Beretta Blog

It’s a scenario I’ve seen dozens of times: a frustrated shooter with spent cartridges all over the shooting bench and still no zero. Sighting in can be frustrating if not properly approached, but if done correctly, it’s a simple and painless process.

The first objective is to remove all variables possible. That means making sure the scope is properly mounted to the rifle, using a steady and solid rest to allow repeatable shots, and setting up a target large enough to record any shots fired. Once this is accomplished, check the scope for parallax by moving your eye back and forth behind the ocular lens and watching to see if the reticle moves across the target. If the crosshairs move, you have a parallax problem that will affect your ability to fire accurate shots. If your scope has adjustable parallax, make sure it's set to the proper distance.

The weather report wasn’t looking very good. After 90-degree temperatures on Thursday, the outlook for the weekend was for rain and highs in the low 50s. But the state youth-only waterfowl hunt for our zone was just for this weekend, so there was no doubt we would still be going. Besides, even as a novice waterfowler, I knew that cool and cloudy days often make for good duck hunting.

If you're buying a new handgun, it's good to approach the process with just a bit of strategic planning. The more you can think through some basic decisions, the better the choice you'll make. Not only will you be happier with your purchase, but you also won't experience the dreaded buyer's remorse. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Let’s clear something up. Hollywood does a lousy job of portraying the performance of handguns. Pistol shots cause villains to fly through windows, cars, and buildings to explode and nameless henchmen to surrender by the thousands. In other words, TV and movies show that handguns have serious “knockdown” power. Let’s talk about that for just a sec…

The loudest sound in the known universe is that of a “click” when your gun is supposed to fire. We’ll refer to that sound as a malfunction. Sometimes there’s not even a click and the gun still won’t fire. We’ll call that a malfunction too.

Fortunately, unless something physically broke on your gun between shots, malfunctions fall into a couple of common categories. Let’s take a look at how to deal with them.

Sometimes in life, you look back on something and realize there was a lesson you should have learned, but you missed the opportunity. Recently I was instructing a new shooter on how to shoot crossing targets, and I remembered an important lesson I missed.

The forever-asked question in the concealed carry market is, “Which holster should I purchase?” I’ve been asked the question numerous times, and my answer is never brief. Heck, there’s a lot that goes into choosing a holster to safely hide a firearm on your body. This list of criteria gets even longer when it’s a woman who wants to know which holster is going to be best.

This week, I spent an hour or so in the car with my 15-year-old grandson who has his learner’s permit and is learning to drive. As we drove, I explained to Charlie the importance of conditioned response in driving. His mom had an accident shortly after getting her license. Her tires ran off the pavement, and she snatched the wheel, causing the car to veer across the road on the other side. It could have been a life-threatening accident, and she asked me to teach him how to avoid her mistake of snatching the wheel when her tires ran off the pavement. Charlie is fast becoming an effective shooter, and most of our visits involve some pistol training. I explained the process was no different than the training we were doing with his pistol shooting.

Not too long ago, a visit to a local gun store might become a rough experience, involving store clerks sitting around the counter with a few buddies, talking about yuppies who occasionally wander in by accident. The highlight of their day might have been glaring at those “new people” who had not yet earned the right to hang out and spin gun yarns.

Being outdoors, hunting, is a great way to spend time with family and friends. Most people come to hunting by way of a family mentor. They spend time in the outdoors with their parents or grandparents. Ideally, they’ll enroll in a hunter’s safety course. They get their certification and then head out to the field with their trusted gun to become an official member of the hunting community.