Hunting Season is here and it’s time to sight in your guns
This is usually the time of year that I avoid gun clubs becaues the season shooters usually show up around now and sight in their guns for deer season. In Pennsylvania it’s almost time to put your crossbow down and pick up a rifle. They have recently opened up many areas of the State to hunting with crossbows because firearms are too dangerous in the highly populated suburbs but but archery is something for those in better health and strength than others. Crossbows do not take as much energy up as compound bows and many people with disabilities are actually taking advantage of the new rules and getting out for deer season. Some crossbows now have really good sights and optics on them and you can even see that Trijicon has some nice sights and mounts for them.
Trying to find a good gun club or gun range that will allow you to sight in your gun for 100yds, sight in your crossbow and maybe shoot archery is hard. Many people looking for a gun club listings in your State have a hard time getting email addresses or phone numbers to even get information. Some gun clubs want to be off the radar but this actually hurts them in the long run when long time members die off and nobody even knows how to join up. We’re doing some work to the website but trying to do more than just talk about guns and tactical gear and get information out to people with feedback about gun range conditions and options.
This week I got an email from an ammunition manufacturer that made me smile. He was selling Russian 7.62×39 ammo for $209 per 100rds. I haven’t seen that price since before the Obama election. It seems that a bad economy and high unemployment is having an impact on the consumption of ammo buying. I didn’t get caught up in the panic buying because in my opinion, I never thought that 1000rds of any kind of rifle or pistol ammunition should cost as much of the frickin gun. I remember the days of $79 Wolf ammo and IMHO we are going to go back to that as long as there is not another major upheaval.
If there is a time to get out and shoot and you know that you’ll get a range to yourself, it’s probable going to be in the mid to later Summer months. I know this can also be uncomfortable to shoot in if its really hot, but if you can shoot in the shade and bring plenty to drink. You might be able to shoot all day and call cease fires at will without having to wait for the guy next to you to stop shooting. The worst times to get out are usually in the pre-hunting weeks when ranges are crammed with people trying to verify zero before the upcoming hunting trips.
This weekend there is another Gun Show in my area that is one of my favorite places to go. I hear a lot of gun shops complaining about how the internet is taking away a lot of their business because people just go online and buy stuff and have it shipped to their homes. The reality is that this is true, but sometimes you still want to feel something in your hands and a gun shop or a gun show is the best place to pick something up and hold it in your hands. If you bring cash with you, you are more likely to get a better deal on ammo prices or gun accessories. One hint I would suggest is to go on the last day for the best deals.
Finding a gun club that fits our style of shooting can be difficult in some States, but for other States there are so many gun clubs around, but trying to find out where they are and who to contact is difficult. We have been compiling as much info about 
Ammo prices seem to be coming down just like the economy is going down so now might be a better time to consider going out and scoping the place out for ammo. Ammo prices are still drastically different, but atleast the availability seems to be there. I notice the run on firearms has slowed now, probable since everyone knows that if you don’t already have enough, racking up more credit card debt just for rack queen isn’t rational. Let us know if you don’t see any shows being listed that are being promoted.
Everyone has there own particular styles of shooting and interestes. Some shooting ranges are specifically for hunting, some are for sporting clays or shooting trap, and some ranges are for long range target shooting. One of my favorite shooting ranges is a 100yd range. A good range will be designed for easy communication between shooters. It always bothers me when people get too anal about calling cease fires and target changes. If a range is setup right, a shooter should be able to setup their targets and not need to change them for hourse or atlease hundreds of rounds of ammo.
There are a great many reasons for gun owners to find a decent range that they know will accommodate their shooting interests. We tend to find the more restrictive ranges closer to urban environments, but you won’t know for sure depending on which State you a living in. Every State in the Country is different and trying to find out where to look is very difficult.
Sometimes knowing what you’re load is isn’t enough to get you on paper and 600-1000yds. Paying attention to crosswinds and terrain will give you that extra improvement to avoid misses. Its not about just bullet drop at those distances, knowing when to pull the trigger and paying attention to your target is what makes you an expert.