Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Last minute problems

Interested in people's take on this issue.

You've heading off for an out of state deer hunt. Its a big deal.

A couple of days before you head off you check zero and shot is 4" low. You check and the action screws aren't tight - nearly a 1/4 turn on both to correct tightness. Reshoot, adjust and all is good.

No time for anything else. How long till you trust it? Do you use it (you shoot it best of all) or take your back up which is great, reliable but which you shoot a tiny bit worse.

Hopefully I only need it to be good for one more shot...

Having said that choices abound in the safe capable of taking a deer on a moments notice so it wouldn’t be a big deal.

Pick whichever but for the next hunt, upgrade your mounting system and get a better back up. Then shoot them both more so the bugs are worked out well ahead of time.

Now that the screws are all tight I re zero and go hunting.

It sounds like you want to take it. Take it and the spare, just in case. Shoot it again when you get there and have fun.

If you shot after correcting the zero go hunting.

I’d tighten the action screws with a torque wrench to a good spec and write down the number so I could check it in the future. I’d reverie the rifle then check zero on the backup. Bring them both.

And pack your torque driver...

Thanks - I'll take it. It was built for the place I hunt in 2007. Every time I take something else I regret it.

M700 ss 7-08 20"
ASE suppressor
Jewell
Mcmillan Game Hunter Edge
Williams stainless BDL floorplate
Zeiss Victory HT 3-12x56i asv+
120gr ballistic tip 2,850fps

Back up

M700ss 30-06 23"
Reflex suppressor
Jewell
Mcmillan Remington Sporter
Sunny hill floorplate
Zeiss Victory 2.5-10x50i asv+
150gr AB, 2,950fps

Vertical pistol grip, higher comb, better balance, better optics, and quieter 7-08 are just easier

For me, last minute problems is an immediate swap to a backup that is trouble-free. Happened to me in WY this fall. Got to camp, confirmed POI/POA on primary and backup rifle. Go to stuff ammo into the mag-box of the primary and either something happened to the seating die, OR, there's too little neck tension and my handloads "grew". No matter the cause, the problem is that I now have a bolt action single-shot. No big deal, swapped to the backup and never gave the issue a 2nd thought until I got home and could diagnose and correct the problem.

Took the primary after rezero. 3.5 days hard hunting in appalling weather. No trophy but hard earned meat calf in thick cover where the handy 7-08 made it possible.

i'd definitely say swap to the known good to go back-up rifle. if i didn't all i would think about would be is the gun gonna perform when the time comes. that just me personally. might not bother most folk but a known issue w/o time to check it out thoroughly would not make for a good time outdoors especially if i had a backup of equal quality.
good luck,
Big Ed

Always, always, always have a back up plan.

Unless one can walk to his home, always take a backup unit.

If primary rifle is zeroed go forth and hunt. And bring the backup just in case.