Shooting with pack on

Obsessed1

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 7, 2019
Messages
109
Not sure if this is the right spot for this but, I am looking for ideas/ tricks / methods for shooting a rifle with a pack on. I know there will be a few who say just take it off but my style ( still hunting, tracking, and calling ) often doesn't give opportunity to pull it off before shooting. Any tricks for shooting with the shoulder strap on? I find it a bit awkward....looking for ideas.
 

Dave_

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 3, 2017
Messages
134
Location
Austin, TX
1) Practice
2) take off or change up butt pad on stock

That's all I got :)

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wilbur007

FNG
Joined
Mar 2, 2014
Messages
32
I'll second "practice", even if it's standing in your basement with all of your layers on, wearing your backpack and shouldering your rifle. I hunted in much colder temperatures this fall and ended up wearing thicker layers under my pack. I completely forgot to anticipate just how different this made lifting and shouldering my rifle.

So clearly I need a warm weather rifle, a medium cold rifle and a deep cold rifle, all with different stock lengths. (Right?)
 

fishslap

WKR
Joined
Jan 8, 2017
Messages
892
Location
Longmont, CO
I keep the shoulder strap a little loose on my left side (I’m a lefty) that way I can push it out of the way. I absolutely have to do this when I’m hunting with my traditional muzzleloaders due to the curved shape of the buttplate.
Move your scope back a bit more than you would if just shooting at the range with normal clothes. I need to do this with my 270wsm this year after noticing the last few years that I have to creep up a bit on the scope in hunting clothes. I also thought about grinding the thick recoil pad down.
 

Achigan1

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 4, 2019
Messages
146
Location
TEXAS
Practice. I kinda shrug my right shoulder strap to the outside if I don’t have time to drop the pack. I take the pack to the range often.
 

wyosam

WKR
Joined
Aug 5, 2019
Messages
982
I just practice with it on for the distances I would be shooting at with it on (Generally 250 and in). If its further than that, chances are that I am taking it off prior to the shot. I don’t find it particularly cumbersome to shoot with, just chances are if I’m shooting very far I’m using it as a rest.


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Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Messages
889
Location
Wyoming
Anything more than 100y I'll probably be able to get my pack off. So I would consider this an issue of off-hand shooting. Off-hand is way harder than most people consider, and way less practiced than most people claim.

I shoot off hand fairly regularly usually 100y and sometimes 150y. I can shoot maybe 4 MOA which is not great. It is a tough shot to make that needs practice. Bring the pack to to the range.

I think we try to practice all sorts of shots and angles. But at the end of the day, I've had to take shots I could never have really practiced properly for...like my bull last year snuck up behind me and I basically shot 50y over my shoulder, tough 50y shot that I couldn't really practice. But practicing all sorts of other shooting scenarios makes it easier to adapt on the fly in the .05 seconds you sometimes have to make a decision.
 

wyosam

WKR
Joined
Aug 5, 2019
Messages
982
Anything more than 100y I'll probably be able to get my pack off. So I would consider this an issue of off-hand shooting. Off-hand is way harder than most people consider, and way less practiced than most people claim.

I shoot off hand fairly regularly usually 100y and sometimes 150y. I can shoot maybe 4 MOA which is not great. It is a tough shot to make that needs practice. Bring the pack to to the range.

I think we try to practice all sorts of shots and angles. But at the end of the day, I've had to take shots I could never have really practiced properly for...like my bull last year snuck up behind me and I basically shot 50y over my shoulder, tough 50y shot that I couldn't really practice. But practicing all sorts of other shooting scenarios makes it easier to adapt on the fly in the .05 seconds you sometimes have to make a decision.

I find the best practice is while hiking. I usually wear the same pack I hunt in anyway, so sometimes I’ll bring along my 22 (which happens to feel identical to my hunting rifle, down to trigger pull weight) and pick a random shot here and there- pine cone, rock etc. Both while rested and after exertion. Off hand or quick lean against a tree type shots or similar ways a quick shot might need to be made. Great cheap practice, and adds realism vs wearing a pack at the range. Side benefit of no peanut gallery judging group size, which is specially annoying from a person who wants to compare them to their 100 yard group from a 20 pound bench gun.


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OP
O

Obsessed1

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 7, 2019
Messages
109
90% of my shots on game are within bow range. I hunt elk, WT deer, and moose. I call, track, and still hunt. Generally my shot opportunities are fast and short. I generally hunt with open sights or 1-5 powered scopes. I'll just keep practicing what I'm doing...just wondered if someone had an AHA idea I haven't tried yet...thanks
 
Joined
Apr 1, 2018
Messages
44
Location
Oklahoma
Are you packing the animal out or just using the pack to carry essentials? If I'm not going to be carrying the animal out, I use a repurposed camera lens pack to carry knife, food, small 1st aid, etc.
 
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Messages
4,973
Location
oregon coast
Practice shooting how you hunt. I always shot with my pack on while rifle hunting, and I do the same while bowhunting. With bowhunting, I don't even consciously recognize that the pack is even there. It's just second nature. It was the same for rifle hunting.
roger that!
 
OP
O

Obsessed1

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 7, 2019
Messages
109
Are you packing the animal out or just using the pack to carry essentials? If I'm not going to be carrying the animal out, I use a repurposed camera lens pack to carry knife, food, small 1st aid, etc.
Packing game back out.
 

brsnow

WKR
Joined
Apr 28, 2019
Messages
1,847
Make sure you test how your butt pad sounds on your straps. Some will speak loud. Just practice, i rarely have my pack off.
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2020
Messages
330
Practice shooting how you hunt. I always shot with my pack on while rifle hunting, and I do the same while bowhunting. With bowhunting, I don't even consciously recognize that the pack is even there. It's just second nature. It was the same for rifle hunting.
^^that. Practice is more important than any one technique
 
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