Ohio deer hunting continues to top the list of trophy whitetail destinations due in large part to an excellent deer management program. Ohio’s deer management program is designed to control the state’s deer herd by harvesting does, while maintaining a very conservative buck harvest. Deer hunters are allowed to harvest one antlered deer in Ohio per year. This allows for a balanced population while maintaining the necessary conditions to produce world class deer like the ones below.

Record Setting Ohio Whitetails

Ohio’s World Famous Hole in the Horn Buck

Ohio is home to some of the biggest whitetail bucks in the world, including the #2 non-typical of all time.The “Hole in the Horn” buck. This unbelievable buck is not the biggest buck ever killed in Ohio because it was found dead in Portage county in 1940 and scored an incredible 328 2/8 inches! An amazing Ohio record whitetail.

Ohio’s Beatty Buck

Another huge whitetail buck exceeding 300 inches.Yes, I said 300 inches! The Beaty buck is the biggest buck ever killed in Ohio and was harvested in Greene county on November 8th 2000. The Beatty buck was 4 1/2 years old which was confirmed through laboratory testing in which a tooth is cross sectioned and studied under a microscope, similar to aging a tree. 4 1/2 years old! How is that for genetics! Another incredible Ohio record whitetail.

Ohio’s Jerman Buck

On November 10th 2004 in Warren county, a giant typical buck fell to a well placed shot from Brad Jermans crossbow and became the new Ohio record typical with a score of 201 1/8…Unbelievable Ohio record whitetail!

Ohio’s Mike Rex Buck

In 2005, on opening day of archery season, Mike Rex of Athens, Ohio killed this buck that had 17 points, 15 inch brow tines and scored 218 6/8. What a beautiful Animal!

Ohio’s Amish Buck

Another record buck was harvested on opening day of archery season in 2006. The Ohio Amish buck. Jonathon Schmucker of Seaman Ohio, located in Adams, county downed the 36 point buck on the first afternoon of the 2006 season. The buck scored an incredible 291-2/8, making it the number two whitetail in the state and the biggest buck ever killed in Ohio with a crossbow.

The Amish buck was reportedly fed Lucky Buck deer attractant prior to being killed.

This combination of incredible genetics, proper herd management, and an abundance of agriculture and cover makes Ohio one of our top choices for bagging a trophy whitetail!

Top Areas For Ohio Deer Hunting

While trophy bucks can be found in every corner of the Buckeye State, Coshocton, Licking, and Muskingum counties in east-central Ohio top the list of most deer harvested. These counties consistently produce massive bucks and offer some great opportunities for public land deer hunting.

For harvesting trophy bucks, three Ohio public deer hunting areas come to mind in this part of the state, Dillon Wildlife Area, Woodbury Wildlife area, and the Conesville Coal Lands.

We personally hunted the Dillon Wildlife Area during the first week of November in 2007, and we can tell you that, while receiving a fair amount of pressure, if you look closely, you can find unpressured deer. Study the maps and look for places that other deer hunters will overlook. We did exactly that and had a 150 inch 10 pointer at 40 yards chasing a doe recklessly through the woodlot. There was not another hunter around and we were within 100 yards of a main road!

The Woodbury Wildlife Area comprises almost 20,000 acres of prime whitetail habitat in east central Ohio. There is good public access along state routes 16, 36, 60 and 541, as well as numerous county and township roads. Again, the key to finding a trophy buck is to study maps of the area and find small spots that other hunters will overlook. These spots do not have to be miles into the timber. They can be right under everybody’s noses!

The Conesville Coal Lands are another great place to hunt deer in Ohio and it consists of about 12,000 acres of prime whitetail habitat in Coshocton and Muskingum counties. Hunting here requires a free permit available at local bait shops or by contacting American Electric Power at www.aep.com/. Click here for tips on hunting AEP Land.

Perhaps the best way to bag a trophy buck, is to gain access to private land, and the way to do that is to hire an outfitter. There are many to choose from, but we have hunted with Matt Hopkins and Jim Woodward from Wolf Creek Whitetails and we have been very impressed. These guys provide you with quality, unpressured, private land to hunt with treestands already hung and plenty of food plots. You can also bring your best climbing tree stand if you prefer. They have access to some of the best land in Morgan County. Check out their Ohio trail camera pictures!

Another Ohio outfitter that we have heard good things about is Joe Miller from Woodbury Outfitters. They offer unguided and semi guided hunts for antlered deer. Whichever outfitter that you choose to hunt deer in Ohio, be sure to book early in order to get the dates that you want, good rut weeks fill up fast.

In addition to the east central part of the state, southwestern Ohio is rapidly gaining fame as a trophy buck hotspot, thanks in part to the Amish Buck and the Metzner Buck both taken in Adams county.

Ohio’s Metzner Buck

Taken in Adams county in 2006 on land bordering Brush Creek State Forest. Justin Metzner’s buck scores and incredible 196-6/8, making it the second biggest buck ever killed in Ohio by a bowhunter!

Top Ohio Public Deer Hunting Areas In Southwest Part of the State

RELATED: How Many Hunters In The US

Brush Creek State Forest

Brush Creek consists of over 13,000 acres of steep hillsides, deep hollows, and narrow ridge tops. Prime hardwood forests with supplemental feed for the whitetails on the private farms bordering the forest. This is where the Metzner buck was taken in 2006. Look for more huge Ohio bucks from this area in the future!

Tranquility Wildlife Area

Tranquility consists of over 4000 acres, about 400 of which are dedicated to food plots. Approximately half of this area is mature hardwoods and there are plenty of places for big bucks to hide, as evidenced by a 165 inch buck taken during the December muzzleloader season! Don’t overlook this Adams county gem for antlered deer.

Shawnee State Forest

Consisting of over 60,000 acres, Shawnee is the largest state forest in Ohio. Ongoing logging operations make access easier along the many logging roads. This is extremely rugged country…So be prepared. There is a lot of 5 to 6 year old new growth which provides prime habitat for big Ohio bucks to grow old. Look for some monsters to come out of here in the next few years!

If you are looking for access to private land…Our choice for Ohio outfitters in this part of the state is David Lusk at Southern Ohio Outfitters. David has over 6,500 acres of prime whitetail habitat, including food plots, that has been managed to produce some of the biggest bucks Ohio can offer. Again, be sure to book early, good rut weeks go fast!

Here is our summary of why you should try your hand at Ohio deer hunting

• Ohio has the right terrain, habitat, crops, food plots and genetics that consistently produce big bucks.
• Ohio has a short gun season, held after the rut and only allows shotguns and straight walled cartridge rifles.
• Ohio sells Non Resident hunting licenses and deer tags over the counter for only $149.
• Ohio has a one-buck per year limit and can be taken with any weapon, any county or in any zone on the same deer permit.
• The Ohio deer hunting season runs from September until February, making it a four month season.
• Ohio Department of Natural Resources has very consistent regulations with a great website www.dnr.state.oh.us/

Another option for hunting deer in the Buckeye state is to get an Ohio deer hunting lease of your own.

Ohio Deer Hunting Season

Ohio deer hunting season is one of the most liberal in the United States. The archery season season begins on September 27 and goes all the way to February 1st, with Sunday hunting allowed, that means a possible 127 days afield. That is a lot of time in the woods and reason enough to take up bowhunting. Keep in mind that crossbows are allowed in Ohio during archery season.

The deer gun season in Ohio is for shotgun and straight walled cartridge rifles, and is typically held after the rut.

The state also has a youth deer gun season that is held before the regular deer gun season.

There is also a muzzleloader season in January. This can be a great time to hunt big deer in Ohio, as they try to fatten up after the rigors of the rut.

If you are serious about harvesting a mature buck in Ohio, then you must hunt during archery season in order to take advantage of the rut.

Click on the link to visit the Ohio Department of Natural Resources website complete regulations regarding the Ohio season dates.

The best time to harvest a mature buck in Ohio is during archery season and the November rut!

Ohio Trail Camera Pictures

Check out these trail camera pictures submitted by Ohio deer hunting outfitters Wolf Creek Whitetails

Holy Ohio big bucks.com batman!

Click here for more Ohio trail cam pics.

Planning Your Ohio Deer Hunting Trip

It doesn’t matter if you are hunting public land or with one of the top Ohio deer hunting outfitters, you need to be prepared.

So we have put together a checklist of some of the commonly forgotten items that you need for your deer hunting trip.

• Hunting License – You’d be surprised how many people forget this!
• Boots and Socks – Click here for the best hunting socks you can buy.
• Bow or Crossbow – You’d be surprised how many hunters have to turn around after they’ve started their trip because they forgot their weapon. Here is our guide to the best beginner compound bow.
• Broadheads – Here is our guide to the best broadheads for deer.
• Flashlight or headlight
• Rain Gear – Some of the best deer hunting in Ohio that I have had was in the rain. Don’t forget your hunting rain gear and your best tree stand umbrella.
• Hand Warmers
• Thermos – Very handy for all day hunts.
• Knife – Check out our guide to choosing the Best Deer Hunting Knife.
• Target – Always good to take some shots when you get to Ohio. Here is a guide to the best archery target for broadheads and field points.
• Calls – I like to bring a grunt call, bleat call and a set of rattling antlers.
• Tree Stand – Here is our guide to the best tree stand. Even if you are hunting with an outfitter, consider bringing a climbing tree stand. It will give you the ability to move on your own, if you see a pattern to the deer movement.
• Safety Harness and Rope or strap – Bring the best hunting safety harness that you can afford.
• Binoculars – Here’s our guide to the best hunting binoculars.
• Rangefinder – I actually bring two of these. Here is our guide to the best rangefinder for bow hunting.
• Cooler – For getting your meat home.

Those are just a few of the more common items that deer hunters forget to bring when they travel to hunt deer in ohio.

Leave your comments below. We would love to hear about your experiences or just leave us an Ohio deer hunting report.

You know, it doesn’t matter what kind of bait you use if you don’t have a hook in it. That sounds simple, but when it comes to choosing the right hook, I consider that decision very carefully.

Hooks are obviously extremely important because that’s how you’re able to land a fish. However, you have to use the right style of hook for the right application. Otherwise, you decrease your chance of catching fish.

When I’m determining the type of hook I’ll use, a lot of factors come into consideration. The type of bait I’m using is certainly a big element, but so are line size, the habitat I’m fishing and the size of fish I expect to catch.

For instance, you wouldn’t use a thin wire hook with 20-pound fluorocarbon in heavy cover. Conversely, you wouldn’t use a heavy flipping hook in open water with light line. Every hook has its purpose and learning to select the right one for the job will increase your success as an angler.

Here are a few of my favorite hooks and a few details on how I use them:

HOOK 1: Gamakatsu Straight Shank Heavy Cover Flipping Hook

How I Use It: This hook is great for fishing around any shallow cover such as grass or wood. The strength allows you to set the hook and drag that fish out of cover. In this scenario, if you try to use a hook that’s too light, one of two things will happen: Either your hook will bend, if the fish will wiggle loose.

When you hook a fish in that heavy cover, those fish have so much leverage. By comparison, out in open water, the fish is pulling against you, which means they’re pulling against your line and your rod. There’s not much pressure on the hook and on the fish.

But when that fish is in the target area and he’s pinned against something, they have so much leverage that they can turn their head really hard really hard the other direction and it will bend the hook. So you need a heavier hook for that situation.

This is my choice for flipping/pitching with 22-pound Sunline Shooter fluorocarbon. I’ll rig this hook with the Yamamoto Flappin Hog and use a 4/0 for the larger size bait and a 3/0 for the smaller one.

Hook Pointer: When I feel the bite in heavy cover, I drop the rod tip, reel up any slack and set the hook pretty hard.

HOOK 2: Gamakatsu Super Line Extra Wide Gap (EWG) Hook

How I Use It: This is my choice for all 5-inch Senko applications around shallow cover, where I cast and flip the bait on 16- to 20-pound fluorocarbon. That hook holds the Senko, I believe, straighter than any other hook. It allows the bait to line up perfectly straight on the hook.

That bait falls the best without any hook in it – without anything to hinder it. By design, the bait wiggles when it falls. With any hook, if the bait is tweaked a little bit and not perfectly straight, I don’t think it falls as naturally as it’s designed to fall because you’re limiting the amount of action it has.

Depending on depth, I’ll fish the Senko on a weighted Texas rig with a 4/0 hook or a weightless Texas rig with a 3/0. With the weightless rig, the 3/0 size is better because there’s less hook and I don’t overpower the Senko and mar the action. With a standard Texas rig, weight is less of an issue.

Hook Pointer: Not only does that hook keep it perfectly straight; it allows you to Tex-pose that hook point. So you don’t have to pierce the Senko completely like you would with a standard Texas-rigged setup where the barb and the point are buried inside the bait.

Well, a Senko is a big-body bait with a lot of salt and a lot of bulk. Anytime you have to pierce that bait, your odds of catching that fish decrease.

With that EWG hook, the bend that it has allows me to run the hook point completely through the bait and then the hook point lays flat on top of that bait. Then all I do is just barely pierce the skin with the point to make it completely weedless. When I set the hook, all I’m doing is tearing through one little piece of plastic.

So this hook helps the bait sit flat without any weird bend to it and it helps with the actual hook-up ratio when you set the hook.

HOOK 3: Gamakatsu Weedless Split Shot/Drop Shot hook

How I Use It: This is my choice for wacky rigging 5-inch Senkos. Wacky rigging maximizes that classic Senko action because there’s only one point of entry, as opposed to the two points of entry that you have with a Texas-rigged bait.

The reason a Senko is so effective at tempting fish is that it has a crawly, wiggly action on the fall. Fishing it on a wacky rig allows the bait to fall as it’s made to.

I like a 1/0-2/0 hook for wacky rigging and I’ll fish this rig in shallow to mid-depths on spinning tackle. I typically use 8-pound fluorocarbon, but these hooks are heavy enough that I can get away with 16-pound line if I’m around heavier cover.

Hook Pointer: Because I’m using spinning tackle and lighter hooks, I have to take it easy on the hook set. If I drop the rod tip and set the hook like I would with a flipping presentation, I might bend the hook. With spinning gear, I’ll reel down and pull into the hook set, instead of the drop-snap method.

Here are a few more points to consider with your hooks:

Knot Choice: For all of the hooks I’ve mentioned, I attach my line with a version of a uni-knot. Essentially, you make a loop through the eye; similar to the Palomar, but then you tie a uni-knot over the main line and the tag end with the loop.

In the past, I’ve had trouble with broke lines with Palomar, but since I’ve been using this knot, I’ve had almost no trouble with knot-related break-offs. A Palomar is a great knot for reaction baits, but for any hook setting baits with lot of shock, I use this modified uni-knot.

Matching Line to Hooks: The one trick is to look at the diameter of the hook as it relates to your line. The lighter the line, the lighter the hook should be. Basically, a light line doesn’t have enough power for a heavy hook; but a heavy line has too much power for a light hook. If you go the wrong way; things will go south in a hurry.

Hook Organization: How you store your hooks can play a key role in your efficiency, particularly your ability to quickly respond to an opportunity on the water.

I keep my hooks in a Plano Utility box with slots for the different sizes. This box also carries my other terminal tackle items. I have back-up items in their original packaging in my truck, but I’ll keep a complete assortment of terminal tackle in this one box in my boat.

Doing it this way, keeps everything I need right in front of me. I don’t have to open up a box for hooks, another box for weights and another box for bobber stops. It’s faster and easier to have something right there.

Sharpening Hooks: There’s nothing wrong with touching up the tip of a hook now and then. I do it if I see the point just has a little bend or tweak in it.

However, if I think a hook’s point has worn down to the point of needing more than a casual touch-up, I’ll replace it. It takes only a few seconds to retie and I’d rather know that I have a hook that won’t let me down.

A hunter draws back, settles the pin, but sends the arrow over the buck’s back. Perhaps he jumped the string? Another hunter does the same, but this time the arrow sinks underneath the belly. Chances are, you’ve missed a deer before, too. And if you haven’t, I hate to burst this delusion, but you certainly will if you hunt long enough.

So, what if you miss with that first arrow? Sometimes you get a follow-up shot. Other times you don’t. Here are next steps for either outcomes.

Reasons Hunters Miss a Buck

Hunters miss deer every season. In fact, I’d like to know the miss-to-hit and wounded-to-dead ratios, but we’ll never get an accurate bead on that. Still, these mishaps happen — a lot. There are many reasons why, including the following:

• Rushing the shot process.
• The deer was too far.
• The deer was too close.
• The pins or crosshairs weren’t visible.
• Using the wrong pin or crosshair hold.
• Ignoring the fundamentals.
• Using poor shooting mechanics.
• Equipment malfunctioned.
• The vitals were obscured.
• The angle wasn’t good.
• A limb or other obstacle got in the way.
• The deer was moving.
• The deer jumped the string.
• Buck fever struck again.

Regardless of which reason occurs, it shouldn’t. All of these are common excuses for missing deer, but none of these should happen. It’s crucial to take the necessary steps to overcome each one. Still, even the best hunters miss and wound deer. So, here’s what to do when it happens.

If You Miss and Get a Follow-Up Shot

Hunters oftentimes think it’s over if you miss a deer. That isn’t true. Second shot opportunities are more common than you might think. If you miss a buck, and it presents another opportunity — be it 10 seconds later or 30 minutes later — you have to be ready for it.

If it happens quickly, carefully nock another arrow, draw back, settle the pin, and let it fly. It’s good to keep your quiver within easy reach. Or pull a backup arrow out and place it somewhere that’s quickly and safely accessible.

If You Miss and Don’t Get a Follow-Up Shot

Get down and check for blood. Sometimes, it can be a hit and you don’t realize it. Once a clean miss is determined, keep hunting. Sometimes, the deer might return. Whitetails are curious animals. It might just give you another chance the same day. And the odds of getting another shot in the days to come are possible, too. Furthermore, you might see another deer you’re interested in.

If You Wound and Get a Follow-Up Shot

Always try to take a follow-up shot on wounded deer. Even if the first shot was perfect, and the deer is certain to die, take another shot if you get the chance. Doing so will likely expire the deer even sooner and makes the hunt that much more humane. Of course, if the shot was bad, taking a follow-up opportunity can mean the difference in killing it or not, and recovering it or not.

If You Wound and Don’t Get a Follow-Up Shot

The trickiest scenario is if you wound a buck and don’t get a follow-up shot. That’s when things get more difficult.

• With a liver hit, wait five to six hours before attempting to recover the deer.
• With a paunch (gut) shot, give the deer 10-12 hours, if conditions allow.
• Shoulder shots are tricky and may or may not be a mortal wound. If not likely mortal, blood trail immediately in hopes of getting another shot. If it is likely mortal, give the deer a few hours.
• Ham hits produce one of two outcomes. Either the buck bleeds out very quickly, or it lives to tell the tale. Either way, begin the blood trail immediately in hopes of another shot opportunity.
• Leg hits are not immediately mortal but tend to set up infection over time. Blood trail immediately in hopes of catching up to the deer for another shot opportunity.
• Spine shots aren’t usually lethal on their own. Go to the deer and finish it with another shot.

There are other bad shots hunters can make, but the above are the most common. Nonetheless, exhaust all options to recover wounded game. Oftentimes, where legal, that might even require hiring a blood-trailing dog, or even recruiting other people to help grid search for the deer.

Beat Buck Fever

It’s always best to make the first shot count. Do that, and you don’t have to worry about missing. But buck fever, and other common causes of missing, are difficult to overcome. Of course, you never want to “cure” buck fever. If that goes away, you’ve lost the excitement for hunting. But it is necessary to manage buck fever. Do that, and you keep the excitement and overcome the challenges it can present. To manage it, do the following things:

• Follow a practice regimen. This helps to get you ready for the real deal. Consider shooting at 3D big buck targets and do other things that simulate real big buck encounters.
• Hunt small game. Making good shots on live critters will help boost confidence once it’s time to make the shot on a big deer.
• Don’t hold your breath. This limits the oxygen in your system. Breathe before, throughout, and after the shot process. This will help lead to a better shot.
• Quit looking at the rack. Distract yourself if the sight of the buck is too much. Rather than staring at the deer, observe it through squinted eyes until time to shoot. Better yet, stare at the spot you’re going to aim at when shooting.
• Envision yourself making a great shot. Visualize it in your mind. That will help lead to a good hit.
• Be aware. See everything around you. Avoid hitting limbs and other things in the way.
• Pick a small spot to aim at. Rather than aiming “behind the shoulder,” consider aiming at a specific hair in the crease behind the shoulder.
• Follow your shot regimen. You’ve been practicing it for a reason. Use proper mechanics and follow through.
• Gain experience. There’s no better teacher, and no better way to overcome buck fever. Keep after it, and you’ll eventually find the success you’re looking for.

Overall, it’s important to accept a missed or wounded deer. It happened. Spend a few hours drowning in your misery, and then move on. Those who continue to sulk don’t improve. They wither. Instead, learn from mistakes, make necessary adjustments, improve as a bowhunter, and continue to do your thing.

Common Q&As

There are numerous questions that surround the topic of missed and wounded bucks. These are the answers to some of those questions.

Q: Does a deer’s body language help to determine the shot location?

A: Yes, it certainly can. Studying how a deer responded can indicate where the broadhead or bullet struck the arrow. For example, a deer that runs a short distance, then stops, and hunches up, oftentimes is hit in the paunch region. In contrast, a heart-shot deer usually mule kicks and runs very hard.

Q: How long do you wait before searching for a deer?

A: This varies based on the shot location. If you don’t see the deer fall, wait the appropriate timeframe. Heart-shot deer can be blood trailed within 30 minutes, double-lung-shot deer within an hour, liver-hit within 5-6 hours, paunch-shot (gut-shot) within 12 hours, etc.

Q: Will a non-mortally-wounded deer come back to the area it was shot in?

A: It might or might not. Some deer do return, although it might take a few minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months to do so. Other deer never return at all.

Q: Should I notch my tag on a lost deer?

A: This depends on legalities. Some states and situations require this, but most do not require it. In the instance that it isn’t required, this is a matter of personal ethics.

Q: How do I get over missing a big buck?

A: Continue hunting. Get back out there. But practice and prepare more than you ever have before. Generally, we create our own luck by setting ourselves up for success or failure.

The 7mm PRC is HERE! In this story I’ll give a complete overview of this new cartridge including specs, a comparison with other cartridges in its class, talk 7mm PRC ballistics, and give you a preview of much more 7mm PRC content that’s coming!

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7mm PRC Quick Facts

7mm PRC is its own cartridge, different from the 6.5 PRC and 300 PRC fundamentally. Here’s some quick specs:

7mm PRC SAAMI Specs

On June 28, 2022 SAAMI officially released the specifications for the 7mm PRC which you can download HERE.

With a limit of 65,000 PSI, and compatibility with 300 Win Mag and similar rifle platforms (including magazines), the 7mm PRC has great power and flexibility. If you have a long action magnum rifle (with 0.532″ bolt face), upgrading to 7mm PRC is likely just a barrel change!

7mm PRC Bergara / Boyds Build Preview

Rifle #1 for this project is built on the following:

1. Bergara Premier Action (LA, bare)
2. Bartlein 7mm 5R Barrel Blank 1:8
3. Boyd’s Agility stock
4. Hawkins Precision Hunter DBM / Hawkins Hunter Magazine
5. RITON X7 Conquer 3-24x50mm Scope (MOA)

Plus, a full Cerakote job on the barreled action. There will be a dedicated story on this build!

7mm PRC Bat / MDT “Freedom Rifle” Build Preview

Rifle #2 for this project is a spare-no-expenses top-shelf build focused on long-range target shooting. Here’s what makes up this build:

• Bat HR Action (LA)
• Bartlein 7mm 5R Barrel Blank 1:8
• MDT ESS Chassis (With FDE + engraving on barreled action)
• Blackhound Emerge 4-32x56mm Scope (MIL)

Like with the Bergara build, there will also be a dedicated story for this Bat/MDT build!

Quick Look: All Three PRCs Compared

The “Three PRCs” share a lot in common. All three of these magnums are serious long-range cartridges with 0.532″ case rims, 30° shoulders, and optimized around long, slender high-BC bullets. 6.5 PRC can fit in a short action, where 7mm PRC and 300 PRC both require a long action.

7mm PRC Ballistics

I was surprised at how well the 7mm PRC performs with ballistics!

PRC Reference Ballistics

For ballistic comparisons, the following were used as a baseline: (taken from SAAMI references)

• 6.5 PRC: 147gr @ 2,900 fps
• 7mm PRC: 180gr @ 3,000 fps
• 300 PRC: 225gr @ 2,800 fps

Drop Comparison: The Three PRCs

Can the 7mm PRC beat both the 6.5 PRC and the 300 PRC?

The answer is YES. Here’s the data for the above chart:

This was a bit of a surprise for me to find out!

Drop Comparison: 7mm PRC -vs- Popular Hunting Cartridges

While this is NOT an “Apples to Apples” comparison, I thought it would be interesting to compare 7mm PRC with other popular hunting cartridges for drop to 1,000 yards. Check this out:

All drop chart calculations were based on Hornady ELD-X bullets, using typical twist rate for guidance on bullet weight: (based on 100 yard zero)

You can see how well 7mm PRC does in terms of having a flat trajectory! Also, per our recent story, we showed that 30-06 and the 6.5 Creedmoor can share nearly the same trajectory!

Initial Testing Results

For testing, I only had two boxes of factory ammunition to start break-in on two rifles! One box of Hornady 7mm PRC 180 grain ELD-M Match ammunition, and one box of Hornady 7mm PRC 175 grain ELD-X Precision Hunter ammunition. So I kept shooting to a minimum as I wanted to keep some cartridges on hand for future reference. The initial results were GREAT.

First Break-In Group on Paper: Bat/MDT 7mm PRC “Freedom Rifle”

First Break-In Group on Paper: Bergara/Boyd’s Custom Rifle

Velocity Data Summary, All Testing

The following is a summary of velocity data collected during break-in (all in feet per second):

Here we see approximately 150 fps difference between the 22″ barreled Bergara, and the 28″ barreled Bat custom. Further data will be included in later stories when more shots can be fired (above data utilized 3-shot strings due to limited ammunition being available). This is some impressive performance!

Conclusion

The 7mm PRC brings a very well rounded new option to the table for both match/long-range shooters and for hunters as well. With a simplified beltless case, optimized case geometry, and Hornady’s industry-wide efforts bring this cartridge to market, don’t be surprised to see the 7mm PRC become one of the more popular new cartridges in the long-action class. I’m looking forward to bringing you many more stories featuring this great new cartridge.

Get the Gear

Bat HR Rifle Action

MDT ESS Chassis

Bergara Premier Long Action at Brownells

Boyd’s Agility Stock

Bartlein Barrels

Additional product links will be provided when available!

Don’t miss out on Ultimate Reloader updates, make sure you’re subscribed!

Thanks, Gavin

Without question, spring snow goose hunting requires a large decoy spread. But the act of merely scattering a lot of white decoys in a field doesn’t ensure you’ll suck in wave after wave of hungry geese.

“A lot of guys think it’s just about numbers,” said Andy Dively of A&A Outdoors in Frankford, Del. “But putting out 1,000 decoys doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to get shooting. You have to put thought into how you set them.”

Typically, Dively starts out early in the morning with a spread shaped like a triangle. The wide end is downwind and the point, where the hunters hide, is upwind. The spread is fairly sparse at the downwind end, with decoys thicker as the rig stretches toward the hunters.

“Snow geese are greedy,” he said. “They’re constantly jumping over one another, flying upwind to get to the front of the chow line. We try to imitate that with our spread.”

“A big flock of 2,000 snows is going to be wide when it hits the spread,” he said. “Then we funnel them in tighter as they fly up the rig.”

Wind speed dictates how many decoys Dively uses on a given day.

“If the wind is 15 mph, I want to put out every decoy I have – say 1,500 or so,” he said. “The harder it blows than that, the more I scale back my numbers. You don’t need as many when it’s windy. I’ll shorten up the rig and make it tighter when it’s real windy, too.”

Positioned For the Shot

About 30 yards downwind from the hunters, Dively plants 15 flyers on poles of varying heights from 3 feet to 8 feet high. Those decoys are clustered on the right side of the spread. Then, 8 yards in front of the hunters, on the left side of the spread, Dively places eight to 10 more flyers.

In the snow goose game, perfect shooting means 20 to 25 yards.

“Any closer than that and the shooting gets tough, because guys think they have to have tighter chokes and big shot,” he said. “At 25 yards, you get a nice shot pattern. We’re most successful when we have shooting at 25 yards.”

What the geese are doing when they slide from one set of flyers to the next, Dively said, is heading for the front of the chow line, where they expect to find the best food.

“I think they hit the first flyers, and then they see the others and think there are birds jumping in front of them,” he said. “They don’t like getting beat to the front.”

Midday Loafing

At around 10:30 a.m., Dively changes his rig. “Now I’m expecting birds that are looking for a place to hang out through the midday,” he said. “They’re not as aggressive anymore.”

Dively spreads out his decoys. He doubles the distance between them, instead of being 1 to 2 feet apart. Also, he’ll spread out his flyers throughout the rig and push them down into the dirt, so they’re only about 2 feet off the ground.

“What this setup looks like is a relaxed flock,” he said. “The flyers just look like birds that are jumping up to stretch their wings before landing again. We kill a lot of snows at this time of day with this setup, because most guys just stick with their morning setup. They don’t change it around.”

Afternoon Feeding

Snow goose hunting is best when it is windy. The decoys come alive and the birds fly lower. But guided hunters can’t pick and choose days afield based on the wind. When there is no wind, Dively sets up his standard morning rig, but instead of using the wind to guide the setup, he arranges decoys based on the expected approach. That will be the “downwind” end of the rig. Instead of hiding hunters at the upwind end, they are positioned at the extreme downwind edge.

“The geese are going to flare when they see there’s no movement, so we set up in a spot where we’ll have a chance, hopefully, to shoot while they’re still looking things over,” he said.

Sound Systems

Electronic callers play a key role in the spring snow goose hunt. Dively runs a pair of two-speaker systems in the downwind end of his spread. Each plays recordings of relaxed snow goose sounds – primarily the signature murmur of a big flock of snows.

At the upwind end of the rig, Dively runs a pair of four-speaker calling systems playing aggressive feeding noises. The hunters lie in wait there, so the goal is to entice incoming, hungry snows to key in on this area.

“E-callers can be really effective on certain days,” he said. “The windier it is, the better they seem to work, because the sound really carries downwind and flocks can hear it from a long way off.”

The ability to control the volume with a remote is important. E-callers blare loudly to distant flocks to get their attention, but should be toned down as birds get closer.

Motorized Motion

This year, for the first time, it appears Pennsylvania hunters will be allowed to use motorized motion decoys during the later part of the snow goose season. The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s board of commissioners was expected to approve them at a January meeting. Hunters have been allowed to employ electronic decoys in Delaware and other states, however, for quite some time.

The only motion decoy Dively uses is a rotary machine, often called a “snow goose tornado.” These machines have two or four flying snow goose decoys attached to long arms that spin in circles. Place the rotary machine as close to hunters as possible.

Hunters can create more erratic movement in the spread with a flag. To the geese, it looks like a bird jumping up to move to the head of the feed line.

Strategically Big

Successful spring snow goose hunters use incredible numbers of decoys. Go big, but put some thought and strategy into placing your spread.

P.J. Reilly hunts geese and ducks from New Holland, Pa.

There are many different companies and brands that produce archery equipment, with many of them producing modern compound bows. With all of these choices, it can be a little difficult to decide on the best compound bow brands for your next purchase.

Whether you are looking for your very first beginner compound bow or are a seasoned shooter, you will want to stick with a good bow brand to ensure you get the proper quality, service, and designs. Let’s go over what makes a good compound bow brand, and a few of the best brands out on the market today!

Elements Of Good Compound Bow Brands

Bow Quality

One of the most important aspects of a bow is the quality. Some brands are known to produce higher quality products than others, so you must choose carefully in order to ensure you are purchasing a bow and other archery equipment that will perform properly and last you for years to come.

Customer Service

Customer service is often overlooked when deciding between brands, but it can be an extremely important factor should you ever need it. From getting your bow serviced to fixing potential problems, customer service can make or break your experience with a particular brand.

Warranty/Guarantee

The best bow brands believe in their products and are proud to support people who buy them. Because of this, they generally offer some type of warranty or guarantee for their equipment just in case you run into any issues or potential defects.

Bow Features

Good bow brands continually innovate and improve upon their designs. In turn, their bows have a wide variety of features including cam designs, grips, materials, and other tech that turns a simple bow into a great one.

Bow Design

Speaking of designs, great bow brands provide a wide variety of different designs and models of bows for different applications. From hunting to competition bows, they offer plenty of different options to choose from.

Top Compound Bow Brands To Consider

Bowtech

Bowtech is a brand that was founded in 1999 and known for its quality. Based out of Eugene, Oregon, they have continued to grow their reach and share of the archery industry.

Bowtech does all of their manufacturing in-house for all of their products and strives to maintain a standard of quality that their customers have come to expect. Besides their excellent quality, Bowtech is also very well known for their customer service. With their motto being “Refuse to Follow”, they offer a lifetime warranty on their products and are always willing to go the extra mile in order to help their customers however they can.

Elite Archery

Elite Archery is a little newer to the archery game than others here on our list but has still been around since 2005. They started in Washington, but are now based out of Rochester, New York. Elite also produces all of its products here in the United States and prides itself on selling “the World’s Most Shootable Bows.”

Elite Archery rose to popularity thanks to its bow designs that give the lowest levels of hand shock and vibrations. With their unique designs of cams and risers, you can instantly recognize a bow that is made by Elite. They also offer a lifetime warranty on all of their products.

PSE Archery

PSE Archery is one of the oldest bow brands here on our list and was founded in 1970 by an engineer named Pete Shepley. Although first established in Illinois, the company is now based out of Arizona and produces everything it makes here in the US. Since its creation, it is now the largest privately owned bow manufacturer in the US, and one of the largest bow companies in the entire world.

PSE also owns over 20 different archery design patents, allowing them to be a leader in design and innovation every year. With many different models of bows available and a great warranty on their products, it is easy to see why so many people shoot a PSE bow!

Hoyt

Among names like PSE and Bowtech, you are sure to hear Hoyt thrown into the mix. Hoyt is also one of the oldest and most established bow brands in the world, tracing its start all the way back to 1931. Although it started off as a knife company, they have since grown to be a leader in design and innovation in the archery world and is one of the most recognized brands out there.

Hoyt is now based out of Utah, and while extremely popular in the bowhunting world they also specialize in competition shooting. In fact, Hoyt bows have won more gold medals at Olympic events than all other bow manufacturers combined. They offer great quality, design, features, and warranties on all of their bows. It is no surprise why Hoyt is as popular as they are.

Bear Archery

Bear Archery, like Hoyt, is another very old company that started off in a different industry. Founded in 1933 as a marketing company, its founder is the legendary archer Fred Bear that quickly changed the company’s focus to archery. While focusing on traditional archery bows and equipment, they eventually got into compound bows as well.

These days, Bear Archery is well known for producing a wide variety of different bow models and being much more on the affordable end when compared to other bow manufacturers. While still producing their recurve bows, their compound bows are designed and engineered to be easy to shoot and reliable.

Mathews

Mathews is a bow brand that is often seen leading the way in new designs and innovations. In fact, they are the ones that came up with the single-cam technology, which many other bow manufacturers soon replicated. Ever since their beginning in 1992, Mathews has continued its commitment to giving archers the designs and features that they ask for.

Mathews is also well known for its excellent customer service. Their company motto is “people first, business second”. With amazing products and a motto like that, you know that every time you shoot a Mathews bow you will have a great experience.

Diamond Archery

Diamond is actually a child company of Bowtech, so you already know that you can expect much of the same quality and commitment that Bowtech offers to its customers. But, unlike Bowtech, Diamond offers its bows at a much more affordable cost in order to target a different market of customers.

Even with lower prices, their affiliation with Bowtech ensures that quality stays the same. With many different models and designs to choose from, Diamond strives to provide a bow with everything a shooter could want without breaking their bank account.

Quest

Quest is a company that is under another company called G5 Outdoors. Very similar to how Diamond is under Bowtech and offers more affordable options to their line of bows, Quest takes the quality of Prime bows and offers them to a different segment of the market at a reduced cost. While you will not see the same designs and features on a Quest bow that you will on a flagship Prime bow, you can still expect similar quality and customer service.

Although Quest bows may not cost as much as a Prime bow, they are still super solid and reliable bows. Not only are they extremely comfortable to shoot, but they are a great blend between high-quality materials and the bare basics to get you an accurate bow that will get the job done regardless of your archery expertise.

G5 Prime

Just like Quest, Prime Archery is owned by G5 Outdoors. G5 Outdoors is a privately owned company based out of Michigan. They were originally not in the bow business, but in the 1980s after purchasing an engineering firm, they created a broadhead company. Finally, in 2009, they created Prime and Quest to better serve archers all around the world.

Prime stands apart from Quest in that its bows feature all of the company’s latest designs and innovations, leading to a higher price tag. A perfect example of this is their Parallel Cam system, which helps avoid cam leaning and provides a more secure shot. Prime continues to impress archers by creating new innovations just like this, allowing them to grow in popularity year after year.

Martin Archery

Martin Archery is another brand that has been around for some time, and during their years of business, they have grown their reputation and quality of products. For over 60 years, Martin has been known for building some quality bows out of the state of Washington and giving archers affordable options for purchasing new equipment.

In 2013, Martin went through a large effort to revitalize its brand and company, and the results can easily be seen today. Not only have they given new dedication to the design and quality of their bows, but their customer service and warranty have been given an update as well. If you are looking for a quality bow from a reputable company, Martin is always a good choice.

Darton Archery

Getting their start in 1950 by producing leather archery accessories, Darton Archery expanded its business after a few years to start making traditional recurve bows. After the introduction of the compound bows, they began production of their own and have since gone on to become a staple name in the archery industry.

Darton has just recently celebrated its 70th year anniversary and still remains committed to giving its customers what they need to be successful. While not as mainstream as other brands such as Hoyt or Bowtech, Darton has been around long enough to prove that it makes good archery equipment and that they will take care of their customers whatever the costs.

Choosing the Right Compound Bow Brand

As you can see there are many different options when it comes to a compound bow brand. How do you choose the right one for you? An easy way to narrow down the list is to consider your personal needs and wants, as well as your budget. If there is a specific feature or design that you need, some companies may offer it while others will not.

Budget can also play an important role in choosing a brand. Many brands are known for producing top-of-the-line, high-quality bows that will run up your price tag. Others are better known for middle-of-the-road, affordable compound bows.

Lastly, it is important to consider how much things like warranties and customer service matter to you. Some people don’t care at all about these things. Others, however, consider it to be a deal-breaker. If you want to be treated well should you run into issues with your bow, it is important to choose a brand that is known for taking care of its customers.

Final Thoughts

Although there are many different compound bow brands to choose from, there is sure to be one or two that fit you and your needs perfectly. Every company has certain things that they excel at, and they all produce bows that are very different from one another. With a little bit of research and thought, you can find the best compound bow brand for you! If you’re looking for compound bow recommendations, check out our recommendations page to see a few bows that we recommend to new archers.

When taking a shot at a game animal, the goal of the hunter should be to deliver a well placed shot to the vital organs. Knowing the anatomy of your quarry will allow you to place the shot in the most vital spot. This insures a quick, clean kill, which minimizes the suffering of the animal and maximizes the chance of retrieving the downed animal. The angle that the animal is standing in relation to the hunter is the shot angle. If the animal does not present a good shot angle to the hunter, it’s best to wait for the shot angle to improve.

The Broadside Shot

The Broadside Shot presents the largest target area to strike the heart and lungs. For the novice hunter this is the best shot to take. It is just behind the shoulder bones. Properly placed, the bullet will strike the ribs and probably pass completely through the chest cavity.

To find the best shot placement, look at the front leg facing you, along a line on the back side of this leg, come up one third of the way into the body. This is the place you want your bullet or arrow to impact.

The broadside shot for turkey is the best for bowhunters. With a firearm, the head and neck are the best place to aim. Most of the meat on a turkey is in the breast. By aiming for the head with a rifle or grouping for the head and neck with a shotgun, you won’t damage the breast meat.

Quartering-Toward

Quartering-Towardis a shot angle from the front of the animal when their body is angled towards you. This angle still affords a shot to the vital area, however, there is a greater chance of hitting bones in the shoulder. Since the animal is facing you, it can easily detect any movements. Bowhunters should avoid taking this shot because of the added density of the shoulder bones that the arrow must penetrate. Also, many times the animal can see the arrow in flight.

Quartering-Away

Quartering-Awayis a shot angle where the animal’s body is angled away from you. You still have a shot at the vital areas and should aim behind the shoulder. You must be confident of your accuracy with your firearm as misplacement of the shot can result in a “gut-shot,” a shot to the stomach and intestines. Not only does the animal suffer when gut-shot but it can still travel a great distance and there is a good chance you may lose it.

Head-On

Head-On means the animal is standing directly facing you. The vital organs can still be hit but there is a good chance the bullet will damage a good deal of meat. Depending on the velocity of the bullet, it could also pass through and hit the stomach, even continuing into one of the rear legs, ruining even more meat. Bowhunters should not take this shot.

Rear-End

Rear-End is exactly that, an angle directly behind the animal. No large vital area is presented. Never take this shot with firearm or bow. Wait for a better shot or pass.

The shot angle on both of these bucks is not good. You should wait for a better angle to the vital area.

If you’re a new cook making a Thanksgiving turkey for the first time, you might be puzzled by what’s inside the body cavity of your bird: strange little lumps of flesh, oddly shaped and, even odder, gift-wrapped in paper or plastic like something of value.

It’s the humble yet clever giblets, which we now attempt to explain. Read on to learn what your turkey did with these bits and pieces, and why you might find them valuable, as well.

Even if you end up throwing them out, you’ll learn all about turkey anatomy and poultry parts, which you can use as fodder for the inevitable small talk at your Thanksgiving table.

Of giblets and gizzards

First: giblets (pronounced “JIH-bluhts”) is the general term used to describe the “edible offal” of a fowl, typically organs such as the heart, liver, gizzard and sometimes the kidneys. The detached, deskinned turkey neck, which you’ll also find tucked inside the bird, is also often included in the catch-all term of giblets.

The heart, liver and neck, unsurprisingly, have a similar function in a bird as they do in a human. But the gizzard is something special. It’s part of the digestive system, a muscular food-grinding organ that helps a bird such as a turkey to digest seeds and insects. It’s also known as the gastric mill or hen’s teeth, because it does what teeth would do — if birds had teeth.

A more scientific name for the organ is the ventriculus. But almost everyone just calls it the gizzard, said Prof. Rob Porter, an avian expert at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

All birds have gizzards, but so do crocodiles, alligators, earthworms, some fish and crustaceans and even dinosaurs, according to the “8 Things You Didn’t Know About Gizzards” page on the website for DeLong’s Gizzard Equipment, a poultry processing equipment company in Macon, Ga.

Gizzards and other giblet parts can be simmered with herbs and vegetables to make stock. At Thanksgiving, the stock and minced-up giblets can be mixed with turkey pan drippings, flour and cream to make giblet gravy. Or they can be used to make giblet dressing. The strong-tasting liver, however, is most often roasted rather than boiled before being made into gravy or stuffing.

A Midwestern delicacy

Sometimes these extra bird parts are a star attraction of their own.

You can find recipes for smothered turkey necks, Southern smoked turkey necks, slow cooker turkey necks and curried turkey necks. The New York Times once published a recipe for turkey necks “osso buco style,” braised slowly “until the flesh fell away from the bones in tender silky strands.”

“There’s a lot of muscle in that neck,” Porter said.

And fried chicken gizzards are a traditional Southern dish.

“In Uganda, Cameroon, and Nigeria, the gizzard is traditionally set aside for the oldest and most respected male at the table,” according to DeLong’s.

But Wikipedia asserts that pickled turkey gizzards are a delicacy particular to the Midwest.

It’s true, says Reinhard Liebner, owner of the Milwaukee-based Bay View Packing Co. Liebner said his company’s pickled turkey gizzards sell well in Minnesota, where they can be found in taverns and grocery stores. They’re especially popular among hunters, anglers, snowmobilers and football tailgaters, maybe because the jars of brine-soaked gizzards don’t need refrigeration, even months after opening.

“It’s convenient. It’s ready to eat,” Liebner said, and they taste like the dark meat of a turkey, except it’s richer, with “more organ flavor. It’s a delicacy,” he said.

Other giblet gems

• A turkey with giblets includes a neck, gizzard, heart and liver, but probably not the ones the turkey had during its life. Turkey companies process hundreds of thousands of birds at a time, so it’s pretty hard to keep straight whose neck was whose.
• If you put the turkey in the oven and forget to remove the giblets, it’s not necessarily a disaster. Butterball turkeys, for one, package giblets in an oven-safe paper bag just in case. Butterball and Jennie-O also sell “oven ready” or “ready-to-roast” giblet-free whole frozen turkeys that can go straight into the oven inside a cook-in bag.
• The word gizzard comes from a Middle English word “giser,” which evolved from the Latin word “gigeria,” meaning giblets.
• Over the centuries, “giblets” has been used as a slang term for certain parts of the human body. To “join giblets” could mean having sex, shacking up or forming a partnership, according to Green’s Dictionary of Slang. More recently, giblets has become slang for accessories that come with an electronic consumer product, according to the Urban Dictionary. And “gibbing” has become a gamer slang term derived from giblets that means to vanquish a digital foe in a way that scatters their body parts.
• In an episode of “The Beverly Hillbillies,” Jethro starts a restaurant called the Happy Gizzard. And gizzard was a handy rhyming word for E.Y. “Yip” Harburg, the lyricist for the music for “The Wizard of Oz.” If, as Dorothy sings, “the Wizard is a wizard who will serve,” then the Cowardly Lion will become “brave as a blizzard,” the Tin Man will be as “gentle as a lizard,” and the Scarecrow will be “clever as a gizzard.”
• Turkey neck has also become a term for an undesirable human condition: the wrinkled, sagging skin on a person’s neck as one gets older. If you’re developing a turkey neck, some suggested solutions include neck and facial exercises, cosmetic creams, Botox, plastic surgery — or wearing turtlenecks.

I see the debate of how far out to put the target almost every time I go to a range during public hours.

Put it too close and it doesn’t look very “cool.” Put it too far and it would be embarrassing to miss.

Should I put it at 21 feet because of the “21-foot rule?” Should I put it at 11 feet since half of law enforcement fatalities happen within 11 feet?

Should I put it at nine feet since an “average” self-defense encounter happens within three yards, lasts three seconds, and three rounds are fired?

The answer is a little simpler and a little more flexible than you may think.

There are a couple of distances that are important.

The first distance is six to 10 feet.

Six feet is about as close as you can get to a hanging paper target without the muzzle blast from normal self-defense rounds moving the paper too much. Six to 10 feet is close enough that any gun/ammo combination can shoot 1” or better groups.

Drilling holes flat footed at the six- to 10-foot range is an indication that you can align the muzzle properly and press the trigger without disturbing muzzle alignment.

Any flyers or problems that show up here will be magnified with distance, stress, speed, and movement.

Grip, stance, breathing, and follow-through all help, but muzzle alignment and trigger press are the only two things that are vital.

This seems like it should be simple, but what I’ve found over time is that only about 10% of shooters who carry regularly…including military, law enforcement, competition, and concealed carry permit holders…can actually shoot a five-round 1” group at 6-10 feet with perfect lighting and no time constraints.

If you’re in the 90% who throw an occasional shot at six to 10 feet, it means is that you’ve got some of what I call “low-hanging opportunities for improvement” that will be magnified with speed, distance, movement and stress. Work that you do here gets incredibly high leverage results and will impact all shooting that you do, regardless of the gun, distance, or speed.

Once you’re drilling holes at six to 10 feet…then what?

It depends on what phase of learning you’re in; whether you’re building a basic skill or trying to make it resilient.

If you’re trying to build skill, you want to aim for a distance where you’ve got a 75 to 90% success rate, regardless of the size of the target, speed of shooting, stress level, or speed of movement.

That may be slow fire at five, 25, 50, or even 100 yards, rapid fire, shooting while moving, or whatever combination of speed, accuracy, stress, and movement that puts you in that 75 to 90% success range.

That means that you’re hitting your intended target seven to nine times out of 10 and the misses tell you where the edge of your performance envelope is.

At first, you want to focus on perfection and a 99 to 100% success rate, but once you’re dialed in, you want to start expanding your performance envelope.

For IDPA, “success” might be -0 hits. For USPSA, it might be A-zone.

But, depending on what you’re doing, you might need/want to relax your definition of success. As an example, if you’re shooting at 50 yards, shooting fast, or training for self-defense while moving laterally off-the-x, you might call success anything in the -1 or B zone (reduced silhouette), or it might be any hit on target.

But the goal should always be to make precise hits faster, fast strings of fire more accurate, and do it under more and more challenging conditions.

The way you want to structure your practice is to start with drills where you’re shooting at a 99 to 100% success rate, push conditions until you’re at 75 to 90%, and then end with 99 to 100% again.

I like to think of it as a sandwich.

Start with a sure thing, push it, and then end with a sure thing.

As we cover in Praxis, this will optimize learning speed and give you the most bang-for-the-buck for your training time and training dollars.

If you’ve got the skill built and you’re working on making it resilient to stress…by whatever means of stress inoculation you happen to be using…then you might want to push things to the point where you’re only succeeding 25% of the time…but you still want to dial stuff back to where you know your performance envelope where you can succeed 75 to 90% of the time and end with a win.

How’s this play out at the range?

Start with a few rounds at six to 10 feet with sterile conditions, push time, distance, speed, movement and stress until you’re in the 75 to 90% success range, and then end with a few reps at six to 10 feet again.

As you see, no matter how fast and cool or how tactical you want to be, it all comes back to a solid foundation of the fundamentals…muzzle alignment and trigger press.

Get those down as a solid foundation and the sky is the limit.

Skip over them in an attempt to get to the “cool” stuff quicker and it’s like driving a sports car with the parking brake on and a clogged air filter…it’s simply impossible to shoot up to your potential. And that’s why shooters at all levels…from new shooters to guys retiring from tier I and special mission units go through our training and report dramatic improvements in performance.