scope sighting in at short distance equal to being zeroed at long distance

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streetstang67

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I'm wanting to sight in my new scope on my 30-06. While it would be nice to set up a target 150 yards away and zero it in, I cannot shoot accurately enough to perfectly zero it in at that distance. Can I set up a target 25 or 50 yards away and zero it in a certain amount high or low that would be equivalent to being zeroed at 150 yards?
 
That is a great idea, to help you in your endeavor I'd recommend that you go to Remington's website and download "Remshoot" which is free. You can use it to figure out the amount of dope you'd need to dial in once you've zeroed at what ever range you wish. You should know that most scopes with 1/2 or 1/4 MOA adjustments are set up to equal either 1/2" or 1/4" worth of movement at 100 yds. You might find that your adjustment is more coarse at the shorter range (just as it would be at longer ranges) however that can be viewed as an advantage because you sort of exaggerate any scope adjustments allowing you to quickly get where you need to go. I'd guess that at 50yds a 1/4MOA adjustment will be moving your point of impact roughly 1/2" and at 25yds the same scope adjustment would move your point of impact 3/4" or so. I hope this helps.
 
While it would be nice to set up a target 150 yards away and zero it in, I cannot shoot accurately enough to perfectly zero it in at that distance.
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Then why worry about it? If you cannot zero it in at that distance the rifle is not going to hit the target by itself when you go to use it at that range.
 
What I mean by me not being accurate is that while I can set the scope to hit within an inch or two of the bulleye, I can't (yet) shoot consistently enough to figure out if I'm a half inch to the left or to the right, some shots are high, others low. Shooting at closer distances my shots are way better grouped and help me to easily see what needs adjustment.
 
OK I see now, I've found ballistic table to only be a loose guide at best. There are lots of varibles that just cannot be accounted for that effect a bullets trajectory.

What I would do is sight the rifle in SLIGHTLY (less than 1") low at 50 yds what this will do is account for the distance between the scope and the bore.

Next move out to 100 and just shoot a few groups to get a good Idea of the average point of impact and than make your adjustments
 
I'd guess that at 50yds a 1/4MOA adjustment will be moving your point of impact roughly 1/2" and at 25yds the same scope adjustment would move your point of impact 3/4" or so. I hope this helps.
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:scrutiny:

1/4" MOA adjustments at 100 yards means 1/8" at 50 yards and 1/16" at 25 yards.


To the original poster, you don't have access to sandbags or something to lay the rifle on? YOu only need to sight it at 100 yards. Bore sight first at about 25 or 50, then get it grouping well at 100 yards. I would say 3" high at 100 yards with patter of 5 shots in the 3" area would be ample to know you are on target.

You don't need pin point accuracy for a deer or other large game. Just know your limits on what shot would be ethical. If you can't shoot 3" groups at 100 yards, I wouldn't shoot over 150 yards at an animal.
 
Your 30-06 sighted dead at 50 will put you as close as you can get it at 150 and be about 1/2 in high at 100.
 
I learned that lesson the hard way

I got a new scope for my .357 Magnum rifle, and used my laser boresighter and sighted it in in my house, 1" high at 40'. I figured that was about right.

WRONG-O! I took it out to my buddy's farm, and at ~60yds, it was shooting about a foot high! I had no idea that a .357 would shoot that flat. Came home and set it back to zero. Should have left it there in the first place.
 
Well after sighting my '06 in the other day at 150. it was about 3/4 in high at 100 and dead to rights at 50. 3" high sightin at 100yds is insane for a hunting rifle unless youre taking 500yd shots. Sightin at 100 or 150 will give you all the range you need without holdover or under out to 200. 300 might be about 10-12in holdover.
 
We sight our hornady 165gr in at 1.8 inches (2.0 for 180gr) high at 100, puts it dead on at 200 (in theory). Not sure about at 50, but it would be close to dead on I suspect.

Code: 
.30-06 Sprg., 165 gr. IB  	81159
Velocity (fps) / Energy (ft-lbs)
Muzzle 	     100 yd 	  200 yd       300 yd       400 yd 	   500 yd
2800/2872    2597/2470    2403/2115    2217/1800    2039/1523 	  1870/1281

Trajectory (inches)
Muzzle 	100 yd 	 200 yd   300 yd    400 yd    500 yd
-1.50 	 1.80 	   0.00    -7.90    -22.80   -46.20
 
You really should zero as close to the distance you plan to shoot as possible. You may think you are zeroed perfectly at 25 or 50 yd since any variance will be so slight at that range. At 150-200 yd, however any error will be greatly magnified.
The key to zeroing is to have a good SOLID rest.
Make some sandbags or buy/borrow a good solid rest and zero 1" high at 100 yd. You do not want to zero any higher than that until you learn to shoot more accurately with practice.
You may also try a different brand of ammo, bullet type/weight, etc. Some rifles are very load specific and may shoot far more accurately with one load than another.
Also, check your rifle to make sure everything is tight. Check your scope mount, take down screw, etc.
Above all, practice with it. When you think you are shooting well enough, practice some more. If you shoot your rifle regularly, you WILL become proficient with it.
That will give you not only the SKILL to take an animal at hunting ranges but the CONFIDENCE as well. Mindset is important.
Above all, if you aren't 100% certain you can make a shot, don't take it.

My two cents. . . . . . .
 
Am I the only one who finds out his scopes aren't on straight when he tries zeroing at short range before shooting at a longer distance?

John
 
You really should zero as close to the distance you plan to shoot as possible. You may think you are zeroed perfectly at 25 or 50 yd since any variance will be so slight at that range.
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I agree if you have the skill to shoot and call the groups.

The key to short range zero is to be shooting one-hole groups at the closer range. This will minimize any error, and you should be able to with a good rest or sandbags. I would rather zero this way than use a boresighter. Plus I get a little more shooting practice this way.

Every modern, flat-shooting round I've zeroed at 25yds is usually around 2.5" high at 100. Around 2" high with open sights. If one practices at 25-50 yds until they can put them in a one hole group, then shooting at distance will be easier. Like anything else, practice, practice, and then some more practice.
 
JohnBT
Do you mean the scope is physically canted or pointing off to the side -- not in line with the barrel??:what: That should be corrected before any rounds are fired. Those are the scopes that could be damaged. Rings not properly lined up can bend the scope and really knacker things up.
 
I zeroed my 30/.06 last weekend at 25 yards. Should be very acceptable at 125 yards. Most hunters I know zero in at 25 yards and have no problem taking game from 100-200 yards. Just practice getting that group as tight as possible at 25 yards.
 
I have never heard of zeroing at 25 yards. I will get the scope on paper at 25, but I never shot one hole and then called it a day. One hole shots at 25 yards are easily an 1" or more at 100 yards because not only do you have the 4x distance for the group to open up, but you have a much greater distance to focus the scope on...which is a key part IMO. If its too hard to sight it in at 100, I hope you are not hunting at anything over 50.

Not to mention most scopes are set for the parallax at 100 yards, so how you hit all your shots in the same place at 25 means your scope is going to be wack at 100....let alone 200+...
 
03 Shadowbob, Am I to assume form your statement “Should be very acceptable at 125 yards” that you just sight in at 25 yds and call it good…no shooting at other distances to check the zero? I may be a bit more of an accuracy nut than most people, but seriously, 25yds tells you everything you need to know out to 200?
~z
 
I will get the scope on paper at 25, but I never shot one hole and then called it a day. One hole shots at 25 yards are easily an 1" or more at 100 yards
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Right. If you can get this consistent, then you can tell where you're groups need to shift. The original poster said he couldn't shoot groups@100 adequately enough to zero at this distance.
Not to mention most scopes are set for the parallax at 100 yards, so how you hit all your shots in the same place at 25 means your scope is going to be wack at 100....let alone 200+...
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Never been a problem that I could see. My scoped 30.06 will put them in one hole dead-on at 25 and 1.5" groups 2" high at 100, same paralax. And I've done it with more than one gun on numerous occasions.

Witness the irons sights on the Garand and M1A/M14. They were zeroed at 25 and then calibrated to the 200 mark on the elevation adjustment wheel. A few clicks to fine tune may be required, but most of the time, if the shooter does his part, an effective zero is obtained at the closer range for the greater distance.
 
"Do you mean the scope is physically canted or pointing off to the side "

Or the scope is canted a tad AND the holes in the receiver are crooked too - which doesn't hurt a thing if you're using Burris Sig Zee rings. You've never had this happen? It's actually pretty difficult to get the scope tube precisely parallel with the bore.

John
 
Funny, I put a Burris Fullfield II on some Warne bases with Warne QD rings (not cheap, but worth it IMO), on my Weatherby Vanguard Sporter. It was almost perfectly lined up with the scope at 0,0. It was on paper at 100 yards and only needed a few clicks to be dead-center.

Depends on the gun, scope and bases, whether it will be crooked or not.
 
dead on at 25yds "should" :confused: equal about 2" high at 100. but please dont take a shot you have not practiced for.
 
Of course it is best to practice at the distance you will be shooting at. I am not saying it's not wise to practice at distances. All I was meaning to say was if he can't group at 100 yards then he needs to knock it down to 25 yards to see what the problem is. BTW My 30/.06 with 150 grain Corelocks shoot about 1.5" high at 100 yards when zeroed at 25 yards.

I know about 20 hunters and hundreds of dead deer that say zeroing at 25 yards is adequate.
 
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