothing for most to gamble with. The High Power rifle match standing or offhand stage of fire wasn't conducted immediately after the competitors sprinted 100 yards with our hearts beating at 100 times a minute! Not that you will sprint toward your shot in Africa but for most we will have trekked a few miles through the bush in hot weather. Then when the PH says take the shot chances are our beating hearts might make our sights bounce up and down with every beat. Enter the African shooting sticks.

I also practice shooting my .458's and .416's offhand but after practicing with those rifles on the standing bench and shooting sticks. Also my offhand practice with big bore rifles is rapid fire at 25 yards.

Shooting skills are perishable and must be practiced. My skills now are not what they were 40 years ago. I have a Winchester M52 .22 heavy barrel target rifle bobbed to 24" that with 1-8x illuminated scope weighs well over 10 lbs. It is a fine dangerous game practice rifle. I'll shoot this one at 50 and sometimes 100 yards offhand to stroke my aging ego. In doing so, I refresh my subconscious "muscle memory" so that if I had to take a Texas heart shot at a big wombed critter, my brain would guide my sights to hit center.

Also, Ivan Carter recommended fo me a cheap side by side shotgun for double rifle practice. At that time, I thought I can load ammo and shoot my double so much that I didn't need that. Now I think a 20 ga SxS with double triggers would be perfect for developing muscle memory for quick double rifle one two shots.

Shoot well my friend!

 

[Altitude sickness]

Mark I have just what the Doctor Carter ordered for you.

A cheap Fox savage 20 gauge cut to 20” with choke tubes. I’ll drop it off on my next visit. To add another level of practice for your next Elephant hunt.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Mark I have just what the Doctor Carter ordered for you.

A cheap Fox savage 20 gauge cut to 20” with choke tubes. I’ll drop it off on my next visit. To add another level of practice for your next Elephant hunt.

This is what a true friend does...