All hunters must first learn to shoot a handgun properly then practice with it before taking it to the field. Shooting a handgun takes more skill than shooting a rifle or shotgun. What you plan to hunt is neither here nor there. Small game, big game, whitetail deer or predators require the same basic shooting skills.
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The Ultimate Guide to Handgun Hunting: Tips and Tactics for Hunting Small and Big Game List Price: $24.95 Sale Price: $6.97 Average Rating:   |
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In THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO HANDGUN HUNTING, author Clair Rees provides information about the basics of handgunning, as well as unique and thorough tips for veterans. Chapters include helpful and informative hints on hunting deer with a handgun; hunting moose, elk, pronghorn, and other North American big game; handgunning in Africa; the pros and cons of hunting dangerous game with a handgun; shooting prairie dogs, woodchucks, and other varmints with long-range pistols; calling coyotes, foxes, and bobcats within handgun range; hunting rabbits, squirrels, and other small game with .22 rimfires; handgun shooting techniques; and suggested field practice and safety tips. Recommendations regarding handgun type, caliber, loads, and sights for big game hunting are also included within each chapter. This extraordinary book also includes chapters from well-known handgun hunting experts such as J. D. Jones, Layne Simpson, and many others. |
To begin, handguns are inherently less steady than other firearms. With a rifle or shotgun you have four contact points;
1) The forearm of the rifle held firmly in one hand.
2) The pistol grip portion of the stock in the other hand.
3) Your cheek firmly pressing into the stock.
4) The butt of the rifle snuggled into your shoulder.
With a handgun, you have at best two contact points;
1) One hand holding the grip.
2) Your offhand supporting the shooting hand and the base of the grip.
No matter how hard you try, or how skillful you become, this will never change.
To greatly improve the stability of your handgun shooting, sit with your back firmly against a tree or fence post, draw one or both knees up into a comfortable position, and rest your hand or arm against your raised knee.
One thing you must keep in mind while shooting in this position, is that a powerful blast is released just in front of the gun barrel . This is known as cylinder-gap blast. Even with heavy hunting pants on, it’s still a good idea to keep the barrel out in front of your knees to avoid injury or damage to clothing.
Another way to steady your shooting position is to use a monopod. Plant the end of the monopod firmly in the dirt. Rest the grip or frame of a handgun (not the barrel or it will throw the shot off) on top of the monopod, or put your hand in the same place and rest the gun on your hand. Some handguns work well with a folding bipod .
At the very least, you may take advantage of any natural rest. A boulder, a low hanging branch, or a fallen log may steady your shot considerably.
The other handicap handguns have when compared to rifles is a shorter sighting radius. The shorter the sighting radius, the more critical alignment becomes, and the easier it is to make a sighting error. This is why a 8-inch barrel is usually considered to be the minimum for hunting. This sighting radius problem can, of course, be cured with a pistol scope, which is a very good addition for the long-range specialty handguns, like the Contender. If you like pistol scopes and don’t mind the added weight, use one. But don’t be too quick to rule out the use of iron sights entirely. There are still situations where they rule like in close hunting in thick brush. A pistol scope in this situation will do you no good.
While handgun recoil is minor when compared to rifles, due to the smaller chambering, it doesn’t feel that way when you’re shooting. A lot of this comes from the muzzle being closer. You may feel the blast wave coming back and striking your face. The noise of any chambering when fired from a handgun is significantly increased, as well. This is why handguns tend to make shooters flinch, and a flinch throws off your accuracy.
When practice shooting with a revolver handgun, load one or two rounds spaced apart in the cylinder. Close the cylinder and rotate it so you don’t know if a live round is chambered. Carefully aim at the target, take careful aim and squeeze the trigger. At the moment the trigger breaks and the hammer falls, watch the barrel closely. If the muzzle tips even slightly, you are flinching. A flinch of this type may manifest itself as just a slight dip or as a major downward jerk. Either way, it’s hurting your accuracy.
Try to hold the gun as steady as possible after the shot. Hold more steadily and you should see an immediate improvement in your shooting. After you’ve beaten a flinch, it’s a good idea to test yourself on occasion just to make sure it’s not creeping back.
Shooters of single-shot or semi-auto hand guns may also benefit from this method, but they need a partner to load, or not load, as they practice. Don’t forget to always assume the gun is loaded and keep the safety on and action open whenever you aren’t actually firing.
The only negative aspect to this exercise is that dry firing on an empty chamber may damage some firearms and will damage most rimfires. Check your owner’s manual, and use a firing pin cushioning device if necessary.
Practice your shooting with the proper paper targets. Plinking cans and other movable objects maybe fun, but it’s not a good method of practice. It’s important to know exactly where you are shooting. The bull’s eye target works best. You needn’t go with traditional black bull’s eye, an orange bull will be easier to sight on, and it is much easier to see bullet holes.
To shoot a handgun accurately, you need to practice frequently. Don’t go to the range and shoot 200 rounds in one day. Just shoot 20 or 30 a week. But shoot at least once every two weeks, for several months, before the hunting season.
Sight in your handgun on sandbags so you know it’s right, and check that zero every time you go to the range. Then practice from the position you will actually be shooting from while hunting.
Handgun hunting is more challenging the rifle hunting, and we hope this article has given you some insight into the art of handgun hunting. Good luck to your next outdoor handgun adventure.
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I prefer using revolvers for hunting, they have more stopping power.
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