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Hunting & Fishing running/moving target practice tip

jayd4wg

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 12, 2009
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Steel City
most of you guys may have already done similar to a tip that was dropped on me this year. My hunting partner and I had been practicing on water filled milk jugs on a pulley system this year, but to be honest we could not get any real speed on the targets. Both of us have become quite adept at smacking that jug with the .308's out to about 100 yards but after trying to put a deer in the scope at 75 or so while running and how much they bounce around I chose not to try with the exception of a slower moving target. an old timer told me about an "old" trick where you put a cardboard target in a tire, and have a parter kick the tire down a hill and take safe refuge behind backstop. Keep the net nannies at bay here - i'd not shoot near the tire kicker, the object is to have an area where the tire can get away from the kicker to a point where you are actually shooting away from them with a good backstop behind the target. I can think of a few places where I hunt and shoot that this would be practical and deployable - I'm considering this kind of practice.

anyone got additional methods of practicing this type of shooting? Keep ethics discussions out of this, eash shot/opportunity is unique and i've pulled up more often than pulling the trigger by a long shot, but i've also been presented with alot of opportunities where it would have been nice to be a bit more skilled in hitting a mover. I've also seen folks smash the crap out of deer and hogs on full tilt run before and frankly, i'm jealous and want to improve on this.
 
Re: running/moving target practice tip

I've struggled with the "movers" training too. It's usually labor intensive and I end up spending way more money on a target system than intended. The planning/building is fun in it's own right but it tends to take away from my shooting time.

I've found that the basic skills necessary for the type of shooting you described have generally come from my time behind a scatter gun at the trap range. Hand eye coordination, factoring lead, judging distance and snap shooting are all basics that are reinforced by shooting those little, fast moving clay birds. Maybe not exactly what you were looking for but it works for me and mine.
 
Re: running/moving target practice tip

Try shooting clay "rabbits" with a .22. It is hard to say the least, and I think will get you the type of practice you want.
 
Re: running/moving target practice tip

Shoot a lot of birds and rabbits with a shotgun. Then move to shooting running rabbits with a 22. The tire idea sounds cool. Might have to try that next time I'm out shooting in the desert.

I've never "practiced" shooting movers with a rifle, but do a lot of shotgun hunting. So far I have not had any trouble shooting running deer with a rifle. Shot 2 on the run last year, both were about 80-100yds
 
Re: running/moving target practice tip

Definitely give the sporting clays rabbit with a 22 a try. Seems about right to me. I definitely had a good laugh when you mentioned not shooting the tire kicker. Lol. Im sure some of the ppl on here wouldn't mind taking a few shots at the tire kickers of the world. Haha
 
Re: running/moving target practice tip

Another way to practice, similar to the tire idea. Go to yard sales and buy up all the Soccer balls, Basketballs, and Volley balls you can find then have somebody kick them and you can try and shoot them. I heard of guys doing this to practice for Charging Dangerous Game, except they would kick the ball up a hill and try to shoot it as it rolls back towards them
 
Re: running/moving target practice tip

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DirtyDave</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Another way to practice, similar to the tire idea. Go to yard sales and buy up all the Soccer balls, Basketballs, and Volley balls you can find then have somebody kick them and you can try and shoot them. I heard of guys doing this to practice for Charging Dangerous Game, except they would kick the ball up a hill and try to shoot it as it rolls back towards them </div></div>

Damn you just cost me some $$$$. That sounds like a blast.
 
Re: running/moving target practice tip

Tire idea sounds like it would work. Interesting at the least...