Let's stop you right there ...Originally Posted by joseph
No it doesn't.
The name Hunter Field Target has caused some controversy over the years. It is not simulated hunting. Shooters are required to take shots in HFT that a responsible hunter would not take in the field at live quarry. It was started as a complete alternative to Field Target that gave no advantage to having expensive high mag scopes that could be used to range, or having heavily customised stocks. So aimed at kit that was probably commonly used for hunting and probably aimed at plinkers/hunters that didn't want to pay out for expensive rifles/stocks/scopes to have a decent chance at Field Target ... they could just use what rifles/scopes they plinked or hunted with and do very well at Hunter Field Target. The kit has evolved over the years but the basics that made it different to, as opposed to a slightly different version of, Field Target have remained ... No scope adjustments, no sitting, limits on depths of stock and no stock adjustments etc.
The main position was prone, as opposed to sitting in FT. This gave a stable stance ( either low down prone or using the peg ) so that new shooters or youngsters could take part and do reasonably well right from the start. Most shooters will find that shooting sitting, off a bag, FT style can take a year or two before they are getting consistently good results.
The idea behind the 1 point for a plate, as opposed to a 'x' ( score 1 ) for a kill and a zero for everything other than hitting the kill ( knock the target down ), as used in FT, was to give youngsters and newbies a chance to get a less embarrassing score on their first few times out. Most folk will hit a faceplate lying prone out to 45 yards, especially in the early days when plates were all virtually full sized plates ( the lollipops and small plates with just a small amount of plate around the kill came later ). This wasn't a new thing by the way. Many FT clubs would do that type of scoring on club practice days to keep newcomers interested.
So re your idea ...
It simply isn't simulated hunting. It's a shame it was ever called Hunter Field Target. "Field Target with the basic kit that you use for plinking or hunting" was probably too big a title.
The other thing you need to learn is ...
You need to just shoot HFT or don't ... but never question it, or anything about it, especially on an internet forum. You may as well poke a long stick at a red ants' nest and then lie down with your genitals exposed and enjoy the consequences. When you shoot more than a certain number of HFT shoots, especially including the odd National, you have to secretly pledge your soul to the dark lords of the forest, and if anyone on an internet site suggests anything that may improve things, you must chant the HFT prayer over and over until the upstart is shouted down ... " If it aint broke ... why try and fix it ... If it aint broke ... why try and fix it ". It's a subliminal form of hypnosis that is used during the safety briefs.
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