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- Written by: The DIY Hunter
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Having your rifle and scope setup properly to fit you personally is crucial to archive the best results on the range and in the field hunting.
Throughout the years I have come up with my own do-it-yourself processes to set up and mount my rifle scopes so that they fit me personally. The video below from the NSSF does an excellent job of explaining the process and how you can get the best results from your scope and rifle with no fancy tools needed.
The techniques used in the video have worked great for me. I liked his clever idea to get a scope level with the rifle.
And here is a great follow-up video from the NSSF that does the best job I have seen at explaining Minute of Angle (MOA) and adjusting your scope.
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- Written by: The DIY Hunter
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I've had my share of scope bites of the forehead throughout the years. I'm fairly tall at 6' 7" and I often think the length of pull on many rifles just isn't long enough to fit my large frame and my forehead often pays the price. More than often shooting at the bench is my biggest culprit for marking my forehead in red.
Years ago I found a little trick to how I positioned my rifle in the shooting bag that has saved my forehead ever since. What I do is keep my rifle sling on my rifle and wrap it around and under the center of my shooting bag. I then snug up the sling on the front edge of the shooting bag. In doing this it basically holds the rifle with the shooting bag when the rifle recoils so the rifle pulls against the weight of the shooting bag.
This simple trick has do wonders to saving my forehead. Here is a video clip I put together that shows what I do to manage the recoil at the bench.
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- Written by: The DIY Hunter
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This is what the electrical tape looked like after I shot through the tape on the end of my X-Bolt 270 WSM rifle barrel to take my Mule Deer in 2010 at 457 yards.
The last few years I have been taping the end of my barrel to keep snow, water, mud and other debris out. I have read and been told that placing a balloon or tape over the end of my barrel would not affect the accuracy. I believed what I have heard but still in the back of my head I've been a little hesitant that maybe it would change things enough to affect the accuracy. However, when I logically think about it, the tape has to be blown out of the way long before the bullet ever gets to the end of the barrel. I should take some time someday and test accuracy on the range.
I carry a roll of electrical tape in my fanny pack that I have my range finder and binoculars in. I wear the fanny pack on my front side so I can quickly have access to items I need, like tape. When I tape my barrel I like to create a tab to use to pull the tape off with. I fold over about a half-inch of tape on top of itself then tape up and over the end of the barrel with about three inches of tape on both sides of the barrel.
I have always had time to remove the tape before taking any shots until this year. In the rush of the moment, I forgot that I still had tape across the end of my barrel when I shot my 2010 Mule Deer at 457 yards. The shot was dead on — absolutely no problem shooting through electrical tape placed across the end of my barrel.
Update October 2014
In 2014 I started using Rifle Jackets and love them. I no longer tape the end of the barrel or mess with scope covers. I use the rifle jacket and the whole rifle is protected from snow, rain and scratches. You can see more thoughts and photos of this product in Dallen's 2014 mule deer hunt.
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