I recently purchased a new Rifle. It's a 308 fitted with a pretty nice leupold scope. I'm looking at installing the scope this weekend and figured I would sight/zero it in. The picture below is a photo taken from the window of my blind. The tip of the blue arrow signifies the base of my feeder 130yards away. The tip of the Red arrow is the very back tree line 157 yards away.

Since this is pretty much where I will be shooting this rifle from what would you sight my rifle in at?

Let me clarify I have shot rifles quite a bit over the years however I'm normally a bow hunter. I just figured now that I own my own property that I would set up a tree stand else where on the property for bow season and use this rifle out of my blind for rifle season.

What is your typical shot placement?

If your a vitals/behind shoulder/in shoulder shooter I would say either sight in dead on at 100 or an inch hi at 100 yards and you should be fine either way.

1 inch high at 100 yards should be about right.

I'd go with a zero of 1 inch high at 100 yards.

Awesome Ty all

^^^this and I'd make sure to sight in with exact bullets you'll be using to hunt with. For me that's 150 grain, Remington Core Lokts for the .308..

What they said...

You've got plenty of time before deer season, so why not sight in at the range, then take a portable target out to your place and set it at the feeder and see exactly where you're shooting? Then move the target back to the treeline and shoot it there. It would be great practice and definitely a confidence builder.

thats what i plan to do. glad i asked you guys i was thinking about sighting it in at 150 yards and be done with it. i didnt think about sighting it in at 100yards.

so at 150yards or 200yards the bullet is usually 1inch or so off high?

If we know what bullet you are shooting, it would help to be precise. But, if you shoot a 150 grain bullet at 2850 fps, with a dead on 100 yard zero you will be .98" low at 160 yards. So, dead on at 100 yards or 1" high at 100 yards, it doesn't matter. I always prefer a dead on 100 yard zero.

Chad I'm using a hornady 308 165 grain interlock From a Remington 700 with a 20 inch barrel.

Ok. you'll be running about 2650 to 2700 fps. That will put you about 1.25" low at 160 with a 100 yard zero.

With what Chad has said I would definitely go an inch high at 100

I always sit my rifle it at 100 yards, because it makes it much easier to calculate the drop for longer shots. Just my

Curious as to why a 20" barrel. Tactical model or is it threaded for a suppressor? Your muzzle velocity from a 20" barrel is going to be more like 2550 fps. Without knowing the height of your scope mounts and the powder charge sitting under that interlock, it's impossible to give you precise data. Zeroed at 100 yds you're going to be about 1.5-1.625" low at 200 yards. If you sight in 1" high, you're still going to be right there at your yardages, but will be low past that.

A friend of mine bought this xcr compact new and used it for long range shooting. He was amazed how accurate it was up to 350yards with it only being a 20 inch barrel. I just recently helped him out as he needed $ badly due to a divorce so I purchased the rifle from him for a killer price of $700 I figured since the gun alone was $1100 brand new not to mention the scope was nearly another grand on top it has a fluted/threaded Trynite barrel so I figured it was a good buy plus I helped him out. It was a long range target rifle that I figured could be used for hunting/long range shooting if I ever wanted to.

All I know is this rifle eats 168/165 grain ammo like its candy and has very nice groups.
I probably could leave the scope where it's at however up close its off. At long range it's dialed in.
I have shot rifles most all of my life however I never got into the part of ballistics and etc. I have always been a bow hunter therefore I'm learning a lot here.

Good-looking stick!

Congrats

Thanks guys! I look fwd to enjoying it more

I would make it dead on zero at 100 yards. That makes it very easy to figure at different ranges. The difference in bullet impact at 160 yards vs 100 yards with a .308 is negligible - your aim during an actual hunt is likely to be off more than the ballistic drop. If you can precisely place a round a difference of 1" at 160yards during an actual hunt - then you are a better man than me! At the range, sure - but keyed up hunting with a good buck in the crosshairs - I would sight it 100yard zero and just put the crosshairs where you want to shoot at your feeder and not worry about ballistic drop of 1" or so. A 1-inch difference is not going to make a difference - it will still be a killing shot in the heart/lung around even if it was 1" high, low, left, or right.

But the idea of checking with paper targets at your feeder is an excellent idea - and a confidence builder.

Just being honest here and shame the devil - I have sighted my .308 so that I am clover leafing on targets at 100yards at the range - and still my shot in the field at precisely the same 100 yards be a little off and unexpected.

Heck, my .308 is shooting perfect at 100 yards now and I clean missed an axis at 162 yards a few weeks ago - quartering slightly away, slightly downhill. Still scratching my head over that one. Human error probably due to excitement, having to make a quick shot, or some other thing I must have done.

I had that same rifle in a .223. And it was a tack driver. And it's threaded so if you ever decide to get a suppressor, you're already set. Great gun and I hope you don't feel too guilty about stealing it!

I would do zero at 100 yards. The fact that you are elevated is going to cause the rifle to shoot high anyways. Are you using a scope that has a marked reticle that will allow you other aiming points besides the center of the crosshairs? If you zero at 100 and shoot at 150, you can determine exactly what you bullet drop is at 150. I am estimating that your elevation in the stand will offset you drop almost equal at 150.

You need a 15 to 20 degrees angle (up or down) before you start to begin to correct for angle compensated shooting. At 100-150 yards and the angle posted from the picture, it's not enough to worry about. I was curious, so I ran the numbers on a 45 degree down angle, and at 150 yards, you are talking 3/4" high at 150 yards. Nowhere near enough angle to worry about.

It's interesting to me. Sometimes, you just need to get out and freakin' shoot and not worry about the tiny details.

At 0 to 10 degrees the bullet is considered the same as shooting parallel to the ground. At greater than 10 degrees shooting up or down, the bullet will strike the target above the point of aim. The amount the bullet strikes above is based on the increasing angle. Pictures are misleading which is why it is important to practice a shot on a target at the location to see what will happen in advance and to build a correct DOPE. Ever gun and every round behaves a certain way. it is important to go out and shoot it to confirm what you think will happen will actually occur. No reasons to lose the deer of a lifetime to chance.