question for shotgun hunters
11-20-2009, 08:53 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: O-H-I-O
Posts: 851
question for shotgun hunters
i have a 12ga. H&R with scope that is bore sighted. i want to sight it in at 100 yds. what are the proper steps to achieve it? im not a gun hunter, sorry for the dumb question. any help would be great.
11-21-2009, 04:40 AM
#3
Spike
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Lake County, IL
Posts: 30
THIS IS A LONG RESPONSE>>>>>
First off - I am a bench shooter/varmint hunter. I am very obsessive with my accuracy - I have a goal this year of a PD @ 750 yds with a .223. Not a "walk it in" group of shots, but 1 shot 1 kill the first time I pull the trigger. So that being said.....
Go online and Download some paper targets and print them - I find the ones with the square inches in bold and the quarter inches in light print are easiest to work with. Print several.
To do the initial Personally I would buy three boxes of what you think you may be shooting (brand preference - your buddys shoot it, etc.), and then 1 box each of alternative types/brands of slugs. Download the balistics charts for each ammo type.
Secure or download the owners guide or manual for your scope - read it. Go to the grocery store on the way to the range and get a few of the "paid-for" dots that they put on case goods and milk - get at least 6. You can also buy these at a gun shop, sporting goods store or perhaps at the range - but i like the "free ones"!
Go to the range - make sure that it is at least a 200 yard range. Make sure that you bring the scope manual with you to the range along with your shotgun cleaning gear. You will want to confirm your "zero" on a weapon whose barrel is in the condition in which you intend to hunt (1. just cleaned, 2. cleaned with 1 round through it to remove gun oil/solvents, or 3. semi dirty after several rounds) - it's all your preference and experience, my best accuracy is after 1 round had "cleared the guns throat".
Ok - so you are at the range. Get set up at the 50 yard bench. Put 4 of the paper sheets up in a quadrangle. Put the "paid-for" dot in the middle of where the 4 sheets join. You will need to use the 4 sheets in case the bore sighting is really off.
Secure the bench area, arrange your gun rest, put on hearing and eye protection ("can't have fun without protection" as the sex-ed teacher/coach would say in HS), and load one round of the 3 box ammo. Align your sight to the "paid for dot", hold steady, relax, exhale and squeeze the trigger.
If you do not have a spotting scope, you can use the slug-gun scope of a pair of binoculars to see where your first round hit. If you are within a few inches (which you should be if properly bore sighted), you can go to the 100 yard range. If not, where did the round hit? If you cannot see where on the sheets the round hit, load another round and aim at the center of the upper left sheet - fire. Can you see where this round hit? Repeat this with using the upper right, lower right and then lower left. You should see where the round hit after one of those shots.
Once you found where the round hit, adjust the scope according to the manufactures specs. Load a round and fire at the center again. Is it within a few inches? If yes, go to the 100 yard range. If not, adjust the scope again, load and fire. You should be nearly dead on now. Move to the 100 yard range.
Ok - at the 100 yard range put up 4 sheets again, this time with a dot at the center of each sheet and a dot at the center of where the 4 sheets join. Aim for the center of the 4 sheets, load a round and fire. You will repeat the process here just like at the 50 yard range untill you are at "zero" or sighted in with the scope.
Now the fun part - tweaking. Each load/brand or projectile type will shoot with their own personality. Shoot a few and see which works best for the gun in your hand. I have seen 2 of the same brand rifle manufactured in the same year have very different "taste" or preference for brands of ammo. Once you found the "candy", make the adjustments (tiny) to your scope - you are now sighted!
Now for fun - move to the 200 yard range, put up a 4 targets again, load a round and fire. See the huge drop in the slugs trajectory? Remember that. Once those slugs start to "get out there", they really begin to slow down and drop. That's a bunch of mass to keep moving and in the air.
Keep notes. Shoot as much as you can afford and keep more notes. Try to wait a few minutes between each shot. Let the barrel cool some. Remember, you will be shooting out of a bone cold barrel. If you have the time, wait 10 minutes between each shot when doing the final "sight-in" at the 100 yard range.
Relax and have fun.
Hunt well.
JTL
First off - I am a bench shooter/varmint hunter. I am very obsessive with my accuracy - I have a goal this year of a PD @ 750 yds with a .223. Not a "walk it in" group of shots, but 1 shot 1 kill the first time I pull the trigger. So that being said.....
Go online and Download some paper targets and print them - I find the ones with the square inches in bold and the quarter inches in light print are easiest to work with. Print several.
To do the initial Personally I would buy three boxes of what you think you may be shooting (brand preference - your buddys shoot it, etc.), and then 1 box each of alternative types/brands of slugs. Download the balistics charts for each ammo type.
Secure or download the owners guide or manual for your scope - read it. Go to the grocery store on the way to the range and get a few of the "paid-for" dots that they put on case goods and milk - get at least 6. You can also buy these at a gun shop, sporting goods store or perhaps at the range - but i like the "free ones"!
Go to the range - make sure that it is at least a 200 yard range. Make sure that you bring the scope manual with you to the range along with your shotgun cleaning gear. You will want to confirm your "zero" on a weapon whose barrel is in the condition in which you intend to hunt (1. just cleaned, 2. cleaned with 1 round through it to remove gun oil/solvents, or 3. semi dirty after several rounds) - it's all your preference and experience, my best accuracy is after 1 round had "cleared the guns throat".
Ok - so you are at the range. Get set up at the 50 yard bench. Put 4 of the paper sheets up in a quadrangle. Put the "paid-for" dot in the middle of where the 4 sheets join. You will need to use the 4 sheets in case the bore sighting is really off.
Secure the bench area, arrange your gun rest, put on hearing and eye protection ("can't have fun without protection" as the sex-ed teacher/coach would say in HS), and load one round of the 3 box ammo. Align your sight to the "paid for dot", hold steady, relax, exhale and squeeze the trigger.
If you do not have a spotting scope, you can use the slug-gun scope of a pair of binoculars to see where your first round hit. If you are within a few inches (which you should be if properly bore sighted), you can go to the 100 yard range. If not, where did the round hit? If you cannot see where on the sheets the round hit, load another round and aim at the center of the upper left sheet - fire. Can you see where this round hit? Repeat this with using the upper right, lower right and then lower left. You should see where the round hit after one of those shots.
Once you found where the round hit, adjust the scope according to the manufactures specs. Load a round and fire at the center again. Is it within a few inches? If yes, go to the 100 yard range. If not, adjust the scope again, load and fire. You should be nearly dead on now. Move to the 100 yard range.
Ok - at the 100 yard range put up 4 sheets again, this time with a dot at the center of each sheet and a dot at the center of where the 4 sheets join. Aim for the center of the 4 sheets, load a round and fire. You will repeat the process here just like at the 50 yard range untill you are at "zero" or sighted in with the scope.
Now the fun part - tweaking. Each load/brand or projectile type will shoot with their own personality. Shoot a few and see which works best for the gun in your hand. I have seen 2 of the same brand rifle manufactured in the same year have very different "taste" or preference for brands of ammo. Once you found the "candy", make the adjustments (tiny) to your scope - you are now sighted!
Now for fun - move to the 200 yard range, put up a 4 targets again, load a round and fire. See the huge drop in the slugs trajectory? Remember that. Once those slugs start to "get out there", they really begin to slow down and drop. That's a bunch of mass to keep moving and in the air.
Keep notes. Shoot as much as you can afford and keep more notes. Try to wait a few minutes between each shot. Let the barrel cool some. Remember, you will be shooting out of a bone cold barrel. If you have the time, wait 10 minutes between each shot when doing the final "sight-in" at the 100 yard range.
Relax and have fun.
Hunt well.
JTL
