Deer Rifle Sight-in Days.

[Adam Helmer]

I have been a member of my nearby gun club for 21 years and am a Board Member. Last year no one ran the Annual Sight-in Days and on Sunday, after church, I went to the club and saw "Dodge City." At our Scheduling Meeting in January 2009, I told the Board I would run the weekend sight-in days the weekend before PA rifle deer season and it was so voted.

My club has 6 benches under a covered firing point and target backers at 25, 50, 100, and 200 yards. Last Friday I went to the club and put up target backers of plywood at 25 and 100 yards.

On Saturday, November 28, my twin brother, Gil Martin, and Mark were on hand to zero the "Pilgrims" guns. We had 25 that day and 45 on Sunday. The stories generated that day would fill volumes. The Course of Fire I set up was: 3 rounds at 25 yards and 5 rounds at 100 yards. I set up my spotting scope and so did Gil on the firing line.

Gil chatted with a "Pilgrim" who mounted his scope the day before and insisted it was "ON" at 100 yards because he "knew" how to bore sight it. I asked his indulgence to FIRE one round at 25 yards. He was on Bench #2 and fired at Target #2 and was near the bullseye of Target #3! He was a foot RIGHT at 25 yards.

A lady came to Bench #1 with a scoped .243 that was "Perfectly sighted in at 100 yards" by her husband. I asked her to fire ONE shot at target #1. After 21 rounds, she got "on Paper" at 25 yards. She called her husband on her cell phone to go get more ammo so she could shoot at her 100 yard target. AND so it went for 70 shooters. Many were spot on and those OFF were WAY off and my club did a valuable service to the hunters and deer.

Thanks Gil and Mark.

Adam

[gd357]

It's always sobering to think of some of those folks out there in the woods without checking their rifles. I try to shoot as often as possible to maintain familiarity and confidence in my hunting rifles. That isn't possible for some folks, but the weekend before deer season isn't a good time to find a major malfunction with your deer rifle.

gd

[Mr. 16 gauge]

That isn't possible for some folks, but the weekend before deer season isn't a good time to find a major malfunction with your deer rifle.


...or your scope; or your scope/rifle; or your ammo. ;)

Actually, I avoid the rifle range the few weeks before deer season LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!!! I have seen all manner of idiocy out there, and trying to get on a bench takes forever; the range officers are usually overwhelmed, and there are just TOO many folks out there who think that they know what their doing.:rolleyes:

I sight my deer rifles in some time during May, then check them again late August/early Sept. I usually have the range to myself in the morning, and it doesn't get too crowded that I feel I am taking up someone elses time (I usually take 4-6 rifles along to 'play' with;)). Besides, hunting season here in MI starts in Sept (15th for small game; 1st for early goose), and some of the better fishing starts up as the weather starts cooling.....so I'd rather be afield at that time.

Kudos to you and your brother, Adam, (and Mark) for going through the trouble.......I seriously doubt I would have the patience for such an endeavor.

[buckhunter]

This sounds like my club. I have a buddy that never checks his gun's. I remember one situation where we embrassed him into checking his 340 Weatherby. Insisted it was on the last time he shot it which was 10 years ago. In the mean time we could see where the barrel had been banged up pretty and a lot on new dings on the stock.
Much to his suprise the rifle shot about 18" to the right and 12" low. His comment was that someone had mess with his scope adjustments. Da

The it gets pretty crowded the weekend before NH and ME open up also the weekend before MA opens up. Now that we can shoot rifled shotgun barrels and scopes its pretty intense.

I'm usuall pretty set by mid september but if I get a chance I'll check it again.

[dovehunter]

...Actually, I avoid the rifle range the few weeks before deer season LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!!!...

My sentiments exactly! Our club doesn't have "range officers" as such - it is up to every member to police these people. I sometimes wish our club would not open the range to anyone for a week before deer season as there is at least one game commission owned public range in the area. However, I guess in retrospect that it is a good thing as it encourages these people to at least attempt to see if their gun can truly hit the target.

[Adam Helmer]

Guys,

Excellent responses. Any club takes on an awesome liability responsibility by welcoming the public to a sight-in day. I run a "tight" line and have only one shooter per bench and all others are lined up 20 yards behind the covered firing point with guns cased or slung with actions open.

Naturally, some folks wanted to return to "Dodge City" and I told them it was my way or highway! Again, the responsibility is huge.

Adam

[buckhunter]

So Adam, if Gil is your twin, which of you is the Evil Twin?

My daughter has 1 yr old twins and both of them are Evil.

[Mr. 16 gauge]

So Adam, if Gil is your twin, which of you is the Evil Twin?

Buckhunter;
Don't you watch television or the movies? The 'evil' twin is the one with the goatee!:D

[Adam Helmer]

buckhunter and Mr. 16 gauge,

Youse guys crack me up: LOL. Gil is 19 minutes older than I so I defer to age before BEAUTY!

Actually Gil was like Jackson was to Lee, my strong right arm running the line of "Pilgrims." I could not have handled 70 non-member folks without Gil and Mark. A fellow Board Member (Who was NOT on the line last weekend) advised the day before he could put up 6 or 8 MORE target frames to the left of Bench #1. I told Steve, "NO,NO, NO! I was FULLY employed with 6 numb nuts PILGRIMS on 6 benches and could not cover 6 or 8 more. " Enough Already!

If anyone welcomes the public to any firing line, I suggest you post the rules and enforce them 100%!

Adam

[Gil Martin]

Some of the folks that showed up for sight in day at Adam's club were trying to get in a year's worth of practice in a half hour. Very few were on paper at 25 yards. We did our best to get them on paper at 25 and 100 yards. One poor fellow had a scope that appeared to be defective, would not adjust reliably and would not hold zero. I suggested that he replace it. He changed to a scoped slug gun that was awesome. A young lad had a lever action that would not fire a cartridge. He brought out a second lever action rifle that was just fine.

Adam, what did you do with all that once-fired brass? All the best...
Gil

[Adam Helmer]

Gil,

At 0900 today when Cooper's Gun Shop opened, I dropped off the bagged and boxed brass for Tim to sell for the club's benefit. I took or kept nothing from last weekend except the experience and knowledge that I did a fine job.

Adam

[madmurph]

Adam, I'm curious if anybody showed up with a round in the chamber from a previous hunt or range session. I too, am quite amused by some stories at these public range days at the local clubs. Thanks for doing a good service to the hunting community.

[Gil Martin]

I did not see any live rounds jump out of the chamber when folks opened the action of their rifles. I have seen that when I worked part-time in a gun shop. We required all guns to have their action open before we would even talk to the customer. More than once a live round went flying through the air. Makes you wonder. All the best...
Gil

[wrenchman]

last year i was working on my slug gun at the public range and 2 other guys that were working on there gun also as well as rifels.
I had decided to take a take a coffie brake frome getting beat up when the range officer started blowin a whistle to cease fire some small kid a guy had brought with him had went out on the range.
I must say he did scare the crap out of every one there.
The public ranges are run by the dnr here there was another time i was there working on a blk powder gun when two guys come in one was drunk off his butt.
my brother inlaw notified a range officer and he came down and watched while the sober one was shooting the gun when he was done he was going to let the drunk shoot and the dnr told him he would arrest both of them if he shoots the gun so they left with the dnr fallowing.

[Ol` Joe]

last year i was working on my slug gun at the public range and 2 other guys that were working on there gun also as well as rifels.
I had decided to take a take a coffie brake frome getting beat up when the range officer started blowin a whistle to cease fire some small kid a guy had brought with him had went out on the range.
I must say he did scare the crap out of every one there.
The public ranges are run by the dnr here there was another time i was there working on a blk powder gun when two guys come in one was drunk off his butt.
my brother inlaw notified a range officer and he came down and watched while the sober one was shooting the gun when he was done he was going to let the drunk shoot and the dnr told him he would arrest both of them if he shoots the gun so they left with the dnr fallowing.

I saw a similar situation a couple years ago on a private club range. A few of us were shooting on the rifle range when a kid ~8-9 yr old that was obviously bored watching daddy shoot trap got curious and came up over the berm between the 2 ranges about 1/2 way down to see what was there. One guy went ballistic on the kid, and I kind of felt bad for him. Daddy though was the one that needed his tail kicked. I don`t know how people can take a youngster out to place like that, ignore them while they shoot, and not think they`ll end up some place they shouldn't`t be.

[skeeter@ccia.com]

10-4 on what goes on at the range. Not only on sight in days either. Many times I have had to stop the action on range because not only were they pointing the rifle toward people off range while trying to load but on our range we have to keep the targets against the bank while stations are at different ranges. 20,50,100 and 200. Our rule is only one person at a time sighting in. I have seen people walk past those at 100yd on way to the 50yd and when I yell at them, they just say..'that is ok' we won't bother you"....well no need to say what I had to say in reply...goes without saying, you just can't cure stupid. And once after I just manages to halt things for the above reason, another group did the very same thing. Geezzz...Do these people ever think where does that round go in the woods if not going where intended?.....being a club officer can be a real PIA at times. Our club is mostly fishing but have shooting area for guns and archery and while there today, I watched an ice fisherman in a good spot...when I noticed his @5yr old playing around the open water spillway...then he decided to walk out to daddy and entered the ice only about 3' from the open water...How can anyone let their kids do those things?...again...can't cure stupid...problem is any one thing can close down a club for good no matter how cautious you are and you just have to babysit even the adults....our club is not open to public due to insurance reasons and whew on that but it is still work replacing the back stops from those members (when nobody is looking) that shoot down the uprights made of telephone poles or the signs that state 'do not shoot at the posts or you will loose membership'...try to catch them.

[gd357]

Well, here's what we've established:
1. There are a ton of idiots out there - and things are not getting better.
2. Your average weekend warrior is now using the weekend before season for all pre-season shooting (and doing a poor job).
3. People borrowing guns will assume that if the owner says they are on, they are (decent shooters know there will be a different point of impact sometimes - you have to check).
4. Some moron will invariably have a loaded weapon in an untenable position, and endanger everyone else.

Public hunting land is looking like a scarier proposition every day.

gd