Going back to a 200 yard zero

Hunted all my life (well...most of it) with the rifles set on a 200 yard zero. For the last few years I've hunted with a 100 yard zero. I've finally decided to go back to "the old ways". Not trying to start any sort of argument about what's best, other than going back to what's best for me.

For the past 20 years I have sighted in all my hunting rifles at 200 yards but I also shoot them at 300 yards just to see where their at there. Most shots here at the ranch are usually 100 to 250 yards.

And you should do what is best for you.

No shame in that at all. Baring ultra long sendero's, mountain hunting or Northern Plains for speed goats, a lot of game can be killed at 250-300yds and in. For a lot of folks, that's about at as far as they are comfortable shooting, and that's fine. Do what is right by both you and the game you are chasing.

What problems did you have with the 100 yard zero?

+1

I guess the problem is mostly just me. After 40ish years with a 200 yard zero, I think in terms of a 200 yard zero. It's easier and more efficient for me to just stick with that, since most of my hunting is 125 to 250 yards out. So, a 200 yard zero isn't better than a 100 yard zero, but just better for me.

I'm the same. My rifle is 2 inches high at 100. That way I just put the cross hairs on at 100 or 200 and pull the trigger and watch the deer drop. I'm not a fan of "long distance" shooting at all, so I'm not worried about where my bullet will hit at 3-4-500 yards, because I don't shoot that far.

So what your saying is that you don't like being dead on at 100 yards?

I set my hunting rifles 1 1/2" high at 100 yards to compensate for drop

200 yd zero......Been doing it this way for years myself!

I've always hunted with a 200 yard zero.

40 years of a habit is tough to get away from. Understandable.

When I got real serious about rifle shooting, using a turret, or using the reticle, with designations (what I do most of the time on animals) I learned how important a 100 yard zero was. I've got the habit of holding the elevation for 200, just because I've imprinted it into my brain. You're imprinted for a 200 yard zero. If a 100 makes you have to stop and thing before double lunging a coyote, I can't blame you for moving back to a 200 yard zero.

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So you have your hunting rifles with a 200 yard zero then. Pretty dang close to it anyway

More or less. The only rifle I own that may think about making me hold over at all at 200 yards is my .30-30


The way I took it the OP was sighting his rifle in at 200 yards

My .22-250 I sight in dead on at 100 because that's what I head/neck shoot does with and I want it dead nuts, course I won't do that past 100 yards.

I ask a question about a100 or 200 zero. You would of thought I ask a personal question about someone's wife, they chewed me up. Got even a little nasty about the question.

If it works for you carry on. Some of my rifles are 100 yard 0 others are 200 and one is 300. All depends on round and what its purpose is.

Dalee7892:

I think that some folks are always looking for an argument. The really experienced folks will hear you out, then offer their opinion.

Mostly I see arguments when the original person asking the question takes a strong stance against other opinions with huge experience behind them. I'm NOT saying that was you - just a general observation.

It doesn't take long to see who knows what they are talking about - but personal preferences count big time too!

Marc

Fireman hit the answer perfectly. After all these years I do think in terms or a 200 yard zero, and I might as well stick with it. There is no right or wrong on what distance to sight in your rifle. Happily, with turreted scopes, adjusting to a 200 yard zero is very easy.

So I noticed nobody said anything about what caliber, what weight on the bullet etc in any of the discussion. Almost everywhere I've hunted my shots have been under 100 yds, so I've got my 30-06 sighted at 100 yds at 0. I shoot about a 150-155 grain. I'm on a new lease that some of the blinds have 150-200 yds now. Do I raise up to accommodate or should I resight my rifle to 200 yds at 0?

I'm newer at shooting/hunting and this was never an issue for me previously.

I sight in every rifle 3" high at 100. With all my rifles, the "tube" is about 4" maximum - less for the flatter shooting ones. Eliminates all thinking on 90+% of my shots. Just need to remember the drop at 400 for each rifle (though not even a big difference there). I don't shoot targets and I don't shoot game past 400. That's what works for me.

I see no purpose in sighting in a hunting rifle for 100 yds. 200 makes the most since to me for standard calibers. I've also used 3" high at 100 yds for my 7mags for over 30 years now with great success.

location, type of hunting, etc matter too;

Like someone above said, I have some set for 100 (most) and a few set for long range (bolt varmint gun and one long range 308).

My buddy redneckmesiah hunts where the longest shot in the county is 100 yards, most more like 60-75... no need for more than 100

you can tune much finer based on exact bullet, speed, temperature, elevation, etc. etc. etc. ... but on my dad's old Springfield 30-06, shooting Factory Federal Premium 150 grain Sierra Game King BTSP, we used to sight his gun in at 1.5 inch high at 100 and it was basically dead on at 200. Just our simple rule of thumb on that caliber and bullet.

I have sighted most of my rifles in to zero at 200 yards for years of general TX hunting and most of mine are pretty flat shooters (7mm rem mag, 25-06, 22-250, 30-06), they are all roughly 1.0-1.5 high at 100 ... I put a new scope on one of my guns a few years back and sighted to zero at 100 for part of a season, I felt awkward past 100, so I move it back to 200 zero and my comfort went back to where it should be. It's not for everyone and its what you get used too and comfortable with that counts

I sight in at 200 for all my center fires. I check the placement at 100 and 300 to know what each rifle will do.

I like it that way too.

For centerfire rifles I'm a 200yd guy. I'll verify my elevation change at 100 and then check my computer generated drop tables past 200.

For my slug guns and muzzleloaders I do 100yd zero and check elevation at 50yd.

If I works for you go for it. There is an 1 1/2" difference. Most of y'all on here can even shoot that good of a group at 100.

I sight mine at 500 yards since I shoot everything that far... rest is too easy. I even back up if the shot is too short

(extreme sarcasm.....just kidding!!!)

I believe you go with what you are confident with and for you that's a 200 yard zero. My "hunting" rifles...which have "hunting" scopes on them I sight them in at 1-1 1/2" high at 100. My two rifles with turrets and mil reticles I have sighted with 100 yard zeros

I know that's tongue-in-cheek, but there's a lot of truth in there. I have no idea who is skilled and who isn't, but just about everyone on this forum talks as if wringing their groups down to the last 1/4" is just easy peezy.

The vast majority of guys don't have the equipment or the know-how to so.

I don't. I go to the range, shoot off bags, and do the best I can. I don't kid myself into thinking that my reticle is on the exact same spot on the target every time when the trigger breaks. When my group looks something like this , I am satisfied.

Spent some "rainy day" time yesterday looking at couple calibers for recoil lb'ge & drop at distance with various "good bullets" at book avg low end and high MV. Drove the BH nutz but this activity satify's my anal curiosity and kills lots of dead time when I ought to be painting a room or something.

Anyway, using all the Nosler game bullet styles in a given weight & gross avg MV's for powder Reload data, as shown in their current online data for BC's, at a 200 yard Zero and a 300 yard max with 50 yard increments ... it is again amazing that the 140gr 6.5x55 & 260 x's a 270WCF in 130gr, 140gr 150gr & 160gr X's a 150gr 7x57, 7-08, 280, X's a min loaded 7Rmg and X's a max'd 7Rmg to get the gross avg drop at 300 yards ...are all within less than 2" spread max starting at +/- 1/2" spread 'tween calibers and bullets, at around 8"s to about 6 1/2"s in all 11 caliber and bullet combinations.

The 270 xtra bullet weight numbers I used were a sop to the 40/50 year history I have in trigger time in a dozen or more 270's ...and I've got 2 nib new or near new 270 rifles I really like and am looking for justification on keeping one or both of them in the 3-4 rifle 2 caliber battery I am determined to get down to.

The other combination of calibers this excersize had shown me that that I can acheive the functional usage spread of rifles I want to keep also in several 3 gun combinations of just 6.5's or even just 7mm's ...but which ones to keep or sell?

I was also surprised that I might be able to tolerate a max loaded 8+lb 7Rmg using the lb's of felt recoil data available in the same site...which further complicates the selection process. Only caliber I need to add to the 6.5 equasion is a 264WMg to balance out the MV choices, as a 24" 264WMg is running MV's in the same range as a 24" 270 in up to 140's ...like the near new BACO CRF Ult Shadow w/under a 100rnd count thru it, I have that is wearing a near new BACO Sporter stock for that classic Rifleman's Rifle look & feel they advertise.

Doan't know 'bout ya'll but THAT under 2" top to bottom bullet drop spread difference 'tween calibers was a surprise to me, and I don't see well enough with single vision eyeglass'es to see under a 2" deviation at 300 yards. My usual self imposed max shot taken on game could just get stretchd a little but there is a substantial increase in drop past 300 yards evident in the data available @ every 25 yards in the spread sheet results.

Prolly gonna waste some more time today until the rain stops and figger out a MPB of 3"s high/low Max Impact Range using a 200 Zero again. Killed way too many critters at under 75/100 yards to put the crosshairs any higher than 3" @ 100 yards for offhand snap shots.

OBTW I'm using the Handloads.com site for the easy to manipulate data input, just remember to select FB or BT bullets & a avg 1.5" for med/low rings with a 40mm objective lense size or higher for OBJ's bigger than 44mm "sight in height" to give the correct height of the crosshair over the center of your rifle barrel. Makes a huge diff in the #'s when you start pulling the trigger and can't figer out why the fired groups are not centering where you think they are 'posed to.
Ron

Ron that's why I sight in 3" high at 100 and basically forget about it out to 300 yards. Your #s really don't surprise me - just means bullets within a certain weight range and velocity window are going to act pretty similarly until BC comes into play.

My eyes aren't what they used to be either......

My big game hunting rifles are set up for the way I hunt whitetail. Where I hunt my shot opportunities can max out around 400 yards but usually closer to 325. The actual sight in is different for each but they are all set up for a 3" rise and drop above and below the sight line to determine the max point blank range for that particular rifle/ammo combination. I have used ballistic reticles but I went back to a plain old duplex and that set up. I like simplicity when I am hunting. The exception is a bolt action .223 that I use for a doe gun. It is zeroed at 100 yards and used up close.
I have some rifles with turreted scopes that I play around with at longer ranges that are zeroed at either 100 or 300 yards but I don't hunt with them.

Nog, IMO, You need to run the #'s for the rifle and load you are shooting, and then prove the #'s on the backer board down range...rather than just set a 3" High Impact at 100 yards for everything you shoot...and Yes I know them guys in Wyo-'tana have been doing that since they been wearing Stetsons....but then they are shooting at a 4'-5' high target of an Elk shoulder too.

ReRan the numbers 5-10+? times last nite with changes for different diameters, BC's and MV's in the 4 calibers I'm working with in adjustments for the spread in BC's @ MAX Book MV's ....and kept coming back to being able to stay around a 1.5" HIGH at 100 yards, with a 225 yard Zero, and a depedable 275 yard MINUS 3" drop distance out of the tube...and when they dropped they dropped, they dropped bigtime at about 4"+'s for every 25 yards past the 275 yrd mark.

Only major change at distance was in the BC diff in 270 140gr LRAB's and still less than I expected....but in 270's I'll switch all of my hunting bullets to 140's across the board based on this experiment, as they noticeably outperformed 130's & 150's trajectories at the given 300 yrd distance...simplify simplify simplify without giving up any on game performance is the goal.

So I'm gonna go with a 225 yard Zero and expect to get about 1.5"s of High Impact at 100 yards and a 3" drop at 275 yards, in more than one caliber and bullet from 2 diff 6.5's in 140's, a 270 in 140's for every hunting bullet Nosler shows in the OnLine #9 Loading Manual, and 150's in 7x57/7-08 & 280 & Book minimum loaded 7RMg, until the backerboard proves me wrong.

FWIW it was a really boring movie the BH was intent on watching last nite ..to each his/her own for entertainment I guess....she was watching "A Girl on the Train" and it was a snorer of a who dunnit for me... the guy was a floater for sure....but I liked the finish.
Ron

Yes they do drop when they start dropping. Big time. That's precisely why LR is an entirely different ballgame with an entirely different set of rules.

All of our zeros are rifle and situation specific. Our deer guns are set at 100 since that is where are stands are located. Our elk guns are set at 275 since we expect longer shots. We set our varmint gun 300 blk at 50 since we primarily hunt at night at closer range.

I sight all of my rifles 25 caliber and up dead on at 300.
22 cal 1.5 high at 100

For target shooting, or long range, using a 100 yard zero and a drop table is much more effective. If you're going to hunt between 100-300 yards, a 200 yd zero gives you minute of deer every time

hard to argue against that logic

My 30-06 is sighted at 200 for hunting open places, and my.243 is done at 100 and ill never shoot it that far where I use it.

!00 yards is good for me. I hunt with 264 Win.Mag. 2.5' high at that distance is 1' low at 300 yard. I have no senderos longer than that.