I’ve never met a hunter who thought he was a lousy shot. I suspect every one of us fancies himself a bit of a modern-day Davy Crockett, and while some among our ranks deserve the title “marksman,” the hard truth is that many don’t.

The good news is that top-flight instruction has never been easier to come by, particularly with the proliferation of long-range precision rifle schools, most of which have been strongly influenced by modern sniper techniques. Every hunter could benefit from this instruction, regardless of skill level, and you might be surprised at how much crossover there is between shooting at hostage scenario targets and going after a trophy mule deer.

Not only will sniper school improve your skills and judgment—these classes, which you'll see photos of in this story, have certainly helped mine—but it will also show you the limits of what you can do under practical field conditions, which is the very least we owe to the game we hunt and cherish.

This gallery explains exactly how snipers shoot and how you can use their techniques for hunting.