Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting At what distance would you zero your .270? .30-06?

I hunt in Utah where shots come any where from 50 feet in the cedars to 400 yards across a canyon. At what distance would you zero your .270? .30-06? Or would you zero your rifle at maximum point blank range?

Thank you for the advice, TJ

Just zero 3 inches high at 100 yards and call it good. That will make you pretty good from 0-300 yards. Just hold over if its past that. Of course that is assuming you know your rifle and have someway to accurately determine range

I typically zero at 200 or just beyond, checking both sides of zero distance to make sure I've got what I want with the load. You often learn things, many times good, when shooting farther than 100. Of course it also helps weed out nasty surprises.

Set it at 3" high for 100, run the equation for distant holdovers and verify at the range. Record in brain and on a cheat sheet. Drink coffee.

I prefer 2 inches high at 100 for all of my rifles.

i use 3" high at 100 yards for both my 270 win and 30-06. works for me.

how about 200yds

Regardless of the load, I like mine zeroed so they don't rise more than 3 inches as they get out there. Even a little less is OK.
I used to do three inches at 100 and call it good. But I've found with some loads/rifles, that put me 5 inches up at the mid to 2/3's point. That's too much when combined with the usual field position group sizes. Particularly when I need to shoot through a hole in screening vegetation or take a fast shot at a coyote.
The longer shots, even with the reduced zero range, haven't been a problem. Especially with the simple duplex reticles and knowing just how wide the opening is.
The only thing I'd add is that, for me, if he looks like 300 yds., I really need to range him at least with a reticle like the duplex. With the standard Leupold and a 9 inch spacing, a 300 yd., 4 yr. old buck fits into all of half of it's thin opening and half of the other half. If he fills the thing, he's at 200 yds. If he fills only one half of it, he's about 400 yds. Really not hard to see and to make. But I need to verify just what the range is. For some reason, in spite of lots of practice in the field, I have days where I'm surprised as to how far off my eye ball estimates are. E

200 yds.

I would zero it for maximum point blank range. That is 3.0" to 3.5" high at 100 yards for most of the rifles I shoot regularly. Then I check them at known ranges and sometimes adjust.

I only have regular access to 100, 200 and 300 yard ranges.

3 inches high at 100 yards has served me well over the years hunting Wyoming. Actually the area I hunt borders Utah so that should do you about right.

Thanks for the advice! Where do I get the balistic info on how high the flight path will be before and after 100 yards? I guess I'm asking, how do you calculate MPBR? I don't have a chronograph nor do I load myself. I'm taking my boys out on a late cow hunt in the East Heber area. We are going to shoot Remington Core-lokts. 150 grain for the .270s. 180 for the .30-06.

TY again, TJ

TJ

Here is where you can put your information in to get the ballistics on the Remington Core-Lokt. You can go back to the ballistics page and get more information if you would like.

Hope you and your boys are able to get on the elk.

270&30-06 Ballistics

Three inches high at 100 yards. With any kind of standard load with either a 270 or 30-06, I don't think you would be five inches above the line of sight. For mule deer and elk 3" should be fine.

I appreciate the logic behind the use of a maximum point blank range but I'm most comfortable sighting most of my hunting rifles (including my 270) for a 200 yard zero. I think consistency is a very important factor - in other words, pick a system and stay with it so you don't have to try to remember what you've done when you're faced with a hunting situation that requires a split second decision.

ttpoz

Amen. Change for the sake of change has fouled up more shooting than anything else.

If you can, zero at 300 yards. A 300 yard zero eliminates more guesswork imo out to 400-450 yards. Estimating a hold under shot is easier than a hold over shot. A 300 yard zero with a good range finder which has a inclinometer for angled shots and you`ll be in good shape.

Baylian,

Here's some nice web based ballistic apps to help you out, JBM Ballistics.

For me, it depends on the actual caliber. For a flat shooting magnum, I like a 250 yard zero. For a standard caliber, I like a 200 yard zero. That usually means a standard caliber is about 2 1/4" high at 100 yards and a mag is 2 1/2" high at 100. I also don't like bullet to go much more than 2.5" above the line of sight.

Azar...I agree. I think 3 to 3 1/2" high at 100 is a bit much. If a guy gets a shot at an animal at say 175 to 200 in poor light with not enough time to range it, it is easy to hold a bit high on it, thus hitting it high or shooting over it.(poor light giving the appearence of farther away) Most misses I've seen on easy within range shots miss high.

Just my 2 cents.....

2 inches high at 100 yds will get you a dead elk as farout as you've probably got any business shooting.Hold dead center out to 300, and lay the horizontal cross hairs on their back further out. If the shot falls low its to damn far anyways.
rangefinders tend to take alot of the nonsense out of how far to shoot.