Zero for hunting.

Cass

Wondering what lads keep their rifles zeroed for?

For deer i normally have mine at 100 and for foxes the same. I do this whether it's the 223, 308, etc. My 22lr s at 50 yards and i just use my drops from there.

Was talking to a lad today who had an interesting method. He didn't know his zero in yards only that from the closest to longest part of his permissions (individual fields) he can hold within 1.5 inches and hit with his rifle.

Seemed a bit odd at first but the more i thought about it the more it seemed to make a little sense.

So was wondering how each of ye do it for each rifle. Set distance or whatever works?

Rows Grower

I practice and keep mine set at 50 yards, if the target is further away than that and I can't get closer I range it and adjust the dial.

Richard308

The method that fella uses works for him. It’s old school, if it isn’t broke don’t fix it. But I’m more methodical. I do the same as you cass, 308 & 223 at 100. I know then I’m good to hit between 50m-150m easily point and shoot range. Don’t like shooting deer at more than 200m. Chances of wounding only increases exponentially. Rather miss or not fire at all than get a runner. Respect the animal enough to afford him a quick death.

zeissman

I zero my 22lr at 50 yards and my centre fire rifles at 100 yards.
I do have custom turrets on all of them though so I can dial up as needed.

cookimonster

For the .22LR I'd zero for 50 yards and this will give me minute of rabbit from 20 to 70 yards. Aim between eye and base of ear will give you head shots to double shoulder shots with out any issue.

For the centre fires I zero at 1.5 inches high at 100 yards. This gives me a point and shoot out to 200 yards with both the 30-06 and the .270.
I know that I can stretch that by another 25 yards or so without a thought.
In the woods and on some older permissions I'd know the ranges and all would be within these distances so its simple for close in and medium range shots.
In the recent year I've expanded my hill shooting and rely on the range finder for new spots. But geographic features etc help as permanent range markers and I have improved my range estimations based on animal size. But I still try and shoot within the 200 yrd distance knowing where ever I place the cross hairs the bullet will be within a 1 inch or so vertical up or down. I also have the confidence in the set up to put a follow up shot in at a further range if needed.
Windage is a different animal, the last few outings in poor weather have forced us to close the distance and be more selective with shot placement. Windage on the open hill is something I'm still getting to grips with.

Lone hunter 22wmr

223 is set at 200 yards, 22 magnum is set at 125 yards.

German pointer

.177 air rifle 15 and 40 yards same POI everything in between is hold under

.22lr 50 yards dial in for greater distances

.17 HMR 100 yards point and shoot from 25 to 120 give or take 3/4 inch

.243 200 yards. New caliber to me but purely a stalking rifle holdover out to 300 when I've calculated drops.

6.5 Creedmore 200 yards dial in for greater distances

garv123

An inch high at 100 for the .243,

Hunter456

When I had my 223 i used to zero it at an inch high at 100 so that give the ability to point and shoot out to 250 yards, for the 243 I zero it 100 yards and dial in during the day and hold for 250 yards which is the max I will take a shot at night.

clivej

200y/m zero gives me a killing shot on a deer from 25y/m to 230y/m
Known as the 'Point Blank Zero' for your rifle and your target size.

slipperyox

Most ballistic apps (many free) have a section for scope and cartridge. Put them in then print off the "scope view" and sellotape to the stock. There all your milldot and ranges will be sorted for any range.
You only need add windage if needed.

Hunter456

243 100 yards point 180 for foxes rearly shoot at that distance at night, for deer same have my drops worked out to 300 yards.

Cass

slipperyox wrote: »

Most ballistic apps (many free) have a section for scope and cartridge. Put them in then print off the "scope view" and sellotape to the stock. There all your milldot and ranges will be sorted for any range.
You only need add windage if needed.

Do you, or anyone, shoot that varied a range that you would have use for such a drop chart or to have it to hand.

Or is it the "better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it" line of thinking?

slipperyox

I use xact for my hmr. Mostly long range crows and rabbits (150 metres+) very useful for when you go up to nearly 200. just use milldots,

cookimonster

I tend to shoot within the point blank range of my particular rifle.
With the .22 in LV I know from muzzel to about 65/70 yards point and shoot at a sitting bunny broadside and an aim point around the eye will give me a clean head shot or a neck shot at outer limits and if I feck up my range estimations I'll get a lovely high shoulder shot which bowels them over on the spot.
For deer its all about cross wind with me, I'll neck shoot out to 150yards once the wind is favourable but in difficult conditions its the boiler house and again with PBR I know that the shot is on out to 250ish yards and if I'm doubtful then a couple or 3 inches higher hold won't harm the equation.

I try not to over complicate the shot and once I know what the bullet does over a given distance then I have more confidence in my shots. If you fire on a target at 100, 200 and 300 increments (centrefire) using your same point of aim it will give you a good reflection of your zero over realistic hunting ranges.

I think we obsess with sub minute of angle performance and desire our rounds to pass through the same hole. The deer or the rabbit don't notice a 1 to 3 inch variation in drop between point of aim and point of impact , the splash tends to have the same effect on them.

clivej

clivej wrote: »

200y/m zero gives me a killing shot on a deer from 25y/m to 230y/m
Known as the 'Point Blank Zero' for your rifle and your target size.

cookimonster wrote: »

I tend to shoot within the point blank range of my particular rifle.
With the .22 in LV I know from muzzel to about 65/70 yards point and shoot at a sitting bunny broadside and an aim point around the eye will give me a clean head shot or a neck shot at outer limits and if I feck up my range estimations I'll get a lovely high shoulder shot which bowels them over on the spot.
For deer its all about cross wind with me, I'll neck shoot out to 150yards once the wind is favourable but in difficult conditions its the boiler house and again with PBR I know that the shot is on out to 250ish yards and if I'm doubtful then a couple or 3 inches higher hold won't harm the equation.

I try not to over complicate the shot and once I know what the bullet does over a given distance then I have more confidence in my shots. If you fire on a target at 100, 200 and 300 increments (centrefire) using your same point of aim it will give you a good reflection of your zero over realistic hunting ranges.

I think we obsess with sub minute of angle performance and desire our rounds to pass through the same hole. The deer or the rabbit don't notice a 1 to 3 inch variation in drop between point of aim and point of impact , the splash tends to have the same effect on them.

As I've said before about PBR. (Point Blank Range)
Target shooting is very different to hunting. Target shooting we are always wanting/looking for that sub MOA all the time at all the distances we shoot at.

When hunting we strive for the clean kill shot in the vitals. But the vital kill zone is not the same because we usualy have a much larger 'Kill Zone'
As an example a deer has about a 6" kill zone, so if aiming at the centre of our kill zone then up or down, left or right by 2.5" ish is still a clean kill.

As I said for my .308 I'd zero for 200y and therefore my PBR ir from (somewhere abouts) 25y out to 250y. All I o is aim for the centre kill zone and I have my kill. All without thinking of 'should I aim higher of lower for the range.

Example. This was in early December:
4 deer in the field at 60y. Took the first at 60y and dropped on the spot. The 3 deer then ran towards the tree line and stopped to looked back. Took the second deer at 150y and dropped dead. the 2 remaining deer went different directions. I followed one that stopped at 175y and took the shot.
All 3 deer were clean kills and all 3 dropped on the spot. I didn't have to think about my aim point I just put the cross hair on the vitals for each shot.
Not much left in the frezzer now as I'veeaten most