zero range

[Idaho Lefty]

Same as some above, I shoot regularly at 100 but group 1.5 high or whatever is needed so it's zero is 200yds. Then shoot at 200 and beyond to confirm or adjust BCs. I only have hunting rifles and if I'm zeroed at 200, I don't have to think, just aim and shoot out to 3-350. Then I dial or holdover using my reticle for anything past 350. In hunting situations, things happen fast and easily can go wrong for all sorts of things so a point and shoot out to 300yds at least eliminates user errors a bit

Agree, with this ^^^
With my 24" Tikka, .270 WSM launching 140 Berger, Classic Hunters at 3,175 FPS, I DON'T even Look at, my Dial until, 325 yds, or So.
It's an,.. Elk, Deer and Antelope,.. "Slayer" aka,. a walking around, HUNTING Rifle
My Grandson just Popped an Antelope, at 268 yards, a month ago with it, using NO "Hold over" and NO,..Dialing,. DRT thru, the upper shoulder area !

 

[Bobcatter]

I have the opportunity to shoot out to 750 in practice. I will make up a long target say 96inches of butcher paper on a frame, shoot a group of 5 at 100, then let things cool down repeating the process at 100 yard intervals. It usually takes about 5 hours to get this done. When finished I have a real world ballistics chart. No ballistic app I tried duplicated my real world results. 100 to 200 was close but then results diverged. I'm sure that I screwed up one of the data setup entries, like scope height. I've used a Labradar and oehler chronographs to record muzzle velocities, both of which provide results very close to each other. My real life ballistic chart is spot on in a hunting situation.

A lot of needless work for 600 yards small varmint size targets, and fully trust my calculations for 750 on big game. I use a 6x24 Zeiss Conquest with a ZVarmint reticle and the Zeiss Hunting app for my 6BR running 62 Grn Bergers @ 3500 fps. Once I understand how to enter the proper Coefficient, the proper scope height and the SPOT ON VELOCITY using the very capable Gamma Chrony. It's been spot on ground hog size targets out to just over 600 yards. Which is where the 6mm bullets quit doing anything but making small caliber hole on each side of the animal.

With this scope I don't even click anything. Every 50 yard aiming point is on exactly where the yardage says it is. I just set the scope to the magnification it says or the bullet and specifics it ask for with the 200 yard zero I tell I am zero'd at.

To this point, I have not tested the GEO app for anything beyond 500 yards. But at this point it seems to be spot on, once you understand the exact calculation for the rifle setup, proper BC for the bullet and speeds it is loaded to, with the correct atmospheric conditions I'm shooting in.

Scope height ideally should be measured at the Objective lens but it's not going to make a big difference.

There's several ways to skin a cat. If you wanna get anal measure overall and subtract 1/2 obj. dia. and 1/2 barrel diameter.

Personally I make a mid point mark on my scope and barrel and measure with calipers.

For all intents and purpose you can just eyeball center of scope to center of action and call it good. If you are with in 1/10 of an inch you'll be fine.

I disagree, and find this making it much harder than it needs to be. I have use the overpressure vent hole on the side of my receiver, and measure to the split on the rings. This will get you closer to the center of the scope, more important if using an MOA compensating scope base, and well withing .065" of the exact center of the diameter of any size scope tube. If you are withing .065" your DEAD ON! You can get a rough measurement .125" over that or under that and the extreme difference out to 600 yards is of no importance on big game! Now if your chasing a x's on a benchrest target,,,, this is a whole different topic! And where to zero is only applicable at one absolute range.

Well after reading all the posts and doing some more research I've decided on zeroing at 100 yds. This is solely a target rifle with occasional hunting use from a fixed position for long range shots with time to adjust my turret.
Thanks for your input and suggestions.

Soley a target rifle is totally different than for hunting! This would have been pertinent information in the beginning post!!

In the first place, for exacts use what zero is meaningless!! Terrain and everything else is meaningless since the beginning of any match is called a sight in period! Even short and long range BR you have a sight in period immediately before each relay, or unlimited sighter for your target to get absolute perfect zero! No Point blank, No ballistic program, no preset anything is close enough for the absolute point of impact required for same bullet hole accuracy, which is target shooting. Hunting is a total different requirement for what's absolute best!

 

[Taylorbok]

I disagree, and find this making it much harder than it needs to be. I have use the overpressure vent hole on the side of my receiver, and measure to the split on the rings. This will get you closer to the center of the scope, more important if using an MOA compensating scope base, and well withing .065" of the exact center of the diameter of any size scope tube. If you are withing .065" your DEAD ON! You can get a rough measurement .125" over that or under that and the extreme difference out to 600 yards is of no importance on big game! Now if your chasing a x's on a benchrest target,,,, this is a whole different topic! And where to zero is only applicable at one absolute range.

You realize that is the same as the third option I gave, but way more words...right...

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

Bobcatter you're correct. I'm feeling around which is why I'm asking as I'm just getting into this long range stuff. I cut my teeth with my 6.5CM now I want to move up, hence the 300WM. The rifle is mostly going to be for target but will occasionally be used for hunting from a good vantage point. I've been inputting different data into the Hornady ballistics program (I don't have apple electronics) with a 300 yard zero I'm pretty much good for hunting without any elevation concern out to 350 yds (+/-4").
Looking at the data of 100 yd zero vs a 300 yd zero the difference in MOA adjustment is only 3.2 MOA @ 1000 yds. You're going to use a part of the scope's range no matter what distance your zeroed at and how far you're shooting.
In other words if my 100 yd zero is -10 MOA from the scope's center range and at 1000 yards I have to come up 28 MOA I will be 18 MOA above the center of the scope's adjustment range. Now I zero at 300 yds you start at -6 MOA below center of scope's range (further so less minus adjustment). At 1000 yards I must come up 24 MOA so I'm still using 18 MOA above the scope's range. Its the same thing.
The 300 yard zero seems to make more sense for a hunting rifle.
Please guys chime in if my thinking is off.

 

[bamban]

I lucked out on my 300WM launching 215 Bergers, the 300 zero lined up nicely at the 3 hash mark.

 

[Crockett12]

I zero most of my rifles from a .223 to flat shooting calibers at 250 yards. That way I can hold dead on out to 300 yards before I have to worry about any hold over!

 

[Ckleeves]

There isn't a good reason to zero at any other range then 100 yards for a dialing scope on a hunting rifle. You minimize atmospheric factors, it's easy to verify zero and you have a true zero. A 100 yard zero is a 100 yard zero at see level and at 12k. It's also easy to be off on windage ever so slightly with a further zero also.

Errors compound at longer ranges, so the 1" different in POI from going from sea level to Colorado with a 300 yard zero and the 1.5" windage error induced at 300 from zeroing in a tiny little 3mph cross wind can start to bite you.

I understand having MPBR on a non-dialing scope, but if you want a 200 or 300 or 400 yard zero on a dialing scope just throw that "zero" on the turret from your dope chart. Takes all of about 2 seconds.