Help with my .243 and scope set-up for coyote hunting

John Gorman

John Gorman

New member
hey everyone, new to the boards here. i am going to start coyote hunting and am having a prob with my set up.

i have a .243 single shot Rossi, the scope is a Redhead 6-24-40 i got for a real good price, really reaches out there. shooting Fusion 95 grain rounds. here's my problem, with my cheap 3x9 scope i had on there, i zero'd at 50 yards off the ground and a sandbag with quarter size groups. now i put on the new 6-24-40 scope, and it's like the rounds are all over the place, that's also using a shooting sled at 50 yards.

i had this scope on my .270 at first, but every other shot i would have to re-zero as i think the gun had too much kick with the 130g hornaday rounds, it's like it would throw everything off, i'd readjust the scope, next shot would be right on, then the shot after would be 2-3 inches off. readjust and it's right back in where it needs to be, next couple shots would keep creeping off.

so my question is, the .243 doesnt seem to throw the scope off as bad, but my group at 50 yards is the size of a baseball or softball so i know 100 yards is ugly. should i downgrade to 55 g .243 ammo or just ditch the scope? suggestions?
 
if a 270 is knocking your scope out of zero, you need a new scope. See if there is any warrenty available, or if you just bought it from a store, take it back.
 
Big sky, one of the guys working the gun range at BassPro said that yes, Redhead scopes arent that great but with a scope that reaches out so far, it's really fragile with a lot of kick if that makes sense. Dont know if it matters or not, it's labled a "varment scope" lol. but if you think it should be sturdy enough, i can def talk to them about taking it back (got it at bass pro outlet store for $60 instead of $120)

Ncwhitetail, a lot of my shots will be 200 plus yards where i am hunting or i would stay with the 3x9
 
What that guy told you was BS. It's just the fact the scope is not well built. If the loads were shooting well with one scope, and not another, the scope is obviously bad. Either use the 3-9x you have or get a new one. Nikon ProStaff is a great scope, with an awesome $150 price tag.

I have shot a 3-9x many times out to 500 yds and held just over MOA. the 3-9 is plenty of magnification provided it is clear enough. Clarity will trump mag power more often the not.
 
You won't hit much with consistancy at 200 yards with a Rossi. I don't care what scope is on it. Ditch the scope and the gun.!!
 
I have never shot a Rossi single or used a redhead scope. Put the 3x9 on the Rossi and use it until you save enough money to buy a tight shooting setup. The reason is the Coyote is a small target which requires 1 MOA or less, a soft trigger, good barrel, clear quailty optic (3x9 thru 4-14 power for quick target location) and practice to make a coyote killing machine.
Good Luck, John Gorman

Steve
 
check the scope base also , Locktite is your friend the best groups I had from my Rossi was the cheap Federal 100 gr soft point , I assume you had one of these rifles Luckydog or is it just your opinion . The one I got is no bench rest gun by no means but with a good rest is miniute of coyote at 200 my dad is using it now so I havent shot it in a while and he has worked up a load of 55 gr Noslers for it still a 1 to 1 and 1/2 gun at 100
 
Originally Posted By: John GormanBig sky, one of the guys working the gun range at BassPro said that yes, Redhead scopes arent that great but with a scope that reaches out so far, it's really fragile with a lot of kick if that makes sense. Dont know if it matters or not, it's labled a "varment scope" lol. but if you think it should be sturdy enough, i can def talk to them about taking it back (got it at bass pro outlet store for $60 instead of $120)

Ncwhitetail, a lot of my shots will be 200 plus yards where i am hunting or i would stay with the 3x9

That is not correct at all, i have had a Weaver Grandslam 6-20 on and off my 338 win for years now, and it has had the snot kicked out of it and it works like new, and trust me when i say my 250gr handloads have a whole lot more recoil than the stiffest 270 load ever. If a scope does not hold zero like that it is garbage. Sorry they lead you astray, they just wanted to make a sale, and probly didnt know the truth either.

Take it back and demand a refund or at least store credit, add a little money to that and buy a nikon prostaff 3-9 or Redfield Revolution 3-9 and be good to go. after that i personally would start saving for a better rifle. Rossis are mediocrity incarnate when it comes to accuracy and consistancy.

good luck and hope it works out for ya
Fin
 
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

You don't seem to have even a basic grasp on any of this, how can we help someone who doesn't help themselves by learning at least the basics of the discipline.

You want to know if you should switch to a 55 gr. round to fix the problem you are having with your scope... WHAT!!

You are looking to use this at 200+ yards, yet the only yardage we know you shoot at is 50.
You had smoke blown up your a$$ by the guy at Basspro, kick him in the nuts for us, because he is only furthering the problem with BS like that.
Being labeled varmint, or sniper, or the best scope you've ever owned doesn't make a difference, it doesn't take a cheap scope and turn it into a quality optic.

Quality optics cost money, there is a reason for that, go read up on optics and find out why, know what makes the best scopes the best scopes. Then, you can see what you are trading off by spending $100, and at least you'll be prepared when it's blurry, doesn't track, breaks etc...

Do you have everything torqued to spec?? I'm afraid to ask that, not snug, not tight, to spec, there are mechanical reasons for this, it isn't just to make you spend more money on a torque wrench.

You seem to have bought about the cheapest equipment you could, from the rifle to the optic, cheap in usually equals cheap out. You're looking to hit a, lets say 6" kill zone at 200 plus yards. At 200 that isn't anything too difficult, but as you get further away, it takes great equipment, along with a knowledgeable marksmen. At 600 yards that is MOA, if you can put all your shots in a 6" bullseye you need to be shooting competitive Fclass.

You are asking a lot of very cheap equipment, you really need to go read up on ballistics, optics, proper gun care, proper cleaning, and advanced marksmanship.
We can teach it to you, but we can't learn it for you.
 
looking at the Nikon Prostaff scopes right now, they have them at basspro so getting my $60 back and applying it towards one of these scopes- you guys have any preference?

3x9x40 $199
4x12x40 $199
 
FYI, Midwayusa has the 4-12x prostaff for I think $179. They should price match, so less your $60, that's pretty inexpensive. Not cheap, inexpensive. Big differance. But...the Nikon buckmasters are $209 for the 3-9x. MUCH better scope for the $$$$!

With that said, don't expect too much from your rifle. Untill you put it on paper at 200 yds and know for sure what it will do, don't shoot that far on critters.
 
agreed, for sure. yes i didnt spend a lot of money on a quality set up and am making due (well was making due).

i get your points. the reason i asked about the lower grain ammo was due to the kick of the 95 grain fusion rounds i am using, like i said the 270 really threw off the scope, the 95 barely that's why it was just and "idea" about backing off a bit more. obviously getting rid of the scope is the best bet. thanks.
 
Why are you trying to zero at 50 yard when you plan on shooting 200+ yards?? Put the 3x9 back on clean the gun real good and start practicing at the range you intend to shoot. Hitting a softball size group at 50 yards is bad. If you multiply a softball times 4 (or 200 yards) your soft ball sized groups will grow to beach ball sized groups definately not gonna consistently hit a coyote or make a good shot if ya do. Step away from the randy Anderson videos and spend some time on the range practicing before you go out and hurt yourself or worse yet someone else. A 14x scope is MORE than enough scope AS LONG AS YOU DO Your homework sight in at no less than 100 yards and practice practice practice the distances at which you intend to shoot.
 
you didnt read all i said, i said i had it earlier with a different scope shooting quarter sized groups at 50 yards, (the reason i shot at 50 is because the indoor range makes us start at 50 and work out to 100). with the Redhead scope the groups where like a softball, that's why i never ventured out to 100 yards wasting ammo worried it was the scope.
 
and brownie you dont have to be a dick about it, i get what a lot of folks on here are saying, but to say "step away from the R Anderson videos" lol or someones gonna get hurt is dickish
wink.gif
 
Probally a reason that scope was in the outlet. Didn't work for someone else and it looked new yet so it got put in the outlet store. Or it was one that was out for everybody to look at and it got dropped. One rule in optics never get one out of an outlet or bargin cave. Just a toss of the dice if you do that.
 
yeah frozenbutt i see some other good ones online on the catalog store, just going to go get a new Nikon Pro Staff tomorrow and get rolling.
 
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