Oh, the thrill of the hunt! When you finally have that trophy buck or bull in your sight, you don’t want to miss because you weren’t prepared. Working on your aim and shooting accuracy before you hunt is one of the best things you can do to prepare for your hunt in Colorado. 

Practice Shooting Targets from a Longer Distance

Go out and practice on the range. You probably know how far you are comfortable shooting at. But what if you could increase your shooting accuracy at even longer distances? Don’t just take a few long-range shots and call it good. Take a look at your targets and pay close attention to the minor details. Notice your position, weather conditions, and the distances you shot. Can you make some changes to improve? Also pay attention to the ammunition you are using. It’s best if you can use the same, exact ammunition you would be using as if you were hunting.

Practice Shooting With More Realistic Conditions

When you are target practicing, the conditions you are shooting in aren’t always realistic. You might have great weather in broad daylight with no breeze and you can see for miles. You probably haven’t been hiking around at high altitudes with an elevated heartbeat. All of these conditions can factor into the way you shoot. Try target practice at dawn or dusk to mimic the times of when you would be hunting. Excercise a little before you start practice so that you are a little tired or have a higher heartbeat.

You won’t always be in the most comfortable positions to shoot while you are out hunting in Colorado. Wear what you normally would when you are out hunting, include all the layers you’d wear. Practice shooting while lying down and standing up. Think about what gear you would have with you. You could practice resting your rifle on your pack, a fence post, tree, or rock. Think of how you hunt and what environment you might be in and try to create a realistic “simulation” for how you would hunt.

hunter target practicing in the woods

Target practice with realistic conditions including wearing layers that may restrict your movements

Trigger Pull and Dry Firing

If you are really pulling hard on your trigger when firing, it is probably more of a yank. A proper trigger pull is less of a pull and more of an even press on the trigger. Practice with both dry firing and live rounds. To practice dry firing and a good trigger pull, get your rifle ready and balance an empty case, coin, or another small object on it. After this, pull the trigger. Does the object move a lot or fall off the rifle? If it does, keep working and practicing your trigger pull until you can consistently keep getting it right.

What to Avoid

  • An improperly mounted scope is sure to cause issues. Make sure your scope is mounted correctly and take it to be inspected by a professional if needed. If your scope is mounted improperly, it’s going to decrease your shooting accuracy.

  • Don’t shoot without following through and focusing. The shot shouldn’t end until it hits the target. Follow through and visualize a target point, not just a target area.

  • Using the wrong ammo can affect how you shoot. Try various different types of ammunition and see what perfoms the best for you and what works the best in your rifle.

Practice makes perfect. There just really isn’t any substitute for practice. Keep shooting and target practicing. Practice your trigger pulls until there is no movement and you can keep your rifle steady. When you’re ready to hunt big game in Colorado, contact us to schedule your guided hunt!