By Julian Willsey
Well, it’s that time of year when hunters will be heading out to harvest their favourite game. I am noticing more activity at our Lone Butte Fish & Wildlife Association range. People want their rifles sighted in and ready to take down that buck, bear, elk or moose.
Sighting in your rifle should be a priority prior to heading out on your hunt.
A lot of people think because their rifle was sighted in perfectly last season, it should still be good. And sometimes it is, but not always. So it’s a good idea to check it out. You don’t want to miss out on that buck of a lifetime because you didn’t make sure your rifle was zeroed in.
Some things to take with you to the range when sighting in: a good solid rifle rest, a suitable target, a staple gun or push/pull pins. There are some good life-size deer targets out there that are very helpful. Depending on the distance you plan on shooting, a good set of binoculars or a quality spotting scope come in very handy.
When sighting in, use the same ammo you will hunt with. That may sound obvious, but I frequently see people finishing off a box of one bullet weight and then hunting with another bullet weight.
Prior to sighting in, it’s a good idea to check your scope mounts for looseness. Everything should be nice and tight and the scope levelled. I give my rifle a good cleaning prior to shooting. Use a lubricant suitable for the weather you will be hunting in.
Also, know your trajectories. Most modern hunting rounds are close to 1.5 inches high at 100 yards when sighted in for dead-on at 200 yards. If between 100 and 200 yards is where you will find yourself shooting, I would sight in for a 200 yard zero. If not, consult with a good ballistics chart to help you with accurate holdovers.
A little trick to pass on to you that was shown to me many years ago by an experienced hunter is that after sighting in, fire four or five shots at a 25 yard target and note where the bullets impact. If it happens you drop your rifle or otherwise bang your scope on something and aren’t sure if you have lost your 200 yard zero, you can quickly check if everything has stayed the same by shooting a few rounds at 25 yards.
Finally, good solid rest is important when sighting in. Take your time doing your sight in shots and avoid getting the barrel too hot. Remember, you will most likely be shooting with a cold barrel, so avoid shooting too quickly. I will shoot, as a rule, at least five shots from a rest to be sure my rifle is printing where I want.
I realize that unless you are a reloader, hunting ammo is expensive. Most of our shots in the field will be standing without a rest of some kind. Once you have ensured your rifle is dead on from a rest, I believe it is a good idea to shoot at a target standing because that is most likely how you will take your shot.
Don’t forget to sight in your .22’s as well. Head shots on grouse can be tricky, but with a properly sighted in rifle you can shoot with confidence.
Good luck this season, safe hunting!
Julian Willsey is the rifle chair of the Lone Butte Fish & Wildlife Association
