sight in days before opener!

[GAF]

The ranges around here are like Wal Mart on black Friday a day or two before Wisconsin`s gun/deer season opens. I really feel uncomfortable around a bunch (strangers) of people who for the most part only handle that deer rifles once a year. I don`t like crowds .

 

[jmorris]

But you do shoot regularly. Most don't touch the gun all season until opening day or night before. I've had them tell me this to my face.

It seems now we have changed the subject. Like I said before, it is common for me to confirm and or rezero but I have also had people come over to our house to make sure they “are on” before going to shoot something and even have had a few that have asked me to make sure their rifle is on before hand.

While I don’t think waiting to the last minute is the best thing or having someone do it for you, it sure beats having no clue.

 

[buck460XVR]

I just don’t understand your frustration with people going to the range a day before season opener to shoot.

I think a lot of that frustration is from the other folks at the range right before the season opener. Last several years, I have had the privilege of having my own range on my son's rural property. It's been a blessing, giving me and the rest of the family and friends an opportunity to shoot hassle free, virtually anytime we want. I still belong to the local Sportsman's Club I belonged to most of my life, just because there are times when I rather drive 5 minutes to shoot instead of 30. For 11 months of the year, other than on trap league nights, the range is basically empty. Might be a few folks there on weekends and Hunter's Safety has their range days there, but other than that, it's pretty wide open, and complaints are relatively low........except for 3 weeks to a month before opening day. Then those folks waiting till the last minute to sight in, get frustrated with the other folks that wait til the last minute to sight in. Sometimes it's someone with a new rifle bought at the last minute, but most times it's just those folks that forget about their rifle until they drag out their Blaze Orange for the season and check how much ammo they have left from last year. No different than going to the Mall the week before Christmas. Just like the Mall, iffin you don't like to deal with crowds and jerks, don't go there during the busiest time of the year.

 

[Axis II]

I was just about to ask what was improper about the purchase of a license the day beforehand, as I know it is nessasary to have one. I think I'll just keep it to myself, and head back to the handloading section instead.


A humans capacity for freedom directly correlates to their tolerance of others doing that which they don't approve.

No real issue with it. I've lost mine, washed them, etc and had to swing by Wal-Mart at 4am or the night before. When a guys buying a new gun, license, tag, scope and bullet something's wrong. That tells me he woke up and said i want to be a hunter next week and get someone hurt or wound something. The license that morning or night before crowd around here is usually the first week of November and thanksgiving pheasant releases and the license before that day proves my point on how a guy doesn't touch a gun or hunt until its easy time to kill something. Pheasant flew across the field and into standing corn in which some guys were pushing and several guys opened up on the bird and ended up peppering the crew pushing the corn. Guys shooting at the road, etc. I could point out some of them from the night before or early morning at Wal-Mart or the local gas station that prints license.

If its not your first rodeo that year buy a license that day or night before but some people shouldn't be in the woods. I think when you start hunting everything from October 1 and come rifle week you kind of have the jitters and the lust to kill because its the first thing you've seen all year out of your system and it keeps other hunters safe and animals from being wounded and left to suffer. I heard 10 shots on the neighbor farm on Tuesday last week. It takes 10 shots to shoot a deer? this is why i get displeased. I hunt that farm and another and its the same trucks that show up rifle week and never seen again until then and every year its pow, pow, pow, reload and pow, pow, pow.

 

[SoonerMedic]

No real issue with it. I've lost mine, washed them, etc and had to swing by Wal-Mart at 4am or the night before. When a guys buying a new gun, license, tag, scope and bullet something's wrong. That tells me he woke up and said i want to be a hunter next week and get someone hurt or wound something. The license that morning or night before crowd around here is usually the first week of November and thanksgiving pheasant releases and the license before that day proves my point on how a guy doesn't touch a gun or hunt until its easy time to kill something. Pheasant flew across the field and into standing corn in which some guys were pushing and several guys opened up on the bird and ended up peppering the crew pushing the corn. Guys shooting at the road, etc. I could point out some of them from the night before or early morning at Wal-Mart or the local gas station that prints license.

If its not your first rodeo that year buy a license that day or night before but some people shouldn't be in the woods. I think when you start hunting everything from October 1 and come rifle week you kind of have the jitters and the lust to kill because its the first thing you've seen all year out of your system and it keeps other hunters safe and animals from being wounded and left to suffer. I heard 10 shots on the neighbor farm on Tuesday last week. It takes 10 shots to shoot a deer? this is why i get displeased. I hunt that farm and another and its the same trucks that show up rifle week and never seen again until then and every year its pow, pow, pow, reload and pow, pow, pow.

Your "points" (they aren't complaints apparently) are still not really valid. These people, if they did decide to hunt a week before season opener, are just like you were at one point. I just can't understand why newcomers bother you so much. Or even if they're not new to the sport, why do you let others get under your skin SO easily? I mean you don't know me from Adam, and by playing the devil's advocate I've really bothered you.....Like I said, if you don't like something about one place, go to a different place....

 

[Axis II]

Your "points" (they aren't complaints apparently) are still not really valid. These people, if they did decide to hunt a week before season opener, are just like you were at one point. I just can't understand why newcomers bother you so much. Or even if they're not new to the sport, why do you let others get under your skin SO easily? I mean you don't know me from Adam, and by playing the devil's advocate I've really bothered you.....Like I said, if you don't like something about one place, go to a different place....

Its not really newcomers. I have introduced several people into shooting, fishing and hunting sports. Have someone help you get into the sport or even prep the 9 months before but don't show up to a store and buy all the crap you need the day before and then go wonder around the woods. Its dangerous for them, me and others and if for some fat chance you scare up a deer while wondering around and never shot an animal or been close to one to shoot your adrenaline is through the roof and 99% your either missing and putting others welfare in danger or you wound the animal. Its the disrespect to our sport, laziness and lack of respect for the game animals that pisses me off.

When i shot my doe Saturday i could have went all rifleman on her as she was running through the woods but i only fired one shot. No clue if it was a hit or a miss but all my years of reading and asking questions put those skills to the test to wait, get down, look for blood, etc. Not oh **** it didn't drop on the spot like they do on the hunting shows so let me empty the gun! My rifle shot 1'' 3 shot groups at 100yards and i still hit her a little low and had to track. Imagine a pie plate rifle. It get under my skin because I've seen people shot in the face with birdshot because someone let a pheasant get them all jittery and it hurt someone. I've seen guys standing at the pull off at public hunting areas and empty guns at a running deer and because it didn't fall after 10 shots they laugh and leave. You think im upset about the club being packed im upset that many people decided to wait until the day before, probably no ammo at the store so they grab whatever was cheap and shot at pie plates cause its good enough. Up until my Marlin 1895 all my deer guns were single shots for this very reason. Deer will never give a follow up shot so why are you hammering 3-5 12ga slugs as fast as you can at a pie plate at 100yards? Lazy, no regard for anything people is what bothers me.

Now if the guys there on Sunday and shoots and its shooting well hey, high five, good luck tomorrow but ive seen with my own two eyes bang, bang, bang, bang-ohh i hit the pie plate and gun goes into the case and off to hunt tomorrow. I don't like finding deer with multiple holes in them, rotten, ripped apart by coyotes, or left lay for days in pain until they slowly die.

 

[SoonerMedic]

Its not really newcomers. I have introduced several people into shooting, fishing and hunting sports. Have someone help you get into the sport or even prep the 9 months before but don't show up to a store and buy all the crap you need the day before and then go wonder around the woods. Its dangerous for them, me and others and if for some fat chance you scare up a deer while wondering around and never shot an animal or been close to one to shoot your adrenaline is through the roof and 99% your either missing and putting others welfare in danger or you wound the animal. Its the disrespect to our sport, laziness and lack of respect for the game animals that pisses me off.

When i shot my doe Saturday i could have went all rifleman on her as she was running through the woods but i only fired one shot. No clue if it was a hit or a miss but all my years of reading and asking questions put those skills to the test to wait, get down, look for blood, etc. Not oh **** it didn't drop on the spot like they do on the hunting shows so let me empty the gun! My rifle shot 1'' 3 shot groups at 100yards and i still hit her a little low and had to track. Imagine a pie plate rifle. It get under my skin because I've seen people shot in the face with birdshot because someone let a pheasant get them all jittery and it hurt someone. I've seen guys standing at the pull off at public hunting areas and empty guns at a running deer and because it didn't fall after 10 shots they laugh and leave. You think im upset about the club being packed im upset that many people decided to wait until the day before, probably no ammo at the store so they grab whatever was cheap and shot at pie plates cause its good enough. Up until my Marlin 1895 all my deer guns were single shots for this very reason. Deer will never give a follow up shot so why are you hammering 3-5 12ga slugs as fast as you can at a pie plate at 100yards? Lazy, no regard for anything people is what bothers me.

Now if the guys there on Sunday and shoots and its shooting well hey, high five, good luck tomorrow but ive seen with my own two eyes bang, bang, bang, bang-ohh i hit the pie plate and gun goes into the case and off to hunt tomorrow. I don't like finding deer with multiple holes in them, rotten, ripped apart by coyotes, or left lay for days in pain until they slowly die.

I guess I should give up hunting since my adrenaline skyrockets when I’m about to make my shot then.....but, I’m new to hunting so again I should probably not hunt.

 

[Art Eatman]

When deer season is a couple of months long, does it really matter if one hunts late in the season instead of opening day? Many hunters don't have a range in the back yard, but they do have deer there. (I've had both. )

If a rifle has proven to be reliable over a number of years, does it take a lengthy range session to prove that it's on-target? And for some people, a range session is as much of a social session as it is about sight-in.

 

[Varminterror]

I was just about to ask what was improper about the purchase of a license the day beforehand

I'm not sure what's wrong about that either. Kansas went to OTC either sex tags maybe a decade ago instead of a draw, and then a handful of years ago we went to an online purchase and print program... the last few years I have purchased mine the night before or morning of opening day. I could argue it's more fiscally responsible to buy at the last minute, and is no less ethical than someone who buys in June when they come up for sale. The law says to have a tag while hunting, there's no requirement in our state to have purchased it days or weeks in advance. Some states DO have a "no same day" law, and some do have a draw. Some folks just want to have something to hold over other hunters.

A humans capacity for freedom directly correlates to their tolerance of others doing that which they don't approve.

Well said. A guy needs to recognize the right of others to do as they choose, within the law, if they expect the right to do so themselves.

 

[jmorris]

If a rifle has proven to be reliable over a number of years, does it take a lengthy range session to prove that it's on-target?

No but a shot to confirm a few days or even hours before you intend to put one to use isn’t any different to me than touching the outside of my pocket to double check that my wallet is in there. Just not a big deal, to be sure.

 

[Varminterror]

I firmly believe most of this inter-hunter Haterade is a product of the belief hunting is a zero sum game. If I get a big deer, that means you can't get him, so secretly or maybe subconsciously, you're rooting against me. When a hunter puts in time, energy, and money into preparations, then sees another hunter in their area who does not, there's a lot of instinctual bitterness. Bow hunters chastise rifle hunters for cheating because of their extra range, rifle hunters bemoan bowhunters because they get weeks and months of chances at deer before the riflemen - often including rut, purists complain about their neighbor running a feeder because they think it draws the deer unnaturally away from THEIR property, whereas the guy running food plots or feeders might complain his neighbor will get a shot he wouldn't have gotten if he wasn't hunting near the fence by his feeder... So the the guy who practices with his rifle all summer long thinks the guy who breaks it out the day before season is unethical, because he didn't have to put in as much time to prepare, but both still have just as much opportunity to take a trophy as anyone...

It's all nothing but jealousy-driven Haterade spawned by the perception of a zero sum game...

 

[Axis II]

I'm not sure what's wrong about that either. Kansas went to OTC either sex tags maybe a decade ago instead of a draw, and then a handful of years ago we went to an online purchase and print program... the last few years I have purchased mine the night before or morning of opening day. I could argue it's more fiscally responsible to buy at the last minute, and is no less ethical than someone who buys in June when they come up for sale. The law says to have a tag while hunting, there's no requirement in our state to have purchased it days or weeks in advance. Some states DO have a "no same day" law, and some do have a draw. Some folks just want to have something to hold over other hunters.



Well said. A guy needs to recognize the right of others to do as they choose, within the law, if they expect the right to do so themselves.

alot of flip flopping going on...

You say that if a guy hasn't touched a gun all year they shouldn't be out hunting with it but now you say I'm just trying to find something to hold over someone elses head? I will tell you this I'm the last to hold anything over anyone else head because ive had my own issues. I purchased a crossbow and practiced with the bow all summer-fall and took it deer hunting one evening and didn't think the thwack of the bow would make a deer duck the sting. well big doe comes out at 15yards broadside and ducked that sucker. 8pt several weeks later comes through and gives me a quartering shot and I send and arrow and get one lung, he runs through field and drops. I walked up to him and he gets up and runs away onto the neighboring land over the river and the river was up so he was left to rot because I couldn't find him. The doe actually made it to the field by the road and hit the drainage ditch and went across the road and the people don't link hunters. 2 deer that were wounded and never found in several weeks of each other. How do you think that made me feel? I was a public land hunter for a lot of year and seen deer with half their front and hind legs blown off, 2 shots in the guts, etc. left to suffer for hours or days and get attacked and eaten by predators! If this means holding something over another hunters head then hell yes I will hold that over their head because they were too lazy to spend 30min to fire a few shots, make some scope adjustments, etc to make sure that gun was capable of taking a living breathing things life and ending it the fastest way possible!

Honestly you don't see an issue with a guy buying a rifle, scope, ammo, license and tag 24hrs before opening day? that doesn't scream wounded deer? we get 7 days to get it done with a gun and hunting a lot of different farms and a lot during early season I never see any of these trucks but come gun week they are all over my farms and then its lets see how many dead deer I can find that were wounded or sit next-door or in the back 40 and hope and pray that one of those 3 round burst someone just sent through the woods doesn't hit me and possibly hits its mark in the correct spot. Some may say its me holding it over someones head or being an elitists. I call it being an ethical hunter. My doe Saturday didn't drop like on the tv shows and I said to myself I will NOT lose another one! I made a good shot but for some reason it didn't help. We owe It to that animal to do everything right even if it means spending a couple bucks on a bullet and some range time.

 

[Varminterror]

No but a shot to confirm a few days or even hours before you intend to put one to use isn’t any different to me than touching the outside of my pocket to double check that my wallet is in there. Just not a big deal, to be sure.

So is it bad to be at the range the week before season, as the OP suggested, or not? Is going the Saturday before a Wednesday opener irresponsibly late, or a responsible "double check"??

Strokes for folks, fellas...

 

[Varminterror]

You say that if a guy hasn't touched a gun all year they shouldn't be out hunting with it

I did NOT say that. I specifically said above, I myself might go all year without touching THE rifle I use to hunt. I'll shoot a dozen or more other rifles regularly throughout the year, so I'll have touched A rifle, but not THE rifle.

 

[Axis II]

I firmly believe most of this inter-hunter Haterade is a product of the belief hunting is a zero sum game. If I get a big deer, that means you can't get him, so secretly or maybe subconsciously, you're rooting against me. When a hunter puts in time, energy, and money into preparations, then sees another hunter in their area who does not, there's a lot of instinctual bitterness. Bow hunters chastise rifle hunters for cheating because of their extra range, rifle hunters bemoan bowhunters because they get weeks and months of chances at deer before the riflemen - often including rut, purists complain about their neighbor running a feeder because they think it draws the deer unnaturally away from THEIR property, whereas the guy running food plots or feeders might complain his neighbor will get a shot he wouldn't have gotten if he wasn't hunting near the fence by his feeder... So the the guy who practices with his rifle all summer long thinks the guy who breaks it out the day before season is unethical, because he didn't have to put in as much time to prepare, but both still have just as much opportunity to take a trophy as anyone...

It's all nothing but jealousy-driven Haterade spawned by the perception of a zero sum game...

what's unethical is the moron who decides he can hit a 14'' paper plate and puts the gun away because slugs are too much $ and he hit the plate so the gun must be on! Funny how you said in a post a page back if a guy doesn't touch a gun all year he shouldn't be hunting with it. I'm not trying to get into a pissing match with you or medic all I was saying and others have confirmed it was guys don't have enough regard to sight in, shoot one round and if it hits bull then good, etc. Hell I shot my muzzleloader the other day and first shot hit the bull but the other 4 shots hit 4'' high but all grouped well and yes those 4 shots were cold barrel. Had that one fired shot hit bull and I hunted with it the gun would have been off 4''. 4'' at a deer 200yards away is a big difference.


"Nobody should be hunting if they haven't touched ANY rifle all year, but it's really not asking so much to pick up a different rifle and be able to deliver sufficient precision to be able to ethically hunt deer at 0-200yrds". post #43

 

[Demi-human]

The thing that troubles me is that, aside from the dangerous firearms handling and animal wounding, you are describing me, nearly to the color of my eyes. Allow me to relate a story.

Before three years ago I had never been hunting. Ever. My Father didn't, although my Grandfather did. The guys I work with are outdoorsmen. I think one of my cohorts actually lives at the Dunham's Sports. They hunt, a lot. I shoot, a lot. But I am not quite the burly outdoors type, I like camping I suppose.
After a New Year's day party of the most fun ever shooting clays, I broke quite a few, and trying out everyones shot guns, (I've never shot one before then.) I was invited to shoot the rabbit tournament with them. (First time hunting ever.)
The hunt was in a week. I had no shotgun. I had no boots, nor license, nor shells. I had no idea what to wear, but they said dress for work and I would be fine. So that Friday I went to Jay Sporting goods in Clare. A wonderfully nice woman named Lisa helped me out tremendously. While she fit me with an over /under I liked and could afford, one of the men stopped to say I had better listen to what she was telling me for she brings more pheasant in than he. She set me up with some shells that were proper and some Muck Boots for the snow. She even got me a deal on a safe I could not pass up and had been wanting.
Wide eyed, over stimulated and license in hand I headed home. Nearly unable to wait for morning. A few grand lighter too.

The next day I showed up slightly overdressed, as we walked ten miles through the country side that day, but I was not cold. I had not even shot the thing before I showed up at my bosses house, but we boys with a new toy fixed that. They all had a whistle at my new boots too, but my feet were not wet. I was given instruction and we set out. Full of bacon wrapped duck, I might add.

We took first in the tournament. The last rabbit felled by mine own hand. No one was shot in the face, though I did manage to find, and shoot, the only already dead and frozen rabbit I have ever seen. We all laughed hard at that and debated wheather to count it or not. (We didn't.)

To think of all the fun I would have missed if I had not been so implusive. I now have another facet to my hobby as well. The duck was so delicious I now have a thrower to practice for next year's season.

It would have been nice to grow up hunting and fishing with my Dad. It is a luxury some do not get.

Just some words for thought.

 

[Axis II]

So is it bad to be at the range the week before season, as the OP suggested, or not? Is going the Saturday before a Wednesday opener irresponsibly late, or a responsible "double check"??

Strokes for folks, fellas...

Saturday before a Wednesday opener isn't bad but 20 guys piled up at the range at 4pm Sunday and Monday is opening day is irresponsible if you pull the pie plate crap. I took my 223rem that had the scope replaced and had it shooting the same hole in about 10 shots at 100yards. Again, my issue is showing up to the range with a bunch of pie plates taped to the backboard. Now if the guy has an actual aiming point, rest, etc and the gun hits 6'' left and 6'' high don't call it good enough.

 

[Demi-human]

Wow. Much has happened during my reminisce. You say you lost two?

 

[Axis II]

The thing that troubles me is that, aside from the dangerous firearms handling and animal wounding, you are describing me, nearly to the color of my eyes. Allow me to relate a story.

Before three years ago I had never been hunting. Ever. My Father didn't, although my Grandfather did. The guys I work with are outdoorsmen. I think one of my cohorts actually lives at the Dunham's Sports. They hunt, a lot. I shoot, a lot. But I am not quite the burly outdoors type, I like camping I suppose.
After a New Year's day party of the most fun ever shooting clays, I broke quite a few, and trying out everyones shot guns, (I've never shot one before then.) I was invited to shoot the rabbit tournament with them. (First time hunting ever.)
The hunt was in a week. I had no shotgun. I had no boots, nor license, nor shells. I had no idea what to wear, but they said dress for work and I would be fine. So that Friday I went to Jay Sporting goods in Clare. A wonderfully nice woman named Lisa helped me out tremendously. While she fit me with an over /under I liked and could afford, one of the men stopped to say I had better listen to what she was telling me for she brings more pheasant in than he. She set me up with some shells that were proper and some Muck Boots for the snow. She even got me a deal on a safe I could not pass up and had been wanting.
Wide eyed, over stimulated and license in hand I headed home. Nearly unable to wait for morning. A few grand lighter too.

The next day I showed up slightly overdressed, as we walked ten miles through the country side that day, but I was not cold. I had not even shot the thing before I showed up at my bosses house, but we boys with a new toy fixed that. They all had a whistle at my new boots too, but my feet were not wet. I was given instruction and we set out. Full of bacon wrapped duck, I might add.

We took first in the tournament. The last rabbit felled by mine own hand. No one was shot in the face, though I did manage to find, and shoot, the only already dead and frozen rabbit I have ever seen. We all laughed hard at that and debated wheather to count it or not. (We didn't.I a)

To think of all the fun I would have missed if I had not been so implusive. I now have another facet to my hobby as well. The duck was so delicious I now have a thrower to practice for next year's season.

It would have been nice to grow up hunting and fishing with my Dad. It is a luxury some do not get.

Just some words for thought.

I am glad you got the opportunity but rabbit is different and it doesn't take much skill to hit something with a shotgun. It doesn't take much skill to shoot a deer either but what takes the skill is having a firearm that shoots a single projectile and making sure it will hit its mark. Having guys shoot 2-3 shots at a running rabbit is sending shot at the ground and rabbits are mostly hit on the run. Deer come walking in and the guy shoots. is the gun on or off. either way 2-3-4-5 shots and 10 shots in less then 60 seconds on Tuesday was crazy.

Its okay to be impulsive but make sure you know what your doing first is all I'm trying to get across. I offered to take my cousin year ago to the range $5 to shoot 2 weeks before gun opener and he refused saying he didn't have time and the gun was sighted in 2yrs ago. Opening day, bang, bang, bang. missed a deer 75yards away 3 times! Ive done impulsive hunts, shoots, etc but I also touch a gun more then once a year.

 

[Axis II]

Wow. Much has happened during my reminisce. You say you lost two?

This was several years ago. One was a good shot as I hit lungs I backed out and went back in the morning to find the creek about 6ft deep and flowing pretty well. Only other way to look was next road over and trespass. If we have to track next door we must call the warden and tell him and he comes out and goes with us per the neighbors rules. deer went less then 100yards. the doe ducked the string and I watched it go through the back straps. If someone hunts long enough they will have a lost deer.

 

[Varminterror]

Funny how you said in a post a page back if a guy doesn't touch a gun all year he shouldn't be hunting with it.

Read my posts again - even that which you quoted. I did NOT say a guy shouldn't hunt with a rifle if he hasn't touched it all year... "It" meaning the rifle he intends to hunt. A guy needs to maintain the perishable skill of shooting, so he needs to shoot SOME rifle during the year, but he really doesn't need to touch that particular rifle to be proficient with it for hunting.

Here's what you quoted of me, note I say specifically a guy doesn't have to touch the actual rifle they field to hunt to be proficient:

Nobody should be hunting if they haven't touched ANY rifle all year, but it's really not asking so much to pick up a different rifle and be able to deliver sufficient precision to be able to ethically hunt deer at 0-200yrds.

I also made this statement above:

I touch A gun regularly. Usually not THE gun.

This is exactly what I said. I touch A gun regularly, but not THE gun.

That 6.5 Grendel I took out a few days into season is a prime example: I instructed a buddy as he built it this summer in my shop, he sent it back to me to have some bolt work done, so I have it... I texted him Friday night at 10:30 - "hey, do you mind if I field your Grendel tomorrow?" He said yes, so I did. I have shot exaclty 6 shots from it, EVER. A 5 shot group at 600yrds back in August the weekend we built the rifle, plus a shot through a doe Monday night.

A guy doesn't have to practice with a specific rifle to be proficient with it.

 

[Demi-human]

I doesn't take much skill to hit something with a shot gun?....
.
.
.
.
.
.
Well bless your heart.

 

[Varminterror]

Saturday before a Wednesday opener isn't bad but 20 guys piled up at the range at 4pm Sunday and Monday is opening day is irresponsible if you pull the pie plate crap.

Timing is absolutely irrelevant if you're pulling "pie plate crap."

Prepping last minute, or not checking zero at all, is NOT the same thing as lacking proficiency. Pick your lane, amigo. Whining about poor marksmen going after game is valid, it's unethical. But that has little to do with the day they choose to go to the range, more to do with who they are as a person.

 

[Axis II]

Read my posts again - even that which you quoted. I did NOT say a guy shouldn't hunt with a rifle if he hasn't touched it all year... "It" meaning the rifle he intends to hunt. A guy needs to maintain the perishable skill of shooting, so he needs to shoot SOME rifle during the year, but he really doesn't need to touch that particular rifle to be proficient with it for hunting.

Here's what you quoted of me, note I say specifically a guy doesn't have to touch the actual rifle they field to hunt to be proficient:



I also made this statement above:



This is exactly what I said. I touch A gun regularly, but not THE gun.

That 6.5 Grendel I took out a few days into season is a prime example: I instructed a buddy as he built it this summer in my shop, he sent it back to me to have some bolt work done, so I have it... I texted him Friday night at 10:30 - "hey, do you mind if I field your Grendel tomorrow?" He said yes, so I did. I have shot exaclty 6 shots from it, EVER. A 5 shot group at 600yrds back in August the weekend we built the rifle, plus a shot through a doe Monday night.

A guy doesn't have to practice with a specific rifle to be proficient with it.

I took your comment I quoted as if a guy doesn't shoot ANY type of rifle before hunting season rolls around he shouldn't hunt. I get it doesn't have to be THE rifle and I agree with this. My issue is the guy that will tell me he hasn't shot any firearm since the day he slung a couple slugs at a paper plate. I agree with you I can pickup anything and be proficient with it because I shoot 2 rifles regularly. My issue isn't the guy who doesn't touch the deer gun my issue is the guy who doesn't shoot any rifle until he breaks out the DEER RIFLE and sends a few downrange. Now If your such a bad ass shooter you can not touch a firearm for 360 days a year and stack them up then heck yeah, you the man, have at it. But again my issue is pulling into the range day before to see pie plates all over the place and guys tell me and others they haven't shot until that time. Ive even had guys tell me I don't have to have precision with the 45-70 cause a deer hit anywhere with it will die. SMH.

 

[Demi-human]

Redacted. There really is nothing left to say to the kettle.