Best yardage to zero scope- for 300yrds

[JDGray]

For my 223, I was thinking of a 50yrd zero, my 308, I was thinking 200yrds.

I only have 340yrds of range to work with, and wanted a setting that would be easy to adjust for. I hear a fifty yard zero, should be back on, at or near 300yrds, with a 223. Not sure on the 308 This is only for paper punching, and both scopes have target turrets. Wheres a good place to zero?

 

[eitrheim31]

i could be wrong but i was thinking the army sights on the m16 are zeroed at 25 and 300 with the max poi being 9 inches high

 

[dat2]

here is a chart from Remington Balistics with the 223 and 308, both sighted in at 200 yards.


Long-Range Trajectory
Cartridge Type Bullet 100 150 200 250 300 400 500
Premier® AccuTip™ 55 ATV 1.5 1.4 zero -2.8 -7.1 -21.7 -46.3
Premier® Scirocco™ Bonded 150 SSB 1.8 1.6 zero -3.1 -7.8 -22.7 -46.0

 

[Lovesbeer99]

It shouldn't matter as long as you have dope on your gun and bullets.
My AR with my hand load drops bullets from 100 to 200 to 300 consistantly.

So if I'm at 100 and need 200, I turn up 4 moa. If I need 300 I add another 4 moa from this point. If I'm at 300 and want to shoot at 200, I turn it down 4 moa.

Note, these aren't my actualy numbers but you get the gist I hope. Find a trajectory chart or ballistics table to get a good starting point, then give it a go and adjust your dope accordingly.

 

[Black Dime]

Bullet trajectory of a 55gr .223 factory assuming 200 zero.


+1.5 @100 yards
0.0 @200
-8.2 300
-26.2 400

.308 w/150 gr.

+2.0
0.0
-8.8
-26.3

 

[Zak Smith]

A 50 yard zero on either of those will be usable to an approx 300-yard point blank range.

_Bullet_           _BC_ _MV_         0      50     100     150     200     250     300 | YARDS
308               0.400 2700 >   -1.75    0.00    0.46   -0.48   -2.94   -7.05  -12.95 | drop (inches)
                                  elevation maxima 0.48" at 92.00
20 M193           0.240 3250 >   -1.75    0.00    0.82    0.58   -0.86   -3.68   -8.07 | drop (inches)
                                  elevation maxima 0.86" at 114.48

 

[Jim Watson]

Except for hunting or some sort of field or tackytickle unknown range competition, I zero my rifle at the range being shot at. The best scale model is 12" to the foot. 300 yards = 300 yards. You say you have 340, no problem.

 

[Legionnaire]

Zero at 100, and make adjustments from there. If you're working on "point blank range" for hunting, I'd zero 1.5" high at 100 yards ... with either cartridge. That will give you a little less drop at 300 than Zak's table.

 

[bhk]

The problem with any one of these charts is that they are just approximations. Your actual results will vary depending on your barrel length, ammunition lots, and the height of your scope above the bore. I have never had a gun perform exactly as the charts indicate.

I try to sight my rifles in at 200 yards (you have enough range to do this). THEN I shoot them at 50 (and 100) yards to detect the point of impact at those range to use as a point of reference for future sighting in with THAT rifle and ammo. In your case, I would also fire a few shots at 300 yards to determine the actual point of impact.

An example. My antelope rifle was sighted dead on at 200 yards. With that sight in, it hits 1 1/4 inch high at 100 and about 1/4 inch low at 50. If I need to change scopes on this rifle, I feel fairly confident checking the zero at 50 (I almost always still check it latter at 200). Any one of my other rifles WILL show different results.

Some folks will swear a 25 yard sight in will be perfect to 250 yards. This may work if you are shooting large barns. With most of my rifles, I find a 25 yards sight in results is shots 4 to 6 inches high at 100 yards. The 25 yards sight IS useful when initially sighting in a gun because it will usually get you on a large paper target at 100. You usually then need to make significant refinements.

 

[Zak Smith]

The sight over bore distance has the most effect on longer-range effects of short-range zeros.

Cogito, ergo armor.

I had this on my car for several years! Worked out the Latin with a friend who studied it in college. In WA, I had a lady come up to me on the ferry and comment on it-- she thought it meant "I think therefor I love." I didn't have the heart to correct her right there.

 

[S. Hill]

I second the post of bhk. He pretty well summed up the variables.

My Sierra loading manual has charts in the back that list "maximum point blank range". They are pretty informative, assuming that you know your muzzle velocity and can match your bullet's ballistic coefficient.

 

[JDGray]

Thanks for all the replies Both my rifles are zeroed at 100, I just gotta go out and shoot, and record my zeros on the turret settings. They both shot 3-4" low at 200, so that would relate to 8 clicks or 2moa @ 200yrds. At 300yrds 1moa =3" so would 12" drop only need 16 clicks of elevation, or 4moa?

 

[Zak Smith]

1 MOA = 1.0472" per 100 yards

 

[Legionnaire]

"I think therefore I love."

Love it!

 

[interlock]

zero range

i shoot .243 win, 7mm08 rem and .30-06 sprg. I hunt with all of these rifles. I zero an inch high at 100 yards. this makes my poi anout 2 inces low at 200 yards so for hunting i just hold over very slightly for 200 yard shots.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

In the military we zeroed our A4/RCOs @ 36 yards for a BZO of 300 yards. That is with the 62 gr M855 ball round. The RCO sits kind of high above the bore as well, which does have an effect on things like this.

In your case, I don't think the zero really matters all that much. A maximum range of 300 yards isn't that far for a centerfire rifle, and should be obtainable regardless of how far out you zero. Personally, I would probably zero each rifle for 300 yards. This will allow you to aim dead-on at the maximum range you have access to, and both rifles produce velocities sufficient to minimize the arc above your line of sight at midrange. I wouldn't expect either rifle to be more than 5 or 6 inches high at 150 yards, and for most purposes, this is acceptable.

 

[rcmodel]

For zero to 300 yards I wouldn't bother with "clicks".

If you zero 1 1/2" high at 100 and know the trajectory out to 400, it's a very simple matter to just hold over 6" or a foot.

That's for all hunting purposes.

Target shooting is a whole nother deal I suppose.

But for hunting, most game animals & varmints will be long gone while you are fiddling with the clickers.

rc