Why would you not sight in at 100 yards?
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For my standard reticles, I sight pretty much everything for a point of impact 1.25" to 1.5" high at 100 (depending upon what the old trajectory charts say) and then verify that it's dead on at 200. For my rigs with turret scopes, I sight in dead on at 100 and let my Strelok program do the rest, then tape a cheat sheet to the stock so i don't have to mess with my phone in the field.
I learned the hard way a couple of times sighting stuff in for a 300 yard zero. On more than one occasion with this set up, I hit the whitetail to high and annihilated the friggin' backstraps! Makes for a very quick kill but ruins alot of good meat!
I learned the hard way a couple of times sighting stuff in for a 300 yard zero. On more than one occasion with this set up, I hit the whitetail to high and annihilated the friggin' backstraps! Makes for a very quick kill but ruins alot of good meat!
Clyde 2467
Member
Hi hi
You always sight in at 100 yards this is part of the basics of markmsnship
Gives you a recognised distance to build your skills at breathing and control grouping
A good spotter is essential as a beginner
To call the shots
Of course you do go back and record grearer distances conditions wind temps up or down hill even the podition your using as this can change your zero
Im only a grunt who spent a number of years kicking around northern ireland the gulf ,bosnia, and one or two intresting sunny destinations not in the travel book
What would i know!!
You always sight in at 100 yards this is part of the basics of markmsnship
Gives you a recognised distance to build your skills at breathing and control grouping
A good spotter is essential as a beginner
To call the shots
Of course you do go back and record grearer distances conditions wind temps up or down hill even the podition your using as this can change your zero
Im only a grunt who spent a number of years kicking around northern ireland the gulf ,bosnia, and one or two intresting sunny destinations not in the travel book
What would i know!!
My first post probably came across as know it all or what ever but I have read through with more of the replies. My idea of not zeroing at 100yds has not changed. My personal favorite zero is 250yds. My reason is that with my rifles the bullet never rises above 3 to 3.5 inches. With that there is no reason or need to hold under.
Some one commented the need to zero this way is because our scope does not have enough elexation in the turret. Well no matter what distance you zero it will not help dialing up further out . The reason is if you zero at 100 you have to dial up and beyond say a 250 zero. If you zero at 250 you have merely predialed up to 250yds. This said it takes less dialing to 700yds with a 250yd zero.
I too test my loads for accuracy at 100yds. At that point I do not care where the bullets hit on the paper as long as they make a tiny group. When the load I want is found then I adjust my scope for a given zero. My range right now is only 200yds long so I confirm my zero shooting at 200. Others do things differently andwe have to find what works for each of us.
Some one commented the need to zero this way is because our scope does not have enough elexation in the turret. Well no matter what distance you zero it will not help dialing up further out . The reason is if you zero at 100 you have to dial up and beyond say a 250 zero. If you zero at 250 you have merely predialed up to 250yds. This said it takes less dialing to 700yds with a 250yd zero.
I too test my loads for accuracy at 100yds. At that point I do not care where the bullets hit on the paper as long as they make a tiny group. When the load I want is found then I adjust my scope for a given zero. My range right now is only 200yds long so I confirm my zero shooting at 200. Others do things differently andwe have to find what works for each of us.
SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
I zero at 200 because my private range is set up for it....and, when building a load, I want to group at 200, not 100 anyway. I shoot my XVR 460 wheelgun at a 100 yard zero btw. Best handgun I ever bought. No handgun made will consistently group 1" at 100 yards, in fact most handguns won't make it that far in the first place. It's my deer hammer.
Clyde 2467
Member
Hi hi
100 should be your start point
There is nothing worse than aiming under or over and guestamating
100 is a good start point
Then zero at other distances and record
Let the scope do the work
Only time i had to shoot on the hoof is when bumped and have too shoot and scoot when no time to do an sdjustment we have to train for cqbr
But deliberate shots are always best
silverhair
Well-Known Member
From my research (I don't really have any experience), a rifle can be sighted based on the kill zone of the game being hunted. Seemes to me that the maximum point blank range needs to be taken into consideration. If an elk or deer has a kill zone 8 inches in diameter, a rifle can be sighted at the point where the bullet drops 4 inches. Any shot fired at a closer range will hit a little higher than the sighted range. The maximum distance for that sighted range will be where the bullet drops 4 inches below that point. A hunter / shooter would only need to put the cross hairs on the center of the kill zone to have an effective shot out to the point where the bullet drops out of the kill zone.
To me, this seems like an effective method of sighting. There is an additional consideration not included above. That relates to the velocity of the bullet and whether it is sufficient and carries enoough force at the "maximum" range to make a kill shot.
Am I explaining the idea correctly? Is this even a consideration when sighting in a rifle?
To me, this seems like an effective method of sighting. There is an additional consideration not included above. That relates to the velocity of the bullet and whether it is sufficient and carries enoough force at the "maximum" range to make a kill shot.
Am I explaining the idea correctly? Is this even a consideration when sighting in a rifle?
D
Deleted member 107796
Guest
Yes, we also encounter many situations where things go very fast.
colorado burros
Member
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2013
- Messages
- 6
I enjoy reading about long range hunting, but I am not a long range hunter.
For big game hunting, I sight on at 25 yards. After finding zero there, I practice at distances out to 250 yards. I read about it in a Jack O'Connor book, and it works for me.
For big game hunting, I sight on at 25 yards. After finding zero there, I practice at distances out to 250 yards. I read about it in a Jack O'Connor book, and it works for me.
VTbluegrass
Well-Known Member
My 30-06 and my wife's 6.5 whatelse have 2.5-10 and 3-9x40 capped turret "deer gun" scopes. Nice ones mind you but basic as it gets deer scopes. The widest field I hunt whitetails is 325 and everything else is in the woods so both of those guns are sighted in at 200 point and worry a lot more about stand placement than holdover. Hell I don't think the caps have been off my old beat-up 270 since I fell and whacked it on a boulder 7 years ago.
My 7mm Rem Mag has exposed turrets and it set for a dead nuts 100 yard zero and when I do take it hunting many times I go ahead and crank it up so I don't forget. But for target shooting I know everything is based off that 100yard zero.
My 7mm Rem Mag has exposed turrets and it set for a dead nuts 100 yard zero and when I do take it hunting many times I go ahead and crank it up so I don't forget. But for target shooting I know everything is based off that 100yard zero.
I sight my SPR in at 100 meters because it works with my dope data which I run through a ballistic calculator with a 100 yard zero. When in the field, I test it to the intended range and check my data and make corrections depending on my elevation and environments. I have a red dot on my SPR also, I sight it for CQB.
But I sight my M4 SOPMOD in at 400 meters because it exhausts the cartridge's capability for it's intended purpose (with red dot sight non-magnified) the bullet path is very minute inside 30 meters so holdover for CQB shots is minimal. What I do is zero with a laser at 300 meters with my software and go to a 400 meter range and zero up until I shoot a playing card sized group with 62g mil 5.56N (keep in mind I use a lower 1/3 co-witness optic). I take it back to 10 meters and shoot a group. I'll walk back to 400 meters and go prone at 200 meters, 300, and finally 400. It stacks the hits tighter so your margin of error is less. If I were using a MK18 I would zero as far out until I get no more than 1" off elevation at close range inside 5 meters and find the sweet spot knowing the MK18 max accurate range is limited to that specific distance. When you apply the science, and get repeatable results you build confidence in your system and you're good to go.
If I take a man-sized target and aim between the eyes at 10 meters, it will strike the upper jaw area with a 400 meter zero. If you have a 65moa ring, it makes it easier to train out to further distances by using the bottom ring and y axis rung to ensure you get proper windage at CQB. For this reason I wish all red dots had 62/65 moa rings like Eotech and a few others. The Marines use a 36 yard zero for this reason. I was trained by Marine Raiders and NSW, and they emphasized the importance of being able to take your weapon to max effective range. Fighting less than stellar trained men with AK's in the desert I learned to utilize the max range theorem and its importance. We had the enemy out-matched. In the real world you do not want the enemy to advance any closer than the range of your rifle: if you are out-matched you should be moving in the other direction..
Clyde 2467
Member
I dont mean to be a party pooper but i realy dont like throwing lead at a beast and hoping i hit a good spot
This leaves you chasing wounded animals or damaging valuable meat
Im a great advocate of stalking up to your prey to ensure a good clean kill
Afterall in a previous life if i fluffed a shot these did shoot back and got very angry in the flipflops
This leaves you chasing wounded animals or damaging valuable meat
Im a great advocate of stalking up to your prey to ensure a good clean kill
Afterall in a previous life if i fluffed a shot these did shoot back and got very angry in the flipflops
No time for dialing for long range shots where I hunt which are pipelines, high-lines, and clear-cuts in Louisiana. You barely have time to aim and shoot before they've crossed. I use "magnums - 264 mag & 7STW" in those areas. I zero at 300yds and use mil-dots for holdover. Very fast and accurate. Like others have said anything 0-350 yds I hold center...never an issue.
My lever-action marlin 1895MR in 450 I zero at 150yds. But it's a woods gun. I think any cartridge going 3,000+FPS would be beneficial to zero at 300yds or you're not taking advantage of its trajectory.
My lever-action marlin 1895MR in 450 I zero at 150yds. But it's a woods gun. I think any cartridge going 3,000+FPS would be beneficial to zero at 300yds or you're not taking advantage of its trajectory.
