Are you new to the hunting game? Then, there is a lot of learning you must do before you head out to the jungle. Acquiring the right equipment, learning the art of weaponry, and even sighting the scope itself can be a problem. One of the most important things to learn accurate weaponry is sighting your weapons for hunting.

There are several animals living to this day because the hunters who shot at them couldn’t sight their rifles properly. And if you assume that a rifle shoots just where it did when it was used the last time, then you need to educate yourself. Experts suggest that wood stocks tend to absorb humidity, which causes a shift in impact. And believe us, it happens. So, why not make the most out of it? Sight your weapons each season so that you can make inroads during the hunting season.

Boresight Your Rifle

If you’re new to hunting, it’s essential that you don’t go overboard with the distance of your target. In other words, don’t try to start off at 100 yards. Begin at 25 yards and aim at a target that is easier to hit. Another way to ensure successful sighting is to boresight your rifle. TYpically you place a laser in the bore and adjust your sights to be in alignment.

Another point to note is that pumps, lever-actions, and semiautos don’t usually permit boresight like this. So, it’s best that you either get 10 yards away from your target or get a boresighting device. These devices don’t work sometimes, but getting 10 yards from the target always ends up well. Furthermore, if you have an AR with you, you can see boresight by removing the carrier and the bolt, along with the Upper off the Lower. Try to lay the Upper on sandbags and proceed accordingly.

Another point to remember is that don’t fire one shot after adjusting your scope unless you’re sure that your rifle is accurate. Firstly, make sure that the center hole is where the rifle is shooting, then adjust your scope. Another point to remember is that you’ll need four times the original number of clicks than you would at 100 yards, at 25 yards

Sight Alignment and Trigger Management

For starters, every shooter must know that two different components are handled differently, i.e., sight alignment and sight picture. Many professional shooters will claim that they have combined both of them because properly aligning sights doesn’t mean anything if you don’t know how you can place them on a target. In other words, sight alignment is the front sight, which is viewed from the rear end. On the other hand, a sight picture is the properly aligned sights placed accurately on the intended target. A pro tip would be to know what you want to see and add some reference to your target before you fire.

Another component that can cause problems for new shooters is trigger control (or trigger press). It deals with applying pressure rearward in a way that disturbs neither the sight alignment nor the sight picture before the round fires. Keep in mind that you have to manage the trigger based on the target size and distance, whether you take it fast or slow.

Tuning Your Point of Impact

Another way to sighting your weapons is by printing tight groups in the center of the bull at 25 yards. Afterward, you can move to 100 yards and start shooting groups fine-tuning your rifle. You can also try different loads to get the tightest groups together. Another point to note is that don’t let the barrel heat up.

Now that you know that the rifle is sighted correctly at 100 yards, it’s time to slip your hand under the fore-end and take it off the sandbag. There are highly sensitive rifles on the surface level, and will not shoot the same off the surface, and will not offer the same results as a palm.

Another point to note is that if you’re going to limit your shooting to 300 yards or less, the best-possible zero is 3 inches high of the point of aim. Most big-game cartridges will put the bullet 3 to 6 inches below at 300, putting horns on the wall. And make sure you check it by shooting because we have seen bullets drop like stones after 200 yards.

Shoot Some More

Last but not least, don’t forget to practice by actually shooting. Many professional shooters will emphasize shooting. Yes, factory drop tables are usually accurate, but they’re not the real deal. And you also want to learn how real-life shooting feels like. Furthermore, you need to focus on the wind direction and speed; you don’t want to shoot in a mirage. So, one thing is for sure, there are no shortcuts here, and there’s no product that can guarantee success all the time.

Wrapping Things Up

Now that you have a weapon control 101, it’s time for you to prepare for the next hunting season. One point to remember is that sighting your weapon can be an ideal way to improve your chances of hitting the target every time. Another aspect that shooters consider is to evaluate shot groups and adjust sights the closest to the target. Happy Hunting!