bersa thunder 380

 When you take your new Bersa Thunder 380 firearm home, you must first unlock the trigger lock safety (located on the left side of the reciever, above and slightly forward of the trigger) by rotating it to ‘F’.  This will allow the slide to be retracted.

    Bersa’s come well packed with preservative oil which should be removed before firing.  The barrel should be cleaned and the slide rails should be lubricated with a drop of lubricant on each rail at the rear of the slide.  The outside of the barrel should also recieve a drop or two of lubricant spread over it’s entire surface forward of the reciever, to allow the recoil spring to compress and expand easily. 

    To clean the barrel properly, you must remove the slide to enable cleaning from the breech, or chamber, end of the barrel.  To remove the slide, first locate the take – down lever, on the right hand side of the frame, forward of the trigger – and rotate it down and fully forward.  Pull the slide as far to the rear as possible and lift the rear of the slide to disengage it from the rails.  While holding the rear of the slide above the frame, ease it forward and off the pistol.  The breechface of the slide may contact the frame where the chamber of the barrel is installed but enough upward pressure should be applied to allow the slide to be removed.  Next, remove the recoil spring from the barrel.  Note that the small end of the recoil spring is installed towards the chamber end of the barrel.  Some recoil springs will have only a marginally smaller end.

    After cleaing the bore, your Bersa Thunder 380 can be reassembled.  First, install the recoil spring on the barrel, smaller end towards the breech.  Orient the spring with the point at which the spring wire ends at the twelve o’clock position at the muzzle end.  This will make reassembly easier.  Also, make sure the disconnector/ drawbar is fully seated in the trigger, so the slide will cover it’s tab fully.  Push the takedown lever down and fully forward and seat the recoil spring in the front of the slide.  Holding the rear of the slide above the breech pull to the rear as far as possible and then down, making sure the rails at the rear of the slide are behind the rails of the frame.  If undue force is required, do not jam the slide downward, but try again.  Never hit the slide with any object to seat it into place or damage to the frame will result.  

Your Bersa Thunder 380 acp is now ready to load and fire.

For Warranty Repair or to order guns and accessories, go to http://www.Reynersons.com or call 225-261-4860.

Treasured heirlooms passed from one or more generations.

The .410 that takes a man back to his childhood.

A Christmas gift that to a teenager meant a first step to adulthood.

David Reynerson is hearing those stories these days. He said other gunsmith are hearing them, too, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

More will come in Hurricane Rita’s wake.

“We’re seeing a lot of shotguns and rifles here, and each one of them has a story. Guys are bringing guns from the floods, from the storm, and we’re trying to save them. We’re trying to minimize the damage,” Reynerson said from behind the counter at Bowie Outfitters.

Before Reynerson took the job of managing the hunting and fishing shop on Perkins Road, he was a machinist turned full-time gunsmith. Bowie’s and Lafayette Shooters take in weapons for repair at his smithing shop in Central.

“The guns are rusty. Most of the guns were sitting in saltwater or have been sitting in mud, and the main thing is to keep them from deteriorating. Time is a critical factor,” Reynerson said.

That’s a two-step job: The first, he said, is to do first aid on the weapon. Hose the saltwater off, or immerse it in clean water, then spray it off with WD-40 or any water-displacing oil.

Reynerson said those types of oil are not good lubricants for weapons, but “they do begin the cleaning process. You just want to get the water off the metal.”

The next step is to take it to a qualified gunsmith.

“We’ve been doing repairs and cleaning like this for 20 years, and this is the worst I’ve seen,” he said.

“We have people bring guns from Biloxi (Miss.) and the New Orleans area, and I guess we’ll see some from the (Hurricane) Rita,” he said.

“We seen the guns a week or longer after hunters have received them, and the guns are encrusted with rust.”

Reynerson said he developed a cleaning and restoration process that removes the rust but removes the bluing, a metal preservative, from the metal.

“What we’ve seen here in the last weeks is that the tannic acid in the water is removing the bluing,” Reynerson said. “That leaves white metal, but a gun with no bluing still operates and has some value.”

When the gun owner gets to the shop, Reynerson said each weapon is evaluated.

“We’re going to tell them if the gun can be used again. If it cannot, we will let them know before they put money into the repair. But most guns are worth the cleaning process,” he said.

He said unrepairable guns still have value in the spare parts.

Not so with the gunstocks.

Wood swells with the water and if the wood sat in saltwater, the salt will leach from the wood and further corrode the metal.

“We’d like to be able to repair stocks, but that’s a very long process,” Reynerson said. “The wood needs to be rinsed in freshwater several times, then dried, then given time to shrink back to its original shape,” Reynerson said.

Cost is a factor: A quick estimate for cleaning a rust-coated weapon is $75-$100.

“If the gun cannot be saved, and if it was insured, the owner needs an appraisal or replacement cost evaluation, and gunsmith are qualified to do that, too,” Reynerson said. “If the gun cannot be saved, we want to be able to have a record of those destroyed.

“We take the gun apart, salvage usable parts, then saw the receiver in half and send the serial number to the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms),” he explained. “Fortunately, we haven’t had to do that much.

“Most of the people coming in here tell us that their guns are the only things they saved. Some of them were stored in attics, or were found in cases in their homes,” Reynerson said. “And when we tell them that they will use their guns again, well, we didn’t think we would be doing them such a big favor.”

For Warranty Repair or to order guns and accessories, go to http://www.Reynersons.com or call 225-261-4860.

Dove

Advocate – Baton Rouge, La.

The list isn’t long, at least not when comparing preparations needed for dove hunting with the extensive preps for deer and duck seasons, but there is a checklist for the Sept. 3 dove-season opener.

Safety first

Firearms experts and gunsmiths around the country tell tales of hunters taking still-loaded shotguns and rifles from closets and gun safes for a preseason checkout. That’s because the weapons were loaded when stored after last season’s hunts. Make sure weapons are unloaded before handling.

Guns

Local gunsmith David Reynerson said waiting until the last minute to check out a shotgun leads to breakdowns on opening day.

“First,” Reynerson said, “make sure the shotgun is unloaded, then it’s important to make sure the shotgun is clean and ready to take into a dove field.”

There are several places in the Baton Rouge area to make sure the weapon is functioning properly. Gunsmiths have testing chambers where shotguns can be fired.

It’s important to test automatic shotguns with the shells you’re using on a dove hunt to make sure the shells “cycle” through the gun.

Reynerson also warned that few, if any, gunsmiths have day-in, day-out service, so if you have a problem find it out this weekend and get it fixed. You might already be too late.

Clothing

Lightweight camo clothing is a must for Louisiana’s dove opener. There have been years when 100-degree afternoons greeted hunters.

There are ways to keep cool in a dove field, and proper clothing is the first step.

Wash long-stored camo clothes before heading to the field. Clean clothes absorb perspiration and will keep you cooler than dirty or mildewed clothing.

Footwear

Check out last year’s hunting boots to make sure they didn’t crack or dry-rot since you last used them. Most dove fields require heavy-duty foot protection and field boots need to be broken in before trekking across a field to take a dove stand.

Licenses

A Louisiana basic hunting license is needed to hunt doves. For the Sept. 17 teal season, hunters need state and federal waterfowl stamps.

While state lifetime license holders need no state licenses nor state stamps, they must have the federal waterfowl stamp to hunt teal.

However, hunters need to complete the HIP – Harvest Information Program – certificate before they can hunt any and all migratory birds and migratory waterfowl. You can get a HIP certificate at the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Web site: www.wlf.state.la.us. Find “License Information, ” then “HIP.”

Other items

Insect repellent

Hunting stool

Shotshells, usually size No. 7 1/2, 8 or 9 are allowed

Insulated water bottle(s)

Sunblock

Camo-colored towel

For Warranty Repair or to order guns and accessories, go to http://www.Reynersons.com or call 225-261-4860.

duck hunting

Advocate – Baton Rouge, La.

OK, so you got the deer, took those ducks, bagged a limit of squirrels and added enough rabbits to the larder for a great, cold- weather sauce piquant.

And, the youngsters on Thanksgiving week holiday had a ball enjoying the hunt with family and friends.

Now that most of us have settled back into the daily grind – and the youngsters prepare for fall semester finals – equipment gets stored until the Christmas holiday.

That means the camouflage got washed. Socks, gloves and hats were dried and stowed along with all the other paraphernalia it takes to go afield these days.

What about ammo?

What about rifles and shotguns?

What happens is that days turn into weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and leaving a dirty weapon and wet ammo can lead to expensive trips to the gunsmiths and your favorite outdoors shop for more bullets or shells.

After talking to veteran shooters, and taking a tip from the Arkansas Game staff, there are tips to have weapons ready for the next family hunt.

The first point I’ll make is that Louisiana’s humidity is the biggest menace for weapons and ammo.

Ammunition is easy. If it got wet, then drying with a towel usually removes most of the moisture, and storing it in a cool, dry place is all it needs to be ready for the next hunt. Storing the ammo with a desiccant helps control moisture, too.

Weapons are a different story.

Depending on number of rounds or shotshells fired will make a difference in how often and how thoroughly a rifle or shotgun needs to be cleaned.

Arkansas Hunter Education coordinator Joe Huggins said the first step in cleaning comes after the last hunt: Making sure the weapon is unloaded before it goes in the gun case then your vehicle is the safest way to keeping a clean weapon.

And, he said, ammunition should be stored separately, then the weapon checked again to make sure it’s unloaded before cleaning it.

Other gun-cleaning tips include:

Reading the owner’s manual is an important first step. There is valuable information on maintaining and operating the weapon. If you don’t have this booklet, then contact the manufacturer for a copy.

After shotgunning in the uplands for dove, quail, squirrels or rabbits on a sunny, dry day and firing only a handful of shells, a wipe down with an oily cloth is usually enough to clean the gun.

Duck and goose hunters differ from upland hunters. Most wild waterfowlers are out in the mist or rain or mud, or all three, and should plan to breakdown the shotgun for an extensive cleaning. This is a good plan to follow anytime you expose your shotgun to excessive moisture or muddy conditions. It’s especially critical to make sure the gun is clean during these 12 days between the first and second splits of the duck and goose seasons.

Shotgun barrels are easy to clean and require little cleaning and care. Receivers and chambers are different story: Receivers and chambers often have a build-up of plastic, wax, powder residue, dirt and other things – local gunsmith David Reynerson has found sticks, leaves and feathers while cleaning shotguns – and all can cause malfunctions in the blinds during the next hunt. If you have a vent- ribbed shotgun, then pay special attention to the supports and the rib to prevent rusting.

Centerfire rifle barrels need to be thoroughly cleaned with solvent that can dissolve copper buildup in the barrel. Copper fouling along the riflings in the barrel affects the rifle’s accuracy.

If you’re using a muzzleloader, factory recommendations is that it be cleaned thoroughly every time you use it. There’s a muzzleloader-only season under way in State Deer Area 6 and the next muzzleloader season doesn’t come until late January.

The systems of gas-operated autoloaders must be kept clean for the shotgun to cycle. This means gas ports, which are usually located on the underside of the barrel, must be kept clean so that enough gas coming through the barrel when a shell is fired can make it through the gas-operating system to shove the bolt back, which makes the ejector work and the bolt slide forward to push another shell into the chamber.

The trigger groups of most pumps and autoloaders is where shotguns gather lots dirt and other debris. Huggins said getting at trigger groups for cleaning and lubrication is quick and easy on most guns. Simply push out a couple of pins with a punch or similar tool. The tools and materials needed for cleaning and lubricating don’t need to be expensive.

Buy quality cleaning equipment. First-rate cleaning rods – this is a hint for a Christmas present – are a must, because cheap rods bend and cause problems. Then, you need a soft cloth for wiping, the proper size of cloth patches, properly sized bronze brushes for the cleaning rods, powder solvent, quality gun oil and gun grease (for storage over longer periods of time), copper fouling removers for high-powered rifles and the right-sized screwdriver. Options are punches, a toothbrush and cotton swabs.

Be careful when using solvents and lubricants. Follow manufacturer’s directions. That’s because some solvents and lubes can damage the finish on wood and synthetic stocks.

Adjusting or repairing a rifle or shotgun is best left to a qualified gunsmith. Rifle and shotgun owners should never tackle repairs on the trigger group. There are far too many small parts and springs, and most gun owners don’t have the proper tools to take trigger groups apart then reassemble them.

For Warranty Repair or to order guns and accessories, go to http://www.Reynersons.com or call 225-261-4860.

Kids/gun

Advocate – Baton Rouge, La.

Warning! There are only 16 shopping days left before the hunting season.

OK, so hunting seasons have been on since early September, but for thousands of Area 1 and Area 6 hunters, Nov. 20′s opener of the modern-firearms season means hunting season is here to stay for the next three or so months.

There’s new camo to buy, new boots to break in and new scent covers to try.

There’s scouting and stand fixin’ and shooting lanes to clear.

And, there’s that rifle that needs to be cleaned and readied for that first shot at that giant buck you saw last season but could never get in your sights.

Zeroing in a deer rifle – and those slug-shooting shotguns – gives a hunter the best chance of knowing how his or her weapon will perform on opening day.

“Thinking that your rifle will be zeroed in after it sat in the closet or in a gun safe since last January is a big mistake,” Wiley Beevers said. “Scopes and rifles take a beating during the season and get moved around during the offseason.”

Beevers, a New Orleans area attorney and ardent hunter, is a regular on the shooting range this time of year. He sights in dozens of rifles for friends every year.

First things first

Make sure that rifle or shotgun is unloaded before you carry it to a firing range.

Second thing?

Check with hunting, shooting and outfitting shops – the chain stores carry ammo and weapons but have little in the way of expertise – about new bullets available in the caliber weapon you will carry to the hunt.

If you’re hunting with the same ammo you’ve used for years, then make sure you have enough rounds to zero the rifle and make it through the hunting season. Beevers and local gunsmith David Reynerson are big advocates of sighting-in with the same ammo you’re going to use on the hunt.

“You want to know the ballistics of the round you’re firing,” Beevers said. “You have to know what the round is doing at 50 yards, at 100 yards and out at farther distances. You have to know a rifle zeroed at 250 yards (to strike the center of the target at 250 yards), that the bullet fired from that rifle strikes two inches above center at 100 yards. That makes all the difference on a hunt.”

Bullets do not travel in a straight line but in a parabolic path to a target. Most bullets rise from the barrel for as far as 150 yards from the muzzle, then begin to drop.

That’s why veteran hunters like to have their bullets impact two or more inches above the point of aim at 100 yards.

Reynerson said having enough ammo to run the length of the season is important because days of bumping the rifle and scope on a four- wheeler ride or behind the seat in a pickup means you have to zero the rifle periodically during the season, too.

Distances

Reynerson said the biggest variable in sighting-in a scoped rifle is distance.

“You can use a rangefinder, or you can measuring distances from the target and use flags to set distances at 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 yards,” he said. “Then, when you’re hunting you can do the same thing around the stand.” Colored tape can be used to indicate distance from the stand, or you can use natural markers and write them in your stand – the small blackberry thicket is 50 yards and the cedar tree is 155 yards, etc.

At the range

Beevers always shoots to zero from a well-supported position.

A quality shooting bench helps and so do sandbags.

And, remember earplugs.

“Some people think you need a powerful spotting scope to help zero a rifle, but you can get close with a target at 25 yards away,” Beevers said. “At that range, your scope should be powerful enough to see the hole you punched through the target.”

He said the sandbags should support all the rifle’s weight.

After that, Beevers’ and Reynerson’s tips follow well-worn paths:

“Lock” the rifle into the sandbags, then position your body on the shooting bench to “lock” the rifle to you.

Now, with the rifle locked into you, Reynerson said “dry firing” – squeezing the trigger without a bullet in the chamber – allows the shooter to “reacquaint you with the trigger pull (the amount of travel and pressure you have to apply to the trigger to get the hammer to snap onto the firing in).

Dry firing also allows you to determine if the scope’s crosshairs move from the center of the bull’s-eye.

Reynerson said if you have to pull hard on your trigger to get the rifle to fire, then the trigger is “too tight” and trying to squeeze the trigger is impossible.

A tight trigger pull can pull a bullet off target: Trigger pull is measured in pounds.

“I’ve seen some rifles with an 11-pound trigger pull, and that’s way too strong,” Reynerson said. “We try to adjust trigger pull to around four pounds. But I have to warn hunters that most gun manufacturers will void a warranty if work on the trigger mechanism is done by anyone except a factory-authorized dealer or gunsmith.”

Although old timers talk about how dry firing hurts a rifle, most modern rifles can handle this technique.

Continue to dry fire the rifle until the sandbags support is firm enough so that when you pull the trigger, the crosshairs do not move off the bull’s-eye.

Sighting-in

“This is where you make or break at deer season,” Beevers said. “The steps are relatively simple.”

Old U.S. Army marksmanship techniques suggests adopting B.R.A.S.S. when getting ready to pull the trigger on a rifle – Breath, Relax, Aim, take up the Slack in the trigger, Squeeze the trigger.

nE

bull’s-eye. The best tip next is to squeeze the trigger. If you “pull” not squeeze the trigger, odds are you’ll pull the shot off the target.

Sight the bullet hole through the scope, then lock the rifle into the sandbags and center the crosshairs on the bull’s-eye. Without moving the rifle, adjust the scope until the crosshairs move from the bull’s-eye and are centered on the bullet hole. Fire another shot at the center of the target. You should be pretty close to dead on at 25 yards.

If you’re not on target with the second shot, then repeat each step until you do.

“It’s real important that you don’t touch the rifle except to pull the trigger,” Beevers said. “Lots of guys think they have to hold the rifle to zero it, but putting the left hand on the rifle will move it, and you don’t want to do that.”

If the gun has some recoil, Reynerson suggests using a pad on your firing shoulder. It can be something as simple as a folded towel or a trip to a quality shooting shop for a new recoil pad.

Next, move to 100 yards from the target, and take the shooting bench and sandbags with you.

Put the scope on its highest power setting and shoot from a solid rest again.

Fire a group of three shots, unload the weapon, and make sure it is, then go to the target.

Scope notes

Modern telescopic sights have two adjusting screws to move the crosshairs in the score. The adjusting screws are for “windage” – side-to-side movement of the crosshairs – and “elevation” – up-and- down movement.

Most scopes’ crosshairs move one-quarter of an inch per click up, down or side to side on a target at 100 yards on.

If your target doesn’t have grid lines, mark a cross with the intersection of the lines on the center of the bull’s-eye. Then, find the center of the three-shot group and measure straight to the vertical line. This will give you the amount of windage adjustment you need. Then, measure up or down to the horizontal line and make the adjustment to elevation.

After firing the three-shot group and making adjustments, allow the rifle to cool. That’s because bullet paths are truer from a cool weapon, and because the shot often taken on a deer is through a cold barrel.

Though most shooters brag about their prowess if they can cover their three-shot groups with a quarter, having all three shots inside a two-inch circle is more than accurate enough to take a trophy whitetail.

For Warranty Repair or to order guns and accessories, go to http://www.Reynersons.com or call 225-261-4860.

Dove

Advocate – Baton Rouge, La.

The countdown is on: LSU football season is just nine days away.

So, too, is the opening of the dove season.

The days are drawing nigh to an expanse of days, weeks and months that will allow Louisiana hunters to be in a field, swamp, forest or marsh nearly every day from the Sept. 4 dove opener to the late-in- April Sunday in 2005 when turkey season will end.

There are only sporadic periods during the next eight months when there is not a season on resident game or migratory birds.

After the Sept. 4-12 first split of the dove season comes the Sept. 15 opener for archery-for-deer hunters in a part of the state. Then there’s the Sept. 18-26 teal season, the Oct. 1 archery-season opener for most of the state and the Oct. 2 curtain-raiser on squirrel and rabbit seasons.

These season reminders come when all outdoors shops in Louisiana are running specials on lightweight camo clothing, shotgun shells, boots, shooting stools, dove decoys and shotguns. For most hunters, this activity should trigger lots of activity for the final preseason (hunting, not football) weekend.

Central gunsmith and outdoor shop manager David Reynerson said he’s seen too many folks wait until the night before to open the gun safe or head to the back of the closet to check out their guns. While you’re in there, check out the rifles, too.

That’s because unless you’ve been blowing holes in the sky at a skeet range or punching holes in paper targets, your shotguns and rifles have been collecting dust for much of the last six months. Your best bet this weekend will be to dust them off and make sure they’re in working order.

Dirt holds moisture, and moisture leads to rust, Reynerson said, and rust is settling on every metal part in your sporting weapon now. Even if you you properly stored that weapon at the end of last season, the heavy layer of gun grease or oil you liberally applied after last season’s final cleanup is too thick to take the weapon into the field.

“The guns and rifles need to be fired,” Reynerson said, adding that the next three or four days are critical to some folks being able to take to a dove field on opening day.

He said area gunsmiths are putting in 10-14 hours days right now, which means if you find something wrong in the safe or the closet, then you can expect a minimum three-day turnaround from any gunsmithing shop. That’s if you’re lucky. Most shops have a seven days-or-longer waiting list and it’s longer if you need a part.

“Under normal use, a shotgun or rifle should be professionally cleaned at least once every two years,” Reynerson said, who further explained dove and duck hunters need to do that every year because they shoot their weapons more than other hunters.

He also said before handling your sporting firearms for the first time this season, it’s best to make sure those weapons are unloaded.

“I know it sounds crazy, but all of us know somebody who put a gun or rifle away after last season and it (the weapon) was loaded,” Reynerson said.

“Always treat a firearm as if it is loaded,” he said. “Double and triple check to make sure there are no rounds or shells in the chamber and magazines, and open breeches and bolts before cleaning it, taking it to the range or to a gunsmith.”

PUBLIC FIELDS: Wildlife and Fisheries game biologist/manager Fred Kimmel said the agency is trying to lease fields for public dove hunts for the Sept. 4 opener.

He said the LDWF has agreed to leases for a field south of Alexandria and another near DeRidder.

“We’re having trouble around here (Baton Rouge), because we are not seeing good concentrations of birds so far in south Louisiana,” Kimmel said.

Advocate Outdoors will list the public fields in its Sept. 2 edition and Kimmel said the list will be posted on the LDWF’s Web site: www.wlf.state.la.us.

For Warranty Repair or to order guns and accessories, go to http://www.Reynersons.com or call 225-261-4860.

David Reynerson

Advocate – Baton Rouge, La.

Now that deer and duck hunters are talking about their seasons in the past tense, it’s time to start thinking about next year.

The season’s not over until you get the stuff safety stowed away so it’ll be ready in September.

And there’s lots of stuff: shotguns and rifles; ammo; camo clothing; rain gear; hats; decoys; calls; boots and waders; and boats and engines.

ENGINES: Go-Devil boss man Warren Coco said, “The No. 1 thing to do before storing a Go-Devil or any other (small gasoline) engine is to add fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank.”

Fuel stabilizer is available at auto parts stores, small engine shops and discount chain stores.

“It costs $3 to $5 to use, or you’re facing a $100 to $200 repair bill on the carburetor to clean or replace it before next season,” Coco said.

After the stabilizer, Coco said, all engines should be run until the fuel runs out. That means you either shut off the fuel flow or disconnect the fuel line from the engine to prevent gasoline additives from gumming up a carburetor.

Cleaning the fuel tank is important, too: “Tilt the fuel can or the fuel tank (on equipment with a built-in tank) to a point where one corner is lower than the rest of the can. Water and trash is heavier than the gas and will settle in that corner. Then, it’s easy to take a siphon and get the trash and water out, and it’s more effective than dumping the contents of the can out,” Coco said.

After that, fill the fuel tanks full to eliminate condensation and water build-up for the engine’s next trip. Remember to add stabilizer to the tank to equal the fill-up and to cover all intakes. Mud daubers like to use intakes for springtime homes, and their mud nests make it impossible to start an engine next season.

WEAPONS: Before cleaning and storing, make sure the weapon is unloaded – make doubly sure.

Local gunsmith David Reynerson said gun owners should disassemble rifles and shotguns, “only if they’re completely familiar with the weapon and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter. Don’t fool with the trigger mechanism, because there are too many parts to handle for someone without the expertise and the proper tools.”

Reynerson said compressed air helps blow out as much of the loose dirt as possible. After that, it’s time to use solvents to clean brass and copper build-ups from barrels. He recommends running a patch dampened with solvent down the barrel – in some cases it might take a brass brush to remove all the deposits – then set the barrel down to let the solvent do its work.

After cleaning all other parts, return to the barrel and run a clean patch or patches through until the barrel is clean. Then, run a preservative oil patch through the barrel, then a dry patch to remove excess oil.

Store the gun with the barrel facing the bottom of the gun safe so excess oil doesn’t seep into the stock. Over time, gun oil ruins wooden stocks. Don’t store a modern weapon in a gun case, which holds moisture and can lead to a rust on rifles and shotguns.

Gunsmiths advises against using sprays like WD-40 because they harden and are difficult to remove before the next season.

BOOTS: Most rubber-boot makers advise washing boots in mild soap and water, then drying thoroughly before storing. Some manufacturers make a rubber conditioner that can help increase the life of the boots, and they warn against using vinyl preservatives.

Years ago, veteran Timberton Club swamp hunter Jeff Rouillier said to remember the inside. He sprays the inside of the boots with Lysol, then drys them and hangs then upside down in a dark, cool closet. He said light and heat are the enemies of rubber.

AMMO: Three years ago, Winchester pro Joe Marshall said ammo and powder are easy to keep from season to season. He uses 50-caliber military cans. The cans are rustproof, waterproof and airtight.

“Make sure the ammo is dry and free of rust, then store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight, and you will have it ready for next year,” he said.

DUCK CALLS: Eli Haydel, a Louisianian known worldwide for his game calls, said cleaning calls is a must.

His advises seperating the large barrel from the call’s small barrel. Then wash both in a mild, warm-water soapy solution, rinse and dry with paper towels.

Haydel said the reeds need to be cleaned because, “Duck hunters get up early in the morning and eat things like honey buns and biscuits and drink Cokes and coffee with sugar in it in the blinds. This is not good for a call. Depending on where you store the call, the food particles can get moldy and ruin a call.”

To clean the reeds, he said, run paper towels between the reeds and the seat where reeds meet the small barrel of the call “and floss them like you would your teeth.”

DECOYS: Herter’s Decoys expert Don Zubke said rodents like to make nests from decoys and this is the biggest problem in storing them from season to season.

Zubke said to remove all lines and weights and clean decoys in warm, soapy water, then dry and store in a cool, dry, out-of-the- sunlight spot. He added that rubber conditioners can be used on rubber decoys.

FIBERGLASS: Chalmette pirogue maker Ron Chapman said, when storing fiberglass, it’s important to remove any wood on the gunnels to prevent termites from getting to the boat.

In a 2001 story, Chapman said, “If you’re going to hang a pirogue, then use the front and back handles, then secure a line through the girth (the middle) of the pirogue to prevent warping. And avoid storing anything in the boat for extended periods.”

He recommended using Penetrol, an additive that preserves the Gel coat, on the exterior.

CLOTHING: Sweat, dirt, mud and water are parts of Louisiana hunting. You’ve washed all the clothing you’ve worn next to your skin.

The more expensive outerwear needs tending, too. Fighting mildew is important. The best way is to follow the manufacturer’s care labels. Make sure the clothes are clean and dry, then store them in airtight containers in a closet.

For Warranty Repair or to order guns and accessories, go to http://www.Reynersons.com or call 225-261-4860.

Deer

This Is The Second Of A Two-part Series On Editor Cpm Edition]

Advocate – Baton Rouge, La.

Properly Sighting a Rifle Series

Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series on properly sighting in a rifle for the hunting season.

OK, you’ve missed on the only shot you had at that big buck.

Sticking in the back of your mind is a haunting reminder that you didn’t “zero” in your rifle before the season. It’s not too late to get the rifle ready for the next time the huge rack shows up in your sights.

The preliminaries include: choosing the ammo you’re going to use during the season.

a good shooting bench supporting sandbags on the shooting bench quality targets with nothing behind them

earplugs Now, follow the guides of a handful of the area’s top shooters and the instructions of Arkansas Game & Fish experts.

Wiley Beevers took time from his law practice for the first step.

“Some people think you need a powerful spotting scope to help zero a rifle, but you can get close with a target at 25 yards away,” Beevers said. “At that range, your scope should be powerful enough to see the hole you punched through the target.”

Remember to “lock” the rifle into the sandbags, then position your body on the shooting bench to “lock” you to the rifle.

At 25 yards, put the crosshairs on the bull’s-eye. The best tip next is to squeeze the trigger. If you pull on the trigger, odds are you’ll pull the shot off the target.

Sight the bullet hole through the scope, then lock the rifle into the sandbags and center the crosshairs on the bull’s-eye. Without moving the rifle, adjust the scope until the crosshairs move from the bull’s-eye and are centered on the bullet hole. Fire another shot at the center of the target. You should be pretty close to dead on at 25 yards.

Beevers said if you’re not on target with the second shot, then repeat each step until you do.

The next step is to move 100 yards from the target, and take the shooting bench and sandbags with you.

Put the scope on its highest power setting and shoot from a solid rest again.

“It’s real important that you don’t touch the rifle except to pull the trigger,” Beevers said. “Lots of guys think they have to hold the rifle to zero it, but putting the left hand on the rifle will move it, and you don’t want to do that.”

The recommendation from the Arkansas folks is to use your left hand (for right-handed shooters) “to move and adjust the rear sandbag until the crosshairs are on the bull’s-eye.”

At this point, you should allow the sandbags to support all the rifle’s weight.

With the rifle steady and supported, the crosshairs on the target and you locked into a solid firing position, you can dry fire – without a bullet in the chamber – and find out if the crosshairs have moved from the center of the bull’s-eye.

This will also give you a second chance to find out about “trigger pull.”

If the pull on your trigger is too tight, then trying to “squeeze” the trigger is almost impossible. It could mean that in squeezing the trigger you are having to pull on the trigger to get the rifle to fire. This alone can pull a bullet off target. Trigger pull is measured in pounds. “I’ve seen some rifles with an 11-pound trigger pull, and that’s way to strong,” Central gunsmith David Reynerson said. “We try to adjust trigger pull to around four pounds.

“But I have to warn hunters that most gun manufacturers will void a warranty if work on the trigger mechanism is done by anyone except a factory-authorized dealer or gunsmith,” Reynerson said.

Back to the bench. Although old timers talk about how “dry firing” hurts a rifle, it’s OK to dry fire most modern rifles.

Continue to dry fire the rifle until the sandbags support is firm enough so that when you pull the trigger, the crosshairs do not move off the bull’s-eye.

If the gun has some recoil, Arkansas marksmen recommend using a pad – it can be something as simple as a folded towel – when firing live ammo.

Then, you have to be sure that practice makes perfect. Squeezing the trigger when dry firing is more important now that you’ve loaded a live round.

A good trigger has slack, so it’s important to slowly “take up the slack” in the trigger, then continue to squeeze on the trigger until the bullet fires.

Fire a group of three shots, unload the weapon, and make sure it is, then go to the target.

The Arkansas group said to “find the center of the group and make your adjustments according to the instructions with your scope.”

Most American-made scopes move the crosshairs 1/4 of an inch per click at 100 yards on the adjusting screws on both vertical and horizontal adjustments. Left and right movement on the scope’s crosshairs is called windage. Up and down movement is called elevation.

The AGFC experts said the next steps are important.

If your target doesn’t have grid lines, mark a cross with the intersection of the lines on the center of the bull’s-eye. Then, find the center of the three-shot group and measure straight to the vertical line. This will give you the amount of windage adjustment you need.

Then, measure up or down to the horizontal line and make the adjustment to elevation.

This is where you make the adjustment for the path your bullet takes. Bullets do not travel in a straight line but in a parabolic path. Most bullets rise from the barrel for as far as 150 yards from the muzzle, then begin to drop.

That’s why veteran hunters like to have their bullets impact two or more inches above the point of aim at 100 yards.

After firing the three-shot group and making adjustments, allow the rifle to cool. That’s because bullet paths are truer from a cool weapon, and because the shot often taken on a deer is through a cold barrel.

Then, repeat the process of firing three more aimed shots.

The second three-shot group should be centered on the selected point of aim.

Most shooters brag about their prowess if they can cover their three-shot groups with a quarter.

But all three inside a two-inch circle is more than acceptable whether they hit a target or a trophy whitetail.

For Warranty Repair or to order guns and accessories, go to http://www.Reynersons.com or call 225-261-4860.

Gary

Advocate – Baton Rouge, La.

Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series on properly sighting in a rifle for the hunting season.

Been missing lately?

Your bullet isn’t finding it’s mark?

The guys at the camp are laughing, and the deer are laughing louder – at you!

Well, did you sight your rifle in this year?

And, if you did, did you do it correctly?

Notes from the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission weekly newsletter spurred contacts with several of the Capital City areas top riflemen.

Combining their expertise with tips from the experts of our northern neighbors at the Mayflower Shooting Range, and you come to know that better shooting, or at least getting your rifle properly sighted in, is a two-step process.

Getting started

The first, and longest part of the process, is done without firing a shot.

Gunsmith David Reynerson said making sure the rifle’s scope is mounted correctly – the important task of taking special pains to get the proper eye relief – is the first step.

“Being able to get the full view of the scope when you put the rifle to your shoulder is often overlooked when mounting the scope,” he said. “Positioning the crosshairs so that the vertical (line) is vertical and the horizontal line is horizontal is a big step. But making sure you get the correct eye picture when you put your cheek on the rifle gives you the best chance to pick up the target with a clear view.”

Mounting the scope correctly – making sure the distance from sighting eye to the scope – also prevents injury.

Even in the smallest of hunting clubs, there is one member who comes from a firing range with a cut or hickey over the sighting eye or a deep gash in his nose. That signals the incorrect positioning of the cheek against the stock, which is usually the result of an improperly aligned scope.

Reynerson said the rifle should be bore sighted before you start. Some hunters and camps and all gunsmiths have optical boresighters that make the task easy.

If you don’t have this device, you can bore sight a bolt-action rifle by removing the bolt, then setting the rifle into a rest.

Sight through the bore at the target on the wall, then center the bull’s eye in the bore.

Reynerson said the next step is adjusting the crosshairs – without moving the rifle. You look through the scope and adjust the crosshairs so that they are on the same spot as the rifle.

Because keeping the rifle still is a must, you need a rifle mount or a box to hold the rifle.

“But, never, never take a rifle that’s been bore-sighted only into a stand to hunt,” Reynerson said. “You need to finish the process on a range.”

The approachWiley Beevers is a regular at the hunting camp, and when he makes the trip from Gretna at this time of year, it’s usually to sight in several rifles at the camp’s target range.

“What I can’t get over is the number of folks who think sighting a rifle is in a contest,” he said. “If you get the right rifle for you, match it with a good scope, then sighting-in is the way you adjust your shooting position, the ammunition and your line of sight with the target. It’s not a test of your shooting skills. It’s a way to adjust all those factors of shooter, rifle and scope and hit a target that’s likely to be a hundred or more yards away.”

Beevers was also quick to note that you should sight any rifle with the ammunition you intend to use in the field.

“It doesn’t make sense to use cheaper ammo to sight in when you’re going to use other ammo to hunt,” he said. “Bullets weighing 150 grains perform much differently that 168-grain premium ammo. Use the good stuff when you sight the rifle.”

After finding a safe shooting area, the Arkansas bulletin said using a shooting bench and resting bags is the next steps.

The bench

Quality shooting benches are curved on either side of the front of the bench to allow for support of the shooting arm, which is the right arm for a right-handed shooter and the left arm for a left- handed shooter.

These arms stabilize your shooting position for the sighting-in process.

When you get ready to fire that first round, you should “lean” into the bench – wedge your torso into the shape of the bench – and the bench’s arm should position your arm correctly so that you can get the rifle into the “pocket” formed when your firing arm is parallel with your firing shoulder.

At the bench

Baton Rouge hunter Lyman Thornton said he never goes to the Hunters’ Run range in Port Allen without sand bags that support the rifle and his arm.

The smallish bags are used to rest the forearm of the rifle and position the toe of the butt.

Arkansas’ list indicated “… sandbags are best because the rest must hold the rifle perfectly still. You can buy commercial sand bags or make your own. Other commercial rests with dense foam between the gun and the rest are good as well because the foam provides a solid, but flexible rest.”

No matter what you use, the stock’s forearm – not the barrel – must be held in position. This support must be higher than the rear support, which is why most shooters prefer using a larger, heavier bag on the table and a lighter, more narrow bag under the rifle. Supporting the toe of the rifle’s butt puts the rifle in line with the target, holds the same position of the rifle from shot to shot, and keeps the shooter from “sway” while holding on a target.

All that’s needed here is that the rifle is stable throughout the shooting procedure. That’s best done by keeping the rifle as close to the shooting bench as possible.

The set up

The Arkansas shooters advise to buy “good targets designed specifically for sighting in rifles.”Don’t use homemade targets.

Make sure the target is stable and flat on a surface when facing you.

And, make sure the background is safe, too.

All shooting ranges have high and thick berms behind their target areas to stop bullets. Making sure you have a similar background is important to safe shooting.

For Warranty Repair or to order guns and accessories, go to http://www.Reynersons.com or call 225-261-4860.