Sept. 3, 2016

PREPPING FOR GUN DEER HUNTING

Opening Day for Gun Deer Hunting season is just 12 weeks away.

Listed below are some points to prepare you & your rifle for the season.

  1. Check for Loose screws.

Check the screws on your rifle to see if they are loose. If they are, check the owner’s manual for your rifle and scope mounts as to sequence and torque value needed to tighten them.

NOTE:You should also perform this check the night before opening day.

Vibration from traveling can cause them to loosen.

  1. Clean your rifle.

Clean your rifle before you come to the range;

  1. If your rifle has been in storage since last season.
  2. If you just bought a new rifle.

WHY:

  1. Rifle in storage:

Your rifle has been in storage since last November.

Run a patch through the barrel to remove anythingthat has collected during storage and lube areas that need it.

  1. New Rifle:

Your new rifle has been treated with corrosion inhibiters that can cause many problems if you do not remove it.So clean it per Mfg’s instructions.

  1. Check your ammo.

Make sure your ammo is clean and that the Bullets are tight in the casing.

If the casing is tarnished, clean it with some Brass cleaner.

  1. Sight-In of your Rifle.
  2. Use a “Shooting Rest” that allows you to hold your rifle in a repeatable manner.
  3. Never make an adjustment of Sights or Scope from the results of the first shot.

Take 2 shots to foul the barrel.

  1. Now, take 3 shots and average their location from your “Point of Aim”, and make your adjustments to your Sights or Scope.
  2. Take a break from shooting if your rifle has a recoil that’s excessive.

You don’t want your body to develop a flinch when you pull the trigger.

This can happen to beginners and even advance shooters who have not firedtheir rifle in a long time.

  1. Take another 3 shots. If they are on “Point of Aim”, you are done with Sight-In.
  1. Practice.

Practice in the position(s) that you will be in during hunting (Standing, Sitting, Prone, Etc…)

And/or using a (Shooting Stick) when hunting. Practicing on the bench does not do you any good unless you are hunting on the bench.

REMEMBER TO TAKE BREAKS.

Don’t start banging shots off. You will develop bad muscle memory and habits doing that.

  1. Clean & Foul your barrel.

Bring your Cleaning equipment with you.

After you are done practicing; let your barrel cool, then clean it.

Now take 1 shot from the bench. Where is it from your “Point of Aim”?

If that shot is on Point, then you got a One in a Million rifle.

Most rifles will have a Flyer that is off by 1”x1” to 6”x6”

Now take another shot from the bench. What you have just done, is Fouled your barrel. Many hunters made the mistake of cleaning their barrel when they got home from the range and then on Opening Day see that Buck and take a shot and missed. They cannot believe it that after all that practice, they miss. Well… more than likely, they had a Flyer because they did not Foul the barrel after cleaning.