I was thinking about this the other day and thought I would pass it on for what it is worth.
I have been a hunter for nearly 50 years and in that time a number of my successful shots on game have come at first or last legal light. Under these conditions open sights can be very hard to see and align and nowadays most take to the field with some type of light gathering optic attached to their firearm.
It is with that thought in mind that I suggest some range time at first legal light and of course last legal light. Today's telescopic sights tend to gather ambient light from fairly well to really well. A few years ago we were in a blind, in a hollow with two rifles, one with open sights and the other with a scope. It was still legal light but it was dark enough in the hollow that the open sights were not even visible. A successful harvest was made with the scoped rifle because it gathered enough light the game was still very visible.
Looking through a scope using the ambient light of early morning or late afternoon is a much different than looking through the same optic during the middle of the day. We owe it to the game we hunt to make a clean one shot harvest. In order to meet that obligation we should be familiar with our equipment under all operating conditions.
The next time you are planning a trip to the range, check the time for legal light in your area, and go early or late or both. Not as a substitute for an actual experience on the range, use a pair of binoculars or an UNMOUNTED rifle scope around your property during those same hours.
Make it safe, make it ethical and make it successful.
