RedNeck Safari Training

[Backyardsniper]

So in preparation for my upcoming safari I spoke with my PH and we were discussing training and shooting practice and he gave me a couple of ideas for some good drills on shooting fast and reloading and such. I will preface this by saying I have a lot of shooting experience and I also have access to a nice range right down the road from my house and I live in rural Ky, that gives me the ability to do some more creative things than you can at a lot of other ranges.
So given our discussion on shooting fast, acquiring targets, and emptying magazines I hatched an idea. What if I mounted a target to a gas powered R/C car? I have a good friend that I think would be just the guy to help me engineer this little device. I'm picturing an R/C car with a light weight framework attached to it which has an upright on which you could mount a paper target at roughly buffalo or whatever animals vital zone height thereby being able to simulate a charging or retreating, or even a laterally moving target with roughly the same speed and maneuverability as your intended quarry. Now take into account this is both for training and fun before some of you get too serious on me but I think this is a worthwhile venture and would really put ones shooting skills to the test and would also give an unmatched tactical advantage in getting used to acquiring and hitting moving targets. What's your thoughts?

 

[Hogpatrol]

What's your intended quarry? If plains game, your shots will more than likely be at a stationary target. There would probably be more benefit to stick shooting practice.

 

[Foxi]

Many people always dream of attacking buffaloes.
My problem was always to get near to the old guys
The shot was always the easiest.

 

[BeeMaa]

FTW Ranch SAAM Safari Training Course. Getting the proper training is crucial to the success in whatever you seek. Learn from the best and apply what you can in your own backyard after that.
https://ftwsaam.com/SAAMTraining.aspx?id=sfr

 

[BRICKBURN]

Truly your goal has to be having some fun.

I hope you have a few r/c cars. You'll need them.

Figure out how to attach a small cardboard box. That way you can have targets on four sides.
Multiple angles, not just coming and going.


@BeeMaa suggestion is spot on for some formal training.

 

[Backyardsniper]

Buffalo, tuskless, and hopefully a Kudu. I'm fully aware that 99.9%of the time things go smoothly and there will be a ton of regular practice on stationary targets but I thought this would be a fun and challenging idea. I also have hunted on Kodiak and I'm headed to the Arctic to hunt caribou next year and this same friend of mine is a resident and he will be able to hunt Arctic Grizzly while were there, so it's just a general way to get used to acquiring moving targets, just to give an idea of the training level, I went with this same guy to Kodiak in 2019. He had the tag since he was a resident we did a DIY Kodiak hunt and I was just an assistant. In preparation for that hunt I fired roughly 150rd of 458lott and no less than a couple hundred shotgun slugs just to be prepared "in case" something went wrong. I'm a big believer in train like you fight and muscle memory.

 

[Backyardsniper]

Ahh the box is a great idea. If I can elevate that a bit above the car, both to simulate proper target height and also for the safety of the RC car that would be perfect.

 

[thriller]

Try tying a ballon to the rc car and shooting off sticks. ( you can put the balloon on a stick.)

 

[Backyardsniper]

@BRICKBURN and yes you are correct my goal is mostly fun and an added challenge. I mean you can only shoot stationary paper and steel gongs so many times before you get a bit bored and need a different challenge.

 

[Backyardsniper]

Yes, the balloon idea is excellent as well. Nothing better than reactive targetry

 

[Backyardsniper]

The safari school looks nice but $3250 for a couple days shooting steel plates is a little stiff for me. I can definitely see the benefit for people who have limited firearms experience or don't have access to a range or place where they can run drills on thier own. Although I bet it is some serious fun, and if I had the spare cash I would probably go do it just for the extra training and experience.

 

[GuttormG]

Balloons on a string on a windy day.
To add some stress, used red and blue balloons, timer and som way of instant order what color to shoot.

 

[Backyardsniper]

Great idea. In the army they use "lucky charms" targets. It's a paper target with different shapes and colors and numbers and you have a guy calling out shapes or numbers or colors and you engage what he calls out. That is an excellent idea. I run a pistol drill a lot where you have someone standing 7 paces off to your side when he charges at you you draw your weapon and fire at the paper target that is 7 paces in front of you. Ideally placing rounds in the kill zone before your training partners can make It to you and tap you on the shoulder. Does a great job of simulating the stress of a situation with a bad guy with a knife charging while you're trying to draw your weapon and deliver rounds on target.

 

[Backyardsniper]

The different colors and shapes on the "lucky charms" targets help you aquire and identify your target. Think adult, child, male, female, armed, unarmed. Sat you breach on a bad guys house and you know you're looking for a short male with a beard and a red shirt. It helps your brain get used to processing details and assessing whether or not to pull the trigger. All that info has to be processed in a blink of an eye.

 

[BourbonTrail]

Don’t forget, elephant targets are more than a few feet in the air. I like the balloons, but what about watermelons tied up in a tree?

 

[Backyardsniper]

I had considered placing elephant head targets up higher on a tree to simulate those angles. I'm also planning a trip to the zoo so I can look at some ele up close and familiarize myself with the anatomical landmarks. I can take my handy dandy smart phone here and look at the pics in the shot placement section of this forum while looking at an actual elephant in person. I think that will be greatly helpful. Probably wouldn't make the zoo keepers too warm and fuzzy but what they don't know won't hurt them. Ha ha

 

[Backyardsniper]

I have 200 woodleigh 500gr PP to burn through practicing and probably another hundred or so 350gr speer to use too. I purchased 100 500gr swift A frames to work up my final hunting load with. I'm still undecided on which solid I'll use. I'm gonna have to sample a few and see how they feed

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Don’t forget, elephant targets are more than a few feet in the air. I like the balloons, but what about watermelons tied up in a tree?

I hope you are on a 3000 yard range if you are shooting a rifle at that angle.

 

[Backyardsniper]

Large trees

 

[BourbonTrail]

I hope you are on a 3000 yard range if you are shooting a rifle at that angle.

Kentucky has the benefit of being very hilly. Mountains make good backstops.