I know many on here both fish and hunt and it’s getting to that time of year when it’s time to take out the deer rifles/shotguns and get in some range time. This may involve just verifying everything still shoots where it should, or maybe you’re trying new ammo. Or perhaps it’s more involved and you got anything from a new scope to a whole new rifle or shotgun.
Also, if you have young hunters in your family or friend group (as I do), now’s the time to get the next generation out there and get them some trigger time. IMO, they can never have too much practice, both with smallbore and with the actual gun they will hunt with.
I spent the last weekend working at the gun club I belong to and now that we have public open hours and the hunting season is approaching the benches are getting more crowded. And this year (as with every year) we see many of the same categories of issues as the hunting season approaches.
Here’s my list of common issues and other tips for hunters when making that trip to the range:
– Come prepared! Make sure you have ear protection, eye protection, targets, AND that you have allen keys and screwdrives to make adjustments. Also, remember that in the confined area of a rifle range with a roof and walls to keep the wind out, it can be VERY loud. Earplugs and muffs are often necessary, especially for young and noise-sensitive shooters.
Also, make sure you have the correct magazine with you. We see this one a lot.
– If at all possible, boresight new rifles and new scopes before coming to the range. With ammo costs soaring, it is frustrating and expensive to burn up high-end ammo trying to just get the gun on paper. Yesterday, I had a gentleman who fired one $3.60 shot after another trying to get his slug gun on paper. He was several feet off due to a mis-mounted scope base, but he burned up almost $60 in ammo figuring that out.
Back when I bought my first laser boresight, it was an expensive piece of gear, but they have become more affordable and they look like a bargain these days if you’re shooting expensive ammo.
A final note on boresights, they are NOT like laser gunsights. You can’t bring them to the range and see the little dot 100 yards away in broad daylight. There is a correct procedure to use a boresight and generally, it needs to be done indoors and following a set process.
– Erratic shot placements or a scope that does not “respond” as expected when making adjustments very often indicates loose scope bases or rings. Check everything! We see this on the range ALL THE TIME. Yet when I point it out as a possibility, I often get the “Nah, everything’s fine.” And then 20 minutes and 10 rounds later, they ask for a screwdriver or allen key… Yesterday, I had one red dot optic literally fly off an AR as a father was sighting it in with his daughter and I had another gentleman who fired round after round and made adjustments every which way even though we had gently suggested that he should check his base and rings. You guessed it, it was only until the scope was almost falling off that he finally saw the issue.
Also, a torque screwdriver and Loctite Blue are your best friends when it comes to keeping the scope firmly in place.
– Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Folks, the reality is that many hunters simply don’t have a lot of experience and broad experience with firearms. Maybe you’re new to hunting–and if that’s the case, welcome!–or maybe this is your first experience with a new rifle or shotgun after many years with Ol’ Faithful. It’s fine, we’re not judging. We like new guns too.
Don’t be embarrassed, just ask the range staff for help or even post a question here. It’s far better to do this than to risk damaging your firearm or, even worse, doing something unsafe.
Saturday, we noticed a hunter struggling to open the bolt on his new rifle. He was getting pretty testy and aggressive with it and the muzzle was starting to swing around wildly as he tried again and again to force the bolt open. When one of our range staff offered to help, he at first declined, but then reconsidered and admitted that this was a brand new rifle and he thought it was defective because the bolt was stuck shut. The rifle was on safe, as it turned out. His other rifle allowed the bolt to be worked on either safe or fire, but this new rifle worked differently.
Handguns, especially autoloaders often have operating quirks that make using one very different from using another. Again, if you’re having problems, keep that muzzle pointed in a safe direction, keep calm, and seek help. Even if this involves simply doing your homework and reading the manual and/or watching some videos.
– Finally, plan ahead, SLOW DOWN, and give yourself enough time and enough ammo! Don’t come to the range to “just fire a few quick shots”. Rushing is never the safe way to do anything and it just leads to frustration, which causes many people to double down on hurrying up.
On average, I would say that it takes 1-2+ hours MINIMUM to properly sight in a new rifle or a new scope and that’s only if the rifle has been boresighted first! If the rifle has not been boresighted, it can be a much longer afternoon. Plan accordingly.
It is impossible to say what the average is for ammo required to sight in a rifle, but IMO it’s foolish to go to the range with anything less than 3 boxes if you’re shooting a new rifle.
And many guys out there believe they can only shoot the big $$$$ ammo that they intend to hunt with, so they try to skimp and take shortcuts. Generally, the POI will not change drastically between ammo types with the same or similar bullet weights. So it’s totally fine to buy some cheaper ammo and then use that to get on paper and near the bullseye. Then you can bring out the high-dollar stuff to get fine-tuned at the very end.
Also, start small. By that, I mean don’t run straight to the 100 or even 200-yard range. Work at 25 or 50 at the most, especially when you’re sighting in something new.
Have a great and safe hunting season.
