Category: Gun Info for Rookies
However, when my grandfather came by the house early in the morning during opening weekend to pick up my father, I met them at the top of the stairs. I asked them “Are you going to the property?”
When they answered in the affirmative, I responded, “I’ll be right back.” Since neither of them had the heart to tell me that I couldn’t go, I got to go deer hunting with them then and every year thereafter.
I can’t remember many details of that deer season, only that it was a lot of fun and the start of many hunting trips for me. The downside of this is that my grandfather has not gotten a deer since I started accompanying them on hunts.
However, the joy of being with my father and grandfather out in the woods and the excitement of seeing deer made me a lifelong hunter. Even though he hasn’t shot a deer personally in the past few decades, my grandfather has shared in all of my hunting successes (and failures) since I joined their ranks, and I’m sure he considers that a fair trade.
Though it is a cliche, kids really are the future, and this is especially true with hunting. My grandfather was quite the sportsman in his day, but he is getting on in years and rarely hunts anymore. The fire inside him that burned with love for the outdoors would die with him if he did not pass that torch on for my father and me to carry.
In addition to his love of the outdoors and his many great stories, my grandfather possesses a wealth of knowledge gained from hard-earned experience that would also go to waste without someone to share it with. Fortunately, he has been able to share most of these things with my father and me to continue the tradition.
Along with the sentimental reasons listed above, there are also practical reasons to introduce a kid to hunting. If you turn them on to the sport, not only will you have a potential hunting buddy for years, but they also will be among those who fund conservation efforts through their purchases of hunting gear and licenses as adults.
They are also more likely to vote for public officials and policies that support the continued access to hunting in the future. In short, continuing to expand the ranks of hunters is vital to allow future generations of Americans to enjoy the outdoors.
Yes, it is often times inconvenient to take a kid hunting. They generally have a shorter attention span than adults, and it is much more difficult for them to keep quiet and sit still for an extended period of time. For these reasons and others, having a kid with you makes it much more difficult to seriously hunt for a trophy deer.
However, it might be useful to take a different view of the situation. A kid generally does not get upset about shooting a doe or a young buck instead of a trophy deer. They enjoy hunting because of the pure, unbridled joy of spending time with “the boys” and enjoying the beauty of the outdoors.
They do not get caught up in whether they shot the biggest deer or if they are properly practicing quality deer management. A kid would probably be just as happy, or maybe even happier, after shooting a doe or a four-point buck as many adults would be after shooting a nice 10-pointer.
We would do well to follow their lead and stop getting caught up in all of the other distractions that often accompany the sport and start remembering why we started hunting in the first place: because it’s fun.
I am the hunter I am today because of the experiences I had as a kid while hunting with my father and grandfather. One day, I look forward to introducing my son or daughter to the outdoors and to hunting. Hopefully, they will gain the same appreciation for nature and wildlife that I have, and this may well be one of the biggest lasting contributions that I make as a sportsman.
Keep this in mind the next time you have an opportunity to take a kid hunting, and consider making an investment of your time now for the future of the sport.
Before you take your new AR-15 out for target practice or into the field to do some hunting, the first thing you will need to do is zero in the iron-sights.
All rifles and upper halves with sights installed from the factory are bore sighted to 25 yards. The process takes some patience, but you will be spending valuable time getting to know your new rifle while making it as accurate as possible.
This article focuses on most flip-up and stationary sights. Sighting in with the carry handle is a bit more complicated.
How the Front and Rear Sights Work
When it comes to zeroing the iron-sights on your AR-15, it’s important to understand what the front and rear sights do. The front sight is responsible for elevation, or how high or low the point of impact is compared to the point of aim. The position of the rear sight will determine the windage, or whether your shot will hit to the left or right of the target.
The First Step: Finding Mechanical Zero
Adjusting the iron-sights to mechanical zero is the first thing you should do when sighting your rifle or upper half. However, if it was purchased directly from Stag Arms, you can skip this step. Start by rotating the front sight post up or down until the base of the post is flush with the sight well. Once that is done, move on to the rear sight.
Most sights on an AR-15 have both a large and a small aperture. The large aperture is used for close up shooting and typically has a line that you can use to align it with hash marks along the bottom of the rear sight. If the aperture doesn’t have a mark, simply rotate the windage knob until the aperture is all the way to the left or right.
After that, turn it all the way in the opposite direction, counting clicks as you go. Divide the number of clicks by two to determine the center of the rear sight. Then, move the rear sight that number of clicks from one of the sides.
Using The Stag Arms Sighting Target
Once the iron-sights are mechanically zeroed, or if you received it from our factory, you can start adjusting them for accuracy. Fire groups of five shots at the target from a distance of 25 yards. Find the center of your groupings and measure from there to the central vertical and horizontal lines in order to determine how far you need to adjust the sights. If the shots appear all over the target and aren’t in groups, focus on the shooting fundamentals until you achieve groups.
All the lines on our sighting target are in 1” increments from the center of the bullseye. To move your groupings to the left, turn the windage knob on the rear sight to the left and to the right to move your grouping to the right on the target. Looking from the top of the sight, the front sight post will need to be turned clockwise to raise groupings and counter-clockwise to lower them as they appear on the target.
Basically, you will want to move the rear sight in the direction you want your shots to appear on the target, and you will want to move the front sight in the opposite direction that you want the shots to appear on the target.
Print out our sighting target here.
Photo Courtesy of: www.ar15news.com
Topics: Rifle Sights, zero in the iron-sights, AR-15 Sights
Huh, I am really surprised at how clean they got this old timer! Grumpy
When it comes to handling any gun. The Key Phrase – “Attention to Details” is paramount! Grumpy