Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting What distance is long range

I would never sight in a rifle 3" high. Never.

The most I ever do is 1.5" high. My main deer rifle is dead-nuts at 100 yards.

I don't like the whole "just aim for the vitals and you'll hit fine out to XXX yards", IE the point-blank concept. I like to be more precise than that.

Mostly, being 3" high could really screw you up in a close-in shot where you needed to miss a branch or something. Quick, 3"-high guy: deer is 35 yards away and the only shot you have is a head shot (or needs to thread an opening that size). How do you hold?

-jeff

If you can hold off for a longer shot you can as easily hold off for a close shot.

I tend to sight in at 300, and I expect 3-5 inches high at 100 and 200.... No big deal at all, I hold a bit low, I shoot a lot of head shots at the 100 yard mark sighted in that way, works fine. Its reverse of what you are thinking but very simple.

And if shooting at the body center mass, it should never make enough difference to matter.

Its not that what you do won't or doesnt' work, it does, but its no different than other methods. I need to be more precise further out and hence the long zero in range. Up close I have more room for error.

As to clays breaking... note that I said even if you are within a couple of inches and it shatters, you are good. Fact of the matter is that the clay represents an average to large heart on lots of game, lungs being easily double that size, so a close miss is still good.

My take on it anyway.

Jeff

Gotta disagree, Jeff!

Being "3-5" high at 100 could have big consequences, shooting center of mass, on say a deer. Hitting FIVE INCHES over point of aim?

Holding low would work, if a guy practiced it. I'd rather, MUCH rather, have my bullet hit to POA where it counts, on the majority of shots that are close-in (and usually happen FAST), and then just know my load out at longer ranges.

Mostly, I'm confused why this would even be an issue for someone using (presumably) correction, in the form of turrets or a reticle, for longer-range shooting. There's no need to zero crazy-high in that case... is there? That's an honest question, not being a smartass.

-jeff

Jeff

I was not saying for anyone to do it, only that it was simply the reverse of what was being said, and as such, no more complicated. I keep zero'd that way simply because its the way I've done my hunting guns for more years than I can remember. I may think about the shots and consequences more than most though.

Like I said its really easy for me to pick up the rifle and hold 4-5 inches low and make head shots all day.

Last game I shot was zero'd for 300, and shot at 120, the whole time knowing I needed to and did hold low.

I don't use the long range reticles, I"ll click if I have to, but my way of thinking, out to 300 or so it may come so fast that I have no time to correct, and I have more room for error up close and thats the smart way to be IMHO for me anyway...

Its just like zeroing my MZ irons... I zero for 8 inches high at 100. that way I can hold the bottom hair line at 100, mid body at 150 and almost top of back at 200.... It works really well.

Point being, its what works for you and what you get used to, not saying at all that my way is correct by any means.

Make more sense?

And nope I don't feel that you or I are being smartazzed... just learning from each other.

Jeff

Jeff,
100 yd zero is good for a woods rifle. This is according to Bob Hagel who has written for Rifle Magazine and a few books here and there. He also suggests that being 3" high at 100 yds puts you on at 300 yds for most rifle cartridges, this is verified by the Sierra ballistics tables as well. It works for me! Bob also used to say that if you can't see it with a 4X scope it is to far away for you to shoot at it! There are a lot of pearls of wisdom in his books. FWIW I shot my bear at 30 yds and my deer at 20 yds this year. Last year I shot my deer at 300 yds.
Sometimes you just play the cards you are dealt.
whelennut

WhelenNut,

Yeppers! The real key, of course, is being proficient with our weapons- so however a guy wants to zero will work as long as he practices a little and knows his load and rifle...

That said I like to keep it simple and zero for 100 and then have my rig figured out as necessary at longer ranges, up to a point. Rost (JEff) could shoot rings around me, so what HE'S doing certainly works for him!! And likewise me for me, and you for you.

Where I think it gets a little wierd is guys zero'ing way high who DON'T practice and then have to "do the math" for a close shot, which is the most likely shot, and we all know how our math skills go down the potty with a buck in the scope!

:-)

-jeff

Well, folks, there is something I don't understand. Folks who shoot close range come to this thread and talk about short range instead of telling us what is long range. Not only that, some are condicending. Fasinating.

To me, it's out past 500 yards... more realistically, in hunting conditions being "on the clock" and not having sandbags and so on, things get real different out past 400 for me.

One thing I have learned over the years is that others do not necessarily share my limitations, though.

-jeff

My set up is zeroed for 100 yds for thick and short shots as I go to areas overlooking basins or valleys. Remember I am at zero at 100 yd. But if I see something out there I can just dial the old US Optic to the range I need and I am right on at that distance as well.

Point is my system has a 100 yd zero and an any-yard zero by just turning my turrent to where I need to be. No guessing, just spot on.

Lord I love those US Optic units.

Whelen

I prefer shots to be close. makes me totally happy! I prefer to be prepared for a longer shot though, I zero at 300, puts me 4-5 inches high with 300 mags and 180s warm.....at 100 and 200, books be damned, just the way it works out for me in real life.

I have done this so many years I know to favor low just a bit if its close in. Easy to do, aim dead on at 300 and past that I generally have time to get closer or compare my drop charts and correct and fire.

Just how I do it. My comments were if folks can learn to hold over, they can learn to hold under to.... its just what works for you and starting at 300, I prefer to use crosshairs rather than Kentucky windage so I'm backwards of some.

Jeff

I was messing with your setup (in theory, didn't re-zero) and well.... i have to admit that holding low does seem like it would be kind of easy on the ol' mind.

Interesting...

-jeff

Oh- close is where it's at! My most memorable deer kills were with open sights, at short range. Add a scope and, presumably, as the range gets longer the whole thing gets less personal...

I say presumably because I always end up killin' them up close. Combination of the terrain and vegetation, and how I prefer to hunt I guess. A little over 100 yards is the longest scoped shot I've made. Ironically, my longest open-sighted shot is longer!

-jeff

FWIW I aim for the heart anyway, 5 inches high, at worst case nets a high lung shot.... so its all gravy there....

Jeff

Long range is shooting 1 yard farther than you are comforable with.

The photo below is fairly typical of the terain and vegetation where I hunt. BTW, it's 450yd to the power tower near the end of the barrel.

Are you saying that 101 yards could be considered long??

Yeah, we live on different planets! I'll dig up a picture of my terrain and post it later...

-jeff

Jeff you have both planets in Oregon, one on each side of the mountains!

Good point and very true... I have not yet hunted deer over east-side, but I cannot wait! And I've been gearing up for it. Problem is I have 7 pref points saved up so I might as well get one more, then I can do the Trout Ck Mtns hunt in SE Oregon... which is supposed to be an awesome trophy sage and juniper type hunt.

-jeff

Tailgunner,

Tell us about your rifle. It looks like it might be a Husqvarna with a heavy barrel?
Whelennut