From Deseret News archives:
Preparing for the hunt
Condition of the rifle can mean success or failure
Without some early preparation, the bullet could end up going who knows where.
A rifle needs maintenance, just like a vehicle. Without some care, it won't work properly. Or, in this case, shoot accurately.
Hunters should spend time familiarizing themselves with their rifle.
If they can't shoot at least once a month, Herm Rackl, manager of the Lee Kay Center shooting complex in West Valley City, suggested, "Then they should at least sight the rifle in before they go hunting. You never know if a rifle wasn't bumped or dropped, and the scope moved."
Hunters spend a lot of time and money preparing for the hunt but too often neglect the very thing that can mean success or failure.
Before firing a rifle, it is important to check to make sure there is no damage, such as a cracked stock or rust in the barrel. Rust can, in fact, be very dangerous. If it is bad enough to restrict the movement of the bullet, pressure can build up in the rifle. If the rust is bad, the owners should have a gunsmith remove it. If it is minor, they can clean the rifle well and then check to make sure it is removed.
The next step is to shoot on a 25-yard range. If the rifle is off, then the bullet may only be an inch or two off target. At greater distances, the bullet may not even show up on the target. At 25 yards, shooters can get the aim and the point of impact the same. What happens is the bullet starts to rise at 25 yards. With the cross hairs on center, shooters can figure the bullet will rise a couple of inches before it peaks and starts to come down.
The distance the rifle is sighted in should depend on the type of terrain the hunter plans to hunt. If it's scrub oak or dense forest, then it should be sighted in at a shorter range, say 100 yards. If it's wide-open areas where the hunter is likely to be taking long shots, then aim for a longer distance, such as 200 yards.
Rackl said that typically, when a rifle is sighted in at 100 yards, the cross hairs are about two inches above the bull's-eye. This will put the shot in the bull's-eye at 200 yards with most rifles.
It's important to use the same ammunition during practice as a hunter will use on the hunt. Different brands of the same ammunition can shoot differently.
Comments
- High school girls soccer: All-region 5:40 p.m.
- Jazz Extra: 5 things the Jazz hate 5:34 p.m.
- Chargers win sixth straight 5:24 p.m.
- Top performers: Robbie Findley 5:18 p.m.
- Top performers: Nat Barchers 5:17 p.m.
- Top performers: Kyle Beckerman 5:15 p.m.
- Top performers: Nick Rimando 5:13 p.m.
- RSL triumphant in Seattle 5:10 p.m.
- From inconsistent to champions 5:07 p.m.
- Fire causes couple to relocate 5:07 p.m.
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
- BYU is champion of the state
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime
- Credit Coug defense for win
- Field goals, penalties doomed Utes
- Cougar defense rose to occasion
- Marriage definitions vary widely
- Banged up Jazz get best of Blazers
- Jones' joy for life remembered
- Hall comes up big when it counts
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
727 - Cougars beat Utes in overtime
468 - Thunder rolls by Jazz
136 - BYU is champion of the state
126 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
117 - Cave to be sealed with body inside
115 - Editorial: Poor welcome for Palin
113 - Rivalry Week is highly profane
90 - Hall's legacy measured today
77 - Y. focused on 10-win season
74
My heart has just been so heavy for this family. I do not know them, but...
No Jesus in WOT? It seems to me like Rand is going to be a Christ-figure.
I am so glad he won..The one thing that impressed me, dancing aside, was he...
Interesting, but very predictable, that Hall waited a year, and only after a...
I went to Church today - just like you. I went to seminary - just like you....
I feel like Max just yanked me down by my ponytail. I consider Mr. Hall's...
Try again. "So Then" is actually correct. The 23% of the U.S. population has...
It seems a little ironic that Monopoly editions should come at the end of a...
Deseret Dawg - BYU won the toss, if it was sudden-death they would have taken...
I agree, Brandon Sanderson's novels are amazing. I was totally caught by...



You can be the first to comment on this story.