Sight-in day at the local range

[Polaris]

:shock: Served my shift at my local clubs public sight in fundraiser today. All I can say is WOW... glad I'm not hunting with most of these guys.

I've pulled this duty before but most of the old codgers did all the hands on work with the guys, I just ran targets. Now we've added berms to allow simultaneous firing points at 25 and 50 yards so I was manning the 50 yard pos solo. We had a few bright spots. Some of the younger hunters were pretty good, able to keep decent groups where they needed to be and get zeroed in pretty easily. I felt very good about their ability to assasinate a deer at moderate range. The younger shooters were by far the most engaged and safety conscious. Gave very few corrections on muzzle control and actions to anyone under 30.

Some of the older shooters were the worst I've ever seen. Got the usual Rem semi autos that only come out of the closet the week before deer season. Guys don't know how to operate them right, cant shoot 3 shots in the same quadrant of the target to get an idea of any sight correction. Ended up sighting in several of the rifles for them to at least get the rifle shooting correctly.

The worst shooter of the day had by far the most expensive rig. He was bragging about how flat it shot and how it bucked the wind, quoting ballistics tables to 600 yards. 7STW custom on an FN Mauser magnum action with really pretty wood and a 4X16 VX3. This guy has no business shooting outside of 25 yards. Had to run him up to the 25 yard line against his objections (he was gonna shoot 100 with his super gun) after he nearly sent 2 rounds over the berm and crossfired onto 2 different targets causing great consternation for the shooters on those targets trying to zero their rifles.

I got him shooting fairly consistently within 4" of the bull at 25 yards before I banned him permanently from the range for swinging the muzzle of a loaded rifle across several other shooters on the line while I attended to another shooter. That rifle deserves a better owner.

"but the safety was on" he pouted. "I didn't realize there was one more round" he whined.

 

[FOTIS]

You guys site in up there?

Waste of time. My walmart dealer bore-sighted my 30-06 in for me. I am ready!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:mrgreen: :shock: :grin: :grin: :grin:

 

[Polaris]

You guys site in up there?

Waste of time. My walmart dealer bore-sighted my 30-06 in for me. I am ready!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:mrgreen: :shock: :grin: :grin: :grin:

Had a few shooters who couldn't figger out how they missed a deer last year, thought they'd try that "sightin in thing" this time around.

Amazed how many people are POd their boresight from Cabelas is 12" off at 100 yards and they have to fire a few rounds to dial in. So many people are afraid to burn a few rounds of ammo to get shooting right. I don't get it.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I always cringe quietly at the local gun store when guys say: "I have bore sighted this rifle with my Bushnell Bore Sighter and am ready to go hunting". This realizing that my Bushnell bore sighter, will normally get me within 15 inches of the bullseye with a strange gun.

I normally prequaify the guys that I will hunt with with a couple of range trips and some detailled conversations about general hunting approach, safety and specifics about shooting a deer or elk. This in order to find out if this candidate knows hunting, shooting and anatomy. If they don't, it never happens that we go hunting. I have been shot at a few times and get very goosey at the thought of it happening again.

I am an old godger and a former infantryman. Some fool shot a hole in the roof of the range next to me last year and I sounded like a drill sargeant for a minute or two but he had it coming.

 

[Dr. Vette]

I'm always amazed at how many people believe the crap that they read in magazines about 2" high at 100 makes you right on at 200 and they never check it. It seems like every time I go to the range I see guys leaving after hitting near the center at 50 or a bit high at 100 and thinking it's "good enough." The range goes to 200 yards and it's easy enough to run down and place a target yet it happens so little I'm surprised when someone actually does it.

FYI, we did all our shooting already at the range so that when we get to mid October we can avoid the "deer hunting sight in days" at the range. We're out shooting steel on our land this time of year instead.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I usually get up quite early in the morning and go to the range after breatfast, during the week. The only guys that are there are old codgers like me, doing the same thing that I am doing. It works well for me. I stay away from the range on weekends in September and October to avoids seasonal sight ins.

 

[Elkman]

I am blessed, I have not been to a range in years and have no need for one.I can shoot both short and medium range from my back yard. I see enough idiots buy weapons, I don't need to see them shoot.

 

[Dr. Vette]

I usually get up quite early in the morning and go to the range after breatfast, during the week. The only guys that are there are old codgers like me, doing the same thing that I am doing. It works well for me. I stay away from the range on weekends in September and October to avoids seasonal sight ins.

We generally have Wednesdays off, and I also start later on Mondays. Those are the days I tend to go first thing in the morning and as you noted it avoids most of the yahoos. However, some still seem to show up on occasion.

 

[DrMike]

You guys site in up there?

Waste of time. My walmart dealer bore-sighted my 30-06 in for me. I am ready!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:mrgreen: :shock: :grin: :grin: :grin:

Works for me. I have to bore sight every rifle I take to the range, even when it has been bore sighted by the store. I can't afford to shoot too many chronographs.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Plus chronographs are not good to eat!

 

[DrMike]

Plus chronographs are not good to eat!

I dunno'; I never tried to cook one. :grin:

 

[SJB358]

The range goes to 200 yards and it's easy enough to run down and place a target yet it happens so little I'm surprised when someone actually does it.

FYI, we did all our shooting already at the range so that when we get to mid October we can avoid the "deer hunting sight in days" at the range. We're out shooting steel on our land this time of year instead.

I think most of it is a shooter afraid of not doing well at 200..... It is easier to keep your head in the dirt, and "think" you can shoot to 200 yards. Rather than actually firing out there and seeing you can't.. It is pretty disheartening. Takes very little coaching, with anykind of decent rifle to get a shooter drilling deer killing sized groups to 300.. Some just refuse to try.

 

[elkeater2]

During sight-in season, I go to the range early Monday morning to dumpster dive for brass. Made some real hauls this year :lol:
EE2

 

[Oldtrader3]

Some of the "sight-in-guys" at our club never get past 50 yards. They come in and staple a paper pie plate at 50 yards, then procede to shoot offhand at the plate all the way through one or two boxes of factory ammo (what ever number they brought). They blaze away for 10-15 minutes dependent on ammo supply. Call to stop the range while they get their plate, then leave thier empty ammo boxes on the bench. Their mother must pick up after them at home.

I am assuming that they have zeroed their rifle at some time in the past. I never see their plates so can not assess their skills or sight in accuracy. They are not there long enough for the smoke to clear.

 

[usmc 89]

M.O.P.P minute of pie plate! Ha ha. We have the same out here, Bob Lee swaggarts at the bar and Ray Charles at the range. Even with the magical bdc reticles.

 

[Dr. Vette]

Some of the "sight-in-guys" at our club never get past 50 yards. They come in and staple a paper pie plate at 50 yards, then procede to shoot offhand at the plate all the way through one or two boxes of factory ammo (what ever number they brought). They blaze away for 10-15 minutes dependent on ammo supply. Call to stop the range while they get their plate, then leave thier empty ammo boxes on the bench. Their mother must pick up after them at home.

I am assuming that they have zeroed their rifle at some time in the past. I never see their plates so can not assess their skills or sight in accuracy. They are not there long enough for the smoke to clear.

Charlie,

You sure you don't live closer?
I think your locals are the same guys as my locals.

:grin:

Patrick

 

[JD338]

I did the range safety officer thing for quite a few years. I always shook my head at some of the seasonal guys......one of the best ones was a guy who wanted to use 7mm Mauser shells in a 7mm Rem Mag because it would kick less!

ALL my rifles are zeroed, no real need to go but I will anyways.

JD338

 

[BK]

Bob Lee Swaggarts at the bar and Ray Charles at the range.

That's funny right there...

 

[HTDUCK]

The local public range is only 10 minutes from the house but I avoid it like the plague.
I joined a private club that I have to drive 65 miles one way to get to.

Since deer season here in most of Texas opens this coming Saturday the ranges will be deserted.
Creedmore and I will be there and probably have the whole club to ourselves.

 

[Oldtrader3]

This is a private club! The county range is 30 miles away in Bellingham. A poor deranged person committed suicide at the county range about 2 years ago. That is too sad to even talk about but I am just glad I was not there. This incident inspired the tree huggers to put much pressure on the county to close the range. Cooler heads prevailed because 2/3 rds of the residents around here are cops. Secret Service, FBI, Border Patrol who knows what? We are right on the Canadian Border and three of the 7-8 houses on my street are cops or?

But we have as many rednecks here in Washington as anywhere. Every week there is at least one pie plate guy at our club. Out of 1800 members I guess you get a few. I am sad that this range only has 200 yard targets. I really like to shoot at 300 and then is when it starts getting interesting on groups and drops. The range that I went to in Santa Rosa California had 300 yard targets and I always spent half my time shooting them to make sure that I had my head set right.