I'm curious as to where you all zero your rifle scope with an elevation turret.

I just bought a Leupold VX-3HD 4.5x14 40mm CDS for my 240 Wby using 70 grain bullets. I can zero this rifle at 250 yards and not go over 2" out to 250 and not below -2.5" out to 300. I'm -6" at 350 and -10.6 at 400. I haven't run the numbers past 400, but feel I would like to use the turret dial at 350 and beyond. This is pretty much a coyote rifle. Long shots are rare, but do occur occasionally.

I read that some people zero at 100 or 200 yards, but feel this would require fiddling with the turret too much past 250 or so and I don't feel like fiddling with a turret at those ranges.

If I was using a scope like this for varmint hunting I would have time to turn a turret, but feel it's different for a hunting rifle.

I haven't ordered the custom dial yet.
Thx,
Yaddio

I zero at 100 and set to 200 for hunting.

I considered that, but can't your turret be turned by hiking and rubbing on backpacks or whatever since it's not at the zero stop?

Set at 100 - dial all the rest.

Zero at 100 and use the CDS turret as it was intended.

I ALWAYS maximize the zero,to the chambering and it's projectile. I can't think of a single platform,upon which I've a 100yd zero,for any application. Hint.

I'd slooowwwwww the fhuqk down and start with real scope. Hint..............

I zero at 200 which means I seldom need to dial while hu ting most of my shot are from 100 to 250 with an occasional 300. This setting makes dialing unnecessary for most of my hunting

I zero every centerfire I hunt with @ 200 independent of animal or chambering. I never wonder WTF with any rifle I'm grabbing. Most of them have a Nightforce w/IHR reticle. The 3MOA plus-sign cross-hair gets me a good handle on where to hold out to 400. Then it depends on how much time I have as to where I dial or make a reasonably educated quick guess on hold.

I zero at 200 and dial from there

All my CDS scopes are 200 zero. This Include 6.5CM, 270 win, 30/06.
The 300 win mag doesn’t have CDS but still zeroed at 200.
223 AR, 76239 AR and bolt , 9.3 are at 100

I zero at 200, 225, 250 depending upon the trajectory of the cartridge / load. Then dial if required.

Like others, zero at 100 and dial up to a practical distance while hunting. I want a confident zero, without eyesight limitations or atmospheric influences (wind, mirage, etc). I want to eliminate error in my zero. That’s harder to do with more range. Get a capped turret if worried about one rotating, but honestly, with a good scope, inadvertent turret twisting just doesn’t happen.

I zero at 100

I zero for 300 yards with all my rifles. It works for my type of hunting from yotes to Elk and everything in-between. Never felt the need to twist knobs, just use Kentucky windage if I need to shoot further, so far everything I have ever shot has stopped moving when I hit it.

Interesting responses... I would think that if one was to zero at 100 and dial up to 200 or 250 while hunting that they'd have to be quite confident in the scopes ability to accurately dial up.

Has anyone experienced turrets inadvertently dialing up or down while hunting? Like out of the zero lock and rubbing to another setting?

I zero at 200 yards, don’t have a place I hunt past 300 yards.

Sounds like you bought a scope you have no confidence in.

Leupold CDS?

Don’t buy a junk scope. Which means don’t buy most of them, even expensive ones! As to your other question, no, that doesn’t happen. And all it takes is a quick glance to verify.

I zero at 100 and dial MPBR when hunting. If farther than about 300, I’ll adjust from MPBR as necessary.

John

I like +2.5" at 100 yds. then out to 300yds will be 3.0" or less low.

Shooting it will hopefully build confidence. Like a lot of us I did a lot of online research before buying and then purchase in accordance with our budgets. Reviews vary and I have to take them with a grain of salt. I've never had a scope with adjustable turrets, first one for me, so I'll have to shoot and dial and build confidence. I've got a bunch of Leupolds going back many years and have confidence in them.

What I was thinking, besides accidentally moving a turret, was this: If you zero a rifle at your zero stop and keep it at that stop, it'll probably perform much like a scope without an adjustable turret. If you zero stop a rifle at say, 100 yds and then dial it up to 250 yds before hunting will it hold that same spot consistently?. If it does I'll be confident.

I set all of mine up so I can be zero'd at 100. While hunting wooded areas I leave it there. In open spots I set it to 200 and dial from there.

Depending on how the zero stop (if there is one) is set up, where I set the dial's 0 marker will vary. If it's a hard stop at 0 with no option to dial below I'll put the 0 at 100...this would be like the S&B PMII. On something like Nightforce's NXS zero stop, I'll put the hard stop at 100, then place the 0 mark at 200. Crank down to the hard stop when in the woods, dial to the marked 0 when in the open.

Zero at 200. Only need to dial past 300 yards for most situations.

Depends, on cartridge, scope, and use. .22s get zeroed at 50. CFs generally get zeroed at the farthest range that doesn’t require a midrange peak of over 1.5”, generally at 175-200. That’s mostly just in case, because it's been a long, long time since I had an opportunity at anything other than a woodchuck at over 100. Aside from a couple of SWFAs, my scopes, even if dependable dialers, have capped turrets, so holding over a bit is more practical since opportunities are fleeting. If I ever get an opportunity on one of the local farms, that could change.

A lot of you guys using Kentucky windage should try a ballistic type reticle. Especially if you are too nervous about dialing, or your scopes reliability.

For guns I only use locally (no really Big swings in atmospherics/altitude) I zero at 200.

For guns I travel with I zero at 100 and dial up to 200

Yep. For me, 90% of my shots in the field will be doable with MPBR that assumes a reasonable mid-range rise. When I need the "extra gears" of a turret or reticle, (either to extend range of POI or to increase short-range precision of POI) they are waiting in reserve.

This.

I bought the same scope, several times, and sent the dials to Leupold for customization. I zeroed the last one at 175 yards and the dial is set for the 175 zero and that's where it's locked, I would dial from there but in reality I have not had to as it's pretty flat to 300 yards or so and I have not had any opportunity for shots that far. Most target shooters would zero to 100 and dial from there but hunters don't always have the luxury of time to dial.

For centerfires I zero at 100, for rimfires 50, and adjust as needed. It is not needed far more often than it is needed.

Amen John!

^this guy gets it

Agreed. It’s silly. There’s no need for that these days.

This ^

I'm firmly in the camp of either setting zero at MPBR or rolling with a 200 yard zero. When a shooter buck stands up from the cattails at roughly 275 yards or when that big bull stops trotting and looks back at roughly 325 yards, I don't want to have to range and dial in order to hit them. Dialing is for when I have time to make a long shot, not for the 350 and in shots. 100 yard zeros are for guys that probably don't need a scope with turrets and guys that are competitive target shooting.

i zero at 300, one turn on the turret gets most calibers 850-1000 yards,,, i hate spinning more then one revolution

It is always a treat to be regaled by the Dim Bulb Masses,with the recountings of their oblivious STUPIDITY,under the guise of doing their best. HINT.

Thanks for the laughs Ladies! Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!...............

Same here. 90% of my rifles are zeroed at 250. Works great for a 0-300 easy shot and the ability to dial beyond is always there.

Yes then can and do move, expecially when riding a backpack. If I'm worried, I'll electrical tape the turrets. The Athlon turrets on the helos lock, which is really nice.

Another vote for zero as far as is practical with the cartridge/bullet you use. With the majority of modern big game cartridges in common use, dialing on game for anything up to 300 is generally a waste of precious time


Get a solid dialing scope with a measuring reticle and go have some fun. And, as counterintuitive as it might seem, reliability in scopes is not always a matter of budget; I was just notified that a bunch more 6x SWFA are headed my way. IIRC, the cost per unit with shipping is around $225. With the distances you're talking about shooting, the 6x will be good plenty.

Think Burris Posi-Lock... but then people would forget it was locked and force the adjustments making things even worse!

Phil

Zero at 100yds. Set about 200 - 250 yards for walking around hunting. Dial for distance.

I have had turrets ghost turn, but it's uncommon and there's several ways around it. I zero stop everything, and I've gotten into the habit of making sure the turret is turned down to zero as soon as I pull the rig off my shoulder or out of a pack/case/scabbard. With a paint marker I paint an arrow on the top so I can quickly check that it's where it's supposed to be. I often use a neoprene scope cover that keeps the turrets from turning.

Far more widespread than ghost turning is forgetting to turn back to zero after a shot and/or after a set up for a shot you don't take. As such, even if there's a locking tab or pull up style lock, it's a good practice to continually confirm turret is at zero. Years back I had a Leupold locking tab get pushed in somehow and the turret turned; I could also see the same thing happening with the pull style locks some of my scopes have. The only guarantee is a capped turret, which are getting harder to find on scopes built to be dialed on.

Ringman:


What's the point of zeroing at 100 if you're going to walk around with the turret turned up off zero?

It's no difference really. Some folks just like to zero at 100 and then set the turret for the typical POI range they expect to encounter (maybe 200-250yds) which doesn't hurt things on a quick presentation inside those ranges. For them, it is mentally categorizing any range past 100yds as an adjustable zero. Maybe they are in the woods, so they leave it at 100. Maybe they are in the open, so they leave it at 250. It doesn't matter what is "zero", as long as your accounting is right. Kind of like measuring ingredients in a 1lb mixing bowl. Some will tare the scale with the bowl so that any weight indicated is ingredients only. Some might leave the scale alone and just automatically deduct 1lb from the scale reading. Same result.

If this is a coyote calling rifle I'd zero for what gives the MPBR on a coyote sized target. Calling in coyotes to close or mid range is no time to be wondering about zeros and fiddling with knobs. Now if one hangs up at longer range then there is more often time to get an accurate range then dial-shoot.

Looks like everyone has their own way of doing this. I’ve got a very flat shooting 240 Wby shooting 70 grainers and I can hold spot on out to 300yds. I’m going to zero this rifle at 250 and dial up for shots 350 and above.

Coyotes here I come.

Thanks for the input and thanks to Big Stick for giving me my first “Hint”.

Yaddio

That’s what I’m gonna do.

100 yards with my MOA scopes

100 meters with my MRadiators

Not everyone can take a fhuqking Hint,though they "think" they can...which is of course THE funniest fhuqking part. Hint.



Reticles matter,along with mechanical integrity. Read that again. Now one more time. HINT.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!.................

If only to hand out more slack on the rope. Hint.

ALL .243" 70's suck fhuqking ass. Hint.

.610 BC 112's here at 3300fps,out of the mechanically superior Six Twat-Six and Lapooey brass. Hint.






By simply looking through the fhuqking thing(3-12x LRTS G3) and a sane 250yd zero in my current atmosphere,I can easily contend elevation,windage and lead corrections...ala Base Ten. POA/POI deviates no more than 2.5" from the muzzle,to the 300yd line. 1000yds is a miserly 5.3 Mil ele correction and there's meaningful impact velocity at same,with FINITE Control of any/all situations,by simply looking through the fhuqking thing and never touching a turret. Hell...you're even gonna have to look through that fhuqking Reupold,while being mechanically fhuqking COMPROMISED. Hint.

Parallax control don't suck,nor do locking windage. HINT.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!...............

How’re the 112’s holding up on bucks vs the 105 HPBTs?

My cousin has been using 105’s in his 240 as I loaded and they’re beyond hell on deer.

If you happen to be hunting thick black timber because the elk are holed up (which we all know happens sometimes), or a similar situation, a 100 yd zero is nice. YMMV

You can knock Stick, got a feeling he’s used to it, but in this case he’s right. Weatherby cartridges were built on maximizing speed in a bygone era. Light and fast to minimize error for Kentucky holdover. Back before anyone understood ballistic coefficients. Just push a bullet as fast as possible because that made it fly flat at typical ranges. Which are considered short by today’s standards. Outdated thinking now, although as this thread proves, some still adhere to it.

You would be well served by a healthy dose of ballistic study and understanding the superiority of higher BC, heavier bullets. In todays day and age, with rangefinders, ballistic calculators, scope dials, calibrated reticle subtensions, and the like, light and fast thinking is obsolete. A heavier, sleeker bullet will outrun that little blunt 70gr pill in short order.

'retzs,

The 112 MB's are more reliable/predictable than a SMK of the ilk(but what isn't) and more rugged than a Booger. Hint.

I BLEED 105's,but in a platform that'll fling the 112's,I'd certainly give 'em a whirl. Haven't rattled any through a Krunchenticker yet,so can't comment on how they like the violent trip,from mag to chamber. Hint.............

Others have said the same thing in different ways.

I can zero at any range as I have proper turrets etched in yardage.

Typically it's done at 100yds as thats a common distance but I could zero at 418 yds or whatever is available.

Adjust point of aim to point of impact and then slip turrets to that range.

I would typically carry on the 200yds zero but might dial down to 100yds for killing flies or head shooting rabbits and such at 100 yds.

I am probably going to dial if more than an MOA difference between POA and POI.

Well, so is a 200 yard zero in the timber. Real close at 50 yards.....

You can knock Stick, got a feeling he’s used to it, but in this case he’s right. Weatherby cartridges were built on maximizing speed in a bygone era. Light and fast to minimize error for Kentucky holdover. Back before anyone understood ballistic coefficients. Just push a bullet as fast as possible because that made it fly flat at typical ranges. Which are considered short by today’s standards. Outdated thinking now, although as this thread proves, some still adhere to it.

You would be well served by a healthy dose of ballistic study and understanding the superiority of higher BC, heavier bullets. In todays day and age, with rangefinders, ballistic calculators, scope dials, calibrated reticle subtensions, and the like, light and fast thinking is obsolete. A heavier, sleeker bullet will outrun that little blunt 70gr pill in short order.[/quote]

Plenty of people understood BCs back in the day. Maybe you didn't but I did. But fast twist rifles like the 6.5s and their like have become much more popular over the past few years and have woke up shooters and rifle manufacturers to shoot them. Just look at the .308 Win being eclipsed by cartridges like the Creedmore and others. I've shot plenty of high BC bullets and understand ballistics quite well, (as a retired engineer from a major aerospace company we sometimes had to learn a few things.... like science). BUT, I'm shooting 70 grain Hammer Hunters. I shoot them because #1 I live in a state that requires lead-free bullets, (like most of you will be someday), and to the best of my knowledge this rules out almost all heavier, high BC bullets, at least for the twist in my barrel, #2 they're so freaking accurate I'm very confident they'll go where I aim, #3 At 3700+ fps it shoots plenty flat for me, #4 the HHs just plain knock the crap out of them, #5 while coyote hunting I frequently run into wild hogs and a 70gr HH will penetrate just fine, #6 This is a rifle I bought 30 years ago, (a bygone era if you will), and I've enjoyed this rifle and the customization I've done to it over the years , #7 I'm just plain having fun shooting them.

Oh, and I didn't knock Stick, that was just a tongue in cheek comment.

Plenty of people understood BCs back in the day. Maybe you didn't but I did. But fast twist rifles like the 6.5s and their like have become much more popular over the past few years and have woke up shooters and rifle manufacturers to shoot them. Just look at the .308 Win being eclipsed by cartridges like the Creedmore and others. I've shot plenty of high BC bullets and understand ballistics quite well, (as a retired engineer from a major aerospace company we sometimes had to learn a few things.... like science). BUT, I'm shooting 70 grain Hammer Hunters. I shoot them because #1 I live in a state that requires lead-free bullets, (like most of you will be someday), and to the best of my knowledge this rules out almost all heavier, high BC bullets, at least for the twist in my barrel, #2 they're so freaking accurate I'm very confident they'll go where I aim, #3 At 3700+ fps it shoots plenty flat for me, #4 the HHs just plain knock the crap out of them, #5 while coyote hunting I frequently run into wild hogs and a 70gr HH will penetrate just fine, #6 This is a rifle I bought 30 years ago, (a bygone era if you will), and I've enjoyed this rifle and the customization I've done to it over the years , #7 I'm just plain having fun shooting them.

Oh, and I didn't knock Stick, that was just a tongue in cheek comment.[/quote]
I live in CA too. And I shoot Hammers too. They are great until really long range entered into the equation.

But your statement just proved a part of my point. When your .240 Bee was conceived, they didn’t think about long bullets and high BC’s, like many other cartridges too, which is why it isn’t twisted to take advantage of any decent high BC bullets. I understand your reasons, but there are better options, even from Hammer, you just need a faster twisted barrel.

Most of my scopes have that sort of reticle, and I use the apps to figure out where the aiming points are “on”, and verify at the range. That’s the “holding over a bit” I was referring to, not just wishing and hoping and holding the center point high. In practice, as mentioned, I don't get field opportunities that require holdover, certainly not dialing, and I hold dead on because my trajectory is effectively flat at the ranges I shoot game.

.22s are another matter, and at 200, sometimes at 100, they get dialed, but that’s just range playing.

No argument there sir, all my non turreted rifles are zeroed at 200. With turrets I prefer a 100 yd, especially on "slower" cartridges. It also simplifies sighting in.

I see no point in having to be 1.75-2" high at one range but dead on at all others, especially when I'm going to reach my personal maximum on a game animal before I run out of elevation on the scope anyway. If I'm in an area where I feel a 200 yd shot is going to be the norm, I just leave the turret set at that while I'm there.

Simple, to me at least.

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer, its just personal preference.

Bill

You aren't likely to miss big game animals at dark timber ranges if your rig has a zero close to MPBR. For context, I'm referring to the relatively flat shooting cartridges on which people generally put dialing scopes. If you're hunting with a pumpkin launcher cartridge, then of course a closer zero makes sense. My dedicated snow tracking rifles are set to 100.

As I posted earlier in regards to ghost turning turrets and forgetting to zero a turret after a shot or after getting ready but then not taking a shot, I'm in the habit of regularly checking that that the elevation turret is twisted down to it's zero stop; it's subconscious at this point. Accordingly, I wouldn't care to walk around with my turret dialed up off zero as a regular practice. I guess I don't see the utility in it, unless you're shooting varmints or very small targets. Obviously, to each his own, use what works, ymmv, etc.

all would depend on the scope and the reticle. as close as a 100 but as far as far away as 250 .. meters or yards depending on which is the most applicable

People have disagreements with my little buddy, Stick. However, most people don't "knock" him for his opinion on the subject of any given thread topic. They knock him for being a complete and total a-hole which is his "Big Schtick", pun intended. And, yes, "he's used to it", it's his whole M.O. Just go look at how he posts on other forums and how he used to post here; completely normal language and conversations. His 24HCF persona is to be the biggest a-hole on the forum. I accept that. Heck, it's fun.

200yard zero here. But I hunt in Colorado, other western states, and AK/Canada. I’m originally From Michigan, in the area that I grew up hunting there is no way you could ever get a 200 yard shot. 100 yards zero would make a lot more sense if I did that type a Hunting still.

you have your idea. Thats what matters. I zero ours where I want to. Could care less how others do it. Same with irons and I have some weird ways with irons but they work so well for me...

You want to. Do it. You don't need to conform to anyone. See how it works. You will keep it or change it. Really simple.

With my Bausch and Lomb Elite on my .30-06 I zeroed it at 200, with most shots being well under 300 yards.

With My Huskemaw Blue Diamond on my .300 Win Mag not sure because the turret was ranged and etched by my gunsmith, all I do is dial the the turret to match the distance after I range the animal, aim and pull the trigger, love not having to do any calculations so I can focus on the shot.

I’m a 3” high at 100 yards kind of guy…
That generally has my zero at around 250 or so.

Ballistic calculator shows me my come ups/down and verify on the range.

Mrad turrets and reticle to match, ffp.
Dial for anything 300 and beyond.

I love this system- it’s the easy button and once you’ve used it in the field for a while it really grows your confidence……

That's the funniest thing I've read on here yet......

want easy you should try BDX sig....

Interesting thread. I zero all my standard hunting rifles with or without turrets at 200. No reason for me not to. I am not shooting groups in the field just want a drt on my game. That means 0-250 I am point and shoot. Over that I start dialing.

Now on my old and antiquated, per this thread by some, 257 Roy with a hot 110 accubond load I zero at 275 and don’t start dialing till past 350.

Spence

200 on everything works for me. Rio7

My come ups work from a 100yds zero. Simple. Most of my area is 250 yards and under. The 100yds setting is not good at 250 yards.

The 200 yard zero definitely works for 250 and even 300.without the need to dial. Come ups will work from any zero setting

If you have good DOPE, it makes almost no difference at which distance you choose to zero your rifle and slip your turrets. What does matter, is where you set your elevation turret while hunting with the rifle. Due to convenience, I often zero at 100 m (anywhere from 0-1.5" high), and depending on the terrain and expected shot distance, I typically have the elevation turret set for a 200 m zero while hunting. I dial for anything beyond about 250-300 m.

I agree.

There really isn't a question of the better ballistics of the heavier higher BC bullet. And I know we are all long range snipers on here.

But in this case the high BC bullets no worky, if I'm reading the OPs post right. Not a fast enough twist.

IF this is for calling coyotes, having the flattest trajectory to a close or mid range could be a useful strategy. What load would work for that?

The original post was about where you set turrets, not about not needing them. I have dozens of rifles with ballistic turrets, most of which are the Swarovski Z-5 3.5-18X44. I set the first mark of the zero stop turret on 100 and then each colored dot afterwards is +100 yards out to 400.

Your preference may vary and that is no problem because the Swarovski BT is easily set at any given range you would choose, regardless of cartridge or bullet. It is so simple and precise, I don't see any need of mildots or other reticles as in most hunting/shooting distances, they are usually well below 500 yards.

Even if you decide to stretch that distance out past 600-700 yards, the BT on the Swarovski is easily set to your desired range and checked by shooting to determine that it is on the target without messing around with charts and BC...

On those POS swaro's, I set the zero stop at 200, pointer at 300 and the 3 stupid little dots at 400, 500 and 600. But since you only get one turret rev, most cals can't even make it to the 600 with a 200 yard zero......

Try turning the scope around, you are looking through it backwards. It would also help to put it on something besides a BB gun that will shoot flat enough that you don't need 3 revolutions to get past 50 yards...

This will be funny.

Shrappy Baldwin might want to slow his roll but I don't see that happening.

Maybe he will post pictures of his goto SWARO and the connection of the DOTS to the range as the picture he stole of the net would get to about 350yds from a 200yds zero.

But then we will have to wonder why he didn't just post his own setup from the get go?

We help a great many folks zero their rifles at my local range. We can shoot out to 650 or so with targets at 100,200 and 235 on one range and then steel at 150, 250,350,450, 550, and 600. Whether dialing or using the Ballistic plex or what ever we get folks hitting at various ranges. The next week not sure they can hit the berm. I try to get them to mark a 100yd zero as it makes it much easier to recheck their zero. Surprising how many folks do not want to walk back to the 100 yd range and a paper target to see what is happening. We also consistently find loose mounts and scopes that flat do not work. My favorite is when you remove the scope and it rattles. Surprising how often the same scope will show up later with the same person on a different rifle.
Where ever you zero have some way to verify. Murphy was an optimist.

+1 same as these guys

You got me, I have to rely on the internet to find relevant pictures and I just found another one...

LOL.

Connect those dot setting to ranges on those rifles.

Start top to bottom with bullet and velocity and the range each dot was set.

You're to dumb to understand we can all see none of the optics have been setup for ranges.

A barn is a good place to sight in.

I do the same

100 yards!

I am happy I amuse you huntsman22 lol

Would you like to know my reasoning why I had my Gunsmith range and set up my Blue Diamond, once I explain, it will probably make more sense?

By the way great Avatar, and nice Stetson!

KB

I doubt it. If you explained it, you probably still wouldn't know where it was zero'ed.....

What's amazing is no one even mentioning knowing what the trajectory is first...


Phil

Needs to be zeroed first

I don't need to know with my Huskemaw, but I am prepared to explain if you like? I can find out with 1 phone call.

I can understand how that sounds funny, but there is really no need to know with my Huskemaw. With my BSA P17, that is an entirely different matter and I have to know where it is zeroed, in fact I zeroed it myself.

Not trying to be confrontational, just trying to give you some insight, because I know it will make sense to you, if I do :o)

Not if you have no idea what your trajectory is, or is going to be...

One of my favorite articles on trajectory and testing...

.45-70 at Two Miles: The Sandy Hook Tests of 1879

Link

4 pages...


Phil

I think his point is - if someone else did load development and etched the turret - all it takes is variation in that load components to make all of it useless. Change from base to ogive in a different lot of bullets - you're off at range. Change in powder consistency, brass volume, primer ignition - all off and different.

Good morning Teal, I trust your coffee was good this AM and your day has started off well.

Your summary is pretty much spot on, with the exception that I do not load my own rounds,, neither did my gunsmith, but they did etch the turret and tested 5 different rounds/Brands at their 800yard range through the new barrel I put on it, to find the best round for that particular barrel.

I only shoot factory rounds. With my custom built .300 Win Mag Weatherby I shoot Nosler Trophy Grade ABLRs in 190gr. If I switched rounds I would have to get another turret etched to match the ballistics, so you are correct.

There is a little more to the story, since I altered this rifle from its factory state, which shot like chit. To make a long story short, it is a LR Killing machine now and it definately was not that out of the box.

Have a great Thursday!

KB

Pfffffffff.....if your ever up in Alberta let's go shooting and we will see who gets the last laugh Maxwell, lol

Very entertaining thread.

It would be more telling for you to shoot that rig someplace besides where it's sighted in and is commonly used. If you don't know where it's zeroed, how do you account for atmospheric changes and changes to cartridge componentry?

Maybe you only use it at one location and you've put away a lifetime supply of the ammo you use? But, this isn't the reality for a lot of hunters who travel and or shoot a lot and are constrained to use different components here and there in times of shortage

My concern would also be - factory ammo changes, I'm SOL with the custom turret. Need a new one and lay in another supply of the new factory ammo.

It's why I prefer turrets that are simply MIL/MOA - works on all loads, all locations.

KB - if it works for you, great. Only person that has to be happy is you. Just a discussion and for me, the last thing I'd ever own is a turret or BDC type reticle that's married to a specific load because once that load changes either by accident or design - the turret becomes inaccurate.

So what do you do with temperature changes? Or elevation? How much ammo do you have from that exact same lot? What will you do when you run out? As many are insinuating, this is not a process to be outsourced. It’s something the shooter should do himself, as there should be a required minimum level of knowledge if one is to become a long range hunter. This is not a place for taking the easy route.

I’m not trying to be confrontational either, but the vibe you are getting about this stems from the fact that in the opinion of most, you should not be hunting live animals at any real distance when you don’t have even the most basic understanding of how or where your rifle is zero’d. The Huskemaw marketing campaign of “just crank our blue turret and bang away” with zero experience or little knowledge required, rubs people the wrong way, and you are exemplifying it.

Good morning Starbuck, I trust you are off to a great and fun Thursday!

I am not by any means an expert on ballistics, and there are thousands of folks that can run circles around me on the topic, that is for sure. I do not load my own rounds anymore for the simple reason that I do not shoot enough to warrant the expense in order to do so.

My typical year of hunting I hunt for around 4 days and come home with three Deer and a moose, and I shoot as many rounds. I can say this about myself I happen to be a very good shot.

I only hunt in certain locations in Alberta, at the moment, pretty much same elevations. When I figured out which ammo my rifle loved I bought 10 boxes of them (and it wasn't cheap!)with the same lot # and that will last me for quite a few more years.

In order to etch the Huskemaw turret you need to send the information of the round you are using to include elevation etc, you hunt in and the Huskemaw distributors do the work.

This is the second rifle I have put a Huskemaw on, the first was my Browning Mountain Ti in .300 WSM, awesome rifle! I trust my Gunsmiths to to my work, they are considered the best in Canada, and they are one of two gun stores and gunsmiths (I believe) in Canada that sell and set up the Huskemaw.

Both rifles sent back to me are sub-MOA shooters and it does not get better than that f you ask me. I specifically bought the rifle I posted pictures of to hunt Elk, because them Bastirds are always 500 yards+ away when you get an opportunity and my .30-06. isn't set up for that type of shooting.

Have a great day ~

KB

KB:

Seems to fit your use profile. Glad you're happy with it. My questions were aimed at providing context for those who see this thread and would potentially expect the system and methodologies you and others use to be transferable to their situations, only to be let down because some key expectations they might have at the outset aren't addressed.

Certainly BDC reticles and turrets are serviceable for the hunter who hunts in the same area/elevation year over year and only uses a supply of ammo that is exactly the same in every way. My point is that is not a lot of hunters; I know a few guys who've taken their custom turret equiped rigs to different places and were let down at the most inopportune time because they were lulled into a false sense of long range confidence/capability by purveyors and marketers of custom turrets.

Hey KB

Sounds like no shooting was done to verify the drops on the engraved turrets BEFORE they were engraved

They may be close, but I doubt it


Also, if 200 rounds will last you “years”, I hope you are shooting other rifles for practice. No one with any clue whatsoever believes that they can be proficient with a rifle at longer ranges where turrets need dialing by creating less spent primers than it takes to fill a thimble

OP here:
I've handloaded a bunch of rounds for this gun. 240 Wby. IMR-4350 and 70 grain Hammer Hunters. Weatherby and Norma brass. Fed 210M. I've only shot one box of factory ammo thru this gun and it was 30 years ago with the box of ammo that came with the gun. I have plenty of brass to last in the future. The rifle has evolved from a stock Mk V to a rifle with a Shilen barrel and McMillan stock. Scope is a VX-3HD CDS 4.5 x 14, 40mm.

3668 fps avg. 5/8 inch groups.

100 +1.5 inches
200 +1.4 inches
250 zero
300 -2.4 inches
350 -5.9 inches
400 -10.6 inches

The above is calculated using the Hornady Ballistic Calculator and Chronographed at 10 feet.

I'm required to shoot lead-free bullets. (95 partitions were my bullet of choice before lead-free).

I try to hunt weekly, weather permitting, at a ranch in Central California where the temps don't change too drastically. Same for the elevation, not much change. I hunt for coyotes for the most part, but would whack a pig with it if given the opprotunity. I have plenty of rifles, so if I travel to hunt I'm well stocked with rifles for all sorts and sizes of game from eastern whitetail thru Africa Plains Game.

I wouldn't order a turret using the Hornady Ballistic calculations only, but I will verify at actual distances, but from past experience the ballistic calculators are pretty close. First custom turret is free from Leupold. If I decide to change loads in the future I can order another for $80 bucks, but I don't anticipate changing loads anytime soon. I have 60 rounds loaded up and am almost out of IMR-4350, so I'm good for a while. I'm sure 4350 will turn up in the future. Hammer Hunters seem to be ALWAYS in stock. Thank God I have primers.

Since this rifle shoots so flat I believe I'm going to zero the rifle at 250 yards and dial up for 350+. Mostly the yotes come running in and most of my shots are under 100-200 yards. I've had them hang up at 400-450 before, so I would like to dial up for the coyotes that don't want to cooperate.

It's been interesting reading all the reports on how people use turrets. Appreciate all the comments.

Hello there rcamuglia, I trust your new year is going great and you are ready for another year of good health and fun!

Not sure exactly how many rounds they put through it, but I can tell you that when I got it back the paint was worn off the bottom of the stock butt. Not only did they shoot it a lot, they also shot 5 different brand name rounds through it to determine which bullet the new barrel like the best Nosler was the most accurate.

Corlane Sporting Goods Ltd in Dawson Creek in BC do my work for me and they are excellent! Not only do they sell Huskemaw they also build custom LR rifles from scratch for hunters throughout Canada.

I shoot at the beginning of each year to make sure the rifle scope is on and it have not been knocked around, no issues so far, and never had a single misfire due to a bad primer.

In my youth I personally handloaded thousands of rounds. I had lots of misfires back in them days with primers that we purchased in bulk. Never had that issue with of the shelf yet, but you could be right and it may happen. If it does I will have to buy more ammo right? I would hate to take a shot on and elk and not hear a BANG, just a click that's for sure!

The gentleman in the picture below is the man that does the work on my rifles and does the shooting with it to etch the turret, he shot the beautiful Grizz below a few years back. He told me that Grizz was coming for him when he killed it. Last thing you need in a case like that is a misfire hey?

In any case, what I do works for me, I am sure there are better ways of doing things! As mentioned I am not an expert by any means, but I fill my freezer every year I hunt and that is why I hunt.

Have a great day my friend ~

KB

There’s no fuggen hope.




Take care, Willie

For general hunting a zero at 200 yards is fine, but I don't do that. I zero 2" high at 100 yards. But then I don't dial or shoot past 400 yards. Holding the crosshair on the back of a deer @ 400 yards will put my calibers (and most) in the kill zone. Out to about 300+ you can hold dead on.

Varmint hunting is different, and I'm looking into getting a scope that dials.

You’re wasting your breath. That requires understanding. Understanding requires research and experience. He just wants the easy button.

He does. And he’s proven that in multiple statements.

What is this copycat nonsense?

KillerBee comes on here and now that he has posted 15 times a day to become someone of note. Well you have but since the mention in the Beaver awards, You think you are now Dwayne with your feeble attempt for genuine consideration of campfire members. The nice salutation is nothing but insincere copycat and you need to not tarnish the reputation of BC30cal (Dwayne).

Time to have your own ID and leave Dwayne's intact.

As a habit, I've set mine at 200 back before turret days. I've kept with that so i don't have to wonder where my zero is. The zero stop complicates things for close shots. Just know your rifles.
22 RF get set at 50
17HMR 100.
Air rifle 30
Shotgun 40

My few exceptions

Hi HitnRun, I trust your afternoon is going swell.

Personally I see no issues with being polite, in my business I use the similar salutations with clients and suppliers and have for years.

Everyone has their own way of approaching their shooting and hunting endeavours to include how to buy a rifle how to set it up, how to shoot it etc.

With that understanding I believe that everyone is entitled to take the approach that works best for them. I chose my route with the Huskemaw because it best suited my needs. I am not interested in shooting hundreds of rounds, nor am I interested in developing custom rounds or paying for the associated costs involved. Nosler ABLRs cost a lot of $$$, not only that but you can not even buy them in Canada now, so I am happy I bought a bunch when I did.

As an example I can consistently hit a 2" diameter with my bow @ 80 yards, do I go every day to prove I can? NO. I only shoot my bow preseason until I am satisfied that I am not rusty,. I know people that go every week and enjoy shooting their bow, although I appreciate their enthusiasm, it does not turn my crank if you know what I mean? Don't get me wrong, I understand the thrill of shooting and have personally shot many thousands of rounds and enjoyed it immensely when I did.

With my .300 and Huskemaw I can hit an 8" plate @ 500 yards in nice groups repetitively, so I don't need to do it over and over again to prove I can. In fact I have nothing to prove.

In any case I have for the last time learned my lesson. I am never going to post on anything scope wise it seems to always turn into a chit show.

Have a great day man ~

KB

Then you have zero business shooting at an animal beyond 300 yards. Period.

OK, I will definitely give up hunting and sell my rifles and bow immediately! Hell I may as well stop fishing as well since I can't cast!

Opps I forgot my shotguns gotta sell them too, because I would not want to wing a teal!

You are so wise to set me on the right path SDHNTR, thank you so very much!!!

Have a great day, DaddyO! Lmao

KB

Tag

I'm in agreement with this^^^ . Really though as long as it is actually zeroed, who gives a fugg?? I was just looking at one of my targets I posted in the 9.3 thread. This is "zeroed":


Use what works:


Sorry, I don't have any pictures of the squirrels I took the heads off of with that rifle..

Here's another fairly "zeroed" rifle:

Killed this moose with my .30-06 BSA P17 Standing Free hand @ 525 yards with Winchester SuperX 180 gr., trumps your elk BSA MAGA and I'll be my BSA is prettier than any one of yours. Not that I really GAF :o)

...he said, clearly giving enough of a F to dig up photos and spew a bunch of gibberish in response.

Dude, you've got issues. 15 posts a day? That's gotta be some kind of record. You've posted photos of your glazed ham in at least three different threads today.

I think it might be time to take a little Campfire break, for your own mental health. Do the rest of us some good, too.

Before KB, takes a breather on posting….I gotta ask him this question: How did you end up taking a 525 yard shot, standing and offhand at that moose?

I’m not saying you did or didn’t make that shot. I’m just curious what prevented you from going prone, or shooting off your pack?


🦫

525 yard off hand shot ? That is one lucky shot. I don’t know many guys that can do that. Or risk it to wound an animal. Not very hunter like, IMO.
I bet if I put 12” gong out at that distance you’d be 1 for 10 if lucky to hit it standing and holding free stand.
Or you’re just that good ? Nah

God what a worthless [bleep] t.great

HitnRun nailed it.

The ham sucking hockey player made me laugh! Well done!

Hi Beaver, I hope your evening is going great and you already have had a few quality beers under you belt :o)

Before I tell you the story I want to say for the record that I can not believe I won a coveted Beaver award, I am not worthy!!

On the other hand Dwayne certainly is. I have been accused of posting in a similar manner as Dwayne does and it's partially true, because being polite is always a good thing. Dwayne has it down to a science and I like learning and growing from people better than myself, which Dwayne certainly is!

It was the first day of rifle season for moose November 1/2016. I was hunting in one of my favorite moose hunting spots, pretty remote and the only access is by quad. You will notice where I positioned myself at the end NW corner of the marsh on a quad trail, I got there on my Polaris 500 Sportsman Quad, which is in fact the only way to get there because its pretty remote and the entire way there is boggy, not even walkable and also way too far to walk! The reason why I own a 500 and not an 800 is due to the weight the 800 they bog down in the swampy areas and get stuck where I hunt moose, whereas the 500's don't get bogged down as much. I typically hunt alone so getting stuck SUCKS! It takes about an hour to get to there from where I park my truck to get to this particular area.

So in that HUGE marsh there is a peninsula of evergreens that comes out to a point from the east side as drawn almost exactly in the middle of this huge swamp to about 1/5 of the way out into the meadow, which is surround by Willows a moose's favorite food in my neck of the North 40. I sat there for awhile observing and there was no movement. I happen to be an expert moose caller so I figured that I may as well start doing some "cow in heat calls" to see if any moose would respond. Typically in Alberta the best calling time is during the first week of October, so the odds were not in my favor, but I had heard that bulls do respond late in the season, so why not try??

So from the quad trail on the map where I was parked, I started doing the cow calls, sat there watching and repeating my calls. Within 15 minutes while glassing the area sure enough out walks this bull moose in the photo in the picture above. He came out to the point of the peninsula looking around.

The marsh was wide open and if I had of started my quad to get to him I would have blown my cover so I started walking through the marsh directly to the moose, however being swampy walking was a no go and I was sinking up to my knees.

So I backed out a distance so I could get some elevation with a clear shot. Being a Bowhunter, I always have my rangefinder on me, so I ranged him, he was at 525 yards and I eventually had a clear shot from a higher elevation I backed out to.

The first shot I missed, and he stood there without moving wondering what the heck was going on, the next shot I adjusted and lowered my aim point, he dropped completely out of sight. As I watched he got back up and trotted back into the peninsula, but I knew that because he dropped the way he dropped it was a good/deadly shot, since moose dont drop like that unless they are hurting bad. I was even surprised he got up, and pissed as I recall.

Prone I would have been laying in Grass, there were not trees or branches to rest my rifle on, it was my only shot, I do have confidence in my shooting, so I took it.

I went back to my quad and drove across the marsh to the point of the peninsula where he dropped and tracked him into the wooded evergreens where he was laying dead about 50 yards in.

It was that night that I decided to purchase a rifle with a better scope and that moose is why I purchased my Weatherby with the Huskemaw, I hate guess work and my new set up is more appropriate for longer shots.

Thank you for taking the time to read this long winded story, I kept it as brief as possible.

Also thank you again for your prestigious Award, it was unexpected that's for sure!

Zero at 100 yards.

You guys are right! I post way too much.

Way too much time on my hands, that will end as of now.

My apologies - OUT.

Cheers ~

Great picture , dude.

Oh em gee!

El oh el!!!

KB sounds a lot like HC.

Where did all that courtesy go?





Sounds more like Roundoak. 525 yards offhand with a 30/06! The shooting beats the map drawing.

Or Roundoak.

He claims to be “an expert caller” and then says that he’s heard that moose don’t respond well to late season calling. It seems “an expert caller” should know one way or the other firsthand.

525 yards shooting offhand. He says his first shot was high after ranging it so he lowered his hold for the second shot. That only makes sense if he didn’t know his dope and was shooting from a rest. The issue at 525 yards shooting offhand obviously isn’t just knowing your holds but would be being able to shoot accurately offhand at 525 yards…

The map definitely isn't in the same league as the one showing the way to Bob's place for gopher shooting. You've seen that one I'm sure.

Sometimes one just needs to conclude it is time to lay down one's shovel and to stop digging.

Yes. On the Fire it seems like they drop the shovel and buy an excavator.

LOL😆

Well, gents, there are folks who can hit targets offhand at 547 yards. They are silhouette shooters. When I was younger I had a wildcat .224. While fireforming I fired twenty shots at a 410 yards away 15" gong. I hit it twenty times out of twenty shots firing from a standing position. My wife called me a showoff. I had two bullets left so I fired twice at the 547 yard ram and hit it both times. The two bullets hit 8" apart.

Now I would be lucky to do that from a sitting position. I have what I call "old man tremors". I discovered, because of the tremors, I can no longer make out the wire on the fence 134 yards from the porch with 8X binoc. By switching to 7X I can see the wire again.

You were doing that on an inanimate object, not a live animal. Huge difference. One is fun, one is wrong.

Have used a 300 yard zero on our hunting rifles for about 30 years, and are very comfortable with this set-up. When we got our turret scopes we stayed with the 300 yard zero. I may be incorrect in my logic, but I think that having the 300 yard zero…..the turret adjustments will be more accurate at extended ranges! memtb

Taking that position is a slippery slope. Throwing stones inside a glass house.

Your zero distance doesn't change the accuracy of your turret adjustments, but it does affect PBR.

This thread is delivering

Fugging hilarious

Lol. It’s like a movie with too many plot lines that never conclude.

Interesting thread:



Never had a etched turret, with zero at 200, it ain't hard to figure out your come up's for different ranges with any good scope, it's called dope by us dummies in S.Texas. Rio7

What a chit show this has become lol

Huskemaw Turrets are not etched buy the scope owner, they are etched by a gunsmith the has an appropriate lazer, they also need to know the Brand Name and gr. of the ammo, the muzzle velocity, elevation and average temperature.

So I missed the first shot, Big Fuggen deal, like nobody that has posted here or that has had after a hunting and shooting career that has spanned 54 years, hasn't, ya sure lol

I said that I was an expert moose caller and that was scoffed at. I have been hunting moose for 39 years, I have not been drawn every year. Every moose hunt I have been on I have killed my moose on the first day of the hunt by calling them in using my vocal cords and by cupping my hands. Ya I am an expert caller.

I only posted that particular hunt and detailed it in writing because Beaver asked me to, since I respect him I responded to his request.

What I learned about taking that 525 yard shot, is that my scope was underpowered for that type of LR Shot, the scope in question is a Bausch and Lomb Elite 4200 2.5-10x40. To Date that was the longest shot I tried on game and realized that I would need a way better scope if I wanted to shoot that those distances. Which is why and when I bought the Huskemaw.

Honestly some of the guys that have posted on this thread are acting like ladies, hilarious lmao.

Have a great afternoon and weekend to all!

KB

The Optics Forum, Long Range Hunting Forum and the Attic Zoo, are all places a new member can find oneself in deep water fast and getting themselves drowned by members who have a lifetime of experience in dialing dope, and LR shooting.

While you can discard some members as just being an ass-hat. There’s some who really know their shít and are actually very helpful.

If you’re interested in learning more, improving on a shooting skill, or understanding how to really run a quality scope. The talent is available.

YMMV

-Beav

Truer words were never spoken my friend. There are also many of the aforementioned ass-hats who "know their shít and are actually very helpful".

Hi Beaver, I hope your friday is going awesome and maybe like me you are about to abandon your better half to watch the NFL Playoffs this weekend lol.

I definately agree with your assessment, I like to learn and am always open to new suggestions and ideas.

I do have my experiences after a lifetime of hunting and fishing, and I am skilled in many areas, but like everyone else, I can learn something new every day because I have an open mind.

Have an exceptional weekend Sir!

KB

10x on moose at 525 is just fine.
My vx2 3-9 heavy duplex covers all but the outside corners of a 8” gong at 600 yards. And I can connect consistently on.
Now I have 12 inch gong and most of my scopes are now 2-10 or 3-12 power.

Do you bait your own hook?

What most here have learned about you is that besides copying Duane’s style is that you’re a liar!!

10x is plenty of power for shooting a moose at 525 yards. How much more power could you handle without your optic looking like it was moving all over while offhand shooting at that range?

I’m probably incorrect in my logic. But if there is a small degree of discrepancy in the turret adjusts due to, a small error with scope internals, a slight BC error, temperature/elevation/humidity differences from zero conditions this will be multiplied by the larger/greater the adjustment on the turret!

So the farther out my zero (in my case 300 yards) the less scope turret adjustment needed/necessary to bring the bullet to the intended target. In my case again, 600 is the longest shot that I will shoot a big game animal……so my error from 300 to 600 should be minimal! memtb

That thought occurred to me as well. I have no way to prove it though. Guess I'll just have to take the rifle out and shoot long distance and test the accuracy of the turret.

You compensate for those known or unknown errors when establishing your DOPE by shooting at various distances to verify and tweak calculated solutions.

Atmospheric fluctuation causes greater variance in POI at greater distances, regardless of turret setting. Even your 300-yard zero will vary with air density changes.

A valid point, but my components are very precious for my (our) hunting rifles…..so we limit our shooting/plinking to other rifles.

I guess to provide a reasonable argument for my method….I’ll just have to shoot a bit more!

However, even if proving that everything works as should/hoped……I’ll stay with my 300 yard zero! If for no other reason, we can keep a zero stop on our scopes ……as one full revolution will take us beyond ranges we will ever shoot. The 300 yard zero gives us a max range within the “one revolution” adjustment with our cartridge/scope choices! memtb

Never! Would you like to know why? :o)

This is me.

You know it one of those threads.

Your logic is counterintuitive and incorrect. The further out your zero, the more likely you are to be incorporating errors into your system from the outset. Atmospherics, flaws in eyesight, mirage, human error, etc. So you are likely starting with a flawed system, which will guarantee improper dialing.

On a good scope, moa means moa, and mils means mils. The adjustments should be constant and exact, regardless of conditions. But without a precise zero, because you set it too far out to ensure precision, each adjustment will take you even further off the bullseye, because you weren’t really on the bullseye to begin with.

This is why, the guys who know, and who understand modern scopes, are advising you set the scope up with a 100yd zero, and then adjust your dials as you please for a “field zero” of whatever your hunting conditions may dictate.

I like this GIF.

So, if I sight in/zero at 300 yards, with my turret against the stop, with my groups being consistent and on target….my error will now be magnified as I adjust the turret for the range desired!

Please help me understand this! Thanks for the clarification in advance! memtb

Potentially, yes. Simply because it is much harder to accurately and precisely verify a 300 yard zero vs a 100 yd zero. You cannot say with much precision that your groups are “consistent and on target” at 300 yards. Atmospherics will change your “consistent and on target” groups day to day and even throughout the day. Even a really good rifle/load/shooter in near perfect conditions will likely shoot 1.5- 3” groups at 300 yards, at best. That broad of a group leaves a good bit of room for error. Is the rifle really zero’d or is it shooting say just 1” to the right due to wind or mirage? Is that atmospherics causing the shift, or the rifle’s natural cone? If you are off just a lil bit, that’s now 1” of automatic error built in at 300. So then when you dial out to 1000 yards, that 1” now becomes 3”+ of automatic, inherent, error. Why would you want any inherent error at all built in? Moa or mil absolute distance increases with range, which, with that incorporated error mentioned above, puts you increasingly off target.

Now let’s go back to 100 yards. It’s much easier to precisely verify that your zero is bang on the bulls eye because your rifle is printing much tighter .5-1” groups, dead centered on the bulls eye. There’s little atmospheric (and less human) influence to induce error. So now, when you dial up to whatever yardage, it is dialing the way you think it is with little to no inherent error and the bullets go where they should.

Would
Would someone be kind enough to ask why I do not bait my own hooks so I may respond to GeoW's question? I do have a reasonable answer, which I will be happy to share.

I will answer tomorrow, because I do not want to exceed my 2 posts per day limit!

Have a great evening everyone, you guys are awesome and as funny as heck!

KB

Maybe…..No one gives a F?

I do recall on another thread you mentioned that you were an expert shot. Could you please explain how you became an expert shot as this is something that I would like to become, especially being able to do 547 yd off-hand shots?

OK……Thanks! I will read and reread your post and attempt to absorb exactly what you’re explaining! memtb

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

I recommend taking SDHNTR’s advice. 👍🏼

If no one gives a F, why did be GeoW ask? lol

Obviously you are one very confused individual lmao

I wanna know! I wanna know!!!!

Really?
I’m not the one asking For others to ask me to stay relevant.
If I remember correctly you said something along the lines that you will post less startling tomorrow, but now you’re asking for others to ask you to post more.
To be exact…
“Would someone be kind enough to ask why I do not bait my own hooks so I may respond to GeoW's question?”

You picking up what I’m putting down or Are you confused, eigh?

SDHNTR, OK, say I set up my rifle to shoot zero at 250 yds. Using a ballistic calculator with my load it says my rifle should be 1.6 inches high at 100 yards. Say I shoot a nice tight group at 100, like 5/8", dead center 1.6 inches above the bullseye. Wouldn't that resolve factors like atmospheric interference?

In the past with fixed power scopes I've zero'd my rifles at 200 or 250. I do this by running a calculation at where my rifle will shoot at 100 if zero'd at 200 or 250. It's usually somewhere between 1.5 to 2" high at 100 and if the group is good and it's dead center over the bull no atmospheric interference or other factors are there to screw it up. Hopefully one can find somewhere to shoot at 200 or 250 to verify this zero and the group will still be on the bull taking into consideration various factors.

My initial thinking of zeroing at 250 and not 100 is that there may be a possibility that the turret clicks may not be exactly 1/4 moa. I suspect many are not exactly 1/4. (I haven't figured this out yet on my VX-3 HD) This clicking could be slightly more or slightly less than 1/4 MOA. Clicking up from 100 to 500 yards may magnify the inaccuracy much more than clicking up from 250 to 500 due to having to dial up a lot more.

I would think that ordering the free custom dial from Leupold, that they are counting on exactly 1/4 MOA clicks.

Yaddio, this is exactly my train of thought!

I’m certain that SDHNTR is vastly more knowledgeable than I……but, my thoughts mirror yours. I’m trying to accept what SDHNTR is explaining…..but so far, it doesn’t compute! memtb

I don’t have as much knowledge regarding this stuff as some of you guys. But I can see both sides of the argument. 100 is too close for me and 300 is Too far. Why 200 is the magic number. IMO.

when I’ve ordered CDS dials for my rigs. I think there was 2000 +/- feet of elevation tolerance. I also think the temperature was 20+/- degrees of play.
This is pretty broad range of elevation and temp for individual hunter. For my average 4500’ elevation (2500-6500) and 50 degrees (30-70) average covers me pretty well. I also don’t plan on shooting a 1000 yards or 500+ Yards Standing off hand.

Ok. Assuming that your group is 10 shots or more and EXACTLY 1.6” above the bullseye, dead center, not left or right by any amount, AND you have verified your dope to know that a 250 zero puts you EXACTLY 1.6” high at 100, your logic is fair. But needlessly complex. And are you getting out your calipers to verify the measurements?

That’s a lot of if’s, more potential for error. Harder to verify because your shots are going off bullseye. Why make it hard? It’s soooooo much easier to just zero spot on at 100. When your group punches the center out of the bullseye, there’s no measuring or guesswork needed. It’s just on. Then just dial up to whatever terrain may dictate from there.

To your second point, I’ll say it again. Buy a good scope and tracking error is a needless worry. Not a yardage turret, not CDS, not Leupold.

Of course you still want to verify your drops, but doing it this way will be more precise and will save you ammo in the process.

And I’m done with this exhausting thread!

I mostly zero it with the top turret but also a little with the side turret.

While this thread has been entertaining and worth the price of admission.

I’ve always admired, and to a degree, been jealous of those of you who can truly take full advantage of your scopes capabilities using different bullets, grain weight, and powder charges.

I’ve never been in your league and I likely never will be. The weird part is, I’ve learned a lot from many of you about shooting, ballistics, and that includes BigStick.

I also know as a hunter, and by my personal account, I’m a decent enough shooter to understand atmospheric conditions and what those conditions will do to limit the distance within my skill level to make a good shot on a game animal.

I spend a lot of time with my rifles, using them. Arguably, I have a lot of nice rifles, most are builds, a few aren’t, but they’re still on the higher end of older and newer production models. But whatever all that means is irrelevant.

For all my game animal rigs, I’m meticulous about building a load and verifying its performance with each rifle before I have a turret built for it. Then once the turret arrives, it’s back to the proving ground to verify it’s functionality at various yardage.

If I can’t wring a consistent 1 MOA or better out of a 10 shot string with a rifle, after proper bedding, and quality furniture and fitting. I will scrap the tube and replace it right away with a barrel from a reputable builder. I’ve sold new rifles, at a loss, that I decided sucked enough in other ways that putting a new tube on the rig wouldn’t be enough for me to keep it.

The limitations with my turrets are understood on the front end. Am I handicapped by them? Absolutely! Do I, or would I have to make changes, if I was going to hunt in a higher elevation State than where my turret(s) are built for? Yep, and I would.

Is my way of doing it more cost effective than using the scopes OEM turret and developing the dope? Umm, no way!

But, unfortunately, I’ve never been anywhere near good with numbers and figures. Running ballistic calculations in my head, forget about it…I’d keep coming up with something like $2.79 a pound for ground beef 😬.

I’ve tried, I really have. MOA, Mils, it didn’t matter. It’s all gibberish in my head. I even considered giving a rifle(s) to a Pard to work up my dope. But that seemed like an inconvenience I’d be putting onto him. Then if I wanted to change something, asking him to do it again, more time suck on his part.

Yeah, I’ve have some limitations. But, I deal with it, making the best of it for the fun of shooting precision rifles and making good hits on game animals.

🦫


PS

I use a 100 yard Zero

EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.

Very sorry to “exhaust” you with our need of education/training! Thanks for trying anyway! memtb

SD:

Incase you aren't quite fully done with this thread . . . I get where you're going with the simplicity of 100 yard sight in, but one can just move the target out to whatever range you want to establish zero. You'll have your group centered on POA. No measuring for distance correction.

Thanks Mark, it was refreshing to see that while having better firearms and more time at the bench than many of us…….you remain humble! 👍 memtb

A rifle should be zeroed at 100 yards. Why?

If you zero at 100 yards, all other shots can be accomplished with hold-over or dialing up. You won't ever hold under a target. Secondly, wind and parallax will cause minimal corruption in a 100 yard zero. At 300 yards, a half-value 5mph wind may go unnoticed and cause an error of an inch or so on your zero. That corrupt zero can be a major problem at further ranges. Additionally, with a 100 yard zero, atmospheric conditions rarely cause a drastic change at 100 yards. If you zero at 300, a DA swing from 3,000 to 0 very well may shift your "zero" or reference off by a few inches meaning your DOPE at other distances will be exponentially corrupted by your zero error.


Zero at 100 yards, then dial up to your MPB range for the atmosphere you're hunting in should you need to take a quick shot.

Geez

100yds

Did the Killer Bee ever take the time to even LOOK at his turret, to see just where his 'gunsmith' may have zero'ed it? I'm still wondering HTF a guy that has a rifle, don't know his zero distance.

Same here.

Since he doesn’t bait his own hook so why would he know anything about his hunting rifle?
Maybe he’ll be on here asking us to ask him why he doesn’t know

Hey Rick I trust your Sunday is going great and like me you will be watching some NFL TODAY!

Thanks for asking, sorry for responding so late I ordered White Lightning and Gator last week and they arrived yesterday so I watched them both back to back last night in my home theater.

You Americans make the best movies on earth, God Bless America!

I will post how I never bait my own hooks this afternoon, when I have a little time, after you see what I do, you will never have to bait your own hooks again and all it will cost you is 10 Mexican Pesos a day!

Hi Rick since you asked, this is how I fish without baiting my own hooks, I hire alwaysoutdoors!

He owns a company called “Masterbaiting Services”

When you fish all you have to do is to call him and give him the coordinates of where you are fishing and he shows up and provides his services, which include:

Baits your hooks, for any tip of fishing adventure.
Netting and cleans all fish
Gathers the wood and makes the fire, then cooks and serves you shore lunches
Cuts your cigars and lights them for you
Serves your beers and goes on beer runs when you are running out of beer
Swabs Decks
Cleans up the fishing area after the day of fishing

For 10 Pesos per day, you just can’t beat his rate!

Last year I hired him to work for me while I was sturgeon fishing. I hooked into a decent Lake Sturgeon, which got snagged on a sunken log, before I knew it alwaysoutdoors had his cloths off and dove into the frigid water in his pink panties. When he surfaced, he screamed “Line Freed Boss” sure enough it was and because of his efforts I landed this nice sturgeon in the picture below.

When it comes to ocean fishing for Salmon his Cut Bait Techniques are remarkable! He has mastered cut bait harnesses using herring and sets up the rig so the roll is perfect every time! Filled my freezer in only two days on the ocean chasing Tyees, Kings, Cohos because of his skills! Picture of freezer below as proof.

Hired him this November to fish for Perch. I noticed that he was tearing up while he was trying to rig maggots we use on small jigs so I asked him why he was so upset? He said “Boss I am sorry but I am getting old and my eyesight is failing me” He started to ball uncontrollably so I told him not to worry I know how to fix that problem for him. At Christmas I gave him an extra thick pain of eyeglasses. HE WAS ELATED and extremely grateful, now he has no issues with baiting my jigs with maggots!

So if you want to enjoy your fishing and never have to bait hooks again hire alwaysoutdoors, you will never find a more Prolific and Enthusiastic Masterbaiter!

Last picture is of alwaysoutdoors with the glasses I bought him for Christmas.

There never was a more professional Masterbaiter than alwaysoutdoors!

PS: Only issue, when it comes to his shore lunches, before he starts cooking remind him to take it easy on the Cumin and Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, he tends to be heavy handed with them ingredients due to his Mexican Heritage.

KB

Word is that it’s a very tiny company

A “one ‘man’ show” for sure

No Doubt lol

Fact of the matter is, excellent shooting does not start with the weapon, its starts with the shooter.

I fill my freezers every year, I can't recall asking advice from anyone on this thread how to do that. I guess I will just keep on doing what I am doing, seems to work for me.

390 yards, dead on this hooves

Geez few years ago your pm said “members think you don’t know how to run a turret”? Haha fuuck😂😂

And that was a fair statement they made. Running an etched turret isn’t the same as using OEM turrets and developing your own dope.

But you wouldn’t know anything about either would you?

Lol

🦫

“They” 😂

You get really sensitive about turrets.

🤣🦫

I have some , prefer to “hunt” though. They look cool when/if I see a real hunter in the field.



For example…

What’s a real hunter look like to you?

🦫

What’s a real hunter? Someone that’s killed imaginary 50+ bulls. GO!!!

Texts are flying!! I love it!!! Rent free!!

Just tryin to get along and not “step on my Dick”!!! 😂

Who’s txt’n you?

🦫

No one here, as my Pards have been around for over 20 years, and they’re not here. Do like gossip and whinning though👊🏻

Ok, cool, then I’m a hunter.

Thanks!

🦫

Pics of said bone?

Our hunting crew, which is older than you, didn’t thrive on capturing hero pics like you. We hunted for meat and the animal on our plates was proof.

Why don’t you hang some pictures of animals you didn’t gut or ass shoot?

😝🦫

Rear shoulders anyone?

Lol

🦫

Ok, it’s not “our”, if you, you’ve said you’ve killed so many bulls, not “your part”. Hang 10 sets of bone. No kill pics, just bone hangin on the wall. Dare ya!

Maybe a good hind shoulder shot.

Crying here 🤣🦫

Oh, lol

I actually thought a Arizona guide had killed some bulls, til I walked into his place, he had (2) sets of bull horns, raghorns at his place,both raghorns, and he gives elk killin advice like he’s killed a bunch. This place sure is funny😂

It was ‘I’ and at the time I posted 48-49 elk I’d shot. Now it’s 51. Bulls and cows.

I’ll post what bone I still have around.

You already know from when we first used to talk years back. We’d typically hang my bigger elk horns, and my families too, on the outside of our shop and garage at the Coast. We didn’t have the money back then to do mounts. Years outside in coastal weather wrecked them. They were all tossed when the house was sold.

Why do you constantly think you’re the only one that ever got after elk and deer? Are you that insecure about all the other parts that go into being a solid hunter?

🦫

Good talk👍

I don’t think I’m the only one that’s got after the bucks and bulls, but rest assured, from the time I was about 7 years old, that’s all I’ve done, hunted and trapped stupid and hunted, I’ve been there and done that and I know how sniff out a bullshitter. Through school i wrested and played football, while mills and the other shiit talkers were trying to get puzzy, I was in the woods, and that’s been for the last 38 years or so. I don’t count “kills” as a party, if I did no one would believe me. Everyone measures “bul” kills like a Dick measurement, you and your “pards” included, simple fact, “bulls” are the stupidest easiest critter to kill period. Show me a wall of good Blacktail from nw Oregon or western wa, that’ll show ya guy that can hunt, period.👊🏻

Post up 5 raghorns 👍

As to the “constantly “ thinking I’m the only one that’s gets after elk, I’ve never mentioned via www how many bulls I’ve killed, though you have numerous times.

Insecurity is talkin numbers.


#hint

Cool talk.

How many Blacktail deer bone do you have in the rafters?

Frud, said you were a machine way back in the day.

🦫

Still doin my thang!! Lotsa better than most bulls too.

No turrets.


Zero my rifles at 200 and hunt. Leads flying, bones dyin!👊🏻

BS!

You hang the same laundry list of guided hunt kills, and friendly farm hunts where you drive in, spend a few days and boom you’re on your way home with a deer.

Then you always say something like ‘some hunt, some don’t’. Yeah, I hunted private land once, in Wyoming. It was incredibly fûck’n easy to kill a good animal. So easy, anyone could do it.

Laffin

🦫

And my point is made.

🦫

Haha, I love goin over and killin better bucks than the residents of said state. Rumors and speculation abound!!! Love it👊🏻


Wish I had the $$ to do more guided/trespass fee hunts!!! Texts are flying!!!😂

Here ya go princess, other than shep and I, greenhorn is the only one that knows this locale. I hold greenhorn in high regard, cause he’s not a bitch!!!



Guided, governor tag blah blah fuucking blah😆

Seen that picture many times.

Nice buy a deer.

Love how most of your pictures crop out your gut and ass target area.

🤣🦫

Elmer Jud,

You can have the last funny post tonight.

🦫

Sorry, I’m short on the “imagination and pretend “ elk! 👊🏻

Nope that’s you “imagination and pretend elk hunter mark”. Lotsa suckass left for ya. You got lotsa “friends” here!!!😂

WWW friends. Pretty sad. Too bad you can’t sniff out cuunts…. Oh, you smell yourself daily👍😆

Wow That's AWESOME Beaver! That is one boatload of elk! You must eat well, congratulations Sir, you are one heck of a hunter!

Still waiting to see one of Judman's elk, a week later, I am wondering why?

KB

I am thinking that you Judman is a Blowhard, post some pictures of your kills to prove me wrong?

Or at least give us a reasonable excuse why you can't, since you have been hunting since the age of 7, the only excuse that will work for me is because you are 8 and you left your cell phone at home last year lol!

KB

KB, at least give us a reasonable excuse why YOU don't go search jud's old posts for pics of the hundreds of critters he's whacked. And 'lazy' ain't an excuse for him to do your job for you, if it's THAT important....

Hi huntsman22, I trust your 2023 is going great, still loving that Stetson in your avatar, I am only following this thread. I would like to see some pictures, not complicated.

By the way Huskemaw's rule, and there isn't anybody here to tell me any different. American Made Scope don't you know? I love mine.

God Bless America!

Haven’t read all the pages but for my situation (700ft elevation) I zero at 100. I hunt from 700-10,000ft throughout the West. With a 100yd zero I just have to adjust my DOPE and not adjust my zero. In my experience there is less than 1/2in difference at 100yd 700-10k. For hunting inside 6-700yards there’s no reason to adjust my zero…. I do run ballistics calculator and find my max point blank range and adjust my turret. If I have time to dial I will but if it gets western and need to shoot quick I can hold on hair and make the shot.

If I hunted the same area all the time I would zero my rifle to maximize my scopes adjustment. But because I hunt at so many different elevations a 100yd zero works for me.

OP here: Makes sense if you're hunting such different altitudes.

The scope I mounted on this 240 Wby will be used 99% of the time on a single ranch that I hunt almost weekly, so I feel confident having a custom turret made by Leupold for this area and the handholds I have cranked out. I have enough rifles to hunt other places and adjust accordingly. For me on the ranch mentioned, I don't want to be turning a turret as the coyote comes running in at 300-250-200-150-100 yards or closer, so I zero at 250 and can whack the coyote anywhere from 300 on down. (Hell, I've had at least 2 coyotes run right into me that came from only God knows where). For the buggers that hold up and yelp and taunt me at 400-450 I can take my time and dial up and shoot.

Same situation here, you explained it better than I did though.

Back to the topic. I sight in my rifle at 100 yards. But after that I think that it is very important to “box” your scope. That is getting a tall target with MOA or mil grid lines. You want to make sure that your elevation and windage torrents are correct. It isn’t uncommon for a scope to drift right or left as the elevation goes up. You want to make sure that the adjustment “clicks” are correct. Sometimes putting 2 minutes of elevation on your scope won’t be two minutes at the target. Also, on many scopes you can zero your scope at 100 yards then change the zero stop to 200 or 300 yards.

I have Leupold CDS scopes on 5 of my hunting rifles plus I just put one on a .22 rimfire.

My .300 Weatherby is zeroed and has a zero stop at 200 yards.

My other hunting rifles are zeroed at 100 and I put thin white lines on the top of their CDS caps for impacts at 200, 300, and 430 yards.

This afternoon I will zero my .22 rimfire at 50 yards and mark it's CDS cap at 100, 150, and 200 yards.