Become a Better Hunter and Shooter by Training Target Acquisition

Target acquisition through your favorite riflescope seems simple enough. Shoulder the rifle, put your head down on the stock and look through the scope until you align the reticle on target. At the range and on paper, this is a stress-free task that just about anyone can easily do. Many shooters have a relaxed routine when it comes to plinking at the range and take for granted the casual affair. Fast forward to hunting season, add fatigue, distracting headgear, ominous weather and many other potential stressors, and finding that animal in the optic can lead to more missed opportunities than missing the shot itself.

When it comes to acquiring a target, whether that be paper, steel or a live animal, there are two simple tips that can help you get on target faster and lead to more impacts down range. As a competitive shooter, LE Sniper and lifelong big-game hunter, the process I have developed to acquire a target quickly is the same for all practices.

Tip #1: Use Low Magnification to Find Targets

First, keep the magnification on your rifle scope turned down around 6-8x to help locate the target with a wider field of view. Too many shooters live with their optics cranked to full power magnification and struggle to find targets. Inside 500 yards, you should not need more than 8x to locate a target. Once the target is located and a solid shooting position has been built behind the rifle, you can gradually increase the magnification. Keep in mind once you fire a shot on high magnification that you’ll likely lose the target to recoil and have to start all over again. For practical hunting purposes inside 700 yards, train shooting on 12-16x to help spot your bullet’s flight and impact. Staying on target is vital for delivering a follow-up shot to anchor an animal even if the first shot seems to have found its mark.

Tip #2: Look Over Your Scope and Use Muzzle for Targeting

Second, practice locating targets at the range from behind the optic by looking over the top of your scope turret with your cheek high on the rifle stock. Aligning the target with the tip of your barrel and turret will eliminate 90 percent of your left and right searching for the target. As you settle behind the rifle, be sure not to shift your mark left or right. Working on this technique on targets from 100-500 yards is an easy way to hone your target acquisition skills and get ready for the fall. This technique can also be worked on as a “dry fire” skill at home to maximize your training between range days.

Practice these simple tips to be a better marksman and a more successful hunter in the field!

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