Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting New England Deer Hunters. Do you zero at 100 yards? 150 yards? 200 yards?

I've read where a lot of still hunters say their average shot in harvesting deer is 60 yards (or way less than 100 yards in general). Just wondering what you guys recommend based on your experiences.

I’m 1” high at 100 yd on my Eastern rifles. I pretty much shoot for my exit in most cases. I hunt in Vermont, New Hampshire & Maine.

I only add the inch to my trajectory to enable me to tacks the rare ‘power line’ shot with my short barreled tracking guns.

I’m the same as PintsofCraft.

I zero dead on at 75 yards. I have had to “thread the needle” on numerous shots on deer. This means taking into account limbs that may be between me and the deer. I have seen pencil thick limbs deflect a 180 grain round nose 30 caliber bullet enough to go from a perfect center of the chest shot to a clean miss at 75 yards away. It’s rare to ever have a clear path between you and the deer. Good clear optics, and knowing the exact path of your bullet helps a lot.

My Maine hunting rifle is a rem 7600 in 358 win and I sight in at 40 yards that puts it .22”high at 100 and 5.5” low at 200.

Below is a comparison for one of my most common loads in a .308 bolt gun. Most of my rifles are zero'd at 100 yards for threading the needle like miguel mentioned. That said, in most cases it's not going to make a difference.

200 yard zero
Range Trajectory
0 -1.5
50 0.6
100 1.6
150 1.4
200 0


100 yard zero
Range Trajectory
0 -1.5
50 -0.2
100 0
150 -1
200 -3.2

I keep a Remington 760 in 30-06 cached in Etna, NH, that is zeroed at 100 yards with 180 grain Hornady American Whitetail factory ammo.

Reguardless of where I'm still-hunting or what I'm still-hunting for, more of those shots presented themselves under 60 yards than over.

I zero at 200 if it has a scope. Then you're able to hold on the lungs from 0-300 with no problems at all.

With my 2 open site rifles, I zero at 100.

I used to sight everything in dead on at 50. Even scoped rifles. They were about 1.5" high at 100, pretty close at 200. At that time I never considered a shot at 300. Have been hunting west a bit over the last few years. So, 250-300 is very possible.

I sight all my family's rifles dead on at 100yds, has seemed to work for 20yrs. Woods with small clearings. Calibers .243 win through Aught 6.

100 yard zero hunting in VT, ME and CT. In over 40 years of hunting, I had 1 opportunity over 100 yards, that was in Maine on a Powerline right of way. At 50 yards with most cartridges, the +/- is usually less than .5

I am not in the New England area (anymore), after a career in the US Coast Guard. I'm originally from Upstate New York (Poughkeepsie area), and have friends & relatives all over NY, NH, and southern VT.

After I retired from the USCG, my wife and I decided to settle down here in Richmond, VA. Now, now, now.... Virginia is okay. It's hot & humid in the summers, but it's manageable. The winters are sometimes cold with temps in the 20's at night, on the coldest of nights. Snow brings the state to a halt, as everyone loses their freakin' minds...

Anyway, getting to the point: The heavy woods in the western part of VA out in the George Washington National Forest, (i.e. along I-81, Blue Ridge Pkwy, Skyline Drive, etc...) can get really thick with timber. I keep my Savage .308 sighted at 1" high at 100 yards. No more than that, as it's all I need. I know some old timers around VA who still hunt with an old Winchester 30-30 with open sights, and they bag deer every single season!

Not a New Englander here, either. I'm from Virginia, too. I zero my .308s and .30-06s at 25 yards. They will hit about 2.5 inches high at 100 yards. I zero my .270s at 50 yards. Likewise, they will hit a couple inches high at 100 yards. All of them will hit within 6 inches out to about 250 yards - way further than I have ever taken a deer.

I zero 1 inch high at 50yds muzzle loader 270 don’t matter

I am a Wyomingite, but I do zero some of my rifles at 100. My flintlock is zeroed at 75 and 150 (2 blade rear sight)
Rifles I have zeroed at 100 are:
30-30.
One of my two 300 Savages (loaded with 180 grain bullets)
My 303 Brit (also has 2 other blad3es for 200 and 300 yd zeros)
One of my 9.3X57s
My 6.5X54 M/S (also has a 200 yard blade)
my 35 Remington

I use these all for killing whitetails in the river bottoms but I have also killed antelope with 4 of them too, out in the open prairies.
I want to kill an elk with the Remington M81 in 300 Savage, but have not done that yet.

That is exactly what my father did. Sighted in at 25 and then checked out further. He used a 270.

I hunt in NE KY. I normally hunt with 30-somethings (30-06, 308 WIN, etc). However, the method I use works with a whole range of chamberings.

I sight in at 100 yards and set the zero 2 inches high. I can then put the crosshairs where I want on a whitetail at any practical range and be assured I'm shooting somewhere within 4 inches without worrying about elevation. For my 30-06, that means well out past 200 yards , which is the furthest range I'm going to shoot.

Not a New Englander but I probably hunt somewhat similar forested terrain here in Michigan. I zero my deer rifles for 100 yards. I realize that a 200 yard zero is more efficient but my average shooting distance has been about 60 yards with several inside of 30 yards.

Going the chorus above, zero at 100 with scoped rifle, 75 yds for open sight levers, hunt in CT, RI and VT.

I zero at 25 because it is easy and I don't hold over, I don't hold under, I just point and shoot and kill deer. If I lived in the West, it may be a different story but not here. People seem to forget the power of these rifles and the damage they do. An inch or twe one way or the other means nothing but dead game.

Up here in Maine where the woods are thick I zero at 50yds very rarely do you get a shot over that.

Hell, long range isn't hunting, it's shooting. What fun is that?

My primary tracking/still hunting rig is a .35 remington (7600 carbine). It has an older fixed 1.5x with a post reticle.
I zero at 100 knowing that the vast majority of shots that rifle takes will be much closer. I cave never had an issue.

I zero @ 100 whether scope or peep, then it's hold on fur for any distance I care to shoot. Most times it's under 100 but I know if I miss, it's not the gun.

I hunt NE, Alabama, Montana. I'm using a .308 with 150 Accubonds at 2856fps 95% of the time. I site in at 25 yards, but check at 100, 200 and 300. Turns out A 25yd site in is pretty convenient, as a 25 yard zero for that bullet and fps is PBR on a 6" target out to 280yds.

PBR
Range Elevation
(yd) (in)
0 -1.50
25 -0.01
50 +1.19
75 +2.11
100 +2.72
125 +3.02
150 +3.00
175 +2.64
200 +1.93
225 +0.85
250 -0.60
275 -2.46
300 -4.73

I'm in the North Central Green Mountains of Vermont. I zero both of my Remington 7600's (factory carbine in .30-06 and .358 Winchester with 20" Krieger barrel) for 50 yds. The .30-06 carbine wears a Leupold 1.5-5x and the .358 a Leupold 2-7x. Shooting factory Remington 180 gr RN Core-lokts in the .30-06 and Hornady 200 gr Interlock in the .358. My eyes can't do peep sights anymore. I've only harvested 1 buck at over 100 yards as the opportunities are usually in fairly close for my style of tracking & still hunting. I know both well enough to reach out to 200 yards if necessary.

Dead on at 250...........Means point black from muzzle to there.

My experience as well, in this same Northern New England area 260Remguy is familiar with, although I don't hunt down in the Connecticut River Valley where those big beautiful corn fields are. More like the heavily wooded Green Mountains of the North East Kingdom of Vermont a few miles to the West. In fact, it's more like under 40 yards for me.

IMO, the rifles and sights are "horses for courses", because in their purest forms there are two basic variations:

1) Still hunting ("Benoit style"......although not nearly as diligent or successful as the Benoits!!!!) Peep sites mounted close to bore. Big ghost ring (remove aperture after sighting in). I zero in at 25 yards. This is the one to carry after a "tracking snow" lands.

2) Stand hunting. Usually overlooking a field with maximum potential shot distance of 300 yards. Something with a scope sighted 2" inch high at 100 yards. This will be minute of deer for any shot.

That said, because of the lay of the land where I hunt, its mostly a walk and sit hybrid approach, for which I prefer a short rifle with a low powered variable like a 1x4 set at the lowest possible setting. Zero'd at 100 yards.

The 3 best local hunters I know use a 760 in .30-06, a Savage 99 in .303 savage, and a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington. All use a 3x9 of some flavor - nothing fancy. The Savage guy is a 25 yard sight in. Not sure of the sight-in distance for the others, but certainly not over 100 yds. This is short range country.

Hope this helps.

I cannot believe I’m not reading about 2 pound scopes with turrets and Christmas tree reticles.

Here in northern Michigan, I sight in dead on at 50yrds I'd guess most of my shots are 30 to 60 yrds. I gave up hunting power lines as there's a guy sitting every 100 yards.

1.5” high at 100 yds is a sweet spot ballistically for many cartridges.

I also like the 150 yard zero. Sort of depends on your scope height but it's maybe 3/4" high at 100, or maybe an inch. Keeps you within about 3/4" high/low out to 175 yards. It's only happened once that I'm sure about bt I did have a situation in the ADK brush/timber where I definitely would have missed if I'd been zeroed for max PBR or even 200 yards.

Out west I zero for 200/250, depending.

200 yd zero is point and shoot for 99% of what I’ll be doing.

I always heard you Yankees just grabbed a Rem 760 and blasted away. No?

I am fortunate to hunt several NE states and my rifles are all sighted in to be dead on @ 75yards. (30-30, 35Rem, 308 Win, 30-06, 35 Whelen, 45-70, muzzleloaders and shotguns)

If I lived out west I would zero for 200. My 223’s, 243’s and 25-06’s are sighted in this way.

Good luck and have fun! Tom

I lived and hunted in Maine for 17 years. My pumps, semi's or levers used for still hunting were sighted dead on at 100 yds. My bolt rifles used for sitting powerlines, open ridges and clearcuts were sighted in for 300 yds.

I killed deer every year.

Not in New England but in Mississippi shots are also close in thick cover. I zero my rifle 1.5” high at 100 yards so that from muzzle to 200 yards I’m at +/- 1.5” from point of aim. Given that I’m not bench steady shooting free hand this has worked with no problems for over 40 years. In that time I’ve had one legitimate 200 yard shot which I took and shot buck through white throat patch. Yes most of my shots are less than 60 yards but if a longer shot is available I simply aim and shoot without worrying about holdover.

This in the Adirondacks.

MI hardwoods and ag field edges. Sight in dead on at 100, adjust for all else longer. Longest area really is about 305 yards end to end.

A nice thing about a reliable dialing scope is the zero can be whatever I want whenever I want.

That seems to get forgotten. +1

For NE whitetails, a 50 yd zero puts me +1/3" at 100 and -1/2" at 150.
This is a 7-08 pushing 139 Interlocks at about 2850.

using standard leupold duplex... 165gr 308 2 inches high at 100 will get me out to 300 dropping it right in the the breathers if i put the crosshairs on top of the back

i use the SBC Ballistics calculator lite Iphone app to figure drop

but it depends on the cal and load

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...

The range in my back yard is only 85 yards so 1" high at 85 for me. In over 35 years of hunting in Maine I have only shot two deer there were about 100 yards one with an open sighted Model 94 30/30 ( my first deer) and the other with a Ruger #1 30/06 with a Leupold 6x36. All the others have been under 50 yards.

100 yard zero usually. Sometimes 50 if I'm in a hurry. Longest poke I've taken at a critter is 70 yards, and the shortest is 15 feet.

Not to be a smarta$$, but is there a deer woods in RI where you can actually hunt with a scoped rifle? I’m stuck in SE MA for the foreseeable future, and I’m depressed with the hunting possibilities that exist here. Lord, get me back to the Green Mountain National Forest!

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?

Dead on at 100 or an inch high seems to be the two most common zeros in PA.

Mrchongo,
you might be surprised at the amount of people hunting RI with a high powered scope on their muzzleloaders and shotguns. I don’t. I run a red dot or peep sights. Very few places with shots over 60-70 yards on public land. Private land may have some 100 to 150 yard shots. However they’re rare.

Wherever I may be I'll take my little 1.5-4x20 scope set to 1.5x over iron sights anytime.

Actively chasing and tracking deer in blowing snow and thick cedars/hemlocks are where the Skinner setups shine.
Shots are close and fast. Gotta be ready.
Scopes with moisture all over the lenses hinder.

50yds dead on works well.

50 yards for irons
100 yards for scopes most shots are 75 yards or less by me 200 max on power lines

Pa, not New England.
Used to watch open fields out to "too damn far", hunted Colarado.
7mm/300 mags zeroed at 200 yards.

Gave up the trips, don't hunt fields as much. Missed a gimme at the
back if a does head off a solid rest, pretty sure it was because I forgot
to "aim low".

Now, 308, Swede, and yes, 760 '06, all hit dead on at 100.
Very little deviation over the 100 yard I'm likely to shoot, no need to
be concerned about drop out aways.

I hunt the Catskills in upstate NY. I think I've only killed one deer at over 100 yards. I sight in everything, 243, 30-30, 308, 30-06 & muzzleloader, dead-on at 100 yards. K.I.S.S.