I'll throw this into the mix. I live in Oregon, but am from Virginia. I've hunted North Carolina, Virginia, West Va, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington and Oregon in my life time.. and Montana ONCE.
I am a Medical person, which is maybe where I get the logic for this from...
An adult antelope is 14 inches from Backbone to breast bone, regardless of body weight.
the average white tail is around 16 inches from backbone to breast bone, regardless of body weight..
an adult elk is 24 inches from backbone to breast bone.
My thoughts are to use the antelope size for my zeroing the rifle....so cut that number in half, and that gives me a target window of 7 inches.
Looking at trajectory charts many years ago, taking a look at a spitzer bullet, regardless of caliber.
If your muzzle velocity is 2250 fps, if zeroed 3.5 inches high at 100 yds, your bullet should be dead on at 200 yds.
and 3.5 inches LOW at between 230 to 240 yds.
Since 90% of all game is shot at less than 100 yds, and 95 to 99% shot at less than 200 yds, that gives me a point blank range just short of 250 yds.
and that is within the 30/30s specs, if the shooter can hold steady enough for that.. which most folks who shoot often can.
if one has a flatter shooting cartridge, that will give you a further out point blank range... to cover that last 1 to 5% of deer that sneak past that 95 to 99% Point Blank Range.
so a Whitetail is a little bigger, looking at the skeletal window of opportunity.. a mule deer a little more at 17 inches backbone to breast bone.
then an elk at 24 inches backbone to breast bone, it should be even easier.
I get enough practice shooting sage rats in the spring and summer, which are about as tall full grown as a 12 ounce water bottle.
After sending a couple thousand rounds down range at them each year, out to 200 yds.... come the fall.. a deer standing at 300 yds, looks the size of a dump truck in the scope set on 4 power.
Last part of this formula, is just trigger time at the range, getting your trigger finger pull synched with your hand to eye coordination..
This formula doesn't really matter if you and your rifle is a half inch shooter at 100 yds, or a 2 inch shooter...
just using your head, and practice time...
and if a deer is at 100 yds, regardless of your rifle being zeroed dead on at 100 or 3.5 inches high.. you will hit your target,
unless you get "buck fever" and jerk the trigger, or your hand to eye coordination needs work due to lack of practice.
as my granddad use to tell us boys, when we were kids... use your head, your ass will follow. West Virginia logic...
best of luck out there this season...
So New England hunters should base their zeroing range based on the vital zone size of an antelope? What does any of this have to do with hunting in New England?
