Annual Deer Gun Sight In
With an intent of public outreach and safety, each year the Sheboygan Rifle and Pistol Club hosts a gun deer sight in the two weekends before that years 9-day gun deer season in Wisconsin.
For a nominal fee to cover expenses, guests are aided in zeroing in their rifles, shotguns and in some cases handguns for the upcoming deer season. It is important that all hunters and sportspeople recheck their firearms each year to be safe reliable hunters. A firearm that is not “sighted in” or “zeroed” not only can cause the hunter to miss or maim an animal they are shooting at, but more importantly they are releasing projectiles without knowing exactly where they are going and therefore could harm another human being.
No good, responsible hunter goes out for the season without sighting in their firearm and the Sheboygan Rifle and Pistol Club has aided the community with this activity for most of its 63 year plus existence.
The event runs on Saturday and Sunday both weekends before the opening of the 9-day gun deer season. It is open to the public beginning at 9:00 a.m. closing at 3:00 p.m. Shooters are encouraged to come early in case they run into any problems or need to get repairs before the season starts. Due to limited safe daylight during this time of year the event closes at 3:00 sharp.
The fee is $8 per gun and for any subsequent/backup firearms. Shooters can sight in at 25 yards, 50 yards, and 100 yards. Shooters should sight in at distances that are reflective of the actual shots they may get in their individual hunting situations. Most shots will occur between 50 and 100 yards at best due to forest and vegetation. Bullets/projectiles have a trajectory of flight making knowledge of the actual distance relevant in choosing the right range to sight in on.
The goal of the club is to share our facilities and knowledge with the general public with an intent of education and safety.
Like many sporting activities there can be much to learn about firearms and ammunition. Without over-educating a general use hunter, we do have a few suggestions before you come out:
- Make sure your firearm is clean and in safe operating condition. There are simple cleaning kits and internet information can help learn how to simply clean your firearm to keep it in safe operation condition.
- If you have any doubts about your firearm, take it to a legitimate gunsmith to have it double checked. Learn about your specific firearm through the instruction manual provided by the manufacturer. These are available for free from all manufacturers and often can be downloaded from website. You do not need to be an expert on all firearms but do know the gun you are going to be using.
- Make sure you have the proper ammunition for your gun. Calibers/gauges are often marked on the sides of barrels or actions. Make sure your ammunition matches your gun. If in doubt, ask questions as often calibers have multiple names for the same cartridge. Note that different manufacturers produce different loads for the same calibers, and that mixing them up (sighting in with one brand then using another in the woods) will affect accuracy. When shopping, buy the same ammunition weight and brand you sight in with. The weight will be listed on the box in grains. Different weights produce different bullet flights and will affect your shot and accuracy a great deal. Physically checking the box in the store with the box you sighted in with can help a great deal.
- If shooting slugs out of a shot gun, learn all you can about your gun and ammunition. Mixing brands, loads and weighs will greatly affect your accuracy. If your shotgun reads 2 ¾” or 3” after its gauge, this refers to the length of the shotshell after it has been discharged. You must be very careful in choosing the right length. Firearms listed as 2 ¾ should never be used with a 3” shotshell. The shotshell very well may fit, but upon opening when the shell is discharged it will have no room for expansion and will cause great harm to the shooter. A 2 ¾ shotshell can be used in a 3” chamber safely as it will have room to expand, but it is best to simply match the proper shotshell to the firearm used.
- If bringing slugs, note that rifled slugs should only be used in smooth bore barrels. If you have a rifled shotgun barrel, using rifled slugs will greatly reduce your accuracy as the two will cause the projectile to react erratically.
How the Sight in Process Works:
Guests bring their cased, unloaded firearms to our target shack located behind the firing lines at our outdoor range. After signing in and paying, each guest is escorted to a shooting bench at a range suitable for that shooter and firearm. For safety, SRPC members carry the firearms to and from the firing lines.
Shooters are seated, and the firearm checked for basic structural safety, barrel obstructions, and loose scopes/sights.
If the firearm has not been sighted in before, especially if having an optical sight (or “Scope”), it is then bore sighted before attempting to accurately zero the firearm.
Ammunition is checked against the actual firearm, then the shooter will be instructed by a member which target to shoot at. Shooters use a bench rest as the object is to see where the firearm shoots and adjust the sights accordingly. Shooters then fire 3 shots with an attempt to get a group showing where the firearm is shooting.
With the assistance of a club member the sights can then be adjusted to better reflect where the firearm is shooting. In metallic (open) sights the rear sight is moved in the direction we wish the projectile to go. If an optic sight (Scope) the reticles will be moved accordingly based on the information listed on each individual scope.
This is repeated until 3 shot groups are in the key area desired for the firearm. At this point the firearm is safely re-cased by the club member and then is carried back to the target shack for the guest and given them.
Calendar Dates for 2024 Deer Gun Sight-in: