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Economy of shot

outdoorsman4880

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I've stumbled upon this principle known as economy of shot. It goes about marksmanship back when a man who needed dinner needed to hit the squirrel in the tree and all he had was his .32/.38 caliber muzzleloader. If he missed, he had no dinner. He had to make that shot count. In today's day in age in shooting, I feel the idea of marksmanship is not really emphasized enough. I feel this mindset of the economy of shot and remembering the squirrel in the tree for dinner would help improve everyone's marksmanship. This is just food for thought.
 
This is the way I was trained. I had a single shot .22 rifle and had to make every shot count. I hunted at age 9 and was given one shell. If I bagged something, then was given another.

Combat shooting is another thing entirely, unless sniping. Rapid fire, multiple targets, close range dictate an "economy of action" in a short time period. 3-4" groups are acceptable but being able to thread the needle and put a round into 1" at ten yards and more may come in useful.
 
Not long ago photographers had to know light and iso settings or the outcome was crap. Today they can click hundreds of pics and select the best one. Quality film was expensive now for the price of a dinner you can store a thousand pictures.

There was a gun history show I watched that said the Minutemen were use to hunting for food and every shot they made meant food or possible hunger. So they became skilled hunters. They used sniper and gorilla tactics to take out the British at ranges the other armies were not use to fighting at and would take out officers commanding the forces.

How accurate this is, Im not sure since Im not a historian. But with rifled barrels and the hunting skills they were a force to be dealt with when under a good commander.
 
This is the way I was raised too. I didn't shoot powder until I was probably 15, but still...If you wasted a bullet you were going to get reprimanded. My g'pa was old school shoot-your-dinner country. He was one of those you talk about that grew up eating birds and squirrels to supplement his garden of potatoes, watermelon, etc. Just about anything but armadillo, possum, and raccoon went into the pot. The last two were too gamey according to him.
 
This is an important concept, and one that could make America into a nation of Riflemen.

Sadly, most of the time you either find the extremes; either "blast a lot of ammo and shoot a 10 MOA group that's good enough to kill 'em" (or so they tell themselves), or "Shoot off a shooting bench, use a beanbag under the rear, take 5 minutes to line it all up, breathe in and out slowly, shoot 3 shots in 10 minutes, all within a 1/4 inch group." Great shooting, no doubt, but how many times do you see a shooting bench in the field? Can you do this all day, not under a shaded awning, while hot, cold, or wet?

In truth, what's needed is a Rifleman. Someone who shoots "good enough", and does it "fast enough". In any environmental condition. Hot, cold, dry, wet, tired. Consistent, reliable.

This is what we try to create at Appleseed training events. At an Appleseed event shooting an AQT (Appleseed Qualification Test), going for the Rifleman patch will require you to place 10 shots within three simulated 300 yard silhouettes (3 in one, 3 in another, and 4 in the third) in 65 seconds. With a magazine change. From prone, unsupported (no bipod or rest) - and you must start standing, with the rifle unloaded.

You get similar requirements for seated at the 200 yard simulated (although with 10 seconds less time). You also have to shoot a standing stage at a 100 yard simulated target , and more accurate shots at a slower pace at 400 yard simulated targets.

If you score "Rifleman" you will be able to shoot "good enough" and "fast enough". You will also be able to manipulate your rifle better than the average shooter.

I also daresay that if you go through an Appleseed event you'll have a new understanding of shooting in general, ballistics, some of America's history, and most importantly, Liberty.
 
When hunting groundhogs in the fields as a boy back in the 80s, I learned that one shot with my grandpa’s 30 30 would scare off all the game for the rest of the day. Carryin more than two shells is wasted energy when I’m stalking game.
 
This is an important concept, and one that could make America into a nation of Riflemen.

Sadly, most of the time you either find the extremes; either "blast a lot of ammo and shoot a 10 MOA group that's good enough to kill 'em" (or so they tell themselves), or "Shoot off a shooting bench, use a beanbag under the rear, take 5 minutes to line it all up, breathe in and out slowly, shoot 3 shots in 10 minutes, all within a 1/4 inch group." Great shooting, no doubt, but how many times do you see a shooting bench in the field? Can you do this all day, not under a shaded awning, while hot, cold, or wet?

In truth, what's needed is a Rifleman. Someone who shoots "good enough", and does it "fast enough". In any environmental condition. Hot, cold, dry, wet, tired. Consistent, reliable.

This is what we try to create at Appleseed training events. At an Appleseed event shooting an AQT (Appleseed Qualification Test), going for the Rifleman patch will require you to place 10 shots within three simulated 300 yard silhouettes (3 in one, 3 in another, and 4 in the third) in 65 seconds. With a magazine change. From prone, unsupported (no bipod or rest) - and you must start standing, with the rifle unloaded.

You get similar requirements for seated at the 200 yard simulated (although with 10 seconds less time). You also have to shoot a standing stage at a 100 yard simulated target , and more accurate shots at a slower pace at 400 yard simulated targets.

If you score "Rifleman" you will be able to shoot "good enough" and "fast enough". You will also be able to manipulate your rifle better than the average shooter.

I also daresay that if you go through an Appleseed event you'll have a new understanding of shooting in general, ballistics, some of America's history, and most importantly, Liberty.

Appleseed has done that for me. Really gave me a renewed appreciation for the basics I was taught as a kid. And 5he events are fun and inexpensive with really interesting history as well.
 
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