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The real zero range.

Last Post 15 Dec 2009 06:59 PM by brad. 8 Replies.

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ujoutdoors User is Offline

Trophy Hunter

Posts:329

29 May 2009 09:59 AM
If you are hunting whitetails, what range should you zero in for? Few ever get this right especially young hunters with military experience. The craze down at our Army Range now is long range sniper rifles. Everybody wants to be Carlos Hathcock but nobody wants to study the balistics in order to do it. But they will pay thousands of dollars to own a tactical rifle. Then they put all the bells and whistles on it and still cant hit much. Some think a good hunting zero is about 400 yards. Then the first deer they want to shoot comes out of the brush at 40 yards and they dont know what to do. Well that is just one of the problems but but it rings true that you zero for the range you are most likely to see a deer. With me its only 50 yards. That's right all the rifles get a 50 yard dead on zero on flat terrain. If Im up in a tree stand it keeps me dead on all the way out to 100 yards which is a far as I can see at my main stand. I only have one stand that I can get a 200 yard shot and that is very rare. You just dont see deer beyound 100 yards where I hunt so the 50 yard zero makes sence. Using that zero I have readily killed deer all the way out to 300 yards but that is very rare. The 165 grain 30-06 and the 220 grain 325 WSM have about the same trajectory, I just hit harder with the magnum. I'll leave this open for discussion on what you do.. Uncle John

HuntingNut User is Offline

Shooter

Posts:38

29 May 2009 08:39 PM
I'm only a young hunter (22 yrs. old) but I come from a family definitely steep in deer hunting history. Every member of my family has been hunting since who knows when. My dad taught me when I was only about 8 or 9 that you start at 50 and stay true to that with every gun. Granted I grew up in an area that originally only allowed shotguns. But even now I have the ability to hunt in an area that allows rifles (Mine's a .300 WSM, saved for years!!), but i still stick to what my dad taught me is 50 yards and sometimes I move to 75-100 depending on the caliber. The stands I hunt i could easily take 300-400 yrd shots with the rifle, 315 is my best, but that's honestly the farthest shot I've ever taken. Still a firm believer in making sure I can make a good clean kill, not wing a deer and make it suffer. I agree with the 50 yard rule, but also agree way too many of these guys with basic military sniper rifles taking irresponsible shots at deer.

ujoutdoors User is Offline

Trophy Hunter

Posts:329

01 Jun 2009 04:27 AM
Sounds like you had a good teacher.

ujoutdoors User is Offline

Trophy Hunter

Posts:329

05 Jun 2009 07:49 AM
Using a 30-06 with my 165 grain bullets a 50 yard zero will be dead on at 100 anyway. Most 30-06 and 308 class rifles are like that. The magnums require that you sight in about an inch low at 50 which means nothing on a deer. To be dead on at 100 with a 3 pellet muzzle loader you need to be about one inch high at 50 yards, about the same with my 45-70 with 325 grain flextips. Of course this is basic and requires that you practice from 50 all the way out to 200 so you will know exactly how that rifle really shoots. For the long shot with the primitive weapon and that is 200 yards you hold at the hair line of the deer's back, for the 300 yard modern rifle shot same hold at 300...If you try something further you will need a range finder and a BDC recticle scope, or mildot. For me I just get a little closer. Pass it on. Uncle John

jballard

Shooter

Posts:99

19 Jun 2009 04:12 AM
I've always sighted in at 40-50 yards and then taken a few shots at 100 yards just for fun and typically my 257 is with in centimeters off.

ujoutdoors User is Offline

Trophy Hunter

Posts:329

19 Jun 2009 04:32 AM
The 257 Wby Mag is the "Lightning Bolt" of long range deer rifles, Jon has instantly discoverd that the 257 is good at close or long range. By changing amunition to match the game and range hunted you can use the 257 Wby just about for anything. According to legend it was Roy Weatherby's favorite rifle. If I were to hunt deer in Texas and expected a 400 yard shot this would be my choice. As you can see Jon zeroed the super fast 257 for 50 yards and it worked just fine on whitetails. The standard zero for Weatherby's is 3 inches High at 100 yards. This is the long range zero for most long range magnum rifles. It puts you just about dead on at 300 yards. But be careful it is easy to overshoot the closer shots. Uncle John

brad

Jr Hunter

Posts:4

10 Dec 2009 05:07 AM
iv never got a chance to shoot 200 or more yrds, were i hunt its to thick to shoot that far.so i dont have to sight my scope in for that far.iv been told u only need 1 bullet so i just wait till they get close enuf so that i know i will make a good dead shot.im wantin to buy a good rifle soon and dont know wat i should get, any1 want to give me any ideas

ujoutdoors User is Offline

Trophy Hunter

Posts:329

11 Dec 2009 04:21 AM
Brad you need to contact me and we will jsut go gun shopping, since you are one of or local hunters. My e-mail is ujoutdoors@yahoo.com Uncle John

brad

Jr Hunter

Posts:4

15 Dec 2009 06:59 PM
ok ill add u, thanks

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