Sight in range

[Jaeger]

I'm going to sight in my LHR with 300gr scorpion PT's at about 1900fps with 110grs. Blackhorn 209.

 

All I can find as a starting point (ballistic calculators) says anything zero on around 30-40 yards will give me a relatively flat trajectory out to about 100 with a 3-4" drop by 150.

 

I do not have time to get to the range and want to shoot at short yardage 30-40 yards to sight in.  So, if I zero at about 35-40 yards I should be on at 100 and good to about 125.

 

Does this sound about right?  I'm not interested in 1/2 inch here or there, just want to be in the ball park within an inch or so vertically, and will be adjusting to be dead on left to right.

 

I want to quickly get sighted in for my conditions ~75 yards in my woods and will be sighting in along an old clear logging road (ours/private) this afternoon for monday's opener. (buddies still will be rifle hunting and I have a doe tag, on Fri-Sun.)

 

Just curious about what you guys/gals sight in your 300 gr pills with ~100-110 grs powder for.

Edited December 10, 2015 by Jaeger

[Jeremy K]

Do you plan to then hunt with it past 40 yards ? I myself would be so nervous to take a shot at a deer from a distance I have never shot the gun at.

[turkeyfeathers]

Wait , so you have time to shoot it at 40 yards but not 100? I'm confused. I wouldn't want to rely completely on ballistics from 40 to whatever you may shoot at a deer from.

[grampy]

Do you plan to then hunt with it past 40 yards ? I myself would be so nervous to take a shot at a deer from a distance I have never shot the gun at.

 

I agree. I'm kind of funny, in that I "HAVE" to know where my gun shoots at a given distance before I can hunt or shoot that distance at a deer. Maybe I just over think things too much.  

[chas0218]

Target in the gun for the distance you are going to shoot. You then won't be pissed you didn't take the time to do it when/if you miss that monster and you'll know it was all buck fever.

[moog5050]

I agree that its best to shoot the gun at the your max range, but sighting in 1" high at 50 should put you close to dead on at 100.

[The_Real_TCIII]

You cant shoot at 75 on the logging road? I'd get dead on at 75 if you can

[Buckmaster7600]

I would never shoot at a deer at a range I have not shot at a target.

[G-Man]

I usually sight all.long rifles for 75, pistols to 50. If your inch high at 40 you should be good too 100 no problem, 300 grains starts to drop quick between 150 and 200.

[Jaeger]

Thanks for all your advice.  

 

I understand your reluctance to shoot at a max range you've never shot before but bullets are very predictable over short ranges.  If you sight in for 50 would you never shoot 75 with a very flat shooting gun? 

 

I expect these new shooters never had to use Kentucky windage or Tennessee elevation with a fixed sight gun.

 

If  a gun shoots 2" to the left and 3" high at 56 yards or 47 or 98, a good shooter knows how to adjust.

 

We're not talking sighting in at 25 yards (which, by the way, the bullet has an apparent rise due to the height of the scope above the bore) and then taking a shot at a live animal at 200 or 300 yards.

 

But to each his own.

 

As far as the sighting in, I did it at 47 lasered yards, I was sighting in on our hunting grounds, wanted to be sure where the gun was shooting, took only 3 shots and was satisfied.  I didn't put the target out farther, say max 60 just to be sure I was on paper with the first few shots so as to not disturb the area too much.

 

I did not play around with longer ranges, more shots and adjustments, etc. because we had hunters coming in in the afternoon and I will not disturb the area excessively, it's our hunting grounds, not a shooting range.

 

Frankly, I am very supprised that the first few comments were curt condemnations.  I am a very ethical hunter and would never take a shot I wasn't sure of.

 

Like I said above, if your sighted in at 50, 100, 150 etc. would you never take a shot at 43, 87, 126, 167 yards just because you've never shot that exact range? (if you can shoot at every range, 1 yard increment at a time, good for you).

 

I know where I'm hitting at 47 yards, I know the velocity and bc of the bullet and the trajectory out to 200yds.  I only trust the tables out to about 100.

 

But run the numbers yourself varying the bc and the velocity +/- 200fps and you'll find only a +/- 2" difference in drop at 170 yards.  If you can hold 2" at 170 unsupported, good for you.

 

I often wonder if people really know what their rifles are doing when they make "never" or "always" type blunt comments.  I know my rifle, I know my load, I know the trajectory (from past experiance on a range) and I know when and when not to take a shot.

 

Sorry I started this thread.  Asking for simple advice on this site is getting to be like asking for trouble instead of solutions and help.

 

 

 

 

[The_Real_TCIII]

I sight in high at 50 and will absolutely take a shot out to 100, no condemnation here. I was just curious why you could get to 47 yards on a logging road but not another 25 yards. Good luck monday

[Buckmaster7600]

Like I said above, if your sighted in at 50, 100, 150 etc. would you never take a shot at 43, 87, 126, 167 yards just because you've never shot that exact range? (if you can shoot at every range, 1 yard increment at a time, good for you).

I know where I'm hitting at 47 yards, I know the velocity and bc of the bullet and the trajectory out to 200yds. I only trust the tables out to about 100.

After spending 8 years in the Marine Corps 6.5 of them as a sniper. When I am shooting If my max range is 800meters I would shoot 0-800 in 100 meter increments I can do the math giving 2 known poi's but having 1 poi and reading about the other in a book and getting an imaginary poi for the other distance and basing Kentucky windage off that is absolutely ignorant. To be honest you will most likely be fine deer aren't hard to kill and have a large vital area.

You asked a question got answers that didn't fit your "plans" and then criticized the people that took their time to help you, makes sense to me.

[The_Real_TCIII]

^you just became my go to guy for gun questions

[Five Seasons]

I found my smokepole, while on the cheaper end of muzleloaders available to be the most finicky gun I've ever tried to site in. Not simply because of the powder and style of how it works but also due to the requirement for cleaning.

 

Many guys cannot get easy access to a 100 yard range and do just fine siting in an inch high at 50 and you will probably be just fine. Sometimes we talk about rifles, scopes and loads like that 1/4 moa at 300 yards is absolutely critical to hit the pie plate of a deer. I do believe in being as accurate as possible and t hat said, these kinds of posts make me nervous as we owe it to our sport to be the most prepared and proficient as possible as to minimize wounding. I really hope you just acquired the gun and aren't just procrastinating.

[Five Seasons]

I would never shoot at a deer at a range I have not shot at a target.

 

most rifles (not speaking of mz) are capable at 300+. Not many 300 yard ranges out there. You wouldn't take that shot if you were sited in at 100?

Edited December 11, 2015 by Belo

[chas0218]

Like I said above, if your sighted in at 50, 100, 150 etc. would you never take a shot at 43, 87, 126, 167 yards just because you've never shot that exact range? (if you can shoot at every range, 1 yard increment at a time, good for you).

I know where I'm hitting at 47 yards, I know the velocity and bc of the bullet and the trajectory out to 200yds. I only trust the tables out to about 100.

After spending 8 years in the Marine Corps 6.5 of them as a sniper. When I am shooting If my max range is 800meters I would shoot 0-800 in 100 meter increments I can do the math giving 2 known poi's but having 1 poi and reading about the other in a book and getting an imaginary poi for the other distance and basing Kentucky windage off that is absolutely ignorant. To be honest you will most likely be fine deer aren't hard to kill and have a large vital area.

You asked a question got answers that didn't fit your "plans" and then criticized the people that took their time to help you, makes sense to me.

I don't think that is what any of us meant. We suggested to target the gun in for the range he was going to use it. That is just plain common sense. Would you target your gun in for 25 yards and take a 200 yard shot not knowing where your gun would begin to hit?

 

If I hunted with shots at 100 yards but usually shoot everything at 50 I would target it in for 50 and take a shot holding zero at 100 too see where it hits. I can then make an educated that at 75 yards it is dropping half the distance it did at 100. You could verify by shooting the gun at 75 but in my eyes it would be pointless. 

 

IF you can make an educated guess and not just hail mary it there than I don't see a problem with that.

Edited December 11, 2015 by chas0218

[Buckmaster7600]

most rifles (not speaking of mz) are capable at 300+. Not many 300 yard ranges out there. You wouldn't take that shot if you were sited in at 100?

Not a chance! A ballistic chart is a guideline that is it. Every gun is different some are faster than others. So if the ballistics on the box that use a 24" barrel and you happen to have a slow 22" barrel it's easy to be 100fps slower than claimed velocities. Do you know what 100fps variation does at 300yds?

I know I am not the norm but I would consider my self a shooter that hunts not a hunter that shoots. I love shooting guns I have a 600yd range at my house and am usually shooting 4-5days a week and a bow range set up in my basement and I shoot my bow everyday most of the time twice a day. It's what I love to do. I understand that most don't have the ability to shoot like I do but I consider sighting a rifle in at 100 and shooting at a deer at 300 is irresponsible. You have an entire year to get ready for deer season if you can't fit 1 day into your life to shoot your gun at distances you intend to shoot you shouldn't be shooting at those distances.

I'm not trying to sound like an a** hole just giving my opinion.

[shawnhu]

most rifles (not speaking of mz) are capable at 300+. Not many 300 yard ranges out there. You wouldn't take that shot if you were sited in at 100?

I do believe he mentioned feeling more comfortable if he had two poi to do his calculations.

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[chas0218]

Not a chance! A ballistic chart is a guideline that is it. Every gun is different some are faster than others. So if the ballistics on the box that use a 24" barrel and you happen to have a slow 22" barrel it's easy to be 100fps slower than claimed velocities. Do you know what 100fps variation does at 300yds?

I know I am not the norm but I would consider my self a shooter that hunts not a hunter that shoots. I love shooting guns I have a 600yd range at my house and am usually shooting 4-5days a week and a bow range set up in my basement and I shoot my bow everyday most of the time twice a day. It's what I love to do. I understand that most don't have the ability to shoot like I do but I consider sighting a rifle in at 100 and shooting at a deer at 300 is irresponsible. You have an entire year to get ready for deer season if you can't fit 1 day into your life to shoot your gun at distances you intend to shoot you shouldn't be shooting at those distances.

I'm not trying to sound like an a** hole just giving my opinion.

I don't shoot that much but I have a nikon BDC scope and have used their spot on app and it is close. I shot a deer at 355 yards  (ranged after the shot) My buddy and I figured it was 250. We were off a little and I used the wrong circle on my BDC but still made a great shot and deer died within 15 feet of being shot. Moral of the story, without shooting your gun at the distances you hunt you will have no idea what the gun will do. If the Spot on was 100% correct I should have shot into the dirt just under the deer.

 

Is it ethical to take longer shots without practice? I wouldn't say so but sometimes even a blind squirrel finds a nut.

[The_Real_TCIII]

The OP sighted in at 47 and is thinking his max shot is 75. He'll be just fine

[Elmo]

Is it ethical to take longer shots without practice? I wouldn't say so but sometimes even a blind squirrel finds a nut.

 

So you're saying you got lucky and is now using that as an example?

[Jaeger]

Like I said guys, sorry I started this mess.  Will try to be more careful before I post.

 

I respect the gentleman above who was a military sniper.  I respect your advice and opinion.  Thank you for your service.

 

Jaeger

[Five Seasons]

Not a chance! A ballistic chart is a guideline that is it. Every gun is different some are faster than others. So if the ballistics on the box that use a 24" barrel and you happen to have a slow 22" barrel it's easy to be 100fps slower than claimed velocities. Do you know what 100fps variation does at 300yds?

I know I am not the norm but I would consider my self a shooter that hunts not a hunter that shoots. I love shooting guns I have a 600yd range at my house and am usually shooting 4-5days a week and a bow range set up in my basement and I shoot my bow everyday most of the time twice a day. It's what I love to do. I understand that most don't have the ability to shoot like I do but I consider sighting a rifle in at 100 and shooting at a deer at 300 is irresponsible. You have an entire year to get ready for deer season if you can't fit 1 day into your life to shoot your gun at distances you intend to shoot you shouldn't be shooting at those distances.

I'm not trying to sound like an a** hole just giving my opinion.

What about my leupold CDS custom made for my gun and bullet?

[Buckmaster7600]

What about my leupold CDS custom made for my gun and bullet?

What about it?

[chas0218]

So you're saying you got lucky and is now using that as an example?

I'm saying that I estimated the yardage wrong because I don't shoot that far on a regular basis and yes got lucky.

Same way for the original poster. He might get lucky but if he doesn't shoot that distance then he won't know where the gun hits. This isn't rocket science, it's called common sense.