Prepping for the Hunt

[FatBoy...]

Most of the threads here go into how to take the shot, and what to take the shot with. I'd kinda like to know how you guys get ready for the hunt.
What are you doing the night before leaving the house?
Do you prep the bore before taking the shot?
How do you prepare differntly now that you've been doing this for some time?
Do you find yourself preping for the LR hunt much differently than other types of hunts you participate in?

Just a few quick questions,, no real format to my thinking,,, but it seems that the type of hunting ya'll do would make prep so much more important.

FatBoy...

[Dave King]

What have I done in the past and what do I do now!

Things I no longer do the night before the hunt:

I DO NOT check the scope rings tight. (I "believe" they are tight because I check them when cleaning the rifle. Once the rifle is broken in the scope rings seem to stay at the proper torque. If I check them and they move, it's a no-go on the long range hunt until I verify zero.)

I DO NOT check the action screws tight. (Same reasoning as the scope rings.)

I DO NOT clean the rifle. (I shoot a fouled bore.)

I DO NOT use a new batch (LOT) of ammo (hand loads). (It only takes one shot and I always have a few rounds available.)


Things I still do the night before the hunt.

I check (verify) the scope zeroed. I have a little white label inside the rear lens cap with a handy little drawing of the micrometer position of the Leupold elevation turret. "0" on the top and 2 ticks right and 1 tick left showing (Looks like a 3 legged road kill cat).

I check the scope lenses clean.

I place the correct ammo near the rifle.

I ensure the rifle has the bolt installed (no I've never forgotten the bolt but I've been with folks that have.)

I check the bipod tight and the leg screws tight. The leg screws on the Harris bipod work their way loose, I usually peen them a bit to prevent this.

I check out my spare rifle and perform all verification on that rifle also. (Better safe than sorry.)

I verify my binos, rangefinder, GPS, data book, knife, license, matches, line and proper ammo stowed in my hunting kit. (It's a Camo'ed verion of the Navy Unit-1 medical kit.) My sand sock hangs on my hunting kit belt, attached via carabiner.


Before I load the rifle I remove the bolt and check the bore clear.

[Michael Eichele]

Every thing above sounds real good. Espescially not messing with ANYTHING!!! and taking a fouled bore. The day before I hunt, I set up a target and fire 1 shot at 300 yards, then 1 @ 400 ect.. all the way out to my pre-determind limit, sometimes its 600 somtimes its 1000. It depends on what I am hunting and where. Also what shooting form I am in. There is nothing wrong in setting limits and adhereing to them. The night before, I am stuying topo maps, not that I dont study them before, but I like to refresh my mind and look for new details, and finishing last minute packing as I usually pack most things 1 week before hand. I load the truck and/or 4 wheeler. But as stated in the first post, the rifle should be fine tuned debugged long before hand. Sounds like you are doing good.

[baldeagle713]

All the above sounds good. I also make shure I have WORM clothing and some Foot and hand wormers cause ya can't make a grate shot if your shivering. That is if it's cold out side [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Tim Behle]

I don't always decide between short range hunting and long range hunting until just before I leave. I've been known to take stuff with me for both types of hunting.

I have two small backpacks, one full of predator calls and one holding a rangefinder, binoculars and small sand bag.

It's just a matter of picking up the appropriate rifle, ammo and bag then head out the door.

[Randy in Va]

I only shoot off a bench at long distances so my preperation may be different.

I have my rifles zeroed at 700 yards at 100 feet elevation and 75 degrees. I remove the Nightforce dials and set them to a zero and draw a picture of the relationship to the horizonal lines and include in the scope cover.

Just before a weekend shoot, I know where I am going and run a new chart for the cartridge for the new elevation and best temperature guess. I use the old DOS version of software sold through Dan Lilja which does a very good job for me and gives me actual click differences to work from.

After arriving at the sight, I range a small target at 700 yds with the Barr & Stroud and rezero my 700 (for that elevation and temperature, note the difference from the 100 foot setting on paper, rezero the vertical dial and return to it between shots.

I work off the newly printed chart for every 5 yards out to 1500 and compare actual needed to the chart for reference purposes.

End of day, I return to the 100 yd setting. I use Moly and clean by no of shots only without regard to trips.

Two of my three longrange rigs are absolutely on the money with my charts on the vertical and I am still working with the newest to get it as good.

My upcoming project .408 wildcat will likely not be able to use this software and I will likely have to buy the fire control system from the Cheytac people that recorded actual shoots run through Dopler radar.

[DRAKECALLER]

Clean out the freezer !