Checking Scope after Traveling out West

[clwg97]

Looking at heading out west this year. Living in Tennessee, I will be driving out to Wyoming. Doing a DIY rifle hunt, how do you go about checking your scope when you arrive? I haven't found any lists of a range to check it. I am sure they don't want me putting out a Post on a piece of public land and backing off a few hundred yards to check it. What do you guys do to check your zero when you arrive.

 

[Slugz]

Mark your turrent first before you leave. That way you ensure you can confirm northing moved.

Go shoot it. Find a range. Public land out of the way.....etc etc. There are plently of places out here that you can check it and not disturb anyone or anything.

Its a great question though. Not enough people travel and verify its all good when they arrive. I see it alot, missed first and second shots, tske it to the range and its off for one reason or another. I stopped hunting with people that dont verify. Sorry, long winded for an easy answer but its bit me in the ass before. Not me but the guys I got on animals opening mornings.

 

[clwg97]

Definitely appreciate the information. I thought about marking the turret, but still want to double check it by shooting. Especially since I live 200 feet above sea level and its a different ball game out there.

 

[Spoonman]

Definitely go shoot your rifle when you get there.

 

[Wilderness Disciple]

I'd say as long as you are out there you can find a spot to check your zero. Just make sure you're not shooting across any roads. Also if you have a good case to travel in, it shoot be good. I've traveled many of miles on country roads and never had a problem.

 

[Wapiti1]

You can check your zero on any public land out there. Find a spot, shoot and go hunt. Don't overthink it.

Let me put it this way, if one can shoot a deer on that land with a rifle, one can also shoot a cardboard box, steel gong, or other target on that same land. Just be safe about it and don't leave trash.

Jeremy

 

[rayporter]

we checked out rifles on our first hunt in 84. never again.

if you cant trust your set up dont take it and get something you can trust.

practice with your gear until you know it will perform and you can trust it.

 

[clwg97]

I appreciate all the feedback.

 

[Rich M]

Nothing wrong with checking zero. Do what you have to do to be confident.

I would only do it if there was a car accident or someone dropped the gun while loading or unloading the car. If you are like most of us - you check the zero at the beginning of the season and then hunt the rest of the year. You check it if something happens. Driving to and fro isn't usually that something.

What changes it are the airplane folks throwing your gun case outta the plane to land on the tarmac. They are rough on gun cases.

 

[sneaky]

You can check your zero on any public land out there. Find a spot, shoot and go hunt. Don't overthink it.

Let me put it this way, if one can shoot a deer on that land with a rifle, one can also shoot a cardboard box, steel gong, or other target on that same land. Just be safe about it and don't leave trash.

Jeremy

OP, Read his last sentence ten times and memorize it. Too much trash gets left from people checking zeros or just out shooting.

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[clwg97]

I definitely will clean up after myself. Grew up fishing Missouri Ozark streams and every gravel bar you walk up on is littered with cans or other trash. Really made me see what all it can cause to not pick up after yourself.

 

[Zappaman]

Download Strelok and set up your gun at home. You can plug in your destination altitude/pressure afterwards and know where you’ll be at (and I print the cheat sheet for every hunt I go on and study it mid-days between stalks).

Then, get a decent HARD gun case, place the rifle in with your sling swivels facing down to the bottom (when closed and holding it by the handle). I wrap small cleaning towels with gun oil on them around my barrel’s muzzle and remove the sling myself when transporting. This keeps the scope in the middle of the case at all times.

When you leave out, put the gun in last, with the case laying flat and use sleeping bag/blankets around it. I take two rifles in case I have a fall on a scope or ANYTHING to cause me concern. I’d rather keep hunting without worry and time wasted re-zeroing in a rifle I don’t trust.

i shoot up to about 600 yards and use loads with enough energy to cleanly kill at that distance. I also print several altitude and barometric pressure tables if my hunting range is going to vary a lot (and pressure can change too). Cool think is Strelok works on your phone so you can also take it into the field or just plug in the stats day-to-day too.

But if you aren’t shooting long-range stuff then I’d not worry too much about my ballistics. I’d focus instead on running the same load in both guns with similar (longer) POIs and just hold over out to 300 yards or so if you aren’t dialing good glass. But get and use Strelok in either case... and use it at home first!

Good luck on the hunt!

 

[Wrench]

I live "out west" and I still kl rocks with reckless abandon to prove my rig, my skills and keep my sanity.

My preferred target is a rock wall with outcroppings that have bird crap on them.

A single can of underground marking paint is great too. A few dots and suddenly you have targets that vanish on their own.

If you can chuck up on a 700 yard rock, odds are good that everything is just dandy....and on a big rock you can measure your miss and see if it the machine or the pilot.

 

[martensmax]

Buy the best case you can afford i have checked mine on a plane multiple times with now troubles.

 

[mcfd45]

Snag a few of those political signs. They make great target holders. My work is on a very busy street and my manager hates the political signs, so I have a steady supply of them.
take two binder clips with you to secure a target.

 

[wildwilderness]

Western public land is pretty much open to shooting a few rounds. No range needed.

 

[7layerburrito]

Yeah, if you're on BLM or NFS and safe literally no one cares.

 

[JPeters218]

Just get a good case and pack it for the trip where it won’t get bounced around. Don’t worry about checking it

 

[sneaky]

Don't be the guy with a $5k rifle and a $50 case

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[Whiskey_Fish]

Don't be the guy with a $5k rifle and a $50 case

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Yeah go to harbor freight and be the guy with a $5000 rifle in a $119 case instead.


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