How close can you go with a 20-moa base?

[Shmackey]

Just wondering if installing a 20-moa base limits you to shooting out past, say, 500 yards, or if you can still head to the 100-yard line. Obviously it depends on your scope in the first place, but I take it this isn't a win-win thing or everyone would install only tilted bases.

 

[briansmithwins]

I'd say it should get you within 20MOA or so.

Kinda makes a difference if we're talking about .22LR or .338 Lapua.

BSW

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

my LTR is zeroed for 250 yards. IBA 20 MOA one piece scope mount.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Three factors:
-how flat the chosen cartridge shoots
-how much elevation adjustment your scope has
-how closely the scope would be aligned to zero with a 0 MOA base - whether your bases or mounting platform are misaligned from the barrel

As a rule of thumb, if your scope has 60 MOA or more elevation adjustment and you are using a relatively flat shooting cartridge, you will probably be able to zero at even short distances like 50 or 100 yards. If your scope has >80 MOA adjustment you should be completely fine.

 

[Howard Roark]

The standard Palma load will need approximately 34 min of elevation from the 100 yard line to 1K. Since most scopes have a min of 40 mim of travel you will be OK.

 

[Shmackey]

It's .308--generally fairly light handloads. The idea came to me today when I noticed that I was dialed up quite far already even just at 100 yards. (These were seriously light loads.)

The scope is a Vortex Viper 6.5-24x44 or something like that. I don't recall from the manual, but I'd guess it's got 40-something built in.

 

[Shmackey]

Hmm. Looks like the scope has 68 moa built in.

It's been too long since I took trigonometry. Given a rather non-flat-shooting bullet and that info, it almost sounds like I can definitely get away with a 20-moa base at 100 yards.

 

[chaser_2332]

You should be fine with a 20 my 308 wears a 30moa

Btw how was the brass?

 

[WNTFW]

Schmackey,
I have an EGW 20 MOA base on a .308. I zero it at 100 and shoot 600 by adding 16ish MOA. Last time I shot it was at 100 & had 600 zero on the gun coming out of the case. I went back to the 100 yd zero with no problem. So no problems with you having a 20 MOA setup. It also helps you to not run out of windage. At 600 I could get by without it, but no reason not to have it.

 

[Shmackey]

Cool. Thanks, all.

Chaser, the brass was great. Took a while to ream it all.