Summer homework

Fall hunting seasons are coming up fast, and now is the time to get ready. The smart hunter will use a 4-Step Process to ensure their summer shooting preparation is as efficient as possible.

STEP 1: Chronographing

At the shooting range, begin by chronographing the various hunting rounds to be used later in the year to true the rifle and calculate accurate muzzle velocity.

STEP 2: Zeroing

Next, the hunter needs to zero each round at 100 yards. 

Once the 100-yard zero is established, it's time to reach out further. If the shooting range has 200- and 300-yard and longer opportunities, practice at these distances. If the range is limited to 100-yard shots, find some wide-open land and set up targets at various distances. The longer-distance practice will make a hunter familiar with the bullet drop and wind adjustments needed in the field.

STEP 3: Targets

Longer-distance shooting also lets the hunter see how targets look at various distances. Speaking of targets, investing in life-sized paper game targets can be a huge help, too.  When these life-sized targets are arranged at various distances, hunters become familiar with how animals will appear at these distances through their optics.

STEP 4: Environmentals

Practice during windy days is also a must! That left-to-right breeze likely won't make much difference for a 100-yard shot. However, many hunters are amazed to discover just how much bullet drift even a 5 M.P.H. breeze can create at 400-plus yards.