Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting At what distance would you zero your .270? .30-06?

I sight most rifles to be spot on at 200 yards. That is the longest range I have access to and it has worked well for me.

Same, for elk and mule deer shooting 150g Noslers out of my 270 at 3000 fps I sight in at 3" at 100.

Chuck

I wouldn't zero a .30-06 'cause I dislike them. They kick too hard for what they are. For the .270 I would zero "at maximum point blank range".

Hadn�t noticed. Wish all my rifles were as gentle as my .30-06�s. You realize there is little difference and even that can be diminished by shooting lighter bullets in the 30-06???



That is like someone asking �What time is it� and you respond �January�. There is no such thing as a generic MPBR � you have to specify a target diameter, and even then it varies by load.

a 270 zeroed at 200 yds. is sufficient for any sane shot on elk you need to be taking. i've never hunted elk, but i think 300 yds. would probably be about the limit i would be taking a shot with a 270. maybe someone that has BTDT could respond? -keith

Well said!!!!

I'd say that's pretty close if you're comfortable with adjusting your elevation on your own out to 300 yards.

With a 130gr pill, zeroed at 200 yards, you are going to get roughly 5.5 inches of drop at 300 with a spitball of 1600 ft lbs of energy left.

For me, it depends. On smaller big game such as antelope, I prefer 2 to 2 1/2" high at 100 (reduces potential to overshoot at mid ranges). For elk, 3" high at 100.

I didn't read this entire thread but have we considered steep up/downhill shots? If you're zero'd at 300 yds, you're depending on gravity for that zero. If you're shooting at a steep angle at that distance, it seems to me you could be a foot or more high. Even higher for a longer shot.

Good point Jester, I had not considered that aspect of triangulating a steep shot.

To me it is easier to keep up with a 200 yard zero and remembering drop -7" @300 and -20" @400.
This also works well for the rifles that have Boone & Crockett reticled scopes.

All I can say is that many a time those bull elk are going to be just a tad further out than any 200 yards hunting out on public land. I always zero my elk (.338 win mag) rifle's at 300 yards dead on target. Now at 400 yards just aim top of the shoulder and behind and your in business.

I can certainly see by reading some of these posts, that we have a whole lot of experienced elk hunters commenting on zeroing a rifle for elk out West! Shooting at an elk on a 45-degree incline or decline is no different at 300 yards than it is a 200 yards, you still must compensate for the angle of the frigging shot.

The killing area on a bull elk is around the 20 x 16 inches at least! So if you can hit a 12 x 12 inch target, at 300 yards, your good to go. Now if you can't hit that 12 x 12 inch target, then you best practice up some more or rub your rabbits foot for that elk to come in to you under 200 yards perhaps. Now any guide worth his salt will tell you at camp to make sure your zeroed in with your rifle at 300 yards.

If he or she sees you can NOT hit squat with your gun, they will try to get you closer for the kill shot. I wonder if some of the people here have ever shot at a target past 200 yards. It certainly does seem so by reading these posts. I also believe the .270 Winchester is a little light for bull elk, unless you load your own with Nosler Partiton bullets in the 160 grain weight. I lean towards a 30-06 caliber rifle, with 180 grainers in the magazine much better suited for those big animals out West.

likewise, 270 is legal minimum for Sambar deer in oz which are very similar to elk in size and toughness.Most hunters shoot 3006 338 300 mag etc as they are often in very thick brush so you want them down pronto.

I shoot the Hornady Light Mags in 180 gr BTSP in my '06. I zero it at 200 yards. This puts me 2" high at 100 yards and at 300 I am 7 inches low and 21 inches low at 400.

"Suficient", yes.

"Optimum"? Depends on the shooter, but not for many.

I sight in my 06 dead on at 50yds, with rem 165gr CL's. It's about 2" or so ( a litte higher) at 100yds.

Shoot it at the ranges you want the info at. All the computer programs in the world won't make up for bench time.

I used to set her at 3" high at 100, but then at 25-50yds, which is more typical of what I shoot...it was way high.