Sighting in at 200 vs 300 question

[muleman69]

I have over heard people say they sight in at 300 to shoot out to a thousand. What they are saying is sight in at 300 so you will have enough up clicks in your scope? looks to me like if you were to sight at 200 it would take just as many clicks to get out to a thousand because ,you have already used up clicks to get to 300? Any of this make sense? I'm confused

 

[dkhunt14]

I have over heard people say they sight in at 300 to shoot out to a thousand. What they are saying is sight in at 300 so you will have enough up clicks in your scope? looks to me like if you were to sight at 200 it would take just as many clicks to get out to a thousand because ,you have already used up clicks to get to 300? Any of this make sense? I'm confused

I believe they might be referring to a MOA base and they can't get a 100 yard zero. Maybe just a 300 yard zero because it won click enough. Matt

 

[JPeelen]

You are correct, for a given scope/rifle/ammunition/meteo combination, you will always need the same number of total clicks to get to 1000 yd, independent of starting your zero at 200 yd, 300 yd or at 71ft 7in on the Zero Butt at Bisley.
The number of clicks is directly related to the elevation of your weapon.

 

[muleman69]

You are correct, for a given scope/rifle/ammunition/meteo combination, you will always need the same number of total clicks to get to 1000 yd, independent of starting your zero at 200 yd, 300 yd or at 71ft 7in on the Zero Butt at Bisley.
The number of clicks is directly related to the elevation of your weapon.

thank you ,I feel better now knowing I was not completely stupid....lol

 

[IdahoSharpshooter]

The best bet seems to be zeroing the scope at 100 yds, especially if you have a zero stop scope. Any time you change target distance, you simply screw the elevation turret down on the stop.
That puts you at 100 every time, and that is where you work from.
What I have done with my LR rifles is that, then putting a 20 moa rail on it. When you rezero after mounting the rail, you will be somewhere around 20 moa high. That gives you about 90% of the elevation left to work with.
For example, I have an Eliseo Tube Gun in 300WM. With a zero stop scope I can dial out close to 1400yds.

Rich
75th Inf, the Army Rangers. I Corps, Chu Lai & Danang.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

It has nothing to do with the amount of turret elevation. That's not gonna change.

I sight in at 300 for long range shooting because if I am shooting in the center at 300 yards, my windage adjustment is usually good or at least very close the rest of the way out to 1K or more. I have sighted in at 100 and 200 before only to find my impacts on target are a little off for windage at ranges as close as 400-600 yards and even worse beyond that.

I really like 300 yard zero for hunting rifles because anything from point blank to around 325 yards is a dead hold. 350-400 is a quick hold on the top of the shoulder to drop it in the kill zone and 500 is 1ft over the back. Easy holds to make if I don't have time to dial the elevation turret. I will always try to dial my turret, but sometimes things happen too quickly. Anything too far over 500 yards and I will dial no matter what because if I don't have the time to dial, I probably don't have the time to get steady enough to accurately shoot that far.

 

[retired]

with a 12-42 and a 15 moa base, i cannot crank to 100 yards, nor 200.
at 200 i am 6" high and pretty much on at 300.
i wanted to be in the middle of elevation to be able to do both 600 and 1000
with out being near the stops in either case.
so load work is doable at 300, and knowing i am 6" high, 200 will work also.
with a 15-55 i can go from 100 to past 1000.

 

[Bart B.]

After spending an inch thick stack of 20 dollar bills on the perfect scope, rings and bases, after mounting all that stuff you learn the scope axis with adjustments zeroed is 10.5 MOA off in some direction from the bore axis. The barrel axis is crooked to the receiver scope base screw hole's axis.

 

[JFrank]

I have over heard people say they sight in at 300 to shoot out to a thousand. What they are saying is sight in at 300 so you will have enough up clicks in your scope? looks to me like if you were to sight at 200 it would take just as many clicks to get out to a thousand because ,you have already used up clicks to get to 300? Any of this make sense? I'm confused

I usually zero at 200 it really doesn't matter as the op said it still take x amount of minutes to get there. Depending on your scope you may need some help to get to a grand'
J

 

[ms6852]

I’ve always zeroed at 200 yards for my hunting as this allowed me to sight in on my prey for quick acquisition with out adjusting to about 250 yards. Also after 50 years of hunting I have memorized my bullet drop for distances to 600 yards without using a data card.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I’ve always zeroed at 200 yards for my hunting as this allowed me to sight in on my prey for quick acquisition with out adjusting to about 250 yards. Also after 50 years of hunting I have memorized my bullet drop for distances to 600 yards without using a data card.

I always say "Beware of the man with one rifle"

I hunted for many years with just one rifle. Knew it like the back of my hand. Like it was an extension of my conscience. Made many fast kill shots on nothing more than pure instinct. Didn't even have to think.

Like a fool, I sold that rifle about 12 years ago. Then started building more and more custom rifles. Had about 4 or 5 I was using for hunting at one point a handful of years ago. Just got way too confusing to remember all the drops. I was proficient with them all, but an expert of none. My confidence was in the gutter when in the field. I finally had enough and a couple years ago, I cut my hunting firearms back to just 2 rifles. The rest were transformed into varmint rifles or sold. My confidence in the field is already feeling much better as its much easier to learn and keep track of 2 rifles.

 

[ms6852]

I always say "Beware of the man with one rifle"

I hunted for many years with just one rifle. Knew it like the back of my hand. Like it was an extension of my conscience. Made many fast kill shots on nothing more than pure instinct. Didn't even have to think.

Like a fool, I sold that rifle about 12 years ago. Then started building more and more custom rifles. Had about 4 or 5 I was using for hunting at one point a handful of years ago. Just got way too confusing to remember all the drops. I was proficient with them all, but an expert of none. My confidence was in the gutter when in the field. I finally had enough and a couple years ago, I cut my hunting firearms back to just 2 rifles. The rest were transformed into varmint rifles or sold. My confidence in the field is already feeling much better as its much easier to learn and keep track of 2 rifles.

It is so true. I used my first rifle I bought a Savage in 30-06 for close to 4 decades until finally I crushed the wood where the action goes. This was always my go to for deer and elk. I just could not bring myself to spend the money for a custom stock as it is difficult to find one for a left handed. I believe I paid about $130 with a Bushnell scope on it. Finally a couple of years ago I plunked the cash for a new rifle a Tikka T-3 lite in 30-06, still love the caliber, it is what I know. Have the load it likes now that gives me sub moa shots at 200 yards.

 

[Clearlight]

Unless you are using MPBR in a hunting situation , 100 zero makes
sense to me . Even if you don’t have a zero stop , you can simply note
the number of turns / minutes / Mils up to your 100 zero . If you can
operate a pen , elevation for each range can then be recorded . Solvers
such as Applied Ballistics are so good and easy to use , that there really
should be no excuse for not being in the vicinity of any target .

The guys running 200 and 300 zeros always seem to be those guys
asking me to spot for them to ‘ find ‘ where their projectiles are going
at longer distances .

 

[furmaster]

I sight in at 300 with guns I know I will never shoot less than 300. Your right, same amount of elevation adjustment used. What I like about that is my hold over in my scope goes out past 1000yds.

 

[Canadian bushman]

I will often sight in at 300 or 600 yards with a 100 yard zero.

I do this for two reasons. The main reason being it splits my error between my furthest and nearest ranges i shoot. The second being parallax. It is easier to avoid parallax errors at longer ranges.

As i work through a barrel, brass, and bullets, everything begins to move a little bit, and often ill be just a little off on my data as i move out further and further. By sighting in a 100 yard zero at 600, i know ill be spot on at 400-800 yards. My error will begin to stack up around 1200 yds and 100 at the same rate. At 100 yards, if im an entire 1/2 minute off, who cares thats still a head shot.

If i went with a 100 yard zero i would be off a 1/2 min at 600, and a whole minute at 1200. Which are greater errors in distance from POA.