The Key to a Successful Hunt: Practice Shooting Positions

One cause for a hunter or huntress to not succeed in harvesting their animal is lack of practice. In hunters’ education, they teach us the four basic shooting positions, but it seems when we go to the range we sit at the bench and “sight in”. It is not often that you will find a shooting bench and stool while you are on a New Mexico big game hunt. When you head to the range, practice more than just sighting in your rifle at 100 yards.

Practice the four basic shooting positions. Always remember the rules of shooting safety.
Prone Position

Lying on your stomach, using your arms, bi-pod or pack to support the weight of your rifle, this is the most steady of the basic shooting positions. Practice bringing your rifle to your shoulder and getting your target into your sights. Prone is an excellent position when you are making long distance shots and ideal if you have relatively flat ground and nothing to obstruct your view. In the woods it can be hard to find optimal locations for a prone position. Inevitably you are stalking a bull or a buck and you are in the tall timber or thick scrub oak. There are lots of down trees, rocks and thick grass that may block the view of your target as you lay on your belly. Because of this, you should always practice the other basic shooting positions.