How do you practice?

I was wondering if you folks have any tips for practicing at the range for a handgun hunt. I have been working on several things such as "making the first shot count". I practice offhand, bringing the revolver up, finding the target and try placing that first shot where I am aiming. I then set the gun down, relax a bit, and then repeat as if it was my first shot. I will do this several times. I have found, especially with my 500 JRH, that if I try to sit there and shoot cylinder after cylinder that I will get fliers or even worse, start to anticipate recoil and invariably catch a flinch. My home range is a public one that has limited availability for different shooting positions for a scoped revolver, you are either benched or off hand. What are some things you folks do when practicing. Thanks for the info

I practice well before a hunt. I start in Feb. with groundhogs, June for crop damage deer. You can do this with rockchucks, prairie dogs, whatever else you can shoot before your hunt.
My range time is mostly to make sure my gun is sighted in, followed by a few off hand shots at 25,50,75 & 100. More importantly shoot off whatever you'll use on your hunt (at the range and varmint hunts), like your backpack, BogPod with PSR, other standing tripods, whatever you'll use.
Nonstop, continued shooting won't help you much. You won't do that on a hunt unless it's dangerous game. Shoot a couple rounds. Stop and rest or BS with the guys at the range. Shoot a few again.
I can honestly say that in all the shooting positions I use on my varmint hunts, I've rarely encountered something different on my big game hunts. The conditions you encounter will always be a surprise and unpredictable just like on varmint hunts. The more of these you experience, the more comfortable you'll be on the "real" hunt. Range time never benefitted me much.

Shooting cylinder after cylinder using guns with heavy recoil can definitely result in developing a flinch. Some of the best practice I get in is with guns with mild recoil. If I plan to hunt with a 454 Casull, I get in about 60% of my practice with a 22lr, 25% with a 44 mag and 15% with the 454 Casull. Not exact percentages but somewhere in the ball park. The lower power guns have either open sights or a similar scope to the gun I plan to hunt with.

As wvhitman pointed out, small game hunting is some of the best practice. Like he said, you find yourself shooting from the same positions you will when big game hunting. It also boosts your confidence.

Also, welcome to the site adbhowler!

I keep things pretty simple. Specifically as it pertains to my bigger calibers, here is my approach...once I have my load figured out and locked in, I don't shoot a lot of bullets in a session but I shoot a lot of sessions. 3-5 shot sessions very frequently seem to work best for me. I'm always trying to replicate a hunting situation with a cold, clean barrel, and making the first shot perfect. The remaining 2-4 bullets are more for group confirmation and mechanics of a perfect trigger pull.

Works for me anyway. Good luck to you!

As a hand gunner practice real life situations, keep it as realistic as possible, find ways to get yourself steady, a tripod, PSR, whatever you have to do to make a steady shot, there are some pretty clever folks on here that do exactly that, learn from them, and good luck!

One method I've used for many years with rifle and handgun is to use a single 8.5"x11" sheet of black paper as a target. No target dots, just plain black paper. I shoot 2-3 rounds at various distances and in various positions. When I reach a range where I cannot keep all my shots on that paper I know I have exceeded my maximum range for that position or firearm. I use the plain black paper as it offers no definite aiming point and approximates the kill zone on big game. For handguns I move five yards back at a time until I start having flyers off the paper. I move 25 yards at a time for open sighted rifles and 50 yards at a time for scoped rifles.

With my scoped handguns, I practice at the range, shooting off a rest.

Today, I had my Super Blackhawk at the indoor range and I shoot off-hand from the 25 yard line (max indoor distance). My wife shoot with me, but she?s shooting a 9mm. We each shoot 3 strings of 5-rounds, then the other person shoots.

I shoot at an indoor range (max@25yds) during the week..

0n certain weekends l shoot IHMSA events in Big Bore and

Field Pistol class...


Always from a STANDING position

I always try to find some kind of a field rest when I hunt.
I practice this way as well.
Typically carry Bog-Gear with the PSR top.

I walk out back in the woods and tack a paper plate to a tree. walk away from 5-6 yards to 50 yards or so. turn find the plate and shoot a cylinder full. lean on a tree to steady if its handy. if not just shoot off hand. uneven ground, boggy water, straddling a downed tree, bad footing what ever comes along. then im lucky. i own a bit of land a there is a mile of woods behind me and i cant see or hear my neighbors to the right or left. if im ever ambushed by a paper plate in the woods i know ill be ready

Thanks for the feedback. Going to do some "small" game over the weekend on some public land here in CO. Going for multiple positions and rests if possible. Thanks again for all the tips. As I had hoped when joining this forum, I can pickup more "good" info in less time than it takes me to read a book. ( I read very slow LOL).