Zero range?
- Thread starter MCary
- Start date
lyotehunter
New member
I have always zeroed at 200 for all my rifles.we have night hunted for about 50yrs. and the average shot is 250 yds.so even when I take the same gun day calling I am not going to miss one at 50 or 25yds because of a 200yd. zero or have to hold off the animal.
DiRTY DOG
Well-known member
Originally Posted By: MCarySo if the round crosses the sight line at 50 yards using a 200 zero, why zero at 200. The target is so far away you'd have more difficulty holding the same on all shots. Why not use 50 for more precision? In your scenario, 50 is LESS precision not more. At 50 yards your group might easily be off by 2 or 3 clicks and you might not even notice depending on how accurate your load is. Say it's off 1/2 moa at 50 yards, that's only 1/4 inch off center. But if you stretch that out to 200 yards, 1/2 moa equals 1 inch off center. It could be a whole lot more than that if your 50 yard assessment was off. It's not the end of the world, but it's also not very precise at distance.
A 50 yard zero (or 60 or 70 or whatever) is a quick way to verify your scope is still zero'd but I would never "zero" AT 50 yards. I always zero AT the actual distance.
A 50 yard zero (or 60 or 70 or whatever) is a quick way to verify your scope is still zero'd but I would never "zero" AT 50 yards. I always zero AT the actual distance.
huntschool
Member
A short (50) yard zero is just that, and as DD says, must be checked at actual range. The short zero, to me, is a good way to start but you need to make adjustments at actual range.
I can shoot to 100 here at the house and will do my first check at that range. Then I will got to a friends or a club I belong to to check actual at, at least 200.
I can shoot to 100 here at the house and will do my first check at that range. Then I will got to a friends or a club I belong to to check actual at, at least 200.
tripod3
New member
I had a neighbor that subscribed to the close zero range theory and had many ideal thoughts that he passed on over the years.
One year he drew a special tag and asked me to check the sight zero along with mine which was a pre season norm for me.
My rifles were dead on as usual, and wow was his way off. Like more than minute of elk off.
I still trust standard range sighting and will continue to use close zeroing to get me there.
One year he drew a special tag and asked me to check the sight zero along with mine which was a pre season norm for me.
My rifles were dead on as usual, and wow was his way off. Like more than minute of elk off.
I still trust standard range sighting and will continue to use close zeroing to get me there.
Originally Posted By: DiRTY DOGOriginally Posted By: MCarySo if the round crosses the sight line at 50 yards using a 200 zero, why zero at 200. The target is so far away you'd have more difficulty holding the same on all shots. Why not use 50 for more precision? In your scenario, 50 is LESS precision not more. At 50 yards your group might easily be off by 2 or 3 clicks and you might not even notice depending on how accurate your load is. Say it's off 1/2 moa at 50 yards, that's only 1/4 inch off center. But if you stretch that out to 200 yards, 1/2 moa equals 1 inch off center. It could be a whole lot more than that if your 50 yard assessment was off. It's not the end of the world, but it's also not very precise at distance.
A 50 yard zero (or 60 or 70 or whatever) is a quick way to verify your scope is still zero'd but I would never "zero" AT 50 yards. I always zero AT the actual distance.
Not really, because you can't see the target as well. At 200 yards a very small movement is a much larger miss. At closer ranges, you can hold the crosshairs on target much easier. Your groups are much smaller making moving the group easier and you can set the range easier. If your rifle range has a max 200 yards, you can still range to 275 using a 25 yards zero. Of course if you can hold exactly on target for every shot at 200 yards, maybe, but you can't. Now, we're talking about a zero here, of course you still need to test it at your expected range.
In the Army we zeroed at 25m and we could hit targets at 300m with no hold over. The advantage of this method (MPBR) is speed. No adjustments are necessary to 300m. When someone is shooting back you don't want to worry about ranging, dope charts, and hold over.
However, if speed is not the main concern and accuracy is more important, then obviously mil dots, target turrets, and custom reticles are the nuts and each of those are zeroed accordingly.
A 50 yard zero (or 60 or 70 or whatever) is a quick way to verify your scope is still zero'd but I would never "zero" AT 50 yards. I always zero AT the actual distance.
Not really, because you can't see the target as well. At 200 yards a very small movement is a much larger miss. At closer ranges, you can hold the crosshairs on target much easier. Your groups are much smaller making moving the group easier and you can set the range easier. If your rifle range has a max 200 yards, you can still range to 275 using a 25 yards zero. Of course if you can hold exactly on target for every shot at 200 yards, maybe, but you can't. Now, we're talking about a zero here, of course you still need to test it at your expected range.
In the Army we zeroed at 25m and we could hit targets at 300m with no hold over. The advantage of this method (MPBR) is speed. No adjustments are necessary to 300m. When someone is shooting back you don't want to worry about ranging, dope charts, and hold over.
However, if speed is not the main concern and accuracy is more important, then obviously mil dots, target turrets, and custom reticles are the nuts and each of those are zeroed accordingly.
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spotstalkshoot
Well-known member
Last year for my 17 rem,with 29 gr WCD and Vining's 10 ogive hp bullets,I decided to zero + 3 clicks for 300 yards. Which is 1.1+ at 100,zero about 225, add three clicks for 300. Most of my shots are sleeping/bedded coyote,some walkers in travel corridors. When I call it is to tree cover locations, I setup 250-300 yards away. If they won't leave the edge they get dumped there. 3 up at 300 seemed easy to remember in fast range and shoot situations. I should add, my scope center is 1.8 inches above bore center.
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canislatrans54
New member
Currently, I own two rifles. One is a 30/30. The other a bolt .223.
The 30/30...Even though I have owned it now for 4 years, I have yet to actually sight it in.
I have fired only a single round through it, @ 100 yards, just to see if I could tell how far off the factory setting of the iron sights was (way off).
On the .223, I am an "oddball".
I topped it with a cheap Simmons 3x9x50 scope, back in 2004 or so, when I bought the gun new.
I decided to sight it in, 3" high @ 100 yards.
Didn't really have a good reason. Just how it did it.
And that is how I have kept it, re-checking the "zero" every year.
Now, admittedly, due to health & finances, I have not done any serious hunting in the past 5 years or so.
However, between 2004-2012, I hunted hard. And that "zero" has rarely failed me, if I did my job.
That gun accounted for a few hundred coyotes in it's lifetime. And they were all killed between 30-250 yards. Most around the 75 yard mark.
When they are that close, I simply hold the crosshairs near the bottom of the body. Has almost always put the bullet right in the middle of the vital area.
If I think the coyote is closer to 200, I simply hold dead-on, and pull the trigger.
According to the Nikon Spot-On ballistic calculator...using my preferred ammo, Black Hills 55gr soft points, which travel @ 3200fps, with a BC of .235...my 3" high @ 100 yards, puts me dead-on @ about 262 yards.
And the longest shot I have ever tried (and taken successfully) was measured to be 256 yards. So.....
The 30/30...Even though I have owned it now for 4 years, I have yet to actually sight it in.
I have fired only a single round through it, @ 100 yards, just to see if I could tell how far off the factory setting of the iron sights was (way off).
On the .223, I am an "oddball".
I topped it with a cheap Simmons 3x9x50 scope, back in 2004 or so, when I bought the gun new.
I decided to sight it in, 3" high @ 100 yards.
Didn't really have a good reason. Just how it did it.
And that is how I have kept it, re-checking the "zero" every year.
Now, admittedly, due to health & finances, I have not done any serious hunting in the past 5 years or so.
However, between 2004-2012, I hunted hard. And that "zero" has rarely failed me, if I did my job.
That gun accounted for a few hundred coyotes in it's lifetime. And they were all killed between 30-250 yards. Most around the 75 yard mark.
When they are that close, I simply hold the crosshairs near the bottom of the body. Has almost always put the bullet right in the middle of the vital area.
If I think the coyote is closer to 200, I simply hold dead-on, and pull the trigger.
According to the Nikon Spot-On ballistic calculator...using my preferred ammo, Black Hills 55gr soft points, which travel @ 3200fps, with a BC of .235...my 3" high @ 100 yards, puts me dead-on @ about 262 yards.
And the longest shot I have ever tried (and taken successfully) was measured to be 256 yards. So.....
tawnoper
Active member
Lots of interesting thoughts going on here. With me, shooting most of the popular centerfires used for coyotes I always sight in for + 1" - 1.5" at 100 yds. It just works for most called critters. When the ranges get out there aways wind usually becomes more a factor than hold over or dialing up and down.
SlickerThanSnot
New member
Originally Posted By: songdogso is there a chart on the other side of your stock showing hold over for XX wind speed at each distance?
wormydog1724
Member
I shoot a 6.8 SPC out of a 16" Wilson Combat barrel and Form 1 suppressor. I mostly shoot 110gr V-max but will be giving the 90gr Gold Dot XM68GD a try this year. Once I get some more H322 I'll load some 90gr TNT and 82gr Raptors.
Anyways I like a 50 yard zero, keeps me within an 2" out to about 230 yards. If I think it's going to be a 250 yard to 300 yard shot, I put my crosshair on their back. I have had good luck using this strategy.
Anyways I like a 50 yard zero, keeps me within an 2" out to about 230 yards. If I think it's going to be a 250 yard to 300 yard shot, I put my crosshair on their back. I have had good luck using this strategy.
wormydog1724
Member
Originally Posted By: MCaryMy take away from this thread is, know your rifle. If you can hit what your aiming at, your method of zeroing is perfect.
This. Most definitely this.
This. Most definitely this.
Flesh Eater
New member
I zero at 100 yards, because in western PA that's about as far as you'll ever be shooting. I have a couple corn fields that might net me a 250 yard shot, but that's not enough for me to concern myself with zeroing at 200 or dialing up. I'm not confident shooting that far, because I only have a 100 yard range on my property, and it's all I've ever shot.