The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current, August 29, 2018, Page 8, Image 24

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    Sighting in
TIME SPENT NOW WILL PAY OFF DURING HUNTING SEASON.
Story & photos by Rod Carpenter for the Blue Mountain Eagle
unters spend a lot of time hoping. We
hope we draw a tag, hope the wife lets us
go, hope the weather is good and hope
we can find a buck that wants to come
home with us. However, you should
never have to hope your rifle is sighted
in when that critical moment arrives.
Sighting in is easy, doesn’t take very
much time and should be done before each hunting season,
even if it was shooting well when you put it away last year.
Before you head out to shoot, take some time to look over your
rifle. Check the bore to make sure it is clear and nothing has
crawled in and set up housekeeping. Then check the action and
scope ring screws to make sure they are snug.
Sighting in should take place at 100 yards. Yes, people say
you can do it at 25-30 yards, but they are just wrong. Errors are
not magnified well enough that close. Any farther than 100
yards and the wind comes into play.
Remember you are trying to figure out how the rifle shoots,
not how well you can shoot the rifle, so use a good solid rest.
Sandbags, rolled up sleeping bags or pillows work well. You
must sight in with the exact same ammunition you intend to
hunt with. Any change in make, bullet weight or brand is going
to affect the impact of the bullet. In some rifles, not much. In
others, the change can be drastic.
Once you are solid, fire three shots. Are they all in the same
general area, or are they scattered all over the place? If your
shots are scattered, then some diagnosis needs to take place.
Are your scope screws properly tightened? Are you jerking the
trigger? Do you need a better rest? Once you are sure the bullets
are consistently hitting in the same general area, then you can
make adjustments as needed to get the impact where you want
it. I recommend that you have the bullet hitting 2 inches high
at 100 yards. For most modern rifles, that allows you to hold
right on the animal to almost 300 yards, without having to aim
low for close shots.
There is no magic to adjusting the modern scope. Simply
unscrew the caps on the adjustment dials and look at them. The
one on top moves impact up and down. The one on the right
side moves it left and right. The direction you need to turn is
marked as well as how much each adjustment moves impact. A
word of caution, the impact may move a little more, or less, with
each click. If your bullets are impacting the target about 1 inch
left, turn the dial the proper amount to move it 1 inch to the right
and shoot to verify the change. Repeat until the impact is where
you want it. Then you can hunt knowing at least you don’t have
to worry about your rifle doing its job when the time comes.
If you need a place to sight in, Bear Creek Shooting Club
hosts two sight-in days, Sept. 22 and Oct. 21. The range will be
open to the public, and knowledgeable staff will be on hand if
you want some help.
Rod Carpenter is an avid sportsman, an anesthesiologist
and president of the Bear Creek Shooting Range.
Enjoy target shooting?
Need a place to safely sight in your rifle?
Enjoy various competitive shooting events?
H
8 • GRANT COUNTY HUNTING JOURNAL 2018
SHOOTING
RANGES
SENECA SHOOTING RANGE
Good rests are essential
when sighting in a rifle.
Formed by the Grant County Shooting Sports Club in
1998, the Seneca Range is located at the south end of
Seneca. The facility includes two trap ranges, one skeet
range and a 100-yard small arms range.
The skeet range is open mainly on the first Sunday of
each month. For more information, call Carroll Walton at
541-820-4624. A small rifle-pistol range is open to the
public all the time. Visitors are asked to provide their own
targets and clean up.
For more information on shooting activities, contact
Seneca Trap Club President Bryan Wolf, 541-792-0222;
Vice President Ab Bezona, 541-240-1452; or Secretary
Nancy Chase, 541-620-0269.
BEAR CREEK RIFLE RANGE
Use the same ammunition
you’ll use while hunting
when sighting in your rifle.
The shooting sports club also started the Bear Creek Rifle
Range, located 0.9 miles north of Highway 26, 10 miles east
of John Day, between John Day and Prairie City. This site
features a covered, eight-bay firing line and one of the best
rifle ranges in the West.
The 1,000-yard range has become popular with many
shooting enthusiasts, including black powder fans. Set in a
small valley, with targets scattered throughout, the range also
accommodates pistol shooters.
Those using the course must have permission and be with
a trained safety officer who is a member. There is also a spot
at the range for archers to hone their skills.
For more information on Bear Creek Rifle Range, call Rod
Carpenter at 509-385-9335. Heading up the black powder
group is Jim Sproul, who can be reached at 541-620-0231.
Various shooting events take place
throughout the year. The ranges also
offer by-permission use of their
facilities.
Once you have a good group,
it’s time to adjust the scope.
MyEagleNews.com