Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game 1 1/2 high at 100?

OOps

A rule of thumb that holds true across almost all cartridges firing bullets in the 2800 fps range with typical BC is if sighted in 2" high a 100 yards, the bullet will be dead on a 200, 8" low at 300, and 24" low at 400 yards (2-0-8-24). Easy to remember.

I like dead nuts at 100 yds; that's my nominal zero. For the reason Saddlesore mentioned.

Most of my rifles... errr... all of my rifles have some sort of turret, which I have verified the function of as far as tracking and RTZ. Point being, I have spun up to 2" high at 100 yds in more open country.

A nominal 100-yd zero with the ability to dial up to something more like a MPBR zero is the best of all worlds IMHO.

Well ya you boys over there can't toss over your shoulder and hope to find it. It is more open were freckels were born.

There is no universally correct number. You have to decide what trajectory you want (i.e. maximum rise above line of sight) and zero accordingly. The easiest way to get a feel for your trajectory is to use a ballistic calculator. Once armed with this basic information you can study the effect of various zero points on the trajectory and determine what zero point is best for your needs.

I generally zero for Maximum Point Blank Range for a target 6� in diameter. This allows a maximum bullet rise of 3� above Line Of Sight, with MPBR being at the point where the bullet is 3� below LOS. Think of it like shooting down a pipe 6� in diameter. For many of my loads this translates to a zero about 2.7� high at 100 yards. For example, using default altitude (500�), temp (70 degrees) and scope height (1.5�) data for my calculator:

.30-06, 150g AccuBond (BC .435), 2991fps
+2.61� @ 100
+0.0� @ 252
MPBR = 296

I've always used 2 1/2" to 3" high at 100 yards for my hunting rifle. Shooting a 175 grain Partition at 2800 fps gives this load a 250 yard zero. This was what Bob Hagel recommended and I have shot this setup for so long that is "dialed in" to my aiming method. If an animal is within 300 yards I get the best rest I can and shoot them in or through the boiler room. I don't even worry about the elevation of the actual impact because the bullet takes care of the heavy lifting. I just need to do my part and not flub the shot.

With typical deer rifles 270 308 etc. I sight in at 200. Some rifles will be 1.5 @ 100 and others may be 1.75 to 2 @ 100. I've always considered the ??how high @ 100 to be simply a by product of a 200 yd zero.

Pretty much the only reason I don't like the 3" high at 100 setup is the fact that a lot of my game is shot at 150-200yds. If my POI at that distance is bumping 4" high and my rifle is capable of shooting MOA, the bullet could be landing 4.5-5" above point of aim. Lots of my hunting takes place on cleared lanes that may be old woods roads or pipeline right-of-ways. While I can often see a considerable distance, shot presentations are usually very quick, with only a few seconds for evaluation and shooting. When a "shooter" is coming across my lane chasing a doe at 175yds, it is hard for me to remember to hold at the bottom of the vitals. I just know I better get the crosshairs in the kill-zone and shoot. This typically means center lungs in my sight picture. I've shot quite a few deer with high-lung or a lucky spine hit at that range when running 3" high at 100 zeros, so I keep falling back to a 3" midrange rise or less. If the animal is at 300yds or more, I'll take the time to judge things more closely and if he gets away, he just gets away. Were I hunting in open country and shot presentations lasted more than a few seconds, I could see the use in running a zero of greater range and adapting to hold low at easy-to-estimate medium distances.

I've found out that no matter what it's sighted in for at a 100 it's a good idea to shoot it at longer distances to confirm where it's actually hitting. Sight in formulas don't always match what your rifle is doing.

Most of my elk have been killed between 2 and 300 yards. The 300 and STW are both sighted in at 300, no hold over out to 350 or so.

3" high will be just right, no reason to adjust unless you are shooting for an eye.

I sight every centerfire I own 2" high @ 100 yards and that's high enough. I've learned over the years that if I miss something, the odds are that I will have shot over its back. With this sight-in I'm a little less likely to do that than with a 3" high sight in.

Thanks again guys, I think I have traditionally gone with the 200 yard zero, but will give the 3" high a try to see how I like it. I think both methods have value.

A lot of you need to refer to a ballistic drop chart. Your numbers are way off...

I use between 1.5 and 2 inches high for about all of my big game rifles. .22-250 is at 1 inch high

I don't use any ballistic drop charts. My figures are always by actual shooting

Same here - visually estimate the yardage and if it's doable, then go for it.

Actual shooting is always necesary to confirm drops. I run the ballistics to get an idea of wha t to expect, confirm at variuos ranges, then adjust the ballistic calculations to mat the drops. The result is a table that matches actual drops at known ranges and provides additional data for points in-between.

More and more, though, I just use a scope with a drop compensating retilce, not the aim points for various ranges and interpolate for the points in-between.

I usually sight in for 200 yards here locally. Most of the deer hunting I've done in the last 35 years has been in brushy, rolling pastures. Not many shots have come the far side of 200. When we go west I usually put them 2" high at 100 figuring for 6-8" low at 300 depending on what I'm shooting. The place we elk hunt has lots of dark timber. Might as well use a 45-70 with a 100 yard zero there.

some day I would love to just tag along and watch you kill one of those hog muleys you have a nack for finding. Awesome as always.

+1 on the guys mentioning verification of your drop figures. I've found JBM and a chronograph to usually put me really close, but I like to check things out against my steel targets.