If it is target work you want, get a trigger that pulls in ounces not pounds. Your groups will tighten up after just a little practice with the new trigger.
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Tips and Suggestion to Improve Accuracy on Longer Shots
- Thread starter Ezana4CE
- Start date
Nailed my first squirrel at 50 yards this evening with my .25 Lelya. She spotted me about 20-30 minutes earlier and some brush obscured my shot. When she cam back I was able to get in position. She was on the ground by a tree trunk and I hit her with my second shot. I walked her down and took her out up close. She’s getting cleaned up to go in the freezer. She’s a little heavy. I forgot my phone before I left home so unfortunately no pics from the scene.
edit: I visited and sat in the same spot that I was missing from yesterday. I really just wanted to observe. I didn’t expect much because it’s been a windy day. I happened to put down my binos and through my peripheral vision and some brush I saw a white belly on a mound at the base of a tree. It was a squirrel standing on her haunches string in my direction. I looked down at my rifle to grab it and when I looked up she was gone. I guess she can back because I spotted her on the ground not far from the same tree. This time I shifted from sitting to kneeling, readied my rifle, lined up my crosshairs then adjusted for my holdover, cranked the magnification to I don’t know what (I added a throw lever today), steadied the rifle, fired and missed. She moved towards the base of the tree, but seemed a bit confused so I repeated the previous steps and *thwap!* I heard it and knew she was a hit before she finished flipping.
Now I need to practice for upward angled shots in the trees. I still need practice at this range in general as to really gauge this rifle’s capability, but it felt good to make that shot. I was more confident seeing my target on the ground. This was the only squirrel I saw today unless she was not the same one I saw about a half hour earlier. I’m noticing that i shoot better at paper targets with pictures of the animals I hunt as opposed to circular targets. Does anyone else do this?
edit: I visited and sat in the same spot that I was missing from yesterday. I really just wanted to observe. I didn’t expect much because it’s been a windy day. I happened to put down my binos and through my peripheral vision and some brush I saw a white belly on a mound at the base of a tree. It was a squirrel standing on her haunches string in my direction. I looked down at my rifle to grab it and when I looked up she was gone. I guess she can back because I spotted her on the ground not far from the same tree. This time I shifted from sitting to kneeling, readied my rifle, lined up my crosshairs then adjusted for my holdover, cranked the magnification to I don’t know what (I added a throw lever today), steadied the rifle, fired and missed. She moved towards the base of the tree, but seemed a bit confused so I repeated the previous steps and *thwap!* I heard it and knew she was a hit before she finished flipping.
Now I need to practice for upward angled shots in the trees. I still need practice at this range in general as to really gauge this rifle’s capability, but it felt good to make that shot. I was more confident seeing my target on the ground. This was the only squirrel I saw today unless she was not the same one I saw about a half hour earlier. I’m noticing that i shoot better at paper targets with pictures of the animals I hunt as opposed to circular targets. Does anyone else do this?
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Hit and Miss,better than hit and wound.About paper targets,all in your mind,which is a good reason to practice with what you are going to be shooting at, squirrels.
Ever think about using a walking stick style support? They are light and can help study your shoot.
Remembering back when I had no problems hitting a bulls eyes and then go out hunting,stalking and get too excited and rush my shot....big miss.
So hunting and target shooting are two different things; you got to know your ammo,the drop and scope adjustments,so then target shooting is I believe is an important part of hunting.....so many times I have heard a good hunter say." going to the range to sight my gun in".A good quote to remember...the goal is too get and take every advantage for a successful hunt.
Respect of game makes me want to be able to do the best I can .It hurts me to wound.I hunt to kill
Improve your long range accuracy by practicing with the same guns and ammo you are going to use for the hunt,Know how your ammo and gun are going to react to the different distance you will be shooting at...stay calm and be confident in yourself and equipment.
It is a war out there ,think like the game is armed and if you miss they will shoot back at you,and they are better shots,LOL.
Ever think about using a walking stick style support? They are light and can help study your shoot.
Remembering back when I had no problems hitting a bulls eyes and then go out hunting,stalking and get too excited and rush my shot....big miss.
So hunting and target shooting are two different things; you got to know your ammo,the drop and scope adjustments,so then target shooting is I believe is an important part of hunting.....so many times I have heard a good hunter say." going to the range to sight my gun in".A good quote to remember...the goal is too get and take every advantage for a successful hunt.
Respect of game makes me want to be able to do the best I can .It hurts me to wound.I hunt to kill
Improve your long range accuracy by practicing with the same guns and ammo you are going to use for the hunt,Know how your ammo and gun are going to react to the different distance you will be shooting at...stay calm and be confident in yourself and equipment.
It is a war out there ,think like the game is armed and if you miss they will shoot back at you,and they are better shots,LOL.
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@boscoebrea I’m not sure what you mean by a walking stick. I have looked at a Trigger Stick, other monopods, stand-alone bipods, long attachable bipods, and just two sticks crossed and tethered by string. I haven’t tried any of them. If you have a link to something specific you have in mind please post it.
I don’t like wounding animals either, but it happens. I’ve learned to allow squirrels to sit where they fall if I can determine that they’re dead on the ground. If not I’ll send a follow-up shot. Sometimes I do it just to be sure. On this one I did that and it wasn’t sufficient so I got up, walked up close, and finished it. It blew my cover, but to me it’s better than an unnecessarily slow death. After cleaning the carcass I saw that the follow up shot was a body shot that missed the lungs and nicked the liver. The thing I work hard to avoid is shooting an animal and allowing it to run off wounded. I’m still learning and improving and I appreciate the insight and suggestions you all are providing.
I don’t like wounding animals either, but it happens. I’ve learned to allow squirrels to sit where they fall if I can determine that they’re dead on the ground. If not I’ll send a follow-up shot. Sometimes I do it just to be sure. On this one I did that and it wasn’t sufficient so I got up, walked up close, and finished it. It blew my cover, but to me it’s better than an unnecessarily slow death. After cleaning the carcass I saw that the follow up shot was a body shot that missed the lungs and nicked the liver. The thing I work hard to avoid is shooting an animal and allowing it to run off wounded. I’m still learning and improving and I appreciate the insight and suggestions you all are providing.
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@Ezana4CE. Try the Primos Trigger Stick Gen3. I used to shoot mainly off a shooting table, but most often or not, I have to move around to find targets. This shooting stick has been very useful and stable for me once I got used to it. I don't shoot offhand as I am terrible at it and I wouldn't want to wound the pests unnecessarily. About long ranges, you just have to continue to practice and shoot more. Back in the days when I first started, 25 yards was a long way out, but as my gears improves with capability, I move the targets back further and further. Good luck.
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@max115 Thanks. I see a subtle difference in your movements in your videos like when you pan your shots. I may have to give it a try. I definitely would like to try it with another rifle. Currently I think I’d like to improve my skills from the three basic positions before introducing a shooting aid for the Lelya. After yesterday I’m more motivated to practice on shooting at targets at an elevated position. I am capable of making ground level shots at 50 yards and want to improve here as well.
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@Ezana4CE. Any tools added to your shooting gear will help but bottom line is the shooter behind the trigger. I practice religiously whenever I can, especially when I am shooting starlings at long range. But I noticed when I do too much rats shooting at those short distances, my long shots often suffered when I was out shooting starlings. Bad habits can quickly slip in, so again practice for the shooting that you would do and get some trigger time in as much as possible.
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This is a good thread. Happy I found it. Thanks for the tips. I think I will bring my AA S510 to the next PRS practice. Not just for giggles but to actually tests it’s viability at range.
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So I’ve been practicing and taking notes after shooting groups. So far I’m at 35 yards comfortably sitting on the ground with elbows on knees and thighs. Kneeling is so-so as far as grouping is concerned. The first thing I noticed that helps is to “marry” my cheek weld (not my phrase. I read it somewhere). Once I see the desired POI I try to keep my cheek pressed to the cheek pad whether I’m cocking to index the next shot or increasing magnification to see the hole in the target. That’s helped my groups and helped me key in on my holdover(under).
Another thing I’ve noticed is that on a multi-bullseye target sheet the holdunder becomes necessary for targets above the bottom row. I can nail the bottom targets by aiming dead center. I’m thinking this has something to do with why it’s easier for me to hit targets on the ground or at least feeling more confident about taking those shots.
What I’ve found puzzling is that at certain pressures the pellets behave differently, even with a regulator. Today I was shooting three-shot groups and it appeared that three shots used 5 bar of air by eyeballing the manometer (I hate that it’s on the business end of the rifle). A couple of times I noticed that a three-shot group would use 7-10 bar. The most odd thing was that at certain pressure(s) I noticed that my shots would be high and then after a group or two they’d calm down. I may clean this barrel tonight or tomorrow. I haven’t cleaned it since I got it. I don’t know if that has something to do with it, but there was virtually no wind today and I’m still trying to figure this one out. That’s how my progress is looking so far with this gun and these pellets. Still haven’t tried shooting from my portable table again, but now that I’m thinking about it I may be able to improvise using a more stable surface to get that baseline some of you suggested. I’ll try to post my progress to document what works.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that on a multi-bullseye target sheet the holdunder becomes necessary for targets above the bottom row. I can nail the bottom targets by aiming dead center. I’m thinking this has something to do with why it’s easier for me to hit targets on the ground or at least feeling more confident about taking those shots.
What I’ve found puzzling is that at certain pressures the pellets behave differently, even with a regulator. Today I was shooting three-shot groups and it appeared that three shots used 5 bar of air by eyeballing the manometer (I hate that it’s on the business end of the rifle). A couple of times I noticed that a three-shot group would use 7-10 bar. The most odd thing was that at certain pressure(s) I noticed that my shots would be high and then after a group or two they’d calm down. I may clean this barrel tonight or tomorrow. I haven’t cleaned it since I got it. I don’t know if that has something to do with it, but there was virtually no wind today and I’m still trying to figure this one out. That’s how my progress is looking so far with this gun and these pellets. Still haven’t tried shooting from my portable table again, but now that I’m thinking about it I may be able to improvise using a more stable surface to get that baseline some of you suggested. I’ll try to post my progress to document what works.
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After making it a point to target shoot more I’ve noticed that in real situations I find myself not having to put a lot of thought into holdovers and POA. I just do it and it works. Or at least I can say that I find that it’s been working better for me. I’m still building my confidence to take shots from various positions at further distances and I’ve found that more frequent practice helps. I also moved my scope forward on the rail a little so that I can comfortably rest my cheek on an area that will result in a more consistent view within the recommended eye box without having to awkwardly bend or crook my neck. I’ve also incorporated a throw lever that I find helpful in ranging, glassing, and quickly transitioning from glassing to selecting my POA. Just an update, but I’m still working to improve.
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Considering some of your suggestions about seeing what the gun is capable of in ideal conditions I finally got around to breaking out the Lelya w/Vector Veyron 3-12x44mm FFP scope, folding shooting table, folding chair, UTG Recon 360 bipod, Caldwell rear bag, rangefinder, pellet trap, Tactacam, and sight-in paper target to see what’s going on with my shots at 25 yards.
What I found is puzzling. I slowed the footage down and watched some of my shots flying in different directions (primarily to the left, but some went right about an inch) when aiming at targets that were not centered directly in front of me. Wind gusts were minimal and when wind was blowing I waited until it was relatively calm or still before shooting. I need to tackle this issue. I have some ideas, but I’m probably going to ask questions about this issue in a separate thread. I may link it to this thread after I gather more info and suggestions. I definitely intend to investigate the issue more today and tomorrow. This is irritating. Hopefully I can identify the issue and correct it. This is still a work in progress to improve on longer shots.
What I found is puzzling. I slowed the footage down and watched some of my shots flying in different directions (primarily to the left, but some went right about an inch) when aiming at targets that were not centered directly in front of me. Wind gusts were minimal and when wind was blowing I waited until it was relatively calm or still before shooting. I need to tackle this issue. I have some ideas, but I’m probably going to ask questions about this issue in a separate thread. I may link it to this thread after I gather more info and suggestions. I definitely intend to investigate the issue more today and tomorrow. This is irritating. Hopefully I can identify the issue and correct it. This is still a work in progress to improve on longer shots.
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Dave,
I had a pellet giving me the best precision of all that I tried — at 30y.
But at my 64y target I missed more than I thought was warranted considering my own errors and the wind....
I improved my hold, my follow-through, my parallax correction — still I was missing a lot of shots.
Then Tactacam arrived on my personal shooting scene. And I was appalled to see my "best" pellet spiraling toward the target as I watched its flight downrange at 240frames/s.
So, for longer ranges I had to change my pellet.....
Hope you'll find a solution. Keep us informed (and give us a link to your new thread here).
Matthias
I had a pellet giving me the best precision of all that I tried — at 30y.
But at my 64y target I missed more than I thought was warranted considering my own errors and the wind....
I improved my hold, my follow-through, my parallax correction — still I was missing a lot of shots.
Then Tactacam arrived on my personal shooting scene. And I was appalled to see my "best" pellet spiraling toward the target as I watched its flight downrange at 240frames/s.
So, for longer ranges I had to change my pellet.....
Hope you'll find a solution. Keep us informed (and give us a link to your new thread here).
Matthias
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So an update to the this thread. I have used a Tactacam FTS to film a few sessions. It’s good to use to see what’s going on with with moderate or high wind. Good lighting and getting the camera settings right is important. I got a lot of bad footage before I got help from @Gerry52 to correct the issue. What’s really helped is using DOPE (data on previous engagements) notes. This helps a lot with holdovers. I’m still not too experienced in dialing turrets. DOPEing has really helped me improve more than anything so far aside from getting out there shooting long distances more frequently.
Also I should add that identifying which ammo performs most consistent has also helped. Now I’m getting into washing and sorting pellets in order to cutdown on flyers thanks to @Tominco and @airgun-hobbyist. Tight groups are good to post and something to be proud of, but my first shot is what’s most important to me. That should be the kill shot. However, groups do come into play. I believe the importance of good grouping was most notable and practical for me on my “Nailed a Nutter on My Way to Work” thread. In that thread I shot a squirrel off of a tree with two shots this was at close range around 30 or so yards. After cleaning it I saw how close the two shots were. I aim to be able to replicate that sort of shooting at longer ranges if necessary. I’d like to be able to eliminate or reduce the need to track a large animal far into dense brush. Being quick and accurate with a good follow up shot has been helpful to me there.
Also I should add that identifying which ammo performs most consistent has also helped. Now I’m getting into washing and sorting pellets in order to cutdown on flyers thanks to @Tominco and @airgun-hobbyist. Tight groups are good to post and something to be proud of, but my first shot is what’s most important to me. That should be the kill shot. However, groups do come into play. I believe the importance of good grouping was most notable and practical for me on my “Nailed a Nutter on My Way to Work” thread. In that thread I shot a squirrel off of a tree with two shots this was at close range around 30 or so yards. After cleaning it I saw how close the two shots were. I aim to be able to replicate that sort of shooting at longer ranges if necessary. I’d like to be able to eliminate or reduce the need to track a large animal far into dense brush. Being quick and accurate with a good follow up shot has been helpful to me there.
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Dave,
thanks for the update!
And I'm glad things are getting better.
I'd love to hear some of the advice from Gerry52 that helped.Because for some reason in my own footage I still get rather fuzzy crosshairs....
Matthias
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