My First Time at the Range

[JBlaisdell]

Tried a little target shooting tonight for the first time, and christened my Henry .22 Classic. The club I joined has a 50 yd minimum for rifle (the 25yd is strictly pistol). So I set up at the 50 and put 2 targets on the board, with a couple feet between them. These targets are 14" wide, for reference. I load with Federal Champion, take a few shots at the left one, check with binoculars, and don't see anything. Try again, appear to miss target... a few more times, then I walk downrange to check. Waddaya know, I hit the paper... problem is, I can't see the holes from 50 yds, even with binoculars! (Note to self, need something with better contrast)

Now, I don't know if I'm wide or over/under. So I group 4 targets together into a 28x28 square . I aim for the center. I hit the lower left target, two shots in the second ring, a third another 3" down and left. Hey! Now I'm getting somewhere!

I drift the rear sight to the left, switch to CCI SV, and try a few more shots...nothing. Wait, fool, you went the wrong way. Drift the rear sight *right* this time, and try another 6 shots, aiming for the upper right sheet (the upper and lower right sheets are shown here). This was my 6th round. I land these within 7" of each other horizontally and 5" vertically but on the sheet *below*, with the exception of one that was another 4" up and on the sheet I was actually aiming for. One final load of 7 (just for luck!) and the results were almost the same. Obviously I need to adjust elevation, but it was getting late and I had to get going. I'll save that for next time.

[BigAl52]

Even though your not all sighted in and went the wrong way I bet you were havin fun. A bad day at the range is better than a good day at work. Al

[JEBar]

you'll get'er done .... I find it much easier to begin sighting in at a much closer range but you didn't have that option ..... higher contrast targets or stronger optics would most certainly help ... keep sending 'um down range ...

[PT7]

Be encouraged....you will set those sights to spot-on the bull very soon. I for one had a really challenging time the first time I ever tried to sight in a rifle. I couldn't find the paper for anything, and it validated to me the old saying, "I can't hit the broad side of a barn." Some good Henry Folk here helped me get it sighted in when I asked for some instruction; so that is always a good back up, if you choose to ask.

Glad you had the chance to "christen your Henry .22 Classic." Next range time will be better, and also on-going fun!
Enjoy-enjoy.

[Henry88]

JB I'm sorry to hear that a range could be so inflexible that you were caused this kind of aggrivation. There's too much of that going on, but this is not the place.....

..... Try again, appear to miss target... a few more times, then I walk downrange to check. Waddaya know, I hit the paper... problem is, I can't see the holes from 50 yds, even with binoculars! (Note to self, need something with better contrast)
Now, I don't know if I'm wide or over/under.

You kind of lost me here, though.

If you walked downrange and saw that you hit the paper, how did you not know if you're wide or over/under?

BTW, I don't own a lot of accessories, but I do have a spotting scope, and every time I go to the range someone asks if I can tell them where they're hitting; I dont mind

Anyway, I always bomb things like "the first day of hunting season" or "the first trip to the range with the new gun".

You'll be shooting like North Country Girl in no time

[JBlaisdell]

Thanks for the encouragement, all. I plan on going out again Sunday, and my wife will be coming along as well. This will be her first time. We'll be bringing our 10/22 also. It should be a fun afternoon.

Henry88, I had found on my first close look at the targets that only 2 or 3 out of over a dozen shots hit the paper, and nowhere close to center. I had absolutely no idea where the rest were going! I didn't find the range aggrivating. I knew the rules before signing up. It's just encouraging me to become better faster, since missing at *any* distance ain't no fun!

[Les]

I think Al just took the words right out of my keyboard!

Part of the fun of a new rifle is getting to know it ...... and the best part is just shootin' the darn thing!

[ditto1958]

Nice, report! Keep at it, and you will soon be hitting bulls eyes all day long.

Oh, and some advice? Practice shooting more with the Henry before you worry about the sights. They usually come from the factory set very close to where they should be. When you can consistently get good groups, then is the time to move your sights, if necessary.

[North Country Gal]

Welcome, aboard, JB. You're doing fine for a first time out. The fun is just beginning. Things will get easier.

Have to agree that a 50 yard minimum for a rifle is a bit inflexible, especially a rimfire, given that a lot of people, myself included, often shoot at 25 yards and even 50 feet to do a rough sight in before fine tuning at the actual distances we plan to shoot.

Okay, so be it. Let's talk solutions. What I would suggest, then, is adding a spotting scope. Having to walk down to a target every few shots just adds to the frustration and makes what should be a simple operation into more of a headache. 22 holes at 50 yards can be tough to see, even with a good 10x binocular (which we always bring to the range), unless the shots happen to land in a "shoot and see" type target. In a plain black bull or white paper, though, sometimes yes, but mostly no with the binocular. You do need more magnification to do it, reliably, under all conditions, all kinds of targets. For 50 yards, doesn't have to be a big, high dollar spotting scope. Even a small, inexpensive 20x50 scope will do, but you'll want something larger and better if you plan to move out to 100 yards and beyond.

Not to get too far off topic, but coming to the range with a spotting scope is also a matter of range etiquette, even though a lot of shooters fail to consider this. Asking other shooters to stop shooting every few shots so you can walk out and go look at your targets won't win you any friends, especially when that walk to the targets is at 100 or even 200 yards. Our club range is set up this way and it is a pet peeve of mine. Enough of that, though.

Also, for sighting in, use a rest with a soft surface. If your range doesn't supply shooting bags, go to Wal-mart and buy some or make some on your own. Shooting from a proper rest will also greatly aid the sighting in process and a lot of rifle shooters do most of their shooting from a rest, anyway. Not all mind you (as you'll see on this forum), but most.

[Ojaileveraction]

Splatter targets are a big help seeing were they're going.

You can get by with a less expensive spotting scope if you put it on a more expensive base.

But then I've been using a rifle scope to spot these last couple months.

[JBlaisdell]

I picked up some splatter targets today. I have a SLR camera with a good telephoto (can discern buildings on an island 10 miles out in the photos) that I'll use as a scope for now. Good point about etiquette.

[RanchRoper]

Good job! Nice shooting and looks like tons of fun.

[BrokenolMarine]

I bought a decent spotting scope when I was shooting competition YEARS ago and it has lasted nearly thirty years. You can use it for all sorts of things, including bird watching, spotting boats across the lake, and of course, checking those pesky 22 groups. These days, with all the physical issues, it's a life saver. I put up a group of targets, start sighting on one, shoot til I need to change targets and move to the next, then do the same, repeat until I run out of targets. The scope lets me adjust my sights, check three/five shot groups and enjoy the day's shooting without moving from the shooting bench.

[RanchRoper]

Half the fun is getting to know your rifle. Enjoy!