Teach me to lead

scrmblr1982cj8

LSB Active Member
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Not that I've got that much experience, but it depends on the angle of the run. The more perpendicular to you the more lead.

I was speaking with one of the guys from Jager Pro, skeet shooting is the best form of practice. The guy I spoke with is the one that narrates their videos. He says he shoots over 100k rounds a year skeet shooting to keep up his skills.
 

chthump

LSB Member
about 3.7ft at only 50 yds at a coyote running 40 mph perpendicular to you, seriously ( going by memory) doesn't seem right until you start rolling a few, i shot behind them for 15 years,
 

Chopperdrvr

Deep East Tx
SUS VENATOR CLUB
As stated above, if you are good at wing shooting, the lead is about the same at twice the distance. Think of it like this. Shotgun loads run about 1200 fps. If your target is 20 yds out and your lead is 2 ft. Now if your rifle round is running about 2400 fps and your target is 40 yds out at the same speed, your lead would be about 2 ft. So, in a not very scientific way, you can see the correlation between wing shooting and running game with a rifle. Obviously it won't be exactly these speeds and distances, but it is very close. If you are good at wing shooting, let those same instincts rule your leads and you will start hitting a lot more.
 

wigwamitus

LSB Active Member
I think the people who do it well might just be naturals ... like how we threw footballs at receivers when we were kids ...

But there is some science to it ... and though there are some variables ... roughly speaking ...

2 mph = 1.25 mils

so

4 mph = 2.5 mils

8 mph = 5 mils

16 mph = 10 mils

24 mph = 15 mils

Now these mph are "crossing" speeds i.e. the rate at which the critter is moving in terms of 90 degrees across your front. So if a critter is running 24 mph directly across your front hold 15 mils ...
If a critter is running 24 mph at 45 degree angle across your front hold 7.5 mils ...

So est. the crossing speed and hold accordingly.

Since I am not one of the "naturals" ... I really just think in terms of 5, 10, 15 mils for holding ... and this goes for hogs and yotes ... yotes might be a little faster in theory, but generally most of these critters are not crossing at 90 degrees to our front at their theoretical maximum speed.

So if the 2nd shot on a critter or group and the critter is first accelerating, then 5 mils ... next shot (on same or different critter of same group) 10 mils ... then 15 mils ... unless crossing significantly less than 90 degrees. I've had them run straight at me and straight away and in all other directions, not that they know where I am (I shoot suppressed), they are just running from the loudest sound they hear which is the supersonic crack of the bullet that hit their buddy or missed them (unless I am within 50yds, in which case, they usually hear the muzzle blast also).

At one ranch I go to, they have a mover stage in their match, but the targets are only moving 5 mph ... so about 3 mils works ... and you can predict it ...

So not that easy to setup a practice with 25 mphs runners ... I thought about doing it with a drone target tow, but it takes 2 people, and 97% of the time I only have 1 people, so I have to practice on the critters.

==
Maybe one of the "Naturals" will weigh in on how they do it !! :)
 
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Chopperdrvr

Deep East Tx
SUS VENATOR CLUB
Practice, practice, practice. If you can find a range with International Skeet it would help. The targets are a lot faster and there is a random delay when you call for targets. It helps to develop that instinct.
 

theblakester

Got a black belt in keeping it real.
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Get on YouTube and start watching a ton of thermal hunting videos of hogs and coyotes getting shot on the run. Try to gauge the speed angle distance caliber/bullet velocity etc.
 

chthump

LSB Member
I have a hard time counting mils while watching a running coyote through a scope, for the ones up close, assuming perpendicular, say 50 yards to 100yards, I impose another coyote directly infront and shoot near the head of the imposed coyote. Over 100 yards your looking at 1 1/2 coyote to 2 coyote lead. Just my way of shooting on the fly. Got several running shots on thermal video, shot two about 1 month go, both running, pm me your email and I'll send you the video. Like I said earlier, I spent 15 years shooting behind them, it took me a long time to get used to leading them that far ahead, just doesn't make sense while shooting until you start hitting a few.

The math 50yard perpendicular coyote at 40 mph(58.7 fps) with a 556 (2500fps) flight time 0.06 secs*58.7'=3.5 feet of lead , thats just at 150feet. So double it at 100 yards, but adjust back , it not perpendicular. Like shooting skeet on steroids.
 
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