Everyone knows the standard "Three inches high at 100" site in for hunting rifles. But what about varmint rigs? Don't think I've ever seen one word in print about that.

The topic recently came up while sighting in my pard's new .204. We really didn't have a clue. Wound up setting it 1"@100 and it popped the swingers at 250yds just fine.

What site in elevation do the members here use? Anyone use differant settings between ...say a .222 and a 22/250? And what about a 25/06 used for varminting? 3" high at 100 good for that?

With very high velocity like that I like 1" high at 200 yds. I will look up a free site for you to figure your trajectories and wind drift.

http://www.huntingnut.com had Point Blank but I like another one better now as it will print small cards.

Here it is.

Most of my varmint hunting has been for prairie dogs and coyotes. Varmint hunting has the reputation of being long distance shooting, and it can be, but most of my shooting has been at 100 yards or less...often very much less.

For this reason, I sight in my varming rifles for 100 yards. Period. And "hold" from there.

Before you criticize, put yourself in my place. If I'm shooting prairie dogs all day long, and they are little farts, do I want to hold one to two inches low on 90% of my shots????? NO.

Case made. Zero at 100 and "hold" from there.

Interestingly, in the final meeting that established the zero setting of Leupold's VH reticle, I made this exact case...and got voted down resoundingly. Apparently, the powers that be did a poll of gun writers and came up with a 200 yard zero, which tells me something about those who were polled. Anyway, it screwed up the VH for me.

Steve

I sight in for a dead on zero at 300 with cartridges like the 30-06, 260 Rem, 270, and 22-250.

With my flatter shooting rifles like the 264 Win mag and 7STW, I move the zero out to 350 yds.

The hold under at 100 will depend on the cartridge and the bullet used. For example the 30-06 with the Hornady 190 Gr btsp at 2800 fps will be 4.3 inches high at 100 yds and zeroed for 300.While the 7 STW loaded with the 162 gr Hornady btsp at 3200 fps will be 4.1 inches high at 100 yds to yield the 350 yard zero.

The 60 gr Hornady sp loaded to 3600 fps in the 22-250 will shoot 2.7 inches high at 100 yds to yield the 300 yd zero I prefer.

I try to keep my big game rifles from going much over six inches rise in the midpoint trajectory and try to keep that number under four inches in a varmint rifle. The rifle is equipped with a range card laminated to the stock which helps me remember exactly which trajectory I am working with at the moment and I hold over or under the target as appropriate for the distance encountered.

My 22-243 AI is equipped with turrets, but I have not used them much. The hold under/over system just comes too naturally for me.

If ground squirrels count as varmints, all of these are varmint rifles in my hands. But, in the 06,I usually move to the 165 ballistic tip for that use.

For varmint rifles I zero at 100 yards and spin the dope from there. Big game rigs are a completely different animal for me, but I still can't like a rifle sighted more than 2 1/2 inches high at 100 yards.

dog..,

No criticism from me. I'm seriously in search advise/experience.The old 3 inches at a 100 for hunting rifles is too much where we hunt - it's more like jungle fighting. Long ago my pards and I dropped down to 1" at a 100 as most of our deer are taken under 100yds.

The .204 Ruger has a trajectory unlike any I've seem. Sighted dead on at 25yds. it was 8" high at 100yds. Maybe it's the gun/scope combination, a CZ heavy barrel,CZ mounts (which are pretty high) and a Nikon 3X9. More experimenting is in order with this combo as we had to cut the initial session short.

While deer hunting is usually a close range affair, our coyote/groundhog shooting can be just as far as one cares to try.

Sav..,

Those are two really good web sites. Thanks, looks like I'll be spending some time there. Wow.

Outcast-slam dunk you don't want to be anymore than 1" high @ 100.

For years I sighted my yote rifles 3" high @ 100, you know I just had to get the most out of it. I missed way more yotes than you would ever believe. Then an old yote hunter took me to task on it and pretty much made me go to 1" high on my 25/06.

Presto I started killing yotes like a mad man, confidence regained and I've done it that way ever since.

For big game I've no issue with using the old 3" high if I don't have dotz/clicks/and or ballistic plex.

But for small game/predators etc I will not go more than 1" high.

Good luck on your decision.

Mark D

I always use a CMPBR system (C=conservative) of about 1/2 the avg. tgt size.

I sight mine in for 2" high at 100yds and light the fire.

CK