(Getting ready the don'ts)Firearms

[cherokee_outfitters]

Just some helpful tips that can make a hunt alot better. Some of these will seem so obivious but trust me they do happen.

#1 Sight in your own rifle. Some hunters from lack of shooting or knowledge will let someone else zero in their rifle. Not all people see the same point of view through a scope. Never have a gun smith bore sight a rifle and think its good to go for hunting. You have to zero the rifle in. I know sounds completely insane but it happens. Check all mounting screws before sightin and then they should be good to go all season. Take your time inbetween shots and let the barrel cool. Never sight in for a group on a really hot barrel. Your barrel will be cold when you take that first shot on an animal.

#2 People show up with multiple boxes of ammo, alot of times different bullet weights and they say which one should I use. The bullets you used to sight in the rifle with. Do not change ammo in the middle of a hunt.

#3 Check your zero when arriving for a hunt or the day before you go if your hunting at home. Funny things happen traveling in vehicles and on airplanes.

#4 After checking zero leave the barrel fouled for the hunt. Don't go back and clean the day lights out of your barrel.

#5 If hunting horse back always pull your rifle off the horse when your off. Saves on stocks and gunsmithing.

#6 First thing in the morning if you have an adjustable scope is turn the power down to the lowest power. I've seen this alot when a hunter is looking a far away animals and then off into the trees he sees an animal and the scope is turned way up and can't get on the animal to shot. The worst case this happens is with the yardage focus on the end of the scope. I hate to see hunters show up with those types of scopes. Alot of elk have walked away do to the fact that a hunter had the scope set on 300 to 400 yds focusing and had an opportunity for a shot at 50yds in the trees.

#7 Maybe this should have been #1 but rounds down range off the bench or out praticing is what fills the freezer. Practice shooting in the prone, sitting, kneeling, and off rocks or trees. I'd say 50% of my successful guys will end up taking a shot in the prone position using rocks for rests. It just boils down to terrain and availability of rests in the field. And some come home with cuts on the eye or nose from uphill shots.

have fun and shoot that rifle. Welcome for any input I may have overlooked.

[cherokee_outfitters]

Already forgot one. If your going to hunt open country with the opportunity to shoot some distance. Sight your rifle in for 200yds and nothing beyond. In the past some hunters have showed up with a 4 to 5 inch high at a 100yds zero and shot clear over and animal at 200 to 250 yds. Most rifle shoot flat enough you won't need anything beyond the 200 sight in.

[Wolf killer]

Great post cherokee_outfitters. I have seen several of these things happen. I had a good friend hunting with me a few years back that broke rule #2. He shot at & missed a cow elk six times, he ran out of ammo. I handed him five rounds of my ammo & he put the cow down with the first shot. While we were gutting the cow I asked him what happend? He did not know? He shot his rifle at the range & was a good shot. He ran out of his Federal Premium ammo at the range. He sent his wife to town to buy him more ammo before the hunt. She bought him Remington core-lokt's. His wife did not know any better & either did he. He knows better now

[ELKampMaster]

Cherokee,
Good post. I agree with all items.

In a reverse sort of way, for elk hunting I have found the knowing what TO DO is important, but possibly the knowing what NOT TO DO is more important. Arguable perhaps, but knowing the don'ts is critical and as my tag line says, "Good judgment comes from bad experience......" and sometimes it is pricey indeed.

Good Luck and Good Hunting,
EKM

[thndrchiken]

Excellent information. You'd be surprised how many even experienced hunters break.

[Goodguy]

Excellent post. Thanks for taking the time to articulate it. As you said it's basic and maybe is the reason we (read, I) don't take the time to think about it often enough.

I'm not an inexperienced hunter and have shot my share of game but for myself I'm going to being doing a lot more off hand (kneeling, standing, prone, sitting, tree and other rests) practice shooting this summer and fall. I missed a nice buck last fall that I walked upon and only had one offhand standing 80 yd shot before he bolted. I wished afterwards I had spent more time doing this type of shooting and less off the bench gg.

P.S.
I copied and pasted your post in an e-mail to my 2 sons and daughter with whom I moose & deer hunt with.

[andy_o]

I think those rules need to be engraved on the side of my gun. That is probly the best advice to give about any kind of hunting.