I missed a bunch of targets a Benton one year because I didn't check zero, and something had shifted during the drive. Lesson learned.

You sure someone didn't turn the knobs??

Kitty

jneihouse wrote:You sure someone didn't turn the knobs??

Kitty

Don't remember seeing Mary there that year...

Don't remember seeing Mary there that year...

And they say all is fair in love and war....That dessert is getting mighty expensive BB!

Innocent

Innocent wrote:

Don't remember seeing Mary there that year...

And they say all is fair in love and war....That dessert is getting mighty expensive BB!

Innocent

This is why checking zero is very, very important...

If I had a spotter I would check turkeys as they are the hardest to hit- and far enough away to check the wind. There will be more wind deflection at the rams- but there is also more "ram" to compensate.
If I was not hitting on the turkeys and the spotter and I did not know why I would go to the rams if little wind- or the pigs if windy, and make some adjustments. Both those animals stay "up" longer due to their mass.

If I did not have a spotter I would start with the rams as I find the work best when spotting for myself. If windy I might go to the pigs.

What do I actually do?

I used to readjust the turrets to zero at the chicken- but have stopped doing that. To do this would make all the other data I have recorded of no use. If the conditions during that day change enough I can go back to the actual settings I used a month or two ago in the middle of the match

I sight in off the bench at all distances- as I have found I have the same POI when I stand. I find this works better for me to find the smaller variations from day to day. I also keep a log, and try and note the tempature. If for some reason the gun is not grouping well that day it is MUCH better to find out on paper than try and figure out what you changed in your form, etc.

I believe we do our sport a MAJOR disservice by not consistently providing good quality and numerous sighting in targets at every distance- and at every match. This is especially important at a major match where people have traveled a distance to participate- or WHEN THERE ARE NEW SHOOTERS. This is a topic which may deserve another thread

Just a quick note. In my earlier reply, I was assuming that it was understood that I would be using those distances but shooting at paper. I haven't been to a match that didn't provide paper targets at each distance to sight in with before the match.

Jason

I have not been to any where there was never any paper- but I have been to some where:

The paper was not up at the start of the sighting in time;

The paper that was there was from a prior day and so full of holes you had to guess which one was yours;

There would be one sheet with 9 bulls on it for each distance- but 20 some people needing to sight in:

The targets on the paper were so small or faded those with scopes marginal in magification or clarity had a hard time seeing them;

A break between the morning and afternoon matches with a chance to practice and warm up- with no paper out- or the same shot up ones left from the morning.

I do not intend to be critical. I want our matches to be even better and more inviting to newcomers than they already are. It is a lot of work to put on a match- even a small one as I run. This is one area we can sometimes do better at- and we all will benifit. When I go to matches I bring my own targets and staple gun and put up targets for everyone if needed.

Innocent wrote:edgehit,
we always shot three to five fowling rounds in prone/position before even starting on the sighting bull...ofcourse we cleaned the barrel after every day of shooting at least ( and that was if you were lazy)....sometimes after every 40 shots.

Innocent

You better believe I'm lazy! Laying down prone is waay too much effort!

edgehit..lol with me it's not the getting down to shoot it's the getting back up to change targets, now I'm starting to understand why all those old men would pay the young shooter next to them to go down and change targets for them.
Innocent

I do the same as Mary. I know my come ups and the chicken is zero.
I also check my objective lens. It is really easy to read on my Weaver T-24. It is marked specifically for sb silhouette distances. If the Objective reads 77 then I know I was on the Turkey when I finished my last match.
I simply click the elevation to the desired zero and readjust the objective.
This system has never failed me. I usually confirm on the chicken.

Jason wrote:Just a quick note. In my earlier reply, I was assuming that it was understood that I would be using those distances but shooting at paper. I haven't been to a match that didn't provide paper targets at each distance to sight in with before the match.

There was never any paper before a match at four ranges in Michigan. You bench the gun and shoot swingers. The animals on the rail were for standing practice shots. You kept the impact area groomed so the miss impacts would be seen. At one club I found out they always practice during the week on paper. Maybe someone would bring paper to my old club if they were trying out different ammo, but it was rare.