how to improve my target shooting and how can I go into hunting

[atchowdhury_uk]

Hi everyone.

I am new (in terms of using) to Airgun. I bought a Ramington Saiber, .22, during COVID but I still can not hit a target with it. Then about a year a go I bought a SMK Rabbit Destroyer (CO2), .177 and I can hit targets 6 out of 10 times. So I bought a Walther Rotex RM8 UC, .177 (I wish i went for the .22). I can hit terget sitting with a table but it is heavy without the table and hand pump is much more harder than I thought. I woud live to go for Rabbit hunting once I am confirmed enough.

I hope to get advice on how to improve my target shooting and how can I go into hunting.

I am also interested in buying a smk victory cp2, CO2, .22 but I just spent around £600 on the RM8.

 

[Sarge]

Welcome

I'd forget hunting just now, concentrate on getting your shooting skills honed.
Join a club and get help and tuition from the members. Clubs are great places for that.
You also may find some hunting opportunities through the members, or at least some ride-alongs to get the experience required, once you're confident you'll be able to effectively take your quarry.

 

[1260engineer]

As Sgt above

 

[TaylorSub12_Wilts]

i was in a similar boat to you having re picked up the hobby after years away. i completely agree with the advice already given get yourself to a shooting club or range and keep practicing the skills. one thing to be wary of though is dont get too comfortable or complacent i.e just repeatedly shooting the same target again and again. mix it up once you are confident at a given range or target as out in the field nothing is ever going to be perfect so being able to adjust on the fly is a god send

 

[Frog]

Thing to do is practice and do so a lot. You need to be able to reliably hit the kill zone on an animal (learn where they are) from a variety of positions in order to be up to hunting.

Going to a club is a very good suggestion. HFT is not like real hunting but some of the skills are transferable so having a go at that is helpful - remember every time you don't knock a target down is a shot you shouldn't have taken if you were hunting and you'll surprised how many of those there are...

 

[Sparky102]

Treat yourself to an AA s400 pcp, with a decent scope and a dive bottle, make life easier for yourself, struggle and you will miss out on the experience. Then as already said, get down to the range or club, always people willing to help. Learn to shoot correctly consistantly, the worry about quarry, so it is ethical.

 

[Byronic]

You need to be a much, much better shot before thinking about any live quarry.
At least getting all your shots in a circle no bigger than a 5p piece at whatever distances you might shoot animals.

Going along to a Club is sound advice.

No amount of online advice will get you to progress as fast as a bit of personal instruction.

Let alone issues of you getting a "Permission" to hunt legally.

You have a long road ahead of you.

As everyone has said - work on your accuracy first

 

[Wing Commander]

Marksmanship comes first. . . Practise a lot.

Then comes field craft. . . The ability to stalk your prey and be familiar with all of it's habits, etc..
And then, assuming you have a written permission to shoot on someone's land, bring the two skills together.