By Craig Boddington — It’s hard to say exactly where shooting sticks were developed. Perhaps simultaneously all over the place—because they work so well! The image of the circa 1875 bison hunter with his big single shot rested over crossed sticks is part of the legend of the Old West. In the mountains of Europe I’ve noticed that a lot of jaegers use their hiking staffs to steady both…

By Craig Boddington — The larger your repertoire of how to get steady—fast—the more consistently successful your field shooting will be. That said, it is almost inevitable that, over time, you will develop a default setting, a position or setup that is your preferred option when possible…and thus unconsciously sought no matter how many other options might be available. 

By Craig Boddington — These days, long-range shooting is “in.” It is not my place to suggest to anyone how far he or she should or shouldn’t shoot, but honestly, I’m a bit horrified by the shooting distances thrown around these days. From the media, it would be easy to get the idea that shooting at game animals at a half-mile and more has become routine.

By Craig Boddington — Despite the current rage for long-range shooting it’s important to remember that close shots can occur almost anywhere. Bowhunters deal with this routinely; despite the challenge, they get close! Primarily a rifle hunter, I’m usually prepared for a longish shot, but I ascribe to the motto, “Get as close as you can, then get ten yards closer!”

By Craig Boddington — Ethical hunting dictates that any shot at game should only be taken when the hunter is reasonably certain of a hit in the vital zone. A hope and a prayer “Hail-Mary” shot doesn’t cut it, regardless of circumstances. However, I think it’s unreasonable to limit oneself to stationary shots altogether; it always depends on the circumstances and on the shooter’s…

By Craig Boddington — Long-range shooting is hardly new. Long-range competition was popular in the 19th century, but field shooting at longer ranges was unusual. The accuracy was there, and optics, though less common, existed. Telescopes, binoculars, and riflescopes saw use in our Civil War, and a few of the bison hunters used scoped rifles. But there’s a big difference between a target…

By Craig Boddington — When hunting alone, the outcome of any approach, opportunity, or shot is altogether between the hunter and his or her reflection in the mirror. When hunting with a guide or buddy, there might be a couple of witnesses, but ours is mostly a solitary pursuit. For many, meat on the table remains a primary and valid motivation to hunt. Today’s hunters are guided more…

By Craig Boddington — Optics have improved dramatically during my career. I’m a child of the scope era, but when I started hunting, we used fixed-power scopes because variable-power scopes weren’t yet perfected: shifts in point of impact were normal with changes in magnification. Reliable variables have been with us since the 1970s, but for many years the practical limit was about “three-…

By Craig Boddington — Today’s interest in extreme-range shooting cannot be ignored. I have not tried to ignore it; I love to ring steel way out there. I don’t profess to be particularly adept at it, but with an early background in prairie dog shooting, I’m pretty good at calling wind. Thing is, both ringing steel and shooting prairie dogs are hit-or-miss propositions, and the results are…

By Craig Boddington — Traditional rifle competition is based on the four “NRA” positions of prone, sitting, kneeling, and standing. Always and forever, these form a good basis for all rifle shooting. However, hunting is our focus here, and there is no rulebook for field-shooting positions. What matters: Get steady enough to make the shot count.