Minimum Distance for sighting in

[WayBeau]

What is the minimum distance for sighting in a rifle? I'm going out this weekend to sight in my new 30.06 and want to be sure to do the job right the first time. Is 100yds sufficient, or should I take it out to 200yds? Can you feasibly sight in at lesser distances, such as 50-75yds?

 

[mortablunt]

I normally don't shoot at long ranges, so I zero in for 100m.

 

[Purgatory]

Remember to start on the 25 or 50 to get on the paper.

Some ranges won't let you shoot rifles at less than 50 yards, so bore sighting before you go is not a bad idea.

You can do this at home at the longest distance you may have to use by setting your rifle somewhere stable and looking down the bore, with bolt removed, at a point in the distance and then adjusting your scope accordingly.

Remember this is just to get you on paper and can save you a lot of ammo.

This is all assuming you're using a bolt action of course.

 

[WayBeau]

I'll be shooting a M77 Hawkeye. It's been laser bore sighted, so it shouldn't (hopefully) need too much adjustment.

 

[Purgatory]

You should be good, then.

Those Ruger 77's are nice. I almost bought one a little while back.

Here, you can use these two sites to figure where you'd like to be sighted in for.

Load in the velocity, bullet weight, BC and what range you'd like to zero for, most use 200 yards, and then the maximum range you'd like to see results for. It's much easier than it sounds.

This site will give you general figures for your caliber.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifle_trajectory_table.htm

This site will let you play around with calculating ballistics/trajectory, etc.
http://www.handloads.com/calc/

Be sure to save these sites in your favorites. They're priceless and I use them often.

 

[rcmodel]

Sight it in about 1 1/2" high at 100 yards and you would be good to go.

With a typical 150 grain load:
That will give you an approximate 200 yard zero, and a 250 yard point blank range where the bullet trajectory would never be more the 4" high or low from the line of sight.

That would only be about 7.5" low at 300 yards.

rc

 

[BrocLuno]

Minimum that seems to work is 25 yds. Then move out to 100

 

[X-Rap]

Don't be stingy with the ammo and sight with what you will hunt with. My zero would depend on the max distance but its 100 or 200 yd zeros for hunting.
After zeroing shoot three shots at 100 yd intervals to you max range and use the same POA then measure from there to your group center and record the drop. If you are not grouping into 6" at all your desired ranges I would rethink and shorten your max.

 

[AKElroy]

I usually bore-site visually through the bore, then pop a few rounds at 25 yards. I have found that with a low scope mount 25 yard zero will print around 2" high at 100. I then fire a few at 100, adjusting a tad to keep groups 1.5" high. Be sure to have a good rest, and let the barrel cool between shots. Not a bad idea to ensure only the forend, not the barrel contacts the rest.

 

[WayBeau]

I'll be using the same rounds that I'll be hunting with. I have limited space, maybe out to 200 yds but not much more than that. I'm going to borrow my father-in-law's shooting bench so that I can reduce the human factor as much as possible.

 

[springfield30-06]

I have my hunting 30-06 sighted in at 100 yards. I debated on sighting it in 2 inches high at 100 but settled on dead on at that distance.

Generally speaking the 30-06 sighted in at 100 yards will be approx. 4 inches low at 200 yards. If you want to sight it at 2 inches high at 100 yards it will be 2 inches low at 200 yards. As log as you do your part you don't have to aim any higher out to 200 to compensate for the bullet drop.

Basically the advantage of 2 inches high at 100yds is that you can aim at the same point out to 200yds and still hit the vital area on a deer. I personally went dead on at 100yds because it would be rare for me to shoot over 100-120yds, and if I did I already know it will drop around 4 inches at 200yds and will compensate for it.

 

[jmr40]

Unless there is a strong possibility of 300+ yard shots I prefer a 100 yd. zero. Your bullet will never be more than 1" above or below your line of sight between 50 to somewhere around 140 yards away. Makes it easier to thread bullets through brush without having to worry about hitting a tree branch above your line of sight you can't see. Still only around 3" low at 200 and the difference at 300 yards is only about 4-5" lower than with a 200 yard zero.

Sighting in high at 100 yards takes a little guesswork out of longer shots, but not much. If you are going to shoot beyond 300 yards you need to be using a range finder and a scope with LR dots or adjustable turrets anyway. This way you know how far the target is and can accurately compensate for hold over instead of guessing.

 

[MOHunter1978]

I have heard all kinds of different ways to sight in a rifle. There probably isn't one right way. I prefer to start at 25 yards and then move to 100. I like a 100 yard zero. The last buck I killed was 20 yards broadside. The farthest one was my first deer 20 years ago...It was about 175 and I think I got lucky. So far, 300 yard+ shots have not been an issue.

 

[Sav .250]

Start at 25 yds. Saves a lot of ammo. Then zero in at 100 yds . Then finish up getting your shots hitting about 2-3 inches high ar 100 yds. Your go to go. IMO.

 

[H2oPumper]

Get on paper at 25, remember the 1/4" per click is multiplied by 4 at 25 yards. Then move out to 100 and lock in at 1.5-2" high.

 

[Art Eatman]

With a scoped bolt-action '06, I start with dead-on at 25 yards. That easily gets me close to the middle of the target at 100.

I zero for two inches high at 100, which is about dead-on at 200 and about six inches low at 300.

I don't guess I've ever shot on paper at 200 yards in these last sixty years since I started messing with the '06. Ate lots of deer meat, though.

 

[WayBeau]

If using a variable power scope, what setting did you have it on initially? I read the post of POI changing when the power of the scope is changed and I certainly don't want to have to deal that headache if possible. I have a 3-9x50 Redfield on my rifle.

 

[Jim Watson]

Late production scopes are not much afflicted but sometimes a little.
I guess you could shoot the gun at different power settings and see what YOUR scope does. If it is shifty, either zero at the high end on the basis that it will not be noticed much at close range and low power. Or just pick a number and leave it alone.

 

[Waywatcher]

Lots of good replies, but I'll add my own too.

I start at 25, move to 50, then 100 yards.

I like to zero dead on at 100 and adjust holdover or elevation knobs accordingly.

 

[Salty1]

Below is taken from a Elk Hunting web site, after reading it a few times and talking to some others it made a lot of sense to me and this is how I zero'd my Tikka 30-06.....

http://elkhunter2.tripod.com/sight_in.html

First of all, the object here is to not assume that everyone knows how to sight in their rifle. There are many new hunters and shooters every day. When we go to the rifle range, we all want to be able to at least hit the paper target. Whenever you buy a rifle or a new scope, at least have it bore sighted. This is the first step to properly getting the bullet to hit the paper. If you do choose not to have it bore sighted, you can choose to view a particular target through your barrel, providing that it is a bolt action. First make certain that it is unloaded. You will need to remove the bolt and view a target by looking through the barrel. You can then make adjustments on your scope so the cross hairs are also on that same spot. But believe me, having it bore sighted is the best place to start.
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Start out with a 25 yard target, and take three shots to get your grouping. You will want to start sighting it in to the center of this group. Now you can play around with the elevation and windage to get it hit where you are looking through the scope, and this does work. But first you need to know the adjustments, which may and do vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. A method that I prefer is simpler and faster to use. This method is to use a good sturdy rest , one that can be used hands free, or a friend, and after your 3 shot group, look through the scope, place crosshairs on the bulls eye again, and now move crosshairs to the center of the 3 shot group. I have used this method with a one shot sight-in, and moved the crosshairs to meet the bullet hole. Bingo, your crosshairs are now where your bullet is hitting. But the 3 shot grouping is a better method. Now that you have it sighted in at 25 yards, move to the 100 yard target and repeat this procedure.
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Now you will have to decide at what distance you want it sighted in at. Most hunters use the 1 1/2" high at 100 yards, which will put you roughly at the zero at 200 yards. But with the 200 yard zero you will still have to estimate distances in unfamiliar terrain. A much better way is to sight your rifle in to give you the longest point-blank or dead-on hold that is possible without shooting too high at the mid-range point. With most rifles and bullets, this means 3" high at 100 yards. Unlike a target shooter who knows exactly haw far his target is, you do not have to be too concerned about the distance, or hitting the 10 point on a target. Your concern is to hit the vitals of the game you are hunting. You do not have to be concerned if it is high at short distances, or low at long distance, so long as you can connect with the vital area. Unlike the target shooter you will not be able to calculate the exact distance to hit exactly at your point of aim because while you are hunting you will not be able to determine the exact distance anyway.
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Lets use the 7mm as an example, shooting a 160 grain pointed bullet at 3100 fps. or a .30 caliber, 180 grain with the same velocity. Sighted in at 3" high at 100 yards, the bullet will hit about 4" high at 200 yards, almost dead on at 300 yards, will drop to about 4" low at 350 yards, and less than 10 inches low at 400 yards. This is a range that we all know as "pretty darned far". If you were to hold on the center of the ribs on a buck, anywhere from the muzzle to 350 yards, you will hit the vital area. If it is out as far as 400 yards, you can hold on the top of the back and hit near dead center. At 175 - 200 yards, the bullet will hit below the spine with a center hold. If that same bullet was sighted in at 100 yards, with a center hold, the bullet would land about 3" low at 200 yards, more than 10" low at 300 yards, and more than 2 feet low at 400 yards.
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With the 3" high at the 100 yard sight in, you can hold dead center on the game out to 350 yards with no figuring at all. With the 100 yard zero you would be undershooting the vital area at less than 250 yards. This 3" high at 100 yards will bring out the cartridge's full potential. The only time you would have a concern is if you were in heavy cover, and then your target would be at 100 yards or less, and all you had was a head or a neck shot. Now you would have to aim low or you would shoot over the animal.

 

[WayBeau]

Since I'll have a solid rest, I was planning on trying the two shot zero (shoot, adjust crosshairs to bullet hole, shoot second shot - hopefully in bullseye). I assume it won't be too terriby difficult to set the scope to 1.5"-2" high at 100yds once it's zeroed. My hunting is done in the mountains, in lots of marginally thick cover, so there won't be any shots farther than 200yds.

 

[Art Eatman]

Sounds good, WayBeau. That's pretty much been my deal since forever ago.

FWIW, I've mostly used Leupold variable scopes (as well as Weaver K4s and a Redfield 3x9). I use max magnification to sight in, and never had a problem when I hunt down on low magnification.

 

[langenc]

Want to try something interesting??

Get her all sighted in. Then shoot a target at 25 yds(one shot), then one at 50 yds and one at 100.. that is all 3 on the same target. Label em and save the target for reference.


Now you know where the gun shoots at various distances so that when the target all of a sudden is at 35 yds, you dont panic and wonder "where do I hold'????

 

[WayBeau]

Langenc,
That's actually a really good idea. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[BADUNAME37]

25 yards is my minimum. If shooting the first time, I don't only have the target, but a very large cardboard box or full-size newspaper opened up with the target in the very middle. That way, if you happen to miss the target, all is not lost as you will most likely hit the large permiter of paper or cardboard around the target!

Then, mark all your shots each time (or cover each with a little piece of masking tape), so you can know each time you adjust the sights just where the bullets are actually shooting!

I do the same thing when sighting in any gun, typically at 25, but sometimes beginning at 50 yards instead of 25, then moving to 100 yards, doing the same thing. I typically shoot three shots, then go check the target (if using my telescope, I will still let the gun cool while I go cover the holes I just made).

When finished sighting-in, I put up a new target and use that one to take home and study my group, how the group shoots in relation to dead-center of target, etc.