Trigger Time

      Watching Cameron Hanes shoot his bow, I have a nagging suspicion that he hits tighter groups at 100 yards than most hunters do with their rifles.  I do admire a serious bow-hunter’s dedication.  I’ve heard it argued from some sub-cultures in the bow-hunting world that rifle hunters are slobs that don’t practice and don’t have the skills of their archer counterparts.  Maybe some of that is true.  With a properly outfitted bow, a half-dozen arrows, a target, and a backyard a bow-hunter can literally practice everyday.  It’s pretty hard to shoot rifle rounds off in your backyard, and very expensive to make even a weekly trip to the rifle range.  So what is the serious rifleman to do?    
      At one point in my life I considered myself primarily, almost exclusively, a bow-hunter.  I probably flunked at least one college course because I was spending too much time shooting and not enough time studying.  At heart I was a purist.  For philosophical and aesthetic reasons I chose a longbow over a compound, and despite my diligent practice, I struggled with basic shooting mechanics, and passed on elk outside of my comfort zone.  Had I choosen a compound bow I would most likely have killed two elk in my first two seasons out west.  My purist intentions began to wear down to pragmatism.  And so I became a bow-hunter with a gun.   
      Now, instead of shooting arrows in my backyard each night, I head out to my garage and dry-fire my rifle.  I focus on keeping absolutely still, so when the firing pin trips nothing moves.  I match my breath to each pull.  I learn how my rifle feels and balances.  Even so, I probably will never be the best shot at the range.  But I know my capabilities because I spend time with them.  
      Here’s a simple way to take riflemanship seriously without emptying your bank account on ammunition.  Every night before bed get out your rifle, make sure it’s unloaded, and dry-fire it 15 times off of a solid rest.  Take your time between repetitions and focus on mechanics.  One weekend each month head to the range, or better yet, get yourself a steel target and setup a more realistic hunting scenario.  Shoot one box of ammo, or 20 rounds.  The expensive boxed ammo at a sporting goods store runs around $40 a box.  That’s a max investment of $480 per year.  A small price for excellence.