The 1 Thing You Learned- Rifles

[Oregon Hunter]

I think most of us make a mistake over and over again. We go on a hunt, but don’t make the effort to think critically about 1 thing we learned and will do different next time.

Think about it, how often do magazines write about a hunt, but fail to single out an action item to change in the future? Just 1 thing, maybe something you learned about elk behavior, your rifle setup, clothing, camping system. We can consume all the information we want, but if we don’t change anything, did it really do us any good?

I’d like to start the series of discussions to get us in the habit of reviewing our hunt, and share highlights about the 1 thing we learned on a particular topic. To start, 1 thing I learned about my rifle setup on a recent hunt was exposed turrets don’t work well in the field for me. Last year I replaced my scope with a Leupold VX-3i that they installed a custom retile in to match my rifle’s ballistics. Now I don’t have to worry about a disk getting accidently moved, or trying to crank it with gloves on. With my limited hand function as a quadriplegic, it’s even faster in the field because I don’t have to add in the step of turning dials. 1 thing learned, then changed per hunt, and I’m a better hunter for it.

So how about you, what is one thing you have learned about your rifle setup? (include pictures if possible)

 

[sneaky]

Hats off to you for still getting after it

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Opah]

A pen that writes on the wax paper the tags are made of.
I keep one or two in my day bag but by the time i need them they don't work.

Note to self: remember to put new pens that write on tags every year

 

[5 shot group]

Extra hot drink mixes are worth the weight when you are cold.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

First off, hats off to you for getting after it from a chair sir!

As for learning experiences... I had to pass on a shot this year because I forgot my trekking poles in the truck. Turns out I can't get steady enough from a kneeling position, and that was the only shot afforded me, other than an offhand shot at 250 yards. I will always carry trekking poles in rifle season because I shoot really well off of them.

 

[SDHNTR]

That is awesome. And inspiring!

I take a lot of rookies hunting. The single most common issue that I see that causes lost opportunities is the inability to get on target quickly. I see this a lot with guys who have too many gizmos. Bipods, funky slings, overpowered or overcomplicated optics, bulky clothing, you name it.

So my one “thing” is to recommend that you take inventory of your crap, reduce the unnecessary stuff, and practice getting on target fast and making it count. That golden opportunity might be fleeting.

 

[hodgeman]

My last hunt I learned that I hate chassis rifles for hunting. Too angular, to many protrusions to carry slung, and too fiddly to try to set up a bipod and adjust it in anything approaching a hurry.

I carried it anticipating a 400+ yard shot. I ended up with a 150 yard shot on a bunch of spooky, moving herds and would have been faster to simply drop a daypack on the ground and shoot prone over it like I have for years.

 

[Oregon Hunter]

Hats off to you for still getting after it

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Thanks! At least now I've got an excuse if I miss lol

 

[Oregon Hunter]

A pen that writes on the wax paper the tags are made of.
I keep one or two in my day bag but by the time i need them they don't work.

Note to self: remember to put new pens that write on tags every year

Good idea! Now if only I was skilled enough to actually fill tags...

 

[Trekenc]

On my mule deer hunt I tried a mono pod with bino's and let my son take my spotting scope and tripod. Worked great. Much lighter and I feel like it forced me to hunt the deer in range vs spotting deer miles off. I used a old trigger stick I had laying around with a bino adaptor. I do need to find a mono pod that shortens up bit more but the trigger stick was actually very functional. On my elk hunt the one thing I learned was I need a bomb proof lighter. It was cold in montana this year.

 

[Oregon Hunter]

First off, hats off to you for getting after it from a chair sir!

As for learning experiences... I had to pass on a shot this year because I forgot my trekking poles in the truck. Turns out I can't get steady enough from a kneeling position, and that was the only shot afforded me, other than an offhand shot at 250 yards. I will always carry trekking poles in rifle season because I shoot really well off of them.

This will sound unintentionally cheesy being that I work for Spartan Precision Equipment, but I am finding that a good rest is more important than the gun/scope/cartridge that fires the bullet. Right now all the trends are shooting farther, carbon fiber, Hubble sized telescopes, and it's refreshing to see when people put the same amount of thought into their rest.

 

[Blackdog317]

A quick throw lever for changing magnification in a hurry is pretty nice.

I really like this option after using it for the first time this year. I honestly didn't think it would make much of a difference, but the scope came with it... so why not?

I was in a hurry to get set for a shot from prone. Multiple animals were moving towards cover and I didn't want to take my eye off them to adjust magnification. I was able to stay on the scope and reach up and zoom-in. My hand naturally found the lever and the magnification change was quick and easy. A successful shot followed!

I am now interested in finding one for my other scoped rifles. They seem inferior without them. Can't see much of a downside. They are light and didn't get hung up on clothing or brush.

Anyone else use these and like, or dislike them? Any downside I am overlooking? It's a really minor change, but I think it helped me be successful and I like the set-up better with it.

 

[Oregon Hunter]

That is awesome. And inspiring!

I take a lot of rookies hunting. The single most common issue that I see that causes lost opportunities is the inability to get on target quickly. I see this a lot with guys who have too many gizmos. Bipods, funky slings, overpowered or overcomplicated optics, bulky clothing, you name it.

So my one “thing” is to recommend that you take inventory of your crap, reduce the unnecessary stuff, and practice getting on target fast and making it count. That golden opportunity might be fleeting.

So true! I have a ton of gadgets I use while target practicing, but find less is more when actually in the field

 

[Oregon Hunter]

My last hunt I learned that I hate chassis rifles for hunting. Too angular, to many protrusions to carry slung, and too fiddly to try to set up a bipod and adjust it in anything approaching a hurry.

I carried it anticipating a 400+ yard shot. I ended up with a 150 yard shot on a bunch of spooky, moving herds and would have been faster to simply drop a daypack on the ground and shoot prone over it like I have for years.

Good lesson! I think tacticool will be a trend that fades for hunters. I love my big heavy rifles for practice, but have learned it doesn't add any fun to my experience in the field. Ultimately I'm not a super sniper whose life depends on it, so I am learning to err on the side of fun while hunting.

 

[Oregon Hunter]

On my mule deer hunt I tried a mono pod with bino's and let my son take my spotting scope and tripod. Worked great. Much lighter and I feel like it forced me to hunt the deer in range vs spotting deer miles off. I used a old trigger stick I had laying around with a bino adaptor. I do need to find a mono pod that shortens up bit more but the trigger stick was actually very functional. On my elk hunt the one thing I learned was I need a bomb proof lighter. It was cold in montana this year.

Solid takeaway. Improve 1 thing like this per hunt and within a couple years it makes a noticeable difference

 

[Oregon Hunter]

Quick throw lever for changing magnification in a hurry.

I really like this option after using it for the first time this year. I honestly didn't think it would make much of a difference, but the scope came with it... so why not?

I was in a hurry to get set for a shot from prone. Multiple animals were moving towards cover and I didn't want to take my eye off them to adjust magnification. I was able to stay on the scope and reach up and zoom-in. My hand naturally found the lever and the magnification change was quick and easy. A successful shot followed!

I am now interested in finding one for my other scoped rifles. They seem inferior without them. Can't see much of a downside. They are light and didn't get hung up on clothing or brush.

Anyone else use these and like, or dislike them? Any downside I am overlooking? It's a really minor change, but I think it helped me be successful and I like the set-up better with it.

I've never used one, but will now try one. I like the idea of adjusting the scope without lifting my head off the stock

 

[Marmots]

My Eureka moment was when I discovered the importance of length of pull.

I was developing a flinch from punching myself in the face with the thumb of my trigger hand. Whether it was iron sites or a leupold on 3x. I was also prone to scope eye whenever I was shooting in a field position.

I finally went out shooting with a buddy who competes in biathlon. His first response when I shouldered my rifle was "Holy ... You have a long neck".

I'm not a super tall guy at 6'4, but apparently my head and neck belong on a guy over 7ft tall. It's funny how these goofy proportions helped my sister get into modeling, meanwhile I'm just easy to catch in a headlock and hard to fit for a stock.

Anyways, I put an inch of cheap polymer spacers on the back of my rifle and suddenly I was a way better shot.

 

[KurtR]

Practice. Trigger time so the rifle is an extension of your body. Learning how to drive it properly has made accuracy increase exponentially

 

[SDHNTR]

My last hunt I learned that I hate chassis rifles for hunting. Too angular, to many protrusions to carry slung, and too fiddly to try to set up a bipod and adjust it in anything approaching a hurry.

I carried it anticipating a 400+ yard shot. I ended up with a 150 yard shot on a bunch of spooky, moving herds and would have been faster to simply drop a daypack on the ground and shoot prone over it like I have for years.

I sure hope this whole chassis thing is just a fad. Just like hunting with AR’s. Neither are proper hunting guns for the vast majority of circumstances. I do not at all understand the attraction.

I’m guilty of it too, but I sure see a lot of it on this website... we get so hung up on having the equipment to shoot stuff at a country mile, yet that is usually quite rare. If you aren’t much more than half drunk it’s usually not impossible to get within 300 yards.

Like you found, a good old 3-9x on a traditional bolt gun is best suited for normal occurrences. I recently heard a blurb of a podcast with an ID wolf hunting guide. His number 1 suggestion was to leave the cannon and the monster Nightforce at home. He said when it happens it happens fast and he wants you ready with that .270 you’ve had since high school and the scope on 4x!

We’ve somehow lost appreciation for simplicity. Darn tactikooks!

 

[MuleyFever]

I learned a Nightforce 2.5-10x is all I need. Not sure why I would need to leave this Nightforce at home.