Is this a problem - dual purpose rifle?

[nybuckboy]

My son has a Ruger M77.243. We plan to use the rifle for both deer and varmint/coyotes.

We shot the gun today at the range and with 100gr Winchester Super X and the gun was dead on at 100yds. The bullet shoots 2960 fps.

He shot some Hornady 58gr and they were about 4" high at 100 yds. This bullet shoots 3925 fps.

As deer season is over and we plan to coyote hunt and then shoot woodys this summer Spring/Summer. He plans to re-sight the Hornady's in at 1 1/4 inches high at 100. Using the trajectory calculator from

http://biggameinfo.com/BalCalc.aspx

This rifle will be good out to about 300 yds and never vary in elevation +/- 1.5 inches.

Next October, we plan to go back to the range and readjust the rifle for the 100gr bullets for deer season. Sighting it in 3" high at 100 and the gun will be accurate +/- 3" out to 290 yds.

We plan to write down the necessary elevation clicks so we can just re-set it the following year... take a few shots and it should be on.

Your thoughts?

[Dinsdale]

If the scope tracks well you could be OK....I do something similar and know the count between set ups and its very close with just count.

You may find it helpful to change the turrets by going past the count and then back where you want to be. This torques the adjustments the same way each time.Then you always are turning the same way back to a setting. Say you are 12 clicks off, go to 15 and back to 12.....then up 12 the next time you go back to the original; always turning the set up one way to get to your final setting.

You can also settle the the scope by tapping on it.....but I have never needed to, a shot does the same thing but an initial round may produce a flier and subsequent rounds may group better.

I have another solution for another barrel I own....I have two scopes in some good detachable rings so I can shoot 2 loads, one set up for each. I use that alot when traveling as I have a built in spare and can switch loads for another type of hunting with one gun.

[jusputtn]

My thoughts. You've got it figured out. ;-)

[Lawdwaz]

You guys reload? If so.............

Get yourself a Leupold 3.5-10x40mm scope, have a M1 turret installed on top. Get a pile of Barnes 80gr TTSX bullets, load them up to 3400fps and don't mess around.

I doubt you'll be going through buckets of loaded rounds shooting at coyotes OR woodchucks anyplace in NYS. Load up a couple hundred and rock on!

That Barnes TTSX will kill any deer walking in the world!

After shooting the bullet/turret/rifle combo all summer you guys will need a nice freezer for the fall.

If you don't handload, no better time to start!

[waterweasle]

why not just shoot what its already dead on with??, and dope your elevation drops from there

Edited December 30, 2011 by waterweasle

[nybuckboy]

why not just shoot what its already dead on with??, and dope your elevation drops from there

I really need to raise the deer sighting settings up as well.

[KEVA]

My concern would be if your bullets are traveling at the expected rate of speed. Did you use a chronograph to get your fps or go by some previously written expectations? If you used a chronograph I would feel comfortable using the calculator, but if not you may be surprised at the actual fps that your bullets are traveling at which would alter your trajectory.

I use my .260 for deer and varmints. I have two different loads, but I sight my gun in with deer rounds before deer season, and varmint rounds after deer season. I do use a calculator to develop trajectory charts, but I get my bullet velocity from a chronograph.

Edited December 31, 2011 by KEVA

[nybuckboy]

Re: My sons .243. I do not have a chronograph but we did sight in zeroed at 45 yds as the trajectory charts indicated but when I shot at 100 the shots were about 3" high whereas they were supposed to be at about 1.25 high.

So what we did was just sight in 1.25" high at 100 where the trajectory chart said we should be if zeroed at 45 yds.

We ended up turning the scope down 12 clicks and to the Left 2 clicks from where the rifle was sighted for deer using 100gr Remington. This sounded about right as the 58gr Hornady were shooting about 4-5" high and about 1.5" Right last week at 100yds.

So next Sept we will reverse the clicks and shoot to see how the rifle shoots.

Re: My 22-250. Shooting 50gr Remington JHP, my rifle was much closer to being on at 100yds after zeroing in at 45yds. Only a few clicks and were 1.25" high at 100.

I do think it does make sense to zero at 45yds when sighting a new scope and then go out to 100yds to fine tune.

Ths trajectory charts did not work as well as I had hoped but as I said they were close and it was easy fine tune at 100 once the 45 was established.

Edited January 1, 2012 by nybuckboy

[Pygmy]

Trajectory charts are just a general guide...They are usually close, but the only way you'll really know where your rilfe is shooting at 100, 200, 300 yards or whatever, is to spend some trigger time at those distances with your specific rifle and loads.

Good luck and have fun..