Is there a correlation between hunting regularly and having better accuracy compared to those who do not have much hunting experience?

Absolutely.

Practice is an often overlooked part of hunting and will make you better except that its not that simple. Like any sport, practice is key to maintaining your skill and improving, however, you need to spend time in the field too.

When you hunt ducks, pheasant, quail, dove, etc., for example, practicing skeet, trap, and sporting clays will make you a better shot but it may not make you a better hunter.

Think of it like being a competitive baseball player. Anyone can hit a BP fastball. But recognizing a splitter or change-up takes real experience. Especially when the pressure is on. That’s not to say a rookie can’t hit a game-winning home run but I’d rather have my best and most experienced hitter up when the game is on the line.

I joined a hunt club about 10 years ago which allows me to hunt waterfowl, dove, and pheasant about 20+ times per season. Prior to that, we would hunt maybe 5 or 6 times per season. I’m a good shot at sporting clays but my hunting shooting really improved after a couple of seasons with more days in the field. It was noticeable compared to some of my hunting buddies.

You experience things in the field that you may only see once a season. If you whiff on it that one time you see it, you may have to wait another season or two until you see the same scenario and get a second chance. The more days you spend in the field, the more chances you get.

Its really that simple.

I saw this with my buddies when I’d bring them to the club. They would often hesitate or wait for the ‘perfect’ opportunity when the opportunity presented was just fine. They weren’t always ready and they tended to shoot with less confidence.

It’s even tougher with big game. You get fewer chances so there’s a heightened sense of pressure when an opportunity does present itself.

I harvested my first elk maybe 6 or 7 years ago with an outfitter we know in Western Wyoming. I didn’t practice as much as I should have but somehow made a pretty ‘miraculous’ shot (for me). I harvested a nice bull elk at 354 yards standing, without a rest. I missed with my first shot (at 345) and then dropped it 10 or 15 seconds later with my second shot as it walked up a butte. The grass was too high to take a knee and there weren’t any trees around to lean against. I didn’t have time to get my tall shooting sticks so I had to stand and shoot, old school.

Fast forward a couple of years and my son and I are on a hunt with the same guide. This time we practiced A LOT. After a trip to sight-in our rifles we only practiced standing shots. We got to the point where we would hit a 16″ by 16″ plate 9 of 10 times at 100 yards, 2 of 3 times at 200 yards, and 1 of 3 or 4 times at 400 yards. And when we missed we weren’t missing by much. We practiced a lot and we were pretty confident that we would do ok. The vital organs on an elk are a big target.

My son harvested a nice bull on the second day at around 150 yards. It took him 3 shots. Hit, miss, hit.

Two days later I got a chance at a nice bull at around 230 yards in a clearing with about 30 other elk. Admittedly I was nervous because the success rate for the area is less than 50% (and I can do the math). Anyhow, I hit him pretty good with my first shot. It was a fatal shot but he didn’t go down. Wild game are incredibly tough. Then, as he walked towards the forest I missed with my NEXT THREE SHOTS! Talk about STRESS! The pressure was intense. My good buddy lost a wounded elk the year before (it survived) and I didn’t want that to happen to me. Fortunately, I was able to gather myself and end the hunt.

I was very surprised at how much stress I felt after that first shot. And it got worse with each miss. My son was holding our horses out of sight so he only heard what was happening.

I suppose that its because we only elk hunt every 3 or 4 years and its a big commitment. Practice, travel, gear, money, time, etc. You invest a lot without any guarantee you’ll even see an animal so you don’t want to screw it up when an opportunity presents itself.

So yes, more days in the field will make you a better hunter.