You can shrink your groups, improve marksmanship, and increase your success by increasing your confidence.
I still vividly recall the first time I saw deer in the field. Although I had seen deer in the woods and on the roads my whole life, it was not like this. My future father-in law invited me to go deer hunting that year. It was my first year with my now-wife. I was just 19 years old when I realized that I had never fired a rifle at deer. I felt a flutter in my hands and started shaking. That day, I was armed only with a Sears & Roebuck.45-bore caplock from 1950s that my great-uncle had found in a barn sale box. He gave it to him, and I refinished. That day, in the dimming light of a September evening in southeastern Michigan I saw a silent, reddish-colored shape emerge from the tallgrass behind my stand. I couldn’t believe my eyes. My heart rate went up, and my palms were sweaty and my breath became ragged. I lined up, distance unknown–perhaps 75 yards. I fired and the deer was gone in the smoke. I was just about to take my first shot at a deer. After some initial tracking, it was not found. I was just about to take my first shot at a deer. If I can, I now take them with a.45 ACP 1911. My skills as a rifle shooter have improved, but so has my confidence. I realized that half-a dozen years of poor shooting experiences were necessary to build my steady hand today. The Confidence Course was the only way to gain confidence.
I didn’t know I would be able to wait for a deer to come within my handgun range when I started. I was a simple guy who just lined up, fired, and missed. Sometimes it wasn’t in that order. I was clumsy and always surprised when a deer walked out. Their movements and appearance were a mystery to me. I was never ready for them. Failure has earned confidence. A shooter targets a laying-down buck silhouette about 200 yards uphill, between trees and foliage. Enter Two Hats Ranch and their Confidence Course. Two Hats is a Michigan hunting and shooting facility. The facility offers excellent deer hunting and a 1,000-yard steel plate range. There is also a unique, unknown-distance, life-size course that is spread across the range. It could be compared to sporting clays, or a walking shotgun range that simulates gamebird hunting. The Confidence Course is a more realistic alternative to clays. It simulates real-world situations with accurate-to-scale bears and moose. The Confidence Course uses animal replicas scattered throughout the course. There are shots from wide areas, downhill and upward angles, as well as multiple engagements. This is an important feature to build confidence in your gear. Dialing or holding your dope is only part of the equation. Other factors like magnification and field of vision are crucial. This allows you to get to know your gear and show you the strengths and weaknesses. The stability gear you bring with you must be used, whether it is a sling or pack, or even a tripod. The author is seated on the Confidence Course in a sling, pack, or tripod and fires at an elk target. Very few hunters are able to do this. Federal 130-grain Berger Match ammunition was used. This course is incredibly challenging. I can still recall being told that there was an elk in that shot. Can you see him?” I set up my tripod in the same direction he was going and couldn’t see anything. Then, I saw the bone-colored rack. My eye then followed the body. He was larger than I thought. I thought it was impossible for him to be at 350 yards. He was too large; it had to have been 200. It was a moment that I will never forget, being a deer enthusiast. The size of the elk intimidated me and it brought me back to that moment of wonder when the first deer appeared all those years ago. It was very different from what I imagined. Before you go on a hunt, test your gear and rifle. After completing the course, I made some changes. This place provides a safe environment for me to make these changes. It is better to miss a shot at 430 yards on a fake moose than a shot at 430 yards on a real one. You all make mistakes. But, it is better than a 430-yard miss on a fake moose.
Two custom Tuebor Precision6.5 Creedmoor bolt action bolts were fired by me. They were both firing Federal 130-grain Match ammunition with Berger bullets. My rifles were perfectly suited for this situation. I shot the course using two custom Tuebor Precision 6.5 Creedmoor bolt actions. Both used Federal 130-grain Match ammunition with Berger bullets. My guns are set up to a fast-release ARCA Dovetail. I have switched all my main rifles to this mounting system. I use the original saddle-style mount from Saddle Mount Dude for rifles that don’t have ARCA rails. This clamp-style can be used with any rifle. ARCA is slower to set up, but more precise. However, the clamp-style is much faster to use. The tripod’s main purpose is to see over terrain and foliage. I was astonished when I first started hunting. I had to stand up against a tree to see through stubble corn and leftover beans. To date, I have only made one prone shot deer hunting. To avoid being seen, I made a 500-yard stalk in low gully and then sat down in the snow at top of the ridge to make the shot. I can’t count how many shots I took upright with or without a tripod. The modern field tripod is the best hunting accessory. I believe they are the best, and I recommend them highly. Each rifle has its own sling, and I view slings as a vital part of the rifle. A good sling is a multi-tool that can help you create a stable position in a tight spot. It shouldn’t be your primary support, as it may be replaced by a tripod or bipod. If you are unable to get in a good shot, a sling can be used as a backup. I love the ability to use the SAP sling as a tow strap. Although this sling was originally intended for PRS matches and similar activities, it is now a great hunting sling. The loop feature is intended to be a quick-cuff. When placed around the support arm’s upper bicep, it can be pulled tight. Snap-shooting will be much faster with a tripod or a sling. The tripod should be placed in front of you, in the direction that the game is most likely to originate. The tripod should be placed in front of you in the direction that the game will most likely originate from. It’s impossible to predict what might happen so you can prepare for anything. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be found in MOA. Get Free Targets
