Setting zero for hunting rifle with turrets?

[xsn10s]

My zeros are determine by their ultimate use……for the varmint (small targets) intended .223's I zero 1 1/2" high @ 100, theoretically within the mpbr on smallish varmints such as Prairie Dogs!

As none of our .223's have a twist-rate fast enough for the heavier long range bullets….so the ranges will be relatively short!

Using that philosophy……hence our 300 yard zero for big game!

I hope that made a little sense……I'm attempting to operate while caffeine deficient ! memtb

Yup much of my zero's are target vital zone dependent. I generally make the vital zone smaller so I can fudge in a bad wind call or shooter error. If I build a 20 Practical for coyotes my zero offset will be even lower due to the flatter trajectory.

 

[Monteria]

This thread is pretty amusing. My zero is better than your zero...

Funny enough, I think that @lancetkenyon has the only correct answer. At least for me, my groups always seem to land either just above or just below POA at 200 or 300 yards. That's only magnified with range. I have no idea what that actually translates to for zero range, because I don't care. I just plug in "zero at X yards, +/- Y inch"and keep shooting.

God I need more long range shooting time!

 

[Joefrazell]

You're gunna get a lot of different opinions from 100 and 200 yards. My advice is pick one and see how it works for you. Personally I like 100 yards so you can easily check your zero if need be in the field. They both will kill animals

 

[yobuck]

Why is it so important to complicate things that by their very nature arent complicated?

 

[RichCoyle]

Exactly why the max PBR zero isn't the best anymore. A 200 yard zero is less than 2" high at 100, which is not an issue; 4" high at 180 yards would be.

Why?

 

[RichCoyle]

Perhaps there is miscommunication here. I'm not saying people can't be accurate without sighters.

I'm saying people that zero at longer range risk input variables from environmental if they aren't very careful, and if they checked their zero on paper at random they may notice it isn't perfect due to those environmental changes. If they sight in first at closer ranges this reduces that risk.

The topic I was commenting on was if zeroing at 100 and dialing up then confirming was the same as zeroing at 300

Why sight in and then re-sight in to accomplish a 300 yard zero?

 

[memtb]

Why?

"Ditto"! memtb

 

[2buffalo]

This could take 8 more pages. lol

Up to 74 pages on the Improving the 308 Winchester performance thread. Should get close on this one....

 

[RichCoyle]

Thinking out loud (on paper) here.
Maybe we should settle on a 100 yard zero and work from that unless we shoot a lot more often than I ended up shooting off the bench (monthly).

Maybe we should do what we want and reject those who want to tell us what "we should settle on".

 

[memtb]

Exactly why the max PBR zero isn't the best anymore. A 200 yard zero is less than 2" high at 100, which is not an issue; 4" high at 180 yards would be.

I guess that depends upon whether your "threading needles" or shooting big game!

Even on smallish targets (coyote, fox, ect.) it's pretty easy to estimate 180ish yards without use of a rangefinder…….hold half a dollar bill low isn't that big a challenge!

On big game, even "buck fever" and forgetting to hold a bit low shouldn't make for a miss of vitals at 180 yards….unless of course the "buck fever" would've caused the miss anyway!

JusSay'n! memtb

 

[44-40]

So my personal assessment of where to set your zero range has got to be perfect for everyone else, no exceptions, regardless of cartridge used, thread!
Or my real recommendation just do your own thing, for your style of hunting, in your location, for the best outcome of your success...but there is no fun in that statement.
This is long range hunting, but I don't do that...mostly, just varmints for LR.
Bow hunting for 10 yrs, I went back to rifle, and shoot big game these days inside 100 yds, about one third on a dead run trying to escape. So I generally use big bullets in 338 mag and 350 mag. Sometimes 416 Rigby.
I like huge exit wounds, ...almost as powerful as Joe Bidens 9mm, that he claims will blow the lungs clean out of a person...should be great for the big game hunter too...his 9mm is probably sighed in for Moscow, Russia.

 

[L2land]

There are people that shoot better and further than most of us ever can or will with even bigger bullets. They're waaaaay of the ranch because sometimes they zero at really silly distances like 600 yds and then hold under for close shots! And I bet they don't miss too often. Just sayin….

 

[memtb]

There are people that shoot better and further than most of us ever can or will with even bigger bullets. They're waaaaay of the ranch because sometimes they zero at really silly distances like 600 yds and then hold under for close shots! And I bet they don't miss too often. Just sayin….

I'm not saying that I'm a good shot…..certainly not among the company that I keep here….. but, the majority of my misses were right at or a bit after sunset and I would shoot over the animal. For me, they always appear farther away at dusk dark!

This was prior getting a range finder and going to my going to a 300 yard zero. Once I decided to use my zero as 300 yards, I also swore an oath to myself that I would never hold over on any shot! Since then, the decision to always "hold on hair" has worked quite well.

In fact one of my last "Speed Goats" was taken by a quick shot after sunset…..with no time for ranging! I "guesstimated" 400 yards, jumped on my shooting sticks, held high on the shoulder, a touched the trigger.

Ranged after the shot, he was only about 300…..I hit right where I was aiming, OK maybe a few inches left! That 250 grain TTSX launched @ 3130 mv, hit right at the top of the shoulder blade. The exit could barely be covered with an open hand…..thankfully there's not a lot of meat to lose with that bullet placement on an Antelope! memtb

 

[memtb]

So my personal assessment of where to set your zero range has got to be perfect for everyone else, no exceptions, regardless of cartridge used, thread!
Or my real recommendation just do your own thing, for your style of hunting, in your location, for the best outcome of your success...but there is no fun in that statement.
This is long range hunting, but I don't do that...mostly, just varmints for LR.
Bow hunting for 10 yrs, I went back to rifle, and shoot big game these days inside 100 yds, about one third on a dead run trying to escape. So I generally use big bullets in 338 mag and 350 mag. Sometimes 416 Rigby.
I like huge exit wounds, ...almost as powerful as Joe Bidens 9mm, that he claims will blow the lungs clean out of a person...should be great for the big game hunter too...his 9mm is probably sighed in for Moscow, Russia.

It's the "pistol brace" that makes his 9mm much more powerful! memtb