Hunting Accuracy        

          Off in the distance the poised hunter sees the bull elk he has been dreaming of season after season. At four hundred yards the bull stops, hesitant to come any closer. Now is the time to shoot. Slowly the hunter raises his rifle and gets the best rest he can locate. He finds his target in his scope and slowly pulls the trigger. The bull stands looking perplexed, then staggers for a moment and drops to the ground. A perfect shot at four hundred yards that fulfilled a hunter?s dream of a huge trophy bull.

          This story is not always the scenario that takes place in the wild-lands of the world. Often, more than anyone will admit, that trophy bull or monster buck runs away and is never seen again. A missed, or worse, non-lethal shot, does not have to happen. There are at least three very important aspects of hunting that can be fine tuned to prevent a hunter from missing any hunting opportunities. First every hunter is responsible for having knowledge of the kill zone with regards to the animal being hunted. Second, the hunter?s shooting system, including ammunition, weapon, and sight, should all be finely tuned to accomplish precise accuracy consistently. And third, the hunter must be able to compose himself before the shot, despite the intense excitement.

          All animals have a kill zone and they are all basically the same for any type of big game animal. The ideal place to shoot a big animal is just back from the shoulders in the lower portion of the chest cavity. This is where the heart and other vital organs are, and will result in the best shot to kill ratio. The other two places that can be considered kill zones are the head and neck. Both of these are extremely hard shots and are not recommended; besides who wants to mess up a good mount. Though knowledge of the kill zone is essential to hunting, many hunters still miss game due to poor shot selection. The rule is, if the shot is not there, don?t force it. Reposition yourself or the animal for a better shot. Even when everything is perfect, hunters still miss, and this is a problem with either the firearm or the shooter.

           So how far is too far? The rule is if you can hold the crosshairs within the kill zone, then you can take the shot. This also applies to longer shots where holdover is needed. You must be able to hold the impact point within the kill zone. If you cannot hold the crosshairs within the kill zone, do not take the shot. Under the right conditions with a steady rest, 500 yards can be an easy shot. On the other hand, if you just made a rapid 2000 foot vertical climb and jump a bull, who is now running in timber, 75 yards may be too far. A cool head and discretion are what is needed.

          A responsive and predictable firearm is critical in any hunting situation. This can be accomplished by dialing everything in before the hunt begins at the firing range. This means a consistent grouping of shots at a preferred distance. Once the firearm has been zeroed, it is the shooters responsibility to determine the trajectory of the bullet so that an understanding of the drop or rise of a bullet can be considered when firing at a target. It is also important to use the same loads in a hunting situation that are being practiced with, so that the ballistics of bullets will be reasonably consistent from shot to shot. Also important for the hunter is an understanding of barrel harmonics. Using the barrel of a rifle as point of rest when shooting messes up the harmonics, and will thus ruin accuracy. Remember, practice builds competence and confidence. So, practice, practice, practice. Three shots, the day before hunting season is not going to cut it.

          Finally, a hunter needs to learn to control his emotions in the moment of truth. It is very reasonable to be breathing very heavy after coming up over a rise and finding a bull grazing nervously off in the distance. Don?t get all twitterpated and miss. Find the best rest that you can under the circumstances. If you have not been detected there should be time to get into a better position than standing offhand. Relax, raise the firearm, take two deep breaths and on the third hold. While slowly releasing the third breath squeeze the trigger, and bang, a bull was just bagged. Of course emotions and adrenaline will be high, that is part of hunting, but these feelings must be controlled long enough to accomplish the purpose.

          Hunting accuracy is a very essential part of having an enjoyable hunting experience. Nothing is worse than missing an animal that could have been taken. By learning a few simple things it is possible to increase accuracy and make shooting more fun. Learning where the kill zone is, how to properly tune a firearm, and how to control ones emotions before taking an animal are all part in hunting accuracy. By fine-tuning these three aspects of hunting, a person can come a little closer to becoming a true predator