Setting zero for hunting rifle with turrets?

[Kimber7man]

1.5" high at 100 yards. Same as zero at 100 no matter where I go.

 

[sp6x6]

I just did my 200 zero on my 6.5 Prc this weekend, my few hunting rifles are this.Done it for 14 years and know the mils to 1000 in my head as it cuts out one for me. I set my ZS .5 low if I want 100 for tight timber work, although Ive walked up on bulls at 50 yrds and had no problem hitting them.My 6.5 is within 1/10 mll and most yardage match my 338Nm w/300 to 1000. I hike a lot of timber, but shots past 500 are common for me

 

[David_h]

There's no reason to zero at anything other than 100y regardless of how you hunt.

So case closed and no reason to hear other options?

 

[Hoss50]

About 225 yards typically depending on rifle and bucket combo. I try to get the crosshairs set for a hold on hair type situation to about 250-300 yards depending on how flat the bullet shoots.

It helped me dump the buck in my avatar. I bumped 2 deer and they took off. I got a quick range at first of about 225yard. As they ran they would stop occasionally and look back at me. I could range again, but judging distance I figured they were 275-300 yards. I held just a touch higher than I normally would have and sent it. It drilled the deer. The rifle was a slow load sighted in at about 225yards. I knew I would be several inches low at 275+. Had I sighted at 100 yards I would have had more drop to account for in a fast paced opportunity.

My buddy used the same rifle at 40 yards a few days later held behind the shoulder and bang flop.

 

[bultinkle]

but judging distance I figured they were 275-300 yards.

Had I sighted at 100 yards I would have had more drop to account for in a fast paced opportunity.

Dial turret to 1 mil

Bang

Dead

 

[bultinkle]

Knowing your equipment is paramount. There will always be a million ways to skin a cat and people have been killing animals with zeroes for mpbr for years. It absolutely will work.

I suggest 100 yards because it is easy, convenient. It is consistent default for use with ballistic calcs, and most importantly it doesn't fluctuate with massive altitude and environmental changes, or wind. So you can confirm zero on hunts at sea level and at 9k. I also think it's easier to pinpoint the center of a 1" cone than a 3-4" cone especially with environmental inputs so I just generally thing it helps you nail in a more perfect zero. Which is paramount when you start going far.

If you need to dial up to a 200/225/236 whatever when you start hunting it's no issue either, run it on .5 mil while you're out. I don't care to do it, I've not found it hard to remember dope within 300, but different strokes.

KISS

Whatever you chose practice it.

 

[dfanonymous]

no reason to hear other options?

Nope. Not for me. This isn't an exchange of ideas where everyone is right and everyone's way is just as good as the next. It's not the first discussion about this. Obviously not the last. That's not me saying it's a bad question, but the answers…this topic brings out the book of fuddlore.

Someone else already said the obvious. You're hard pressed to explain a better, more accurate, way…that doesn't involve "because I want to."

If you zero at 100, but still prefer to hold over based on, let's say a 200 zero, then you simply dial your 200y dope, and there you go. If you're closer or if you have a super flat shooting cartridge/bullet combo, 100y will fit that point blank shot to about 300y on most rifles anyways, while a 200y zero provides no other advantage.

Meanwhile, the benefit is you eliminate adding error into the zero of all those external conditions that would effect that longer shot. Everything is up from 100. This is extremely important in in trying to dial in a no wind zero. Anything further and the magnification of error is exacerbated, to the point of severity at long ranges.

What if you zero at 300 because you scope doesn't have enough ups for longer shots? Sure, but I'll still argue you could probably get a better scope. Or a scope base. I mean, this is a forum where people are saying that "long range hunting" is like 300y and in…and you're holding over elevation and wind at what? 1200y with no dial and a 300 yard zero? Bro…that falls into the line of "because you want to," in my mind.

"My range only goes to 75 yards"
Weak excuse, but if that's the case, you can deal in offsets, and still have a 100y zero..

About the only exception in my mind is for super extreme ranges like 2 miles, RDS/holo's, and .22s. RDS for like ARs 36/300s, 500/200 zeros..these are short distance in combat using a minute of man standard.

 

[xsn10s]

So on my 30-06 shooting 180 Partition at 2750 fps I use a 175 yard zero. This allows me to use my 2.5-8x32 mildot VarixIII for easy holdovers out to 600 yards. Hold dead on out to 250 yards. 300 yards = -1 mil, 400 yards= -2 mils and so on out to 600 yards. On my AR15 using 53 gr vmax my zero is around 214 yards or 2.3" high at 100 yards. So I aim dead on on yotes out to around 250 yards. My mildot system on my Nikon but comes out to 300 yards I use the -1 mildot and 400 yards the -2 mildot. Beyond that I'll use my 260 AI which I'll dial and has a 100 yards zero. I set up my rifles this way so that when I come across yotes while driving, or game that bust me while I'm scouting I'll be able to just aim and shoot. In these cases there isn't time, or I don't want to take the time to range. I can guess the range close enough. Beyond that 400 yards my range estimation by eye isn't what it used to be so I always use a rangefinder. When there is time I still use a rangefinder. I have always done this. There was a time where I zero'd everything to 100 yards and either dialed or used holders. Due to the war in Ukraine pelts prices have dropped and the coyotes in my area have become way overpopulated. I've seen 11 coyotes just driving around scouting and miss opportunities on some of the closer yotes. So I went back to to this system. Use what works for YOU. Whether it's zero at 100 yards or not.

 

[Bang4theBuck]

The whole purpose of having turrets that are externally adjustable is to adjust for your range. So, 100 yards is always the go to site in zero, and everything is a dial up. Remember too that if you feel that you want a set it and forget it dial-up using the 'maximum point blank range' method, you can always zero at 100 and then 'predial' to that 'set it and forget it' number, when you are heading out to hunt.

Here is an example of what I am talking about. Let's assume that you are shooting a 308 with 168 grain Berger classic hunters going 2640 fps. your m.p.b.r. is about 305 yds with a 10" target size.
1. Zero scope at 100 yards.
2. While walking out to spot, or spot and stalk hunting, on this particular rifle, set the turret to 3.25 moa. This would be a 250 yard zero, and whether the animal was at 50 yards, or 305 yards, you can put reticle on the center of the vitals and let it fly without thinking much about it.
3. When you get to your spot (assuming its a stand of some kind), you can change your dial to your most likely shot range, and can put the center of the reticle on the center of the vitals and let it fly without much thought there too.

This is a brief summation, using quick math, and short on details. Hopefully you get the idea and think about the approach, more than the actual numbers.

 

[xsn10s]

Yes you can zero at 100 yards and predial to whatever zero. I see that as all semantics. Which is why I said it's essentially a 200 or 300 yard zero. i can accept "temporary" zero. The reason why I don't do that now, as I have in the past, is the KISS system. And I don't say there is only one way to do anything. There maybe one way that works for an individual for certain circumstances, but generally that doesn't mean it's the best system for all people.

 

[KsKevin]

Always zero at 100yds. When hunting, for my 280AI I usually dial 0.5mil which puts me 1.8" high at 100yd, maxes out 2" high at 150yds and is 2.5" low at 275yd. So anything pops up inside 275yd requiring a quick shot I am ready to go without adjusting or having to think about it. Anything beyond 275yds I figure I have time to dial more elevation.

 

[lancetkenyon]

Let me say this. I perform my scope zeroing at 100 yards. Then figure out my 200 yard shooting solution, and dial up and verify at 200. Then, set my zero stop to that.
My rifles are rarely, if ever, "zeroed" at 100 or 200 exactly, however.
I get as close to a 200 yard "zero" as possible. If it is 1/8" high or low, it becomes a 191 or 208 yard zero using 200 and offsets to verify. Yes, I plug that number into my ballistic solver and rangefinder. I have rifles zeroed from about 189 to 212. As long as you are PRECISE, you are good. It is when you are off by a bit and just call 100 or 200 "close enough" that will start messing POI at distance. A good rangefinder or ballistic solver will account for environmental changes like air density, temps, shot angle, etc. as long as you have your inputs set correctly.

Wind is going to make you miss far more shots than a great shooting rifle and shooter more than your zero distance set on your scope when you start dialing for longer range shots.

 

[sendero72]

Zero at 100 yds will give you the best info on the capabilities of your rifle and ammo. Then get the MV to input into your ballistic program or shoot a tall target test. Now you can dial for precision. I shoot the bean fields and cut overs in SC. This is last week's test shot with the Berger 190 gr LRTH for the our September season opener. 7x300 win mag @ 1210 yds. First shot is left to verify the wind with spin drift accounted for. Second shot for what would be the kill shot on the deer.

 

[xsn10s]

My rifles are rarely, if ever, zeroed at 100 or 200.
I get as close to a 200 yard zero as possible. If it is 1/8" high or low, it becomes a 191 or 208 yard zero using 200 and offsets to verify. Yes, I plug that number into my ballistic solver and rangefinder. I have rifles zeroed from about 189 to 212. As long as you are PRECISE, you are good. It is when you are off by a bit and just call 100 or 200 "close enough" that will start messing POI at distance. A good rangefinder or ballistic solver will account for environmental changes like air density, temps, shot angle, etc. as long as you have your inputs set correctly.

Wind is going to make you miss far more shots than a great shooting rifle and shooter more than your zero distance set on your scope when you start dialing for longer range shots.

Yup that's basically what I do also Lance. Although two of my rifles that I only dial I zero at 100 to make things simple for ME. But my hunting rifles I do the same as you. Like you said a ballistics app, a good range finder, or a rangefinder with ballistics app built in solves the rest of the equation. And I agree wind is a bigger factor.