MilCun training for accuracy

People often tell us (at MilCun) they can’t hit a paper target, but always get their deer. We wonder what size their paper target is, and how many shots it takes them to get that deer.

Training standards

In Ontario, we don’t have a practical shooting test for hunters, but sometimes there’s at least a recommendation in a hunting course. For example, the Idaho online course recommends about an eight-inch grouping capability depending on the animal, the distance, and the stability of your shooting position.

There was, at one time, a live-fire shooting test to get your moose tag in New Brunswick. You had to be able to shoot within an 18-inch target at 40 metres (two out of three shots, from any position).

In Africa, the PH (professional hunter, the hunting guide) normally takes the hunter to the range to “zero their rifle.” And while zeroing is certainly an important part of the range visit, it’s also an opportunity for the PH to assess how close they should get you to the game.

In Europe, some countries used to have courses, examinations, shooting tests, and apprenticeships, but it sounds like most now have eased the requirements in favour of online courses and tests. OOD Editor/Associate Publisher Ray Blades, however, learned during a trip to Finland earlier this year that would-be hunters there must complete a simple shooting practical test.

Really?

There’s a story about a guy who went around to hunting camps and looked at the deer poles. He wanted to know where the deer were shot. There were shots in the legs, shots in the gut, shots through the neck…more than one shot per animal. Not anything for a hunter to be proud of. He looked to see which shots were from magnums, and found many hunters thought a magnum would overcome their poor marksmanship. The reality is that if you’re a good shot, you don’t need a magnum for typical Ontario deer hunting. If you’re a poor shot, a magnum won’t help.

A friend of ours told us that he was out on the early watch, and all morning he could hear shots from a nearby stand. When the hunters met back at the camp for lunch, the guy from that stand was asking if anyone had any more 7mm Rem Mag ammo he could buy.

Another friend of ours went varmint hunting. Everyone in the group was using semi-automatic rifles. Derek took down a coyote with one shot and they were amazed.

The MilCun standard

At our MilCun Training Center, we definitely have an accuracy standard. In fact, we have our own custom target built around this standard.

Although this is not a photorealistic hunting target, it is a good target for practicing your ability to shoot a small enough group for various animals.

The smallest oval is for coyote, the second oval is for deer or bear, and the third oval is for moose.

The orange dot in the middle is to break ties when the target is used in a competition.

The hunter can start at a close distance (25 metres, for example) and try to keep their shots within the appropriate oval for the game they’re planning to hunt. Start with a stable position (prone or benched) and confirm your zero. Then practise the less stable positions: sitting, kneeling, standing supported, standing unsupported.

Move back (to 50 metres, for example) and repeat the routine. Do it again at 75 metres or 100 metres. Practise with a .22LR rifle until you can reliably group to the standard and then practise with your hunting rifle. This will give you a good idea what position you can reliably use at what distance.

Hunter marksmanship

We have offered a Hunter Marksmanship Weekend training course for many years. This course is intended for the hunter who wants to improve their abilities in the field. It includes not only marksmanship to 200 metres, but also information about shot placement, shooting from angles, and managing buck fever.

This year, we held our first ever Junior Hunter Program. It was intended for the junior hunters and their mentors from our club and affiliated clubs. It was a three-day program spread over a month. The first day focused on firing the perfect shot, zero-ing, and grouping. There were theory lessons in the classroom, then live shooting on the range. The juniors used .22LR and their mentors used centre-fire hunting rifles. The second day focused on positions and included a practice of the competition that would be held on the final day. On the final day, the juniors shot 10 shots per match, while the mentors shot five per match. The matches were: standing unsupported at 25 metres, kneeling unsupported at 25 metres, prone with a field expedient rest at 50 metres, and standing supported at 50 metres.

Our juniors shot the 10-shot matches with such great groups, we routinely needed that orange dot in the middle to break ties.

The one-shot ethical hunt

For our students, there are usually three takeaways:

• While hunting, always be ready to take the first best shot that an animal offers.
• Be ready to decline a shot that’s not going to be good enough to make an effective ethical hit.
• If your skills aren’t good enough, get some training, and follow it with practice. Training is required, and proper practice is essential.

We need hunters to have good, clean, ethical hits … for the sake of the animals, and over the long-term, for the sake of hunting.

The MilCun Center-Mass Target

Orange dot: 3.5″ diameter value 5 points, written as “V”
Inside line: 8×6″ value 5 points
Middle line: 12×16″ value 4 points
Outside line 23×17″ value 3 points

A shot must touch the “none scoring line” around the outside of the target edge to score.

Originally published in the Fall 2023 issue of Ontario OUT of DOORS

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