WAYNEDALE OUTDOORS Q & A

(A column, whereas, you the reader may ask Ben questions about camping, cooking, hunting, fishing, or anything concerning living in our Great Outdoors.)

 

SIGHTING IN YOUR SHOTGUN FOR DEER HUNTING

I used to go to the shooting range in Huntington and take a large box of 12-gauge slugs (25 per box) and come away with an empty box and a sore shoulder (I shoot 3-inch magnum shells). I would get my shotgun sighted in alright but I thought it was a task at best to do this every year and I still had my other (back-up) shotgun to sight in the following week.

That next week I was punching holes in targets and trying once again to align the cross hairs on the bull’s eye and leave a slug hole where the cross was. I would fire a round, notice where the shot fell and then adjust the cross hairs either up or down, right or left, maybe both, depending on the results and then I’d fire another round trying once again to hit the bull’s eye.

An old gentleman sitting behind me said, “Can I give you some advice?”

My daddy once told me to always listen to what someone has to say; I might learn something.

I said, “Sure.”

The gentleman told me to brace the shotgun on something steady like a couple of sandbags, fire one shot, and then, without moving the gun, check to see where the hole was on the target. He said, “It doesn’t matter where the hole is in relation to the bull’s eye.”

I did what he said and without moving the shotgun, I asked, “What next?”

He said, “Now adjust your cross hairs to the hole you made.”

I did and I noticed with just a few rounds fired, my shotgun scope was ‘dead on’.

I thanked the gentleman before he got up and left. I have looked for him at different times when I went down there to sight in my .22 squirrel rifle and my cross bow but I haven’t seen him since. So, Sir, if you’re reading this, I want to thank you again; you’ve saved my shoulder and a ton of money.

 

We suggest that everyone get a copy of Indiana’s hunting and fishing regulations from most any place that sells hunting/fishing license for more detailed rules and regulations. Please e-mail all questions reguarding Waynedale outdoors to: News@waynedalenews.com.