Hunting season is coming soon around the country. If you want to get hunting tips from experts, here is a great audio “infotainment” resource. Leupold offers podcasts, 40-75 minutes in length, on a variety of topics of interest to hunters and precision shooters. A podcast is like a radio show that’s available 24/7, at your convenience. When you want to “tune in”, via your home computer or mobile devices, just visit the Leupold Podcast Page.
Oregon-based optics-maker Leupold & Stevens (“Leupold) offers the “Core Insider” podcast series. These podcasts deliver hunting advice and recount successful hunting trips — such as Caribou hunting in Alaska. Other Leupold podcasts provide optics info, industry intel, and tech tips. Leupold’s Core Insider podcasts can also be accessed directly from Leupold.com. From the Leupold Podcast Home Page, you can stream the podcasts live or download for later listening.
You can also stream these podcasts via iTunes and Spotify.
The Leupold Core Insider Podcasts cover a wide variety of shooting and hunting topics. One early episode features Leupold team members Kyle Lamb and Buck Doyle discussing long-range shooting, while recent Episode 55 explains how Binoculars and Rangefinders function. There are now 96 Leupold Podcasts available online for FREE.
This impressive 15-round group was shot by Jim See of Elite Accuracy.
Different Shooting Disciplines Demand Different Levels of Precision/Accuracy
In the rapid-fire 3-Gun game, you could probably “clean” most stages with a 2-MOA rifle. By contrast, in the short-range group benchrest game, to compete with the best, you’ll need a rifle that shoots in the “ones” (i.e. 0.1-0.19 MOA) in perfect conditions. In 1000-yard F-Class competition, the top shooters want a rifle that will hold one-third-MOA of vertical at that distance.
What is your standard of accuracy? How good is “good enough”. Jim See, a skilled gunsmith and successful PRS competitor, recently answered that question for his tactical discipline. For the kind of matches Jim shoots, he likes to have a rifle that will hold half-MOA for five (5) shots, 3/4-MOA for 15 shots, and 1 MOA for twenty shots. Remarkably, Jim’s rifle can do that with factory ammo. Above is an impressive 15-shot group shot with .260 Remington Federal Premium Ammo.
“I say it all the time, my loads need to print 5 under 1/2″, 10 under 3/4″, and 20 under 1″. It’s simple, if a hot barrel will keep 20 rounds fired in succession under my standard it will be a good barrel and load for Precision Match Shooting. Federal Premium Gold Metal Match .260 with Sierra bullets made the cut for me today. 15 consecutive shots under 3/4 MOA.” –Jim See
It’s said that you “can never have too much accuracy”, but there are acceptable standards for each discipline, and they’re not the same. A 100/200 yard Benchrest shooter will be sorely disappointed with a rifle/ammo set-up that can only deliver half-MOA. On the other hand, a PRS competitor like Jim See can achieve great success with a lesser degree of precision. This means you can save time and money. You can run your barrels longer between cleanings, and you don’t have to go “full OCD” when loading your ammo. The PRS shooter does not need to weigh-sort primers, or load powder to single-kernel standards. Proof is the performance. Jim See recently took third place at the Spearpoint Shootout, and he has been a podium finisher at other events. Learn more about Jim’s gunsmithing and training operations at EliteAccuracy.com.
Download This Load Development Target
Jim’s target seemed a bit familiar. AccurateShooter.com created this Diamond and Dot Target a few years back. On each aiming point, there are high-contrast black horizontal and vertical lines for aligning your cross-hairs. The gray circle lets you see the bullet impacts above, without obliterating the red diamond, which is quite useful for precise aiming (we put fine cross-hairs on the points of the diamond). This target sheet includes data entry tables below each of the three aim points. There are many other free targets out there, but this format is very popular. We’re pleased to see Jim using it. You can download this and dozens of other FREE Targets from the AccurateShooter.com Target Page.
Deer hunting season is underway now across the country. If you plan a hunt in the days or weeks ahead, here are three important tips to follow if you want to successfully harvest a deer this fall. These tips come from an article by noted huntress Nikki Boxler for the Winchester Blog. CLICK HERE to read full article.
Mistake #1: Not Sighting-In Your Gun with the Ammunition You Plan to Hunt With
You want to make sure you test the actual ammo you will use in your deer rifle. Make sure you are sighted-in properly with THAT ammo. Nikki says: “I always make it a point to shoot a few days before the season opens with the exact ammo and equipment that I will use while in the woods. Nothing gives me more confidence then knowing those last shots are hitting their target[.]”
Mistake #2: Rushing the SHOT — Focusing on Taking the Shot, Rather Than on MAKING the Shot
Being in the right place at the right time is essential to getting a shot on a deer. If you can’t MAKE the shot, being in the right place at the right time doesn’t matter. I have been guilty of this. A buck walks in and the conditions are perfect. He’s not far, but instead of taking my time I rush the entire shot and the results are not as I desired.
Mistake #3: Sticking to the Same Tactics Day in and Day Out
Throughout the course of the season, deer switch up their tactics. So, why wouldn’t we? When I was younger all of my hunting setups always looked the same — I’d have a ladder stand on the edge of a field. This was my comfort zone. I always stuck to it until recent years. I’ve now made it a point to step out of my comfort zone and explore new areas. This has definitely paid off with the percentage of deer I harvest.
Summer is behind us, but there are still many weeks for shooting fun before winter takes hold. With that in mind, here are six “fun and games” targets. While each requires good conventional marksmanship skills — hitting a small aiming point — there are other strategies involved, such as playing darts or hitting the right combination of poker cards. Most of us started shooting as kids, just plinking for fun. Here’s an opportunity to be like a kid again — to spend a day at the range just having fun with friends and family members.
NSSF Billiards Table Target
This Billiards Table Target offers 15 brightly-colored numbered balls with the cue ball at the bottom. Aim for the numbers, shooting 1-15 in sequence, or alternate between stripes and solids. You can also draw an “X” on the white cue ball (or attach a paster), and use that to set your zero. This target is fun for shooting outdoors with rifles at 50 or 100 yards or indoors with pistols.
This billiards target is part of a set of 12 Fun Targets from the NSSF. These were issued a couple seasons back for National Shooting Sports Month, held in August of each year. The other free targets include Golf Links, Bowling Pins, Fireworks, Baseball Diamond, Dutch Windmill, Water Balloons, Light Bulbs, Dartboard, and three Bullseye targets.
Dartboard Target with Colored Rings
This printable Dartboard Shooting Target has the numbers inside the outer dartboard ring to allow a larger target. With this target you can shoot for the center bull, or actually play pub-style dart games, aiming for numbers and particular rings. If you don’t know how to play traditional dart games, visit NiceDarts.com for complete darts rules. One popular game is “Around The World”. The object is to hit the numbered zones, starting with number 1. Then you try for 2, 3, and so on. After hitting all the numbers 1 through 20, then hit the bullseye to win. CLICK HERE for Other Dart Board Color combinations.
Poker Target — Get the Best Hand
Poker players will enjoy this target. With this playing card-themed poker cards target, each shooter takes five shots and the one with the highest hand wins. You can also shoot for four-of-a-kind, against the clock, fastest four (without a mistake) wins.
Slot Machine Jackpot Target
Enjoy a little Las Vegas-style fun on your next trip to the range. This cool Slot Machine Target has four sets of slot machine patterns each with three rows of three symbols. Connect three in a row to win — and hit the Jackpot! This is one of many colorful, free targets available from Targetz.com.
Flies in Circles Target
Now you can boast to your buddies that you hit a fly on your target — 16 times. On this target, 16 flies with bright red eyes are arranged in a inside circles, 16 to a page. There are various ways to use the fly targets. Some shoot to hit the head only — so aim for those red eyes. There are 11 other variations of this Fly Target available on the Targets.WS website.
Tic-Tac-Toe Fun Game Target
This Tic-Tac-Toe Shooting Game Target lets you challenge your shooting buddies at the range. One player can shoot the red triangles, while the other shoots the white zones, taking turns. You proceed just like a regular Tic-Tac-Toe game, alternating shots, with the goal of getting three of the same color in a row. This is a fun game for a parent and a young family member. You’ll find other fun targets on Targets4free.com.
Special BONUS — AccurateShooter.com Load Development Target
Our Load Development Target has been used by tens of thousands of shooters. It has proven very popular, since all your load data fits neatly in the boxes under each target. In fact this target is being employed by both rifle-makers (Bergara) and barrel-makers (including Criterion) to test their products. The target was designed for aiming efficiency. The red diamonds have 1/2″ sides and you can align your cross-hairs on the horizontal and vertical lines. It is a clean design that is easy to see even at 200 yards with a 20X scope. NOTE: When we test, we usually crank in a little elevation, setting the point-of-impact higher, so our shots fall in the gray circles. That way you leave the red diamonds intact for precise aiming.
Talented sharpshooter Kirsten Joy Weiss is featured in an episode of NRA All Access. The show covers Kirsten’s development as a competitive shooter, and her success as a trick-shot artist with her own popular YouTube channel. Here’s the All Access segment featuring many of Kirsten’s most famous trick shots.
During the video Kirsten also talks about her background in shooting and how she wants to be a good ambassador for the shooting sports, “spreading the positive reality of shooting”. Kirsten explains: “The fun challenge and joy of shooting is important to me because I really wanted to be a positive example. So when the media says the ‘guns are a bad thing and nobody does anything good with guns’, they can say ‘Well, what about her [Kirsten]’?”
Kirsten: “I think that it’s important for young girls to have somebody that they can look up to… I feel responsibility to show young shooters coming up, especially females, that you can respect yourself and shoot a gun as well.”
A gifted “natural” shooter, Kirsten started shooting fairly late — at age 16. Despite her relatively late start, she learned very quickly, and managed to earn a place on the University of Nebraska shooting team. That literally opened up a new world for Kirsten: “During the course of my career, I’ve had a lot of success. I’ve gone to World Cups… in Zagreb, Croatia, in Munich, Germany. I’ve won National Championships, and got on to the U.S. Olympic short list, so it’s been a good career.”
Proper Cheek Weld
No matter what your discipline — smallbore, silhouette, High Power, F-Class, or even PRS — it’s vital to have a consistent cheek weld for every shot. You want your head to be in the same position on the stock each time. This helps ensure proper eye-to-sights/optic alignment and consistent rifle balance.
In this video, Kirsten explains how to find the best position for your head on the stock, which may require adjusting the cheekpiece and/or length of pull. Then Kirsten demonstrates how to maintain consistent cheek weld shot after shot.
Kirsten tells us: “A lot of people don’t think of shooting as a sport, but it absolutely is, and I would even go so far as to say that it is an art form.” We don’t know if this is art, sport, or magic, but very few shooters have the skill or flexibility to make this upside-down shot…
This can be very important — even life-saving. For example, with a hang fire, i.e. a round that does not fire immediately, it is vital to keep the gun pointed DOWN-RANGE. And with a squib load, which may have left a round inside the barrel, it is vital to UNLOAD and NOT take another shot! If you did, the gun could blow up in your hand when the second, full-charge bullet hits the trapped bullet.
The Five Topics Covered Are:
Misfeed (aka Tip-Up)
Double Feed
Stovepipe (Failure to Extract)
Misfire / Hangfire
Squib Load
1. Misfeed or Tip-Up: With any misfeed you should stop firing. With the muzzle pointed safely down-range, remove the magazine, then pull the slide back and remove the round that did not feed. Check the slide for dirt, debris, and check the round that did not feed. After re-inserting the magazine, make sure the mag is seated properly.
2. Double-Feed: This is a fairly common issue with some gun types with worn springs or cheap magazines. Again you want to remove the magazine. CTD states: “Remove the magazine and cycle the action until your double-fed rounds fall out — always keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction[.]”
3. Stove-Pipe: This occurs when the case of a fired round does not eject fully. There can be many causes — damaged extractor, low-pressure powder charge, dirty chamber, or greasy cartridge brass. In addition the issue is common with old, worn-out recoil springs. To avoid Stove-Pipes, replace the recoil spring every 4000 rounds, and make sure your chamber is clean and the extractor is not chipped or damaged.
4. Misfires and Hang-Fires: There are multiple causes for misfires (“click no bang”) and hang-fires (slow ignition). There can be a defective primer, the firing pin could be damaged, the powder many have been bad, or the case not filled properly. With a misfire, keep the gun pointed down-range at least one minute. If the case does not fire, eject it but leave it on the ground. With a hang-fire (delayed ignition after firing pin strike), keep the gun pointed down-range, then drop the magazine and eject the (new) unfired cartridge in the chamber and inspect the gun when completely empty.
5. Squib Load: A squib load is when the gun fires, but the actual case ignition is very light with little noise, smoke, or recoil. This can be because the case had a primer but no powder. Or it can be because the powder did not ignite. Squib loads can be very dangerous in rapid-fire situations. If you EVER get a squib load STOP immediately! Do NOT fire another round! This is because the squib may have left a bullet inside the barrel.
F-Class ace Erik Cortina has interviewed noted author and Olympic Gold Medal-winning shooter Lanny Bassham. For his popular video channel, Cortina asked Lanny about his book With Winning in Mind. The two talented shooters also broadly discussed the “mental game” in the shooting sports and Lanny’s program for visualization of a winning performance. Lanny explains that after you have mastered your rifle skills, and learned to read the wind, it is important to adopt a winning mentality and to visualize success. Lanny should know. He won a shooting Gold Medal in the Olympics along with 22 world individual and team titles.
Watch Full Video Interview
Here is the wide-ranging and fascinating hour-long Lanny Bassham interview hosted by Erik Cortina. If you are looking to enhance your motivation, discipline, and “mental focus” when competing, this video is worth watching:
Visualization is a process of mental preparation that is done before you get to the range. Many of the greatest shooting champions have used this technique to get ready for big matches, and to optimize their performance during record fire. If you want to enhance your “mental game” through pre-match visualization, we strongly recommend Lanny Bassham’s book, With Winning in Mind.
As a competitive smallbore 3P shooter, Bassham developed a mental management system. Using this system, Lanny Bassham won 22 world individual and team titles, set four world records, and captured an Olympic Gold Medal in Montreal in 1976. His techniques have been embraced by professional and Olympic athletes in many sports. With Winning in Mind covers a complete system of “mental management” techniques used by Olympians and elite champions.
Putting principles into practice — Anette Wachter
Our friend Anette Wachter, aka “30CalGal”, did a series of videos for the NRAWomen.com site. In one episode, Anette talks about the “mental game” in competition. Specifically she explains how to “visualize success”:
I have found that a lot of my success in competition has come through what I call a ‘mental rehearsal’. I actually visualize every stage of the match and I visualize the success of the match and winning the match.
I actually visualize that round going downrange into the target, and the target coming up with a dead-center ‘X’. I visualize this over and over. If you visualize success you will achieve success.
Want to learn the basics of position shooting? Then you should check out an article by Gary Anderson, DCM Emeritus, in On the Mark digital magazine (Summer 2014, pp. 6-13). This article covers all the key elements: body position (prone, sitting, standing), sling use/adjustment, sight picture, aiming process, and trigger control. While this 8-page article was specifically written for Rimfire Sporter shooters, the techniques described by Anderson apply to all types of position shooting, whether you shoot air rifles, smallbore rifles, or centerfire rifles.
Here’s what Anderson says about aiming — how to keep your sights steady and get them centered on the middle of the target:
Trigger Contact and Center As soon as aiming at the target begins, the index finger must move from the trigger-guard to contact the trigger. It is important to get initial pressure on the trigger as soon as aiming begins. Then the shooter must focus on the sight picture and centering the sight picture movements over the aiming point. No one, not even champion shooters, can hold the aligned sights perfectly still. The sights are going to move a little bit or a lot, depending on the shooter’s skill level. The secret is to center those sight picture movements over the aiming point on the target (see trace illustration) before pulling the trigger.
When the sight picture movements on the target are centered, the last step in firing the shot is to add… smooth pressure on the trigger until the shot breaks.
Anderson also discusses the 5 Basics of Shot Technique:
You can spend thousands on a rifle, but that expensive hardware won’t perform at its best if you have poor trigger technique. One key element of precision shooting is trigger control. Our friend Kirsten Joy Weiss has produced a good video that shows how to refine your trigger technique for better accuracy. In this video, Kirsten talks about the actual placement of a shooter’s index finger on the trigger. It is important to have the finger positioned optimally. Otherwise you can pull the shot slightly left or slightly right.
Kirsten tells us: “Finger placement on the trigger might not seem like a big deal, but it actually is. The reason for this is because, depending on where your index finger is placed on the trigger, [this] translates to different muscle interactions with the gun.” Watch this video to see Kirsten demonstrate proper finger placement (and explain problems caused by improper finger positioning).
When you pull the trigger, you only want to engage the last section of your finger, in order to avoid unwanted muscle engagement and to achieve a smooth shot. Remember there is a “sweet spot” between the crease (first joint) and the tip of the finger. If you position the trigger in that “sweet spot”, you should see an increase in your accuracy. Don’t make the mistake of putting the trigger in the crease of your finger, as shown below.
Effects of Incorrect Finger Placements
You want to place the trigger shoe between the end of your finger and the first joint. If you place the trigger on the very tip of you finger you’ll tend to push the rear of the rifle to the left when engaging the trigger, causing shots to go right (for a right-handed shooter). On the other hand, if you put the trigger in the crease (first joint), you’ll tend to bring the rear of the rifle to the right, causing shots to fall left. This is illustrated below for a right-handed shooter.
Shooting indoors is fun, and at many indoor ranges you can shoot in the evening after work. But when shooting indoors you should always be extra careful. Follow all key gun safety practices and adhere to proper range “Etiquette”. We also recommend double hearing protection — plugs under muffs.
The NSSF (NSSF) offers a useful Range Safety and Etiquette video. This 8.5-minute video explains safe practices, especially at indoor ranges. In the video, the moderator list the basic rules of gun safety, before covering key range etiquette topics such as range officer commands, how to uncase your firearm on the range when you first arrive, and what to do if a firearm is accidentally dropped. There are also safety tips specific to handling both semi-automatic handguns and revolvers.
BAD RANGE BEHAVIOR — Five Things NOT to Do at the Range
Here are the five worst behaviors we’ve seen at indoor ranges. These behaviors are both dangerous and inconsiderate. Any one of these behaviors can get you permanently banned from an indoor range.
1. Sweeping other individuals after loading a weapon behind the firing line is very bad. All your weapons should be empty until you reach your shooting station.
2. Turning the handgun sideways while trying to clear a malfunction or insert/remove a magazine. This will point the muzzle at a fellow shooter. Or, after shooting a gun, the shooter fails to clear the weapon and then places the gun somewhere near the shooting station with the muzzle in an unsafe position.
3. Reacting unpredictably when firing a high recoil handgun. We’ve seen people take a second shot by accident with the muzzle way off target.
4. Not obeying range commands — in particular continuing to shoot during called cease-fires.
5. Poorly aimed shooting that hits target frames or carriers, causing ricochets.
Seven Types of People at the Gun Range — HUMOR
This video is satire, but with lots of truth in the characterizations. Laughter guaranteed.
Double-Up on Hearing Protection When Shooting Indoors
When shooting rifles and pistols indoors we recommend quality muffs with earplugs underneath, offering double protection. When inside an enclosed range, with other shooters blasting away right next to you, you really need effective hearing protection. But you also need to hear range commands and be able to communicate with your fellow shooters. That’s why we recommend electronic muffs with plugs underneath.
Episode 94: Anyone’s Hunt Colorado Rifle Elk
A gifted “natural” shooter, Kirsten started shooting fairly late — at age 16. Despite her relatively late start, she learned very quickly, and managed to earn a place on the University of Nebraska shooting team. That literally opened up a new world for Kirsten: “During the course of my career, I’ve had a lot of success. I’ve gone to World Cups… in Zagreb, Croatia, in Munich, Germany. I’ve won National Championships, and got on to the U.S. Olympic short list, so it’s been a good career.”
F-Class ace Erik Cortina has interviewed noted author and Olympic Gold Medal-winning shooter Lanny Bassham. For his popular video channel, Cortina asked Lanny about his book 
Our friend 
As soon as aiming at the target begins, the index finger must move from the trigger-guard to contact the trigger. It is important to get initial pressure on the trigger as soon as aiming begins. Then the shooter must focus on the sight picture and centering the sight picture movements over the aiming point. No one, not even champion shooters, can hold the aligned sights perfectly still. The sights are going to move a little bit or a lot, depending on the shooter’s skill level. The secret is to center those sight picture movements over the aiming point on the target (see trace illustration) before pulling the trigger.
