Get scopes sighted.

B

BuckRub

Moderator
OK hunters, its getting close to deer season in Texas and people who havent shot their rifles since last deer season need to get out here and get prepared.
My dad was the worlds worst. He would say it was sighted in last year and after he shot at maybe 5 and missed them all he would let me resight it in only to find it about 2 foot off. I dont know how his would get off but he was rough with a gun. I shoot all year but I clean my barrel after every session but before hunting season starts I shoot it and left it lead the barrel so to speak and wont clean it unless it gets damp or something. I also handload so I will try misc components until I can shoot a ragged hole. What do some of you to get prepared with yalls rifles.
 
I go up in the woods and practice on odd targets at unknown distances in field positions, after sighting in for the season of course.
 
I'll recheck zero every year. I also only do a thorough cleaning once a year so after a cleaning and then a few fouling shots I recheck zero. I only use good quality scopes so I'm usually dead on.
 
I hate surprises !!!

Don't mean to get a little Zen here but it's not about the gun or you, it's about getting to a point of working together and the gun is just an extension of yourself. You can never put in enough practice. As and example, I use to take my .50 M/L with all the accoutrements, out squirrel hunting, in prep for the upcoming deer season. Sure, most of the kinks were already worked out but there is always room, for fine tuning. ... ;)

Be ready and;
Be Safe !!!
 
Practice is a necessity. Having said that, if your rifle is getting un-zeroed while in the safe; there is a problem that needs addressed. Something is mechanically wrong with something.:(
 
I clean my hunting rifles that are used that season at the end of the season. Sadly they tend to sit in the safe til the next season due to lack of time and other guns to shoot. About a week or so before opening day while bow hunting I fire a couple fouling shots at the camp range to chk the zero. If I'm lucky I might fire a couple more shots thru the season, then clean and store back in the safe.
This routine has worked for many years. Some years I might use 2 or 3 rifles through the course of the season. I always fire a couple fouling shots to chk zero before hunting with a rifle. Knowing that your weapon will hit where you aim is a must for me. My brother is totally different. He rarely cleans his one hunting rifle and only checks his zero if he misses a shot. I must admit he rarely misses. He has hunted with his M77 7mm Mag for 30+ years and has grown to trust it.
To each his own.
 
Immediately after deer season my rifles are cleaned and stored away. Not bumped or touched from season to season. So its a waste of ammo, time, and gas to go try and pull any better accuracy from either. Since I sit in a above ground enclosed deer stand situated on a hay field. I know where the deer will enter the field from 1/8 mile away. So I prefer to wait and pick my shot. I suppose there isn't really a need for me to practice shooting my deer rifles under those circumstances. But having the opportunity to retire when times were good and having a membership to a gun club for many years. Maybe? Just maybe I have more spare time than most to shoot long gun and pistol more often. Well?~~~ all but for one person that is. {Beagle 333.} But if it continues to rain in Alabama as it has and for the rest of the year and his powder gets a little damp and he forgets just where he left his ear muffs. They'll be no competition this year for me as to who's the CHAMPION at shoot'in and miss'in their targets most often._:o ~~Maybe I could use a little extra practice time afterall._:D

S/S
 
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Wait until the day before elk season starts and then sight in at your camp a mile from the elk...oh yeah and make sure there are camps in the direction you shoot...

OK - this is what NOT TO DO!

I had this happen a couple years ago in the Big Horns. And yes I went and had a very pleasant conversation with the idiots doing the shooting.

The OP is right. Get your gear dialed in ahead of time. Be confident in your rifle before you squeeze the trigger and for petes sake don't make your problem a problem for someone else!
 
I hunt with a variety of rifles over the antelope, deer and elk seasons. I leave the heavy maintenance and cleaning until after the seasons are over and then go through each weapon one at a time.
I look for screws that may have loosened in the scope rings and bases, thoroughly clean barrel and action, apply lubes where needed, wipe down stocks with a little oil and clean the scope lenses.
Before the season starts, the rifle I am using goes to the range with me and is fired several times to check POI. Light cleaning may be done according to hunting conditions.
There is no better feeling than being prepared and taking your animal with one shot and no hesitations....(and no surprises)
 
I have multiple rifles in different calibers for different situations,
Iron & peep sights for tight Timber situations, and scoped for
open clear cuts and longer ranges. I hand-load for all my guns,
so I am always shooting my developments, to keep things sighted
in and know what my rifle/loads are doing.
I can grab any combo and know exactly whats going on.
Of course all of this accuracy & practice stuff critical, but so are the other skills required for the hunt.
Sighting in; is important, but still a small part of the bigger picture.
 
I accidentally bumped the scope on my .308 a few months ago, so I shot it yesterday to get the scope resighted.....after a few minutes of tinkering I was putting em all almost in the same hole at 158 yds.

I have a feeling that this is gonna be a good season. :D
 
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