Shooting Experience. It is a valuable quality, as it is very difficult to hunt an animal with trophy characteristics without skills. What should a hunter learn before going hunting in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan? First of all, that you will not need to shoot accurately at 100 meters; it is better to forget about that distance.
You will need to shoot at long distances, both downhill and uphill, at angles of up to 45%. We understand that achieving these angles at shooting ranges is very difficult. Nevertheless, the skill of shooting from heights or upwards is essential, as the trajectory of the bullet's movement always changes and is different from shooting straight.
You need to practice shooting at long distances with the specific cartridge and bullet that you will take to Kyrgyzstan. You should be proficient at 100, 200, and 300 meters, and even more importantly, gain experience and practice at distances of 400 and 500 meters. Knowing where the bullet hits at distances of up to 600 meters can be very beneficial.
A simple example from hunting practice in Kyrgyzstan involves two hunters who hunted in the same area for a Markhor. The altitude was over 4000 meters, and after two days of pursuing the Markhor with good trophy characteristics, they were unable to get closer than 600 meters. In the first case, the hunter refused to approach the coveted target because steep cliffs and crosswinds made shooting from a long distance impossible. The hunter clearly assessed his capabilities and declined to take the shot, despite being in good physical shape and having to shoot at a smaller specimen.
In the second case, exactly two weeks later, an older but skilled hunter successfully shot the Markhor with the first shot from a distance of 550 meters in the same spot. It took a day to retrieve the trophy.
Despite the hunting conditions requiring hunters to approach the animal within 300 meters, doing so in practice is very challenging due to the significant physical demands on the hunter. In this case, the skill of shooting at long distances proves useful in 95% of cases, especially with trophy animals like Marco Polo sheep and Markhor.
Hunting practice over the past few years shows that large specimens are becoming increasingly experienced and cautious, which leads to longer shooting distances year after year. The higher your accuracy, the easier it will be to obtain a trophy specimen.
To calculate the parameters of each bullet, there are ballistic calculators that can help you pre-calculate trajectories and later compare the theoretical parameters from the tables with the actual results using your cartridge. This preparation is highly desirable, as it will expand your knowledge of ballistics, which, even with minimal experience, will positively impact your hunting outcomes.
Text: Administration of the company Extreme Travel
