It surprises me how many people half-heartedly sight in their rifle before a hunt (Or don’t do it at all). This is one of the key elements of being successful. If you don’t sight in your rifle you end up spending a week’s vacation and a lot of money all for naught. AND… you might wound an animal.
I’d suggest you shoot at different distances so you know where your bullet is landing. For instance, 50 yards, 100 yards, 200 yards. and 300 yards. That way you’ll know right where to aim, especially important if all you have is a head or neck shot. (As a side note this year, I zeroed my rifle in at 200 yards so I can hold right on at 50-300 yards and have a clean kill).
I shoot a lot of Hornady ammo. On my box of ammo, it tells me that if my shot is 1.7” high at 100 yards. that it will be dead on at 200 yards., -7.2” at 300 yards., -20.5” at 400 yards. and -40.7” yards. at 500 yards. You can also find the ballistics on their website.
Of course, every rifle shoots a little different and I can only assume extreme altitude differences will alter things as well. So, I’d advise using all of these factory charts as a starting point but verify everything for yourself. (In the end, I always check with Ron Spomer at RonSpomerOutdoors for all of my ballistic questions).
One thing we encounter out West in the wide-open spaces where we sight in our rifles is the wind. Not only does that affect our bullet flight and our ability to hold still but if we don’t have our target tacked on a stable base it can be moving big time which totally messes up our group.
I finally made a solid 2x4 portable frame that works great and is super stable. It is semi compact and easy to throw in the truck when I go out shooting. See the picture if you want to make one.
Below: I'd advise you type out a ballistic chart, laminate it and tape to the stock of your rifle. I go to RonSpomerOutdoors for all of my ballistic questions.
The next big item you have to have is a stable shooting bench. I used to use a card table but I got a Caldwell stable table and love it. It folds up so it is easy to store in your garage. Then you’ll need sandbags to shoot off of. I have a variety of sizes so I can get a perfect rest. There are also bags with little Styrofoam balls in them so you can squeeze them to get the proper elevation when shooting.
If you’re sighting in a larger sized rifle with a lot of recoil, after a couple of shots, you’re going to be flinching. Especially so if you have multiple rifles to shoot or are testing ammo from multiple manufacturers and doing a lot of shooting.
I am freshly aware of this since I drew a good bull tag down in the Owhees and am not bow hunting this year but am going to be using my .338 Win. Mag with some Hornady 240 gr. ammo.
If you’re just shooting a couple of shots to ensure that your rifle is on sight then no biggee but this year I’m totally recalibrating my scope. Plus, I’m then testing it at different distances. A day of that will pound you.
But have no fear, outdoorsmen came out with a cure-the Caldwell Lead Sled. In a nutshell it is a cradle that you set your rifle in. In the old days shooters laid bags of bird shot on the sled to weigh it down so it didn’t kick as much. Most shooters quickly transitioned to just laying their heavy sandbags on the sled.
So, for years, no, decades the lead sled saved shoulders but then about 8-years ago Caldwell came out with something they named the Hydrosled. You fill it with water which is where it gets its weight from. It is super user friendly. I carry a couple of water jugs out to the range and fill it up.
I’m reminded of how handy the Hydrosled is since I went out yesterday shooting to make one last little tweak. So, we now have a lot more aids than we did when I was a kid. Take advantage of them.
Tom Claycomb is an outdoor enthusiast that writes a bi-monthly column for Great Basin Sports.
Below: This is a simple and easy to make target holder but super stable.
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