Just for grins, I went into PointBlank this AM and ran some calculations.
Q: What happens when you take a Rem 742 in 30-06, mount a scope with see-thru rings and load it with 180 grainers and zero it dead-on at 50 yards?
Load Data
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Name: .308 Cal, Remington Corelokt PSPCL, 180 grn
Ballistic Coeff: 0.425
Bullet Weight: 180
Velocity: 2600
Target Distance: 50
Scope Height: 2.000
Temperature: 70
Altitude: 500
Ballistic Data
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Range Elevation Velocity Energy ETA Drop Max Y 10mph Wind Deflect
0 yds -2.00 in 2600 fps 2702 fpe 0.000 sec 0.00 in -2.00 in 0.00 in
25 yds -0.84 in 2550 fps 2599 fpe 0.029 sec 0.16 in -0.76 in 0.04 in
50 yds -0.00 in 2501 fps 2499 fpe 0.059 sec 0.65 in -0.63 in 0.15 in
75 yds 0.49 in 2452 fps 2402 fpe 0.089 sec 1.49 in -0.42 in 0.40 in
100 yds 0.62 in 2403 fps 2308 fpe 0.120 sec 2.69 in -0.11 in 0.73 in
125 yds 0.37 in 2356 fps 2218 fpe 0.151 sec 4.26 in 0.31 in 1.20 in
150 yds -0.28 in 2308 fps 2130 fpe 0.183 sec 6.24 in 0.83 in 1.80 in
175 yds -1.34 in 2262 fps 2044 fpe 0.216 sec 8.62 in 1.47 in 2.53 in
200 yds -2.83 in 2216 fps 1962 fpe 0.250 sec 11.44 in 2.24 in 3.38 in
225 yds -4.76 in 2170 fps 1882 fpe 0.284 sec 14.70 in 3.13 in 4.35 in
250 yds -7.16 in 2125 fps 1804 fpe 0.319 sec 18.42 in 4.16 in 5.43 in
275 yds -10.01 in 2080 fps 1729 fpe 0.355 sec 22.61 in 5.32 in 6.62 in
300 yds -13.35 in 2036 fps 1657 fpe 0.391 sec 27.27 in 6.64 in 7.93 in
What I find fascinating is that you're only .62 inches high at 100 yards. With a 4 MOA rifle, you'd think you were dead-on. At 250 yards, you're only a sconce over 7 inches low. Now, think of that: you're in the woods, and through a miracle, you see the buck of a lifetime out in a field at some unknown distance. If you aim at the top of his back and let loose, you've got half a chance of hitting him. What's more, if he's way too far out, say over 300 yards, the bullet is going to pass under his body. I'm not recommending any of this. I'm just saying that this how you look at things with a 4 MOA rifle. The truth of it is that, unless you support the shot against a tree or a fencepost, that 300-yard shot is going to be coming nowhere near that buck and at 300 yards, that 4 MOA rifle is shooting a pattern that's bigger than the buck's chest. I was never faced with exactly that situation. However, I did pass on a nice buck once that I judged to be 90 yards out and I was carrying my Rem 1100 that I knew was only good out to 50 yards. I stepped off the actual distance on my way out. It was more like 150 yards. I'm still patting myself on the back for that show of restraint.
I experimented with the WIN 670 back in 2004. I was coming out at last light and saw a herd of doe on a hillside at some distance that I now know to be over 400 yards. I was handloading by then. I knew the rifle was good to 1-2 MOA, and I knew there was no way in hell I was going to hit anything. I braced myself against a big tree and took a shot at the closest doe with the crosshairs centered on her chest. I was able to pick out the bullet, a good 7 feet low, puffing up dirt well down the hill. I got to empty the mag before the deer realized something was up and took off.
