Don’t Wait! Sight In Your Rifle Before The Hunting Season
Summer’s almost over. Head to a shooting range before the hunting seasons begin. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
The hunting seasons are coming up soon! Have you been practicing your shooting skills this summer?
If not, crack open your gun safe and head to the range before the hunting seasons start. Here are a few good reasons to get some target time in at the range while it’s still summer:
- Ranges get busier as the hunting seasons approach – particularly in advance of the gun deer season the last week of November. Sighting in now will help you avoid the lines at ranges in late fall.
- If you need to make adjustments to your equipment, you’ll have plenty of time. Starting early might also give you the chance to try out a new type of ammunition or set up.
- You can make the most out of the season. While you’re sighting in your deer rifle, bring along your small game gun, too. If you have a free hour in the fall, you can grab it with confidence and go hunting.
- The youth gun deer hunt is less than two months from now and will be here before you know it. If you’re planning to participate as a youth hunter or adult mentor, starting early will generate excitement and lessen the last-minute rush.
- School will be starting soon. Make it a family excursion to shoot together before sports and school get underway.
Target shooting is an important regular practice to make sure your firearms are in good working order and you know how your gun functions with different ammunition. Some firearms perform better or worse with different types of ammo, so make sure you sight in each time you switch ammunition type or lot number.
Where To Shoot
The DNR manages 11 public shooting ranges around the state, many of which have 50 and 100-yard rifle ranges for sighting in. These ranges provide a controlled, safe environment where you can practice, ask for advice and even get some helpful tips from other shooters. Taking the time to sight in your firearm before the season will boost your success in the field and promote ethical hunting by ensuring a clean and humane harvest.
For more information about where to find your local DNR shooting range, check out the DNR Shooting Range Map.
Ammunition Choices
As more ammunition options become available, it can be fun to try out loads with new materials or higher performance capabilities. Be aware of what your ammunition is made of. The main choices for deer hunting include copper and lead.
Leaving spent lead ammunition in the environment can have unintended consequences for wildlife. Wildlife are susceptible to lead toxicity when they consume lead through their normal feeding habits.
Hunting with lead-free bullets or shot is the best way to eliminate any risks from lead ammunition. F
- Try a variety of ammunition to determine the best options for the most ethical harvest. Monolithic, bonded and controlled-expansion bullet designs are shown to result in less fragmentation. Consider performance characteristics such as accuracy, terminal performance and bullet construction when selecting lead ammunition. Most manufacturers provide information on specific ammunition types and the applications for which they are best suited.
- Practice with your choice of ammunition to improve your shot. Practice with your choice of ammunition to improve your accuracy for cleaner, more lethal shot placement. are a great place to practice shooting.
- Plan ahead to remove carcasses or impacted remains, including gut piles, from the field. This helps reduce the chance of wildlife unintentionally ingesting lead fragments through normal eating habits.
More Information
Target shooting is an extension of the hunt and a great activity to do with family and friends in preparation for the hunting season, going through the whole process from start to finish together. It’s important for each person to shoot their own firearm to gain the benefits of sighting in.
Find more information about rifle scope basics. |
