Where do you zero your AR-15 .223 using typical 55gr ammo?

if its a hunting rifle, take into consideration the shots you will have to take. If your hunting open fields or have a shotgun for inside 50 yards then you can push the zero out farther. If your longest shot will be 150 yards, find a happy medium where you can aim dead on and hit the target out to that distance. That said my ar is 100 my 300blk is 100 my 308 is 200 and my 338 is 200 (still developing loads, her legs are cramped up at this distance).
 
Originally Posted By: SD HandgunnerI am running 55gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with H-4895 out of a 16" DPMS @ 2950 FPS. I zero mine at 54 yards which puts me + 1.20" at 100 yards and zero just shy of 200 yards and - 8" at 300 yards. This has worked for me quite well.

Larry

Good idea! zero at 170yds with mine.
 
I found a good deal on some Hornady 55gr SP's, bought 2 boxes (100 rounds)and the info on the box states they are running 3240fps @ the muzzle, but I know that's not going to happen out of my 16" AR-15 but next time I get out I'll chronograph them and shoot a couple groups and see how fast they are actually running for me. I'm guessing they'll be about 3000 fps max. Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll shoot a nice small group for me as well. I'll cross my fingers anyway.
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55grain bullet out of a 223 at 3,240 Fps? Maybe with a 24" barrel. If you think you can get that out of 16" AR, then I'd like to have the recipe for that speed demon. This is the problem with nikons stupid M223 scopes with BDC. They are calibrated to that specific load and speed and are made specifically for ARs, but their is no way to achieve that. A rare few may have an AR with a 24 inch barrel, but I would venture that most are 16 inches. I know with nikons spot on program you can come up with your own aim points to fix this problem, but I just think there whole ballistic matched reticles are stupid.

Now to answer the question, I zero at 200, makes me about 1.3 inches high at 100. I figure anything inside about 225 is a dead dog.
 
Originally Posted By: Suppressed in SD55grain bullet out of a 223 at 3,240 Fps? Maybe with a 24" barrel.

Actually have chronographed the load I use (55gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with H-4895) out of several different .223's, a 14" T/C Contender and a 24" T/C Encore. From the 24" T/C Encore that load did produce 3240 FPS but out of the various 16" AR's it has been 2950 to 3020 FPS. 20" AR's have clocked 3060 to 3167 FPS with that same load.

Larry
 
Thanks for the info SD.

I really like the Nikon Ballistics App and how it works in conjunction with the Nikon scopes myself. I've had excellent results with it as long as you put in the correct data. That's why I'm a stickler on "actual" fps in my loads and I will chrono them to make sure.

IMO it makes hitting targets out to 400-500 yards much simpler to dial in w/o wasting a bunch of ammo.

While I don't have a Nikon scope on my 6BR, I have a Bushnell Elite 4200, it made it amazingly efficient to get my dope chart set up for it out to 600 yards running the data thru the Nikon Ballistic Match App/program.
 
I zero at 50 yards works great for me while night hunting I don't see the need for shooting farther out than 200 yards night hunting and with a 50 yard zero I'm back dead on at 200
 
Old thread, but figured I'd add to it.

For Yotes I shoot 55gr Sierra Blitz king at 2330 fps from a bolt gun. I Zero at 250. This puts me 3 inches high at 150 and 3.8 drop at 300. 6.8 inch kill zone at the cross hairs. If I were shooting prairie dogs or ground squirrels with a smaller kill zone, I might choose a 200 yard zero.

My .220 swift I have set for a 3 inch kill zone. I'd have to look at the card for details.

Once I settle on a load, I attach a 'cheat sheet'. A laminated ballistics chart with 10mph 90 degree cross wind to all my long range rifles. Gundata site is a great place to create one. Worth the 3x5 note card on the stock.
 
Originally Posted By: Dirkmc3Old thread, but figured I'd add to it.

For Yotes I shoot 55gr Sierra Blitz king at 2330 fps from a bolt gun

Is that actually your MV? Just asking, seems low to me
 
I prefer a basic 200 yard zero. Slower centerfires about 1.25" high at 100 and faster rounds about .9 or so high at 100. My inter-brain ballistic calculated has auto shut down when ol wiley shows up after about 20 blanks lol. I like to just hold on the dang center out to 235 or so. For this reason I prefer laser like cartridges that are .5 moa with a haaiiiiir trigger!

 
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50/200 for the first time this year, but with 62 gr. Good zero for the places I hunt and worked well on several animals this year from various ranges.
 
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