.25MOA
Well-Known Member
Yes I know exactly what you're saying...... I have a mate who can't hit a rabbit at 20 yards...... 1000yards with iron sights ? That pretty impressive !
Sighting Zero at what distance ???
- Thread starter .25MOA
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
Yes I know exactly what you're saying...... I have a mate who can't hit a rabbit at 20 yards...... 1000yards with iron sights ? That pretty impressive !
Buy exbal ($70) and use the reticle tool to figure the exact drops for each cross hair at different powers.
Using the reticle tool you are not limited to the max power to figure drops for each crosshair.
Probably would start with a 200 yard zero on that type of scope.
Here is my version of that very setup using a 3-9 Kahles with the TDS reticle in 300 WSM. http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/no-click-lr-carry-gun-48155/
BH
Using the reticle tool you are not limited to the max power to figure drops for each crosshair.
Probably would start with a 200 yard zero on that type of scope.
Here is my version of that very setup using a 3-9 Kahles with the TDS reticle in 300 WSM. http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/no-click-lr-carry-gun-48155/
BH
Last edited:
.25 MOA,
Man you have just got to get out there and DO IT.
Start within your limits and push out further as you gain confidence in your ability and equipment. Learn as you go.
I have not shot for two weeks, so this morning I went out and shot 320m, 590m and 910m (1000yards) First target I felt a bit rusty having not shot for a couple of weeks then got in the swing of it and nailed the others with some good groups.
Nothing beats practice.
Man you have just got to get out there and DO IT.
Start within your limits and push out further as you gain confidence in your ability and equipment. Learn as you go.
I have not shot for two weeks, so this morning I went out and shot 320m, 590m and 910m (1000yards) First target I felt a bit rusty having not shot for a couple of weeks then got in the swing of it and nailed the others with some good groups.
Nothing beats practice.
.25MOA
Well-Known Member
Where abouts do you get to shoot those ranges ?
I didnt know you were still able to shoot a gun in Oz.
.25MOA
Well-Known Member
Of course you can, they're opening up all the crown land and some of the National parks for R licence holders !!!!!!! Yippee !
Seems the thread has got a long way off target somewhat, about as much as some shooters accuracy does after firing off a few boxes of 300 WM cartridges in one session from the bench.
For answering the OP's original question, whatever "zero" you choose is of no real consequence, a hunting shooter chooses a particular zero so they shoot 2.5" high at 100yds and 2.5" low at 400yds, making a proper one shot kill within that 5" vital kill zone a reality.
For the OP, a reason in choosing lets say 200yds as his sighting in zero is only to test loads, cases, powder, primers, and most importantly high BC projectiles so that the accurate loads strike that zero for no other reason but checking load accuracy, but for a 300 mag cartridge it would be practical to use 150 or 200 yds, but only for load/scope testing.
Whatever further range the rifle is then used for is simply a matter of first having an accurate combination at whatever zero, and then working out exact hold over for each different distance past that zero, for eg a 308 might drop nearly 50" or over 4 feet at 500 yards, while a 300WM at 500 yds might be dropping about 35-40".
Whether you use 150 yds, 300 yds or 500 yds as your zero really means squat, so long as each shot shoots lands in that distance at MOA or better at any range, the shooting distance only extends those measurements more but in a perfect world with no wind and very high BC projectile the chosen bullet will still fall the exact same constant amount at 1000 yds whether it's zero was at 100 or 500, and the only difference with zero at 100 or 300 might be a different bullet drop at 1000 yds, or the difference in zero range, likely a few inches.
So, to the OP, it simply does not matter, but in practical terms 200 yards would be a fair zero, for that particular rifle, although at the closer distance it eliminates more external effects of the projectile in flight, so for my liking I would zero it at 150 yards, no matter what the eventual distance it would be used at.....
For answering the OP's original question, whatever "zero" you choose is of no real consequence, a hunting shooter chooses a particular zero so they shoot 2.5" high at 100yds and 2.5" low at 400yds, making a proper one shot kill within that 5" vital kill zone a reality.
For the OP, a reason in choosing lets say 200yds as his sighting in zero is only to test loads, cases, powder, primers, and most importantly high BC projectiles so that the accurate loads strike that zero for no other reason but checking load accuracy, but for a 300 mag cartridge it would be practical to use 150 or 200 yds, but only for load/scope testing.
Whatever further range the rifle is then used for is simply a matter of first having an accurate combination at whatever zero, and then working out exact hold over for each different distance past that zero, for eg a 308 might drop nearly 50" or over 4 feet at 500 yards, while a 300WM at 500 yds might be dropping about 35-40".
Whether you use 150 yds, 300 yds or 500 yds as your zero really means squat, so long as each shot shoots lands in that distance at MOA or better at any range, the shooting distance only extends those measurements more but in a perfect world with no wind and very high BC projectile the chosen bullet will still fall the exact same constant amount at 1000 yds whether it's zero was at 100 or 500, and the only difference with zero at 100 or 300 might be a different bullet drop at 1000 yds, or the difference in zero range, likely a few inches.
So, to the OP, it simply does not matter, but in practical terms 200 yards would be a fair zero, for that particular rifle, although at the closer distance it eliminates more external effects of the projectile in flight, so for my liking I would zero it at 150 yards, no matter what the eventual distance it would be used at.....
digisol,
Not too many hunters on this site shoot this way. Most dial up from a set Zero.
.25 MOA
Down here in Victoria we can shoot on public land like State forest.
I have access to both private land on my own property and nearby state forest land. Where I can shoot out past 2000 yards.
Michael Bent
Member
when i zero my scope i look at the bullets trajectory and the purpose of the gun and then go from there. I find the point at which the bullet stops "rising" and begins to "fall" in it trajectory and then go away from that point about 100 yards further to a set distance that i then zero at. for my 7mm rem mag with a 168 berger bullet that is at 200 yards.
This works for me because i am a hunter and sometimes have to take shorter ranged shots on animals reasonably quickly and don't always have much time to dial a scope and range the distance. so by zeroing at 200 i have a window from about 75 out to 250 in which the bullet is within a 3 in. window above or below my cross hair. because i am hunting Deer, Elk, and other big game a 3 in error is ok for me in a guick shot.
But a 200 yard zero also gives me just a little more room for turret adjustment as well as the turret is always adjusted upwards.
But the post above is right, most everyone on this site shoots to hit exactly where they shot and when you are shooting very far at all you must be shooting that way because even on most big game at long range errors grow exponentially.
In my opinion i like a zero that allows me a window of about 200 yards or so at a reasonably short range in which i know the bullet is shooting reasonably flat.
this is mainly because most of my shooting is done in the 50-250 yard range with shots every once in a while out to 800 yards. this means that the optimal zero for me is one that covers almost my entire normal shooting window. Then on the longer shots i dial and shoot to hit exactly where i am aiming not expecting to even hit the hair 1 in away from where the cross hairs are.
This works for me because i am a hunter and sometimes have to take shorter ranged shots on animals reasonably quickly and don't always have much time to dial a scope and range the distance. so by zeroing at 200 i have a window from about 75 out to 250 in which the bullet is within a 3 in. window above or below my cross hair. because i am hunting Deer, Elk, and other big game a 3 in error is ok for me in a guick shot.
But a 200 yard zero also gives me just a little more room for turret adjustment as well as the turret is always adjusted upwards.
But the post above is right, most everyone on this site shoots to hit exactly where they shot and when you are shooting very far at all you must be shooting that way because even on most big game at long range errors grow exponentially.
In my opinion i like a zero that allows me a window of about 200 yards or so at a reasonably short range in which i know the bullet is shooting reasonably flat.
this is mainly because most of my shooting is done in the 50-250 yard range with shots every once in a while out to 800 yards. this means that the optimal zero for me is one that covers almost my entire normal shooting window. Then on the longer shots i dial and shoot to hit exactly where i am aiming not expecting to even hit the hair 1 in away from where the cross hairs are.
