With firearms deer season upon us, many hunters will be sighting in their guns. Since there’s not a lot of time to waste, and ammunition is quite expensive, I am providing some tips to get the job done as economically as possible.
As mentioned in previous writings, a six-inch kill zone will be the standard from any shooting position in the field for deer. For sighting in, however, smaller targets help with precision. Orange squares with the black outlines are my favorites for scoped guns and plain black circles are best for iron sights, red dot sights. and holographic sights. If you can’t remember when you changed batteries on any electronic sights, it’s best to just do it now.
If your gun has been in storage from last season, make sure there is no oil or grease in the barrel and make sure it’s unloaded before doing anything else. A clean and dry bore is the best way to start and when finished, don’t clean the barrel. You can do that when the season is finished – unless, of course, you are working with a muzzleloader, in which case cleaning is mandatory immediately after shooting. Make sure everything is tight – especially scope bases and rings. Good hearing protection can include foam plugs with hard shell muffs over them. Use a pad at the shoulder – especially if youngsters are involved in the session. A pad can be as simple as a folded towel placed under a shirt.
Start at 25 yards and make sure you have a good, solid rest at the forend and buttstock For guns with newly installed scopes, use a large backing around the target in case you don’t hit the target; that way, at least you’ll know where you are missing and can make adjustments accordingly. Sandbags or commercial rests are recommended. This is not the time to use your elbows for a rest; you can do that in the field, but not when testing ammo. The idea when sighting in is to minimize human error. Since most deer guns pack a wallop at both ends, it’s extremely important to pull the buttstock in tight to the shoulder and to pull down on the forend section with your other hand. Also, make sure any sling swivel studs will not hang up on the rest during recoil, because shots will not be consistent.
Before beginning the shooting session, make sure to have enough ammo on hand to sight in and to hunt. You don’t want to purchase ammo that was produced from a different production run than the ammo you sighted in. Even if it’s the same brand and load, it may not shoot the same.
If you are experiencing a strong crosswind, it’s best to postpone the session until winds subside. Shoot three shots and find the middle of the group. (If you are missing the paper completely, move in to about 10 feet. A single shot will usually be enough to let you know which direction to go.) Remember, at 25 yards to make adjustments at four times what you would at 100 yards. For most guns, you are ready to move the target to 100 yards, if you are dead on at 25 yards. Don’t change anything and shoot another 3-shot group at 100 yards, find the center of the group and adjust to your chosen elevation at 100 yards.
Understand that many scopes do not necessarily adjust according the the calibration marks indicated on the turrets. If you want to save some expensive ammo, here’s a shortcut to get you on target fast: Shoot a three-shot group. Now, press your gun tight into the rest and center the sights on the bull’s eye – or, the point you’d like the bullet to strike (your zero). With the help of an assistant, have him move the crosshairs of the scope from your zero to the center of the three-shot group, while you hold the gun steady. For example, if you were shooting high, the assistant will move the crosshairs down to the group’s center. I realize it sounds backwards, but trust me, it isn’t. Make left and right adjustments the same way.
Once you get sighted in, you can try shooting from various positions and with rests you may use in the field. As long as you can keep 9 out of 10 in the six-inch circle at a given range, you are shooting within ethical standards and will be able to make any shot with confidence.
