This weekend finds hunters in Pennsylvania coming up on a period of transition in their hunting pursuits.

Archery hunters have until Nov. 19 to bag their quarry in the regular statewide archery season, turkey hunters have their first fall season ending Saturday and regular statewide bear season doesn’t start up until Nov. 20. This is the time to check over firearms and scopes for good functioning, accuracy and any last-minute adjustments.

Visiting rifles

I just changed out the target backboards on my local 100-yard range site and plan to visit with any of my rifles that could possibly be put to use during the rifle deer and bear seasons.

I always want my PA firearms zeroed in at that distance while western region rifles have a zero of 200 yards. What that means is that I expect shots to be closer in our region while the western states can and do stretch your shooting opportunities.

With ammunition being at a premium, I won’t waste too much and just make sure that the targets have solid hits in the bulls-eye area!

Over the years I have found that all of my rifles have their own personality with liking certain cartridges and ammunition preferences. For example, my Remington 7600 slide action likes the Round Nose Remington Core Locks in a 150-grain load.

It works out of the magazine clip smoothly and quickly, which is my favorite choice while on any drives for game. My particular rifle is in the carbine style and it can get through the thickets and woods with more ease than some of my other rifles.

My 700 Remington rifles like the Boat-tail spire points much better in the range of 139-grains to 165-grains. They in turn work well with bolt actions and can reach out much better in open woods and fields.

This would be my choice while on stand and covering shots up to 250 yards. Each bullet choice needs to be selected to the type of game that you are hunting. A bullet for elk, moose would be a heavier grain than say one for antelope or whitetail deer.

The larger number on the grain means that the bullet is heavier for larger animals. A 180-grain will work for bigger animals while you want a 140-grain for deer-sized animals.

Buying ammunition

Generally, people will buy ammunition off the shelf when seeking their favorite cartridges for hunting. However, times are difficult with the supply and demand of hunting cartridges being way off kilter!

The chances of finding your favorite cartridge on a Saturday morning foray are really slim. It may be a wise choice to attend one of the gun shows or gun shops to see if your caliber of choice is available.

The only calibers that I have seen regularly are .308 Winchester and .300 Savage plus some odd calibers. The price of a box of ammo is also through the roof, if you do find it available even at larger sporting good stores. Ammo is often double or even triple the costs regularly in recent times.

Taking better shots

The good news is that shooters and hunters alike are taking better shots and making sure that their marksmanship is improved. Taking one shot for a clean hit and taking down your game is very possible.

Many of my friends and acquaintances take personal pride in making those kinds of shots. They know their firearm and ammunition limitations and their own abilities and take the shot accordingly.

We who hunt know our comfort zones and ability and plan shots accordingly. Recently, while hunting in Colorado, I made it a point to use my range finder and made mental points for distances that I would be comfortable in taking a shot at game.

It paid off when an elk made an appearance at one of the premeasured distances that was in my comfort zone.

Last year, I took a shot at a decent whitetail buck without the same planning and it ended poorly with a miss! This year, the same opportunity will have a much higher success chance as I match the distances with the capability of my equipment and my own personal abilities.

So hit the range, check out your rifle, scope and scope mounts to see if they are ready to serve you efficiently and effectively, and good luck as we approach the big game rifle seasons.

Make sure to read the PA Hunting and Trapping Digest as there are changes each year and we do have expanded hunting opportunities on Sundays. Be smart, be safe and good luck out there!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle