The moment of truth is seconds away, will you be ready? Before you pull the trigger on that big buck this season, be sure you know how your gun performs.

“A gun is only as good as the shooter behind it,” is one of the truest lines ever for marksmen. I have heard more times than I can count how someone’s gun caused them to miss a deer. Although it happens, I bet it’s the gun’s fault less than one third of the time. Most people don’t shoot enough, or have such poor shooting skills, that they couldn’t tell whether a gun was on or not.

Flinching or target panic is the most common problem encountered by shooters that tends to rob them of accuracy. Not having good sights on the weapon also hinders the shooter dramatically, yet happens to be one of the easiest fixes. I recommend before you shoot at a deer, you make sure all of these steps have been taken.