Typical sight-in, recreational, plinking distances?

[K22]

My shooting distances and manner of shooting are based mostly based on the practical and intended use of the firearm.

Pistol: I shoot only revolvers, open sights.

Since I don't compete anymore or hunt with a pistol, the primary purpose now is reactional and defensive. For my short barrel (short sight radius) pistols 2 to 4", I like to shoot them at 10 to 15 yards on an NRA B2 target. For my target / hunting grade revolvers with 6" barrels, I like to shoot them at 25 yards on an NRA B16 target. Because I'm in my mid 70's and my eyesight is such that I have trouble discerning a black front sight on a black bull, I've pasted a 1.5" orange dot in the center which helps. When I exhaust my current supply of B2 and B16 targets I'm going to switch to those ez2see targets and give them a try.

Centerfire Rifle: I shoot only bolt action scoped rifles.

I do all my shooting off shooting sticks at 100 and 200 yards since this represents the manner in which I use these rifles, i.e., I'm an avid varmint hunter and dabble in predator hunting. 200 yards is the longest distance range I have access to.

My target is a white 3 x 5 card with a 1 1/2" orange dot in the center. I have 2" and 3" circles inscribed on the card so I'm able to develop some type of practical scoring system (vital area hits) to gage my performance and learn to improve my skills.

I can't hunt deer anymore due to physical issues, but when I did, I used a simple piece of white computer paper with 3 and 6" circles inscribed again to develop some type of practical scoring system (vital area). I used a 1 1/2" orange dot in the center for an aiming point.

Rimfire Rifle: Been out of this for years but thinking of getting a Tikka T1X and getting back into it strictly for recreational purposes. When I did shoot it, I shot at 50 yards off a bipod no rear bag. I would have informal competitions with fellow shooters - lots of fun. Many years ago, I was an avid squirrel hunter with a 22 rifle.

 

[David Milisock]

Wow - that is a great reply!

Edit - that should be written down somewhere ... (maybe it is?)

Thanks but it was incomplete, my grandchildren were coming in so I cut it short.

You mentioned the 7.62 x 39 but failed to mention the type of firearm or the discipline. So here's a go, with a list of my favorites. First a discussion on iron sights in the field, in my experiance you'll have zero time for sight adjustments and it's easier to hold low in close than have to hold above a target that's covered by the sights out far. Similar but less relevant with scoped rifles.

I shoot iron sights and LPVO with both eyes open. I sight setting function for end of muzzle to 300 yard tactical games. Low holds in close, the target still remains above the iron sights out to 300 yards.

7.62 x 39 in the SKS/AK, iron sights, unless you have bad eye sight don't bother with scopes. I zero about 4" high at 200. For tactical steel plate shiloutte shooting, (a fun game) full sized steel, inside 100 yards hold bottom of chest area, (you'll make good hits) at 200 hold dead on, at 300 hold the head area of the steel you'll make chest hits with practice.

The 30 Carbine I zero about 7" high at 200 and the above hold points will keep you digging the steel. At 300 you'll need to slow your fire and PRACTICE, 300 is not the 30 Carbines Forte.

5.56 x 45 and 6MM AR 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, I zero the iron sights at 200, at 100 I hold just a tad low, at 200 dead on at 300 bottom of the head plate area.

IRON SIGHT, I prefer 9" circle, (a 9" paper plate works) make a + on the 9" circle with 2" thick vertical and horizontal lines 9" long, hold at the 6 o'clock position to start and preliminary sight in. You can move your hold to center as you get comfortable. Just remember, it's nearly impossible to hit if you have to hold so high the the target dissappear below the sights.

 

[Doug Bogg]

Overwhelmed with generosity of responses. Thanks! Have read every reply several times and copied them into a permanent reference note. The time everyone took to reply is appreciated and information is highly useful.

Although it's possible to look out a window and see maybe 300 ~ 400 yards in a different direction there isn't a clear / safe backstop at that distance so that will be kept open for future consideration. As it stands, here's my quick setup. If you look closely over my bench-rest (aka - ag-tank) at 50 yrds you'll see tee posts holding cardboard. Behind where this was taken is my folding picnic table getting me 100 yrds


Thinking of putting markers out at:

15 yrds
25 yrds
30 yrds
50 yrds
75 yrds

...and building some kind of pressure treated movable bench

This is a generous, helpful forum, much thanks! -

 

[2020_Reloader]

200-250yds is PBR (point blank range) for most flat shooting centerfires.
and plenty long for rimfire!

but if you hang around here....keep cutting lol.

"but if you hang around here....keep cutting lol."

I liked that last line - that sums it up for here

 

[Exercion]

With the sole exception of the .22 I use for squirrels, all of my rifles, rimfire included have base zeroes set at 100yds. Then while I may have to remember where I last shot some of my target rifles, when in doubt I can always go back to 100 and work from there. Keeps it simple for me because I'm easy to confuse lol.

Eric

 

[FNSafari]

Could probably make 200 yrds happen relatively easily. Is that a sweet-spot?

If you have a good 100 yd zero and you know your velocity look up the drop in a load manual then shoot at 200 yds to see actual hold over.

 

[Rem06]

get yourself a 17HMR and really enjoy 100yd shooting! it is a tackdriver!
and a very awesome instruction caliber!

PBR

What Is Point Blank Range? - Aiming Expert

Many gun users have come to understand that point-blank range refers to shots fired at a very close range. But this isn’t entirely true since the definition of the close-range varies with each rifle. So what is the point-blank range? Point-blank range is the distance at which you can hit a...

aimingexpert.com

good research word.!

 

[ebb]

Use Grade 7 bolt in your bush hog. It will still shear if you need it to, but you will spend less time turning wrenches and more time mowing.

 

[Dgd6mm]

get yourself a 17HMR and really enjoy 100yd shooting! it is a tackdriver!
and a very awesome instruction caliber!

PBR

What Is Point Blank Range? - Aiming Expert

Many gun users have come to understand that point-blank range refers to shots fired at a very close range. But this isn’t entirely true since the definition of the close-range varies with each rifle. So what is the point-blank range? Point-blank range is the distance at which you can hit a...

aimingexpert.com

good research word.!

Before we went to Wyoming last year I wanted to by a 17HMR. I couldn't find one in stock anywhere. Prairie Dogs out to 120 yards with my Tikka T1X was a lot of fun. I used SK Standard Plus.

 

[Rat Rifle]

Dude, I so agree, I could easily do it but I've a lot of irons in the fire. I understand you're working in a world beyond me. I've got a lot on the homestead agenda. Thanks for the reply!

Then work when You should, fiddle whenYou can ! John Denver

 

[Dave M.]

Just getting back into the recreation ... could probably layout a backstop at maybe 250 yards, practically, don't see that happening ... keep breaking shear-bolts bush-hogging out to about 120 yrds.

My tape measures don't read-out in yards so put together (please see below)

Question - so what are the usual sight-in / recreational / plinking / red dot distances? What is typical? What do you use? 25, 30, 50, 100 yrds? What are your preferred close-in distances on the range? Thanks -

100 yrds - 300 ft
75 yrds - 225 ft
66.6 yrds - 200 ft
50 yrds - 150 ft
35 yrds - 105 ft
33.3 yrds - 100 ft
30 yrds - 90 ft
25 yrds - 75 ft
20 yrds - 60 ft
15 yrds - 45 ft

Put up a 50/100/200 yard range with offset targets and covered shooting bench/area if possible.

 

[MMH]

It depends on what range you expect to engage at.

For instance on a 22 w/ a MV of 1100 FPS & 1.5" scope height. If you sight in at 50 yards, the bullet will be striking within 3/4" of Point of Aim between 10 yards and 60 yards, will be 2.4" low at 75, 6.8" low at 100 and 13.8" low at 125.

If you would sight in the same 22 at 100 the bullet would strike within 3.5" from the muzzle all the way to 80 yards. at 50 yards it would be 3.4" high. At 125 yards it is 5.4" low. If you shoot all the time at 50 why sight in at 100? Conversely, if you are shooing at 90 to 110 yards, you better sight in at 100. At 90 your hitting 1.4" high & and 110 you are hitting 1.8 low.

A 9mm I would sight in at 25 yards and use 'Kentucky Windage for longer distances. I tend to shoot subsonic (1000 fps) 147 gr. out of a 9mm. At 50, 75 and 100 yards the drops are 1.2", 4.8" and 10.8" . I don't generally shoot beyond 100 yards w/ 9mm - that is what rifles are for.

I sight my rifles at 100. Know the ballistics of your round, environmental conditions (elevation & temperature being most important) and the distance and plug into your ballistic calculator and then dial in the required elevation. For example, at 800 yards, my 308 shooting a 178 gr. ELD-M at 2525 fps requires an elevation of 7.6 mils (bullet drop is 215"). At 500 yards, my 308 only requires 3.4 mils (bullet drop is 60"). I don't really care what the bullet drop is - just dial in elevation (e.g. 7.6 mil, 3.4 mils, etc.).

 

[rkittine]

Remember that what ever you site in at, there will be two yardages that you are on target at. One on the rise upward and one on the coming down side. When you look at the line of sight of your scope or sights above the barrel, this makes sense.
For many hunting centerfire rifles, around 25 yards as it rises and 100 yards as it falls.

Of course this depends on velocities etc.

 

[MMH]

Remember that what ever you site in at, there will be two yardages that you are on target at. One on the rise upward and one on the coming down side. When you look at the line of sight of your scope or sights above the barrel, this makes sense.
For many hunting centerfire rifles, around 25 yards as it rises and 100 yards as it falls.

Good point. This is particularly important to keep in mind for the 9mm & 22. For a centerfire rifle I sight in at 100 and make adjustments. For most rounds, the bullet will be low from the muzzle to 100 yards, and then start dropping for all ranges past that (meaning the bullet never really goes above the line of sight but just gets to it). Using my 308 as an example, the bullet is at point of aim (within 0.1") from 90 to 110 yards & starts dropping. At 150 it drops 0.9", at 200 it drops 3.4" and just keeps on going.

The concept of the bullet crossing line of sight twice is very well illustrated when explaining why many people use a 36 yard zero for a 16" AR (i.e. a M4 clone). Using a 36 yard zero & a 55 FMJ w/ a 3000 FPS MV, the bullet will be below point of aim from 0 to 36 yards. From 36 yards to 280 yards the bullet will be above the line of sight. It rises to a maximum of 5" above the line of sight at 175 yards and then starts dropping. It is at the line of sight (i.e. 0, or at point of aim) at 285 yards and continues to drop. At 330 yards the bullet is 5" below the line of sight. Thus w/ a 36 yard zero and no scope adjustments, aim at center mass and get a solid hit (within +/- 5") out to 330 yards.

 

[Gargoyle]

My .223, 7mm-08, 308, 300WM get base setting 200yd zeros. 1.5" high at 100, zero 200, and 7-8" low at 300. This assures a quick target acquisition while hunting and I can shoot all guns the same until I have the opportunity to dial.

 

[Gargoyle]

Thanks but it was incomplete, my grandchildren were coming in so I cut it short.

You mentioned the 7.62 x 39 but failed to mention the type of firearm or the discipline. So here's a go, with a list of my favorites. First a discussion on iron sights in the field, in my experiance you'll have zero time for sight adjustments and it's easier to hold low in close than have to hold above a target that's covered by the sights out far. Similar but less relevant with scoped rifles.

I shoot iron sights and LPVO with both eyes open. I sight setting function for end of muzzle to 300 yard tactical games. Low holds in close, the target still remains above the iron sights out to 300 yards.

7.62 x 39 in the SKS/AK, iron sights, unless you have bad eye sight don't bother with scopes. I zero about 4" high at 200. For tactical steel plate shiloutte shooting, (a fun game) full sized steel, inside 100 yards hold bottom of chest area, (you'll make good hits) at 200 hold dead on, at 300 hold the head area of the steel you'll make chest hits with practice.

The 30 Carbine I zero about 7" high at 200 and the above hold points will keep you digging the steel. At 300 you'll need to slow your fire and PRACTICE, 300 is not the 30 Carbines Forte.

5.56 x 45 and 6MM AR 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, I zero the iron sights at 200, at 100 I hold just a tad low, at 200 dead on at 300 bottom of the head plate area.

IRON SIGHT, I prefer 9" circle, (a 9" paper plate works) make a + on the 9" circle with 2" thick vertical and horizontal lines 9" long, hold at the 6 o'clock position to start and preliminary sight in. You can move your hold to center as you get comfortable. Just remember, it's nearly impossible to hit if you have to hold so high the the target dissappear below the sights.

I would have thought I wrote this! Solid truth right here. Bravo!

I tried getting away with a 4" high zero at 100yds, or 6 O'clock hold for busting hogs. To keep the target in sight. Highest I had to hold was even with top of their backs. Usually they were running too. Both eyes open is possible with an aperture sight like the M1A. This method works if I remember this zero pattern, but I use so many guns I forget...Red dots and LPVOs these days!

 

[Doug Bogg]

1.5" high at 100, zero 200

Lots of great info here ... was thinking of something like an inch high at 100. Did some checking on our property with satellite images and looks like the longest practical shot over open ground with a solid backstop is around 180 yrds

 

[Gargoyle]

Lots of great info here ... was thinking of something like an inch high at 100. Did some checking on our property with satellite images and looks like the longest practical shot over open ground with a solid backstop is around 180 yrds

1" high at 100yds and you're golden.