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Don't wait too long to sight in that deer rifle
It was hardly the type of conditions one wants for a shooting session. That was last year but last week's weather gave a person a good indication what Mother Nature can do as winter approaches quickly.
There are a few friends who still haven't sighted in their rifles and I keep warning them, Don't wait. Actually I enjoy the job of shooting my rifles to make sure they are hitting where they should. Not only is it an excuse to shoot but there is always the general rule that takes place at the range. There are a few shooters who I see but once a year as we shoot our big game rifles. The insults, bragging, and lies that are exchanged are worth the trip in themselves. One of the disagreements will always center on just where the perfectly sighted rifle will hit at 100 yards.
One shooter will want his rifle hitting dead on at 100 yards saying he rarely shoots beyond that distance. Deer are found in heavy cover therefore sighting the rifle at long range is foolish.
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Of course, there is always the bright fellow who sights dead on at 50 yards and doesn't worry about drop at long range. His 7mm super magnum just doesn't drop at long range, it moves the bullet so fast that it doesn't have time to think about gravity or such nonsense.
The major problem as he sees it with this performance is that the bullet is so fast it passes through the animal and doesn't have time to expand. It's hard to convince such a fellow that gravity acts on all free-flying projectiles and the faster the bullet is moving, the quicker and more violently it expands.
I believe we compromise somewhat when sighting in the rifle. One of the great writers used to recommend a three-inch high shot at 100 yards when using rifles in the .270, 7mm, and 30-06 class.
He had a good point, for with such a setup, the hunter can aim dead on at a target out to about 325 yards and not miss.
A deer, for example, offers a target big enough that a three-inch height will not result in an overshoot and the three-inch drop at 300 yards will not cause the bullet to pass low.
A .270 utilizing a 130-grain bullet will hit dead on at 270 yards and be about one-inch low at 300 yards.
Sight this same load in dead on at 100 yards and the bullet will be down 10 inches at 300 yards. This shows the advantage of sighting the rifle at the longest practical range or taking advantage of its trajectory. Sighting a 7mm or 300 mag in at 100 yards is like buying a Corvette and then equipping it with recap tires.
However, I prefer to sight my rifles at about 21/2 inches high on the 100 yard target. That's because I find that the path of the bullet has not reached its highest point with the three-inch sight and passes the 100-yard mark still going up in relation to the line of sight. This means it is about four inches high at 175 yards. Of course this depends on cartridge/rifle performance. Over the years I have found myself preferring a bit lower sight in than this three-inch standard.
I must ask those who limit themselves to 100 yards, are you always within that 100 yards limitation? There are times when a person will go afield intending to hunt the thickest cover only to find themselves sitting in an open field later. It is under such circumstances that the hunter is better off with a sight in that enables him to have a chance at longer range.
While I am a careful person when sighting in, I realize a varmint outfit needs to be sighted more carefully than a rifle to be used on deer or bear. A rifle that is hitting 1/2 inch left or right is not a problem on a 12-inch target. Even at long range the rifle would only be off 11/2 inches at 300 yards and would hardly be the cause of a miss. However a perfectly sighted and accurate rifle does boost one's confidence.
I remember working a sight-in day at the Dormont Mt. Lebanon Sportsman Club. Things had slowed a bit when a man pulled up in his Mercedes and jumped from the car holding a Sako Deluxe 7 mag. He wanted to sight it in so I ask him if he wanted it bore sighted first.
Nah, he said, it was on last year and should be close. He sat at the bench while I watched through the spotting scope. Bang! Uh Oh, there was no hole in the paper. He shot again with same results.
I stopped his fun and said maybe we should put the collimater on the rifle. No, he said, things were fine.
After five more shots and no sign of where he was hitting I made another suggestion. Maybe I should shoot his rifle? Nah, he seemed to be enjoying sending a dollar down range with each shot and miss.
Finally, after 17 shots, a hole appeared near the bulls eye. With that he smiled, said I told you it was all right and left.
I was speechless.
