Scenes at a Deer Rifle Sight-In
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These images were taken yesterday, at the last weekend of our gun club's annual Deer Rifle Sight-In event. Our club is private and generally isn't open to the publilc, except during the three consecutive weekends just prior to the start of the hunting season, when non-members can pay a small fee and use our club's rifle ranges to sight-in their hunting rifles.
As the club's newsletter editor and de facto photographer, I was at the range yesterday to capture some images of the event (and do a little shooting on the side too!).
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Crap, I forgot about the 5-images-per-post limit. The rest of the images:
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Geee, I'm not sure about the whole idea of shooting live animals. The guns are cool tho! Wish I could mount those sights on my bow. Haha!
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What an interesting mix of weapons.
What is usually considered an adequate ammo/calibre for killing an adult deer?
And what are the calibres considered inadequate or illegal for deer hunting?
I see this guy in a blue windbreaker and red ear protection with a "cowboy" -ish rifle. What kind of calibre is it? Is it powerful enough to kill deer?
And then below it I see this guy with a scoped SKS. Again, can it kill deer? Perhaps with non-military ammo?
I read some articles about shootings in America and it seems to say that military issue ammo like 7.62 x 39 are not lethal enough. Although the author did blame it on the bullet-type being FMJ. -
Lovely pics MG..
one question... where's your get-up.
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I don't hunt big game, so I'm not really up on the caliber requirements for effectively bringing them down. I'd imagine, however, that shot placement is as important, if not more so, than the caliber of the projectile fired. In other words, a smaller caliber projectile hitting a vital organ is probably more likely to bring down an elk or deer than a large caliber projectile penetrating only flesh.Originally posted by chino65:What an interesting mix of weapons.
What is usually considered an adequate ammo/calibre for killing an adult deer?
And what are the calibres considered inadequate or illegal for deer hunting?
I see this guy in a blue windbreaker and red ear protection with a "cowboy" -ish rifle. What kind of calibre is it? Is it powerful enough to kill deer?
And then below it I see this guy with a scoped SKS. Again, can it kill deer? Perhaps with non-military ammo?
I read some articles about shootings in America and it seems to say that military issue ammo like 7.62 x 39 are not lethal enough. Although the author did blame it on the bullet-type being FMJ.
In most states, the Department of Natural Resources sets minimum caliber requirements for different categories of game. For example, here in Minnesota, the various rifle and pistol calibers authorized for hunting big game are listed here. As you can see, the list of legal cartridges is quite long!
The guy in the blue windbreaker and red earmuffs is shooting a lever-action rifle, most likely chambered in 30-30 Winchester.
With regard to the SKS, the 7.62x39 cartridge is on the list of approved big game cartridges, so I would assume it is capable of bringing down deer. I have colleagues who hunt deer in Wisconsin with SKS rifles using readily-available hollowpoint ammo. -
Thanks, LL!Originally posted by LazerLordz:Lovely pics MG..
one question... where's your get-up. 
I took those picture before setting up my ARs. It was a madhouse at the range that day, with non-members lining up behind the benches waiting for their turn to shoot. I only managed to break out my ARs later in the day, when it got less crowded. -
I'm surprised the M1 .30 carbine round is legal.
I always thought its ballistics etc were suspect... I would love to shoot one, though. I've always been very curious about this military round. -
good stuff MG,
I just got me a WInchester Model 94 ... great little deer gun.. hope to bag me a nice whitetail!
DaveC! -
Nice pics, MG...and a great looking range with a HUGE firing line. The range I go to is only about 15 benches wide.
in response to chino65: I think most states allow you to use any caliber as long as it's a centerfire rifle to hunt deer...don't think you'd want to use much smaller than a .243 though.... black powder rifles and shotguns w/slugs are also allowed in a lot of states. -
Hi, Dave!Originally posted by davechng:good stuff MG,
I just got me a WInchester Model 94 ... great little deer gun.. hope to bag me a nice whitetail!
DaveC!
When does hunting season begin in TX? Ours starts this weekend. -
Thanks, skid.Originally posted by skid:Nice pics, MG...and a great looking range with a HUGE firing line. The range I go to is only about 15 benches wide.
Yeah, the club's facilities are pretty decent. The four lines closest to the camera in the image of the firing line go all the way out to 300 yards... which is the reason you see the ATV in the picture!
In addition to the rifle range, we also have 12 pistol bays, a shotgun and archery range, and bowling pin bay and a newly-built cowboy action shooting range at the club.
