Make Sure Your Guns Are As Ready to Hunt As You Are

Alright, you’ve picked up some new camo, bought scent-blocking sprays, sharpened your field knife, have your hunting spot mapped out and scouted, but have you assessed your firearm situation? 

Target Practice

If you happened to get a tag in a prime spot for elk or mule deer this upcoming rifle season, ideally you’ve taken some time to practice your aim. If you haven’t done so as you read this, I highly recommend you high-tail it to your nearest range, preferably on a weekday afternoon, and get to practicing long-distance shots. Going to the range when there are fewer shooters can give you more time in getting your aim honed in and if needed, you can get help from a staff member in long-distance shots. Test out several different cartridges and find the one that works for you, then buy several more boxes for use in the field and to hold onto for next season.

For all you muzzleloader fans out there, hopefully you’re aware of the new 2018 regulations for Colorado and have made the necessary accommodations for the upcoming season. Hunters using muzzleloaders need to focus on making consistent shots and find the load that works best for your needs and get used to swabbing the bore in between shots. 

Bore Sight Your Scope 

If you purchased or were gifted a new scope since last season, make sure that yours has been properly mounted and bore sighted. Many outdoor retailers like Cabela’s and Bass Pro provide these services for free if the scope is purchased there. Just like practicing your aim, you need to get accustomed to your scope. What’s the good of mounting a Leupold scope on your Browning .308 if you’re not taking care to make sure it’s sighted in?

Shotgun Forcing Cone Alterations

Before (Note: the unpolished dark ring is the forcing cone):

After:

Pay attention, fall turkey and waterfowl hunters, because this one concerns you. Getting a wary goose or duck to commit to your decoy spread or a cagey tom to come towards your calls is hard enough and not having adequate shot pattern density means you won’t be filling your bag limit any time soon. Sure, you may have several chokes at the ready, but have you considered getting the forcing cone of your shotgun altered? By removing the slight bottleneck of a standard forcing cone, pellets get a smoother transition through the barrel which in turn yields less recoil and tighter shot patterns.

Local gunsmiths, such as those at DCF Guns, can provide this service for an affordable fee. Speaking of gunsmiths, have them take a look at your firearm to make sure it’s in good working order and to see if any parts need to be replaced or fixed. 

Patterning a Shotgun

Like rifle hunters, bird hunters need to consistently practice their shot well before the start of the season. Set up a paper target and aim from 40 yards away. Shoot at the center of the paper and draw a 30” diameter circle around the densest area of impact. Count the holes within the circle and divide by the number of pellets in the shell. For example, a 12-gauge 7-½ shot has 350 lead pellets -- 490 if steel. Remember to also practice your shots at the same relative distance you shoot the birds.

If your rifle or shotgun isn’t up to par for the season, your chances of harvesting a 6x6 elk or filling your bag limit on geese are greatly decreased. You can outfit yourself with the best camo Sitka has to offer, but your weapon of choice needs to be as primed as you are. 

Happy hunting!

Make sure you are keeping your rifle in good working order this season.