Originally Posted by
bushcannon
The most important thing is to know your gun and what it can do at what distance. You got to know how much the bullet/slug drops at what distance and how comfortable you are shooting a specific range. Also, shooting off a bench and shooting free hand makes a big difference. Know where you stand with that.
With both scopes and iron sights, it's important to see just before the hunt that nothing has moved. And yes, iron sights can be knocked out of place, I've seen it happen on a couple of occasions.
Practice makes the Marksman. Hunters that wound game, usually guess the distance, shoot beyond the capacity of the bullet load or shoot when the animal is at a bad angle. I'm a strong believer in knowing where an animals vitals are located. Head Shots on Deer are not recommended, unless it is to put the animal down while lying on the ground to prevent suffering.
Also, taking to different hunters at the range can be useful in collecting tips.