100 or 200 Zero?
- Thread starter Morgoroth
- Start date
On deer size game it doesn't really matter whether you zero at 100 or 200 with a 270 Win if your intention is a center heart lung shot inside of 300 yards. Just shoot for what you decided.
There will be a few yards difference where the bullet crosses the sight plane coming up and a few yards difference where it crosses coming back down. But, you are only talking about 1 1/2 or 2 inches on a target the size of a soccer ball.
Now, if you want to center the heart or the brain I would still shoot the rifle at a variety of ranges regardless of where you eventually decide to zero.
Trajectory charts and formulas are great, but actual practice with your rifle,ammo, scope height, etc. is a good thing.
Also, the 15 foot elevation is not relevant like it would be with a bow.
There will be a few yards difference where the bullet crosses the sight plane coming up and a few yards difference where it crosses coming back down. But, you are only talking about 1 1/2 or 2 inches on a target the size of a soccer ball.
Now, if you want to center the heart or the brain I would still shoot the rifle at a variety of ranges regardless of where you eventually decide to zero.
Trajectory charts and formulas are great, but actual practice with your rifle,ammo, scope height, etc. is a good thing.
Also, the 15 foot elevation is not relevant like it would be with a bow.
knight0334
New member
My big game guns are zero'd at 100yds, my varmint rifles are zero'd for 200 or 300 yards depending on the gun.
Nearly all my deer are taken at stone's throw distance because I stalk them in brush and pine thickets.
Nearly all my deer are taken at stone's throw distance because I stalk them in brush and pine thickets.
James R. Burke
New member
Langenc sounds like you hunt about like I do. There is no time for a rest of tripod or to pick out which 10 pointer to shoot at. You need to pick the rifle up get on target, and take or not take the shot free arm. Like I said if you cannot shoot accurate a 100 free arm there is no way your going to do it at 300. Also I believe you should know what your firearm will do at differnt ranges. If you dont and pass on a shot that is great thinking in my book. Would rather have it walk away then pull a bad shot, but you should have the confidents to know what your firearm will do. Leave it walk or stop hunting. You can read all you want but try it in the field, and do lots of shooting.(free arm). Set up 10 on gallon milk jugs filled with water and see how many you can break free arm with 10 shot. Then try it at 200, and try it at 300 yards. You may be surprized.
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Crankylove
New member
I sight in 3" high at 100 yards for my .270 Winchester.
Well, if you believe the theory, as I do, that you should sight for the longest distance you can so you aren't too high at midrange, then the 130 gr. .270 zeros at about 275 yds. Zero any rifle 3" high at 100 yds, and you'll be 5" high at the highest point in between. So sighted, the 150 30-06 would zero at about 250, and the 180 closer to 200 or 225.
That means that you don't have to worry about being more than 5" high or low out to about 300yds, (with the 130 gr. 270) nor worry about the range as long as you don't exceed the "point blank range" which is where the bullet is as low past it's zero point as it is high at mid range. That's for big game. Obviously, when you talk varmints, you don't want to be more than 2 to 3 inches at any point, so you change the way you zero.
If 5" is too high above the line of sight at midrange for you, then zero at 2 or 2.5" high at 100 yds, but then confirm the zero at longer range.
Jack O'Conner scrapped the conventional 200 yd zero in favor of this method, and it works for all scope sighted rifles and all loads. Only the distance at which the bullet crosses the line of sight for the second time changes.
Of course Mr. O'Conner was from out West in the land of the cross canyon shot at mule deer, or long shot on Arizona White Tails.
In less open country, 200 yds. seems fine to me.
That means that you don't have to worry about being more than 5" high or low out to about 300yds, (with the 130 gr. 270) nor worry about the range as long as you don't exceed the "point blank range" which is where the bullet is as low past it's zero point as it is high at mid range. That's for big game. Obviously, when you talk varmints, you don't want to be more than 2 to 3 inches at any point, so you change the way you zero.
If 5" is too high above the line of sight at midrange for you, then zero at 2 or 2.5" high at 100 yds, but then confirm the zero at longer range.
Jack O'Conner scrapped the conventional 200 yd zero in favor of this method, and it works for all scope sighted rifles and all loads. Only the distance at which the bullet crosses the line of sight for the second time changes.
Of course Mr. O'Conner was from out West in the land of the cross canyon shot at mule deer, or long shot on Arizona White Tails.
In less open country, 200 yds. seems fine to me.
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I sight in 4" high at 100 = dead on at 300 .... almost a foot low at 400.....
...that is for a Sierra GK 150gr BTSP at a muzzle velocity of 2900 f/sec.... so long as you have the presence of mind to put the crosshair at the bottom of the deer's chest on close shots, center of mass between 200 and 300 and top of the back at 400.... + 6" for each 50 yds farther... you'll be good to 500 yards. Practice with milk jugs full of water (or prairie dogs!) at random distances: it is not as hard as it looks.
...that is for a Sierra GK 150gr BTSP at a muzzle velocity of 2900 f/sec.... so long as you have the presence of mind to put the crosshair at the bottom of the deer's chest on close shots, center of mass between 200 and 300 and top of the back at 400.... + 6" for each 50 yds farther... you'll be good to 500 yards. Practice with milk jugs full of water (or prairie dogs!) at random distances: it is not as hard as it looks.
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458winshooter
New member
100 or 200
Range is the key if you will be hunting at longer ranges then 200 would be the way to go,but if you are hunting up close there is no need for it.
Range is the key if you will be hunting at longer ranges then 200 would be the way to go,but if you are hunting up close there is no need for it.
James R. Burke
New member
Very good point.
sighting
I use a 2" high at 100 with my .270, 7x57 and .30-06...no where around me can I find a 300yd range to check and see see where they are at that distance. I have not shot anything around here that was further than 150. Average shot is probably not much over 50.
My cousin in South Central Texas has several tree stands where the max distance 150 yds.
But he has access to some land near him that has been cleared where the max range extends out to 500 yds. He keeps a .257 Weatherby in his truck that is sighted for 4 inches high at 100, we went to drop the cows some round bales and a nice buck walked out at the far end of the property. He handed me the rifle and said shoot it! I asked about hold over...he said none at this distance. He threw a blanket roll over the fender...I held right behind the shoulder and the deer dropped right there.
I felt great...but equipment like that takes a lot of the problems out of the equation.
I use a 2" high at 100 with my .270, 7x57 and .30-06...no where around me can I find a 300yd range to check and see see where they are at that distance. I have not shot anything around here that was further than 150. Average shot is probably not much over 50.
My cousin in South Central Texas has several tree stands where the max distance 150 yds.
But he has access to some land near him that has been cleared where the max range extends out to 500 yds. He keeps a .257 Weatherby in his truck that is sighted for 4 inches high at 100, we went to drop the cows some round bales and a nice buck walked out at the far end of the property. He handed me the rifle and said shoot it! I asked about hold over...he said none at this distance. He threw a blanket roll over the fender...I held right behind the shoulder and the deer dropped right there.
I felt great...but equipment like that takes a lot of the problems out of the equation.
James R. Burke
New member
Nothing wrong with a head shot on a doe. Clean miss or one dead deer. Just myslef I would not do it on a really nice buck with a nice rack. Just me. The group I hunt with most time takes a doe for meat if we get a permit, and try not to shoot anything smaller than a six. Lots of folks here been doing that, and there are a lot more nice bucks. Not only that saves some smaller bucks for the first time hunters.
sc928porsche
New member
Both, depends on the cartridge.
I sight in most rifles to be dead-on at 200 yds. I've killed deer at 300 yds with a .270 win. so I know it can be done. That said, it's not an easy shot. I often hunt from my shooting bench so I know the conditions are the same and I practice regularly at that range. 300 yds is my self-imposed maximum for non-magnum calibers under hunting conditions. This year I'm hoping to stretch that to 400 yds with a .300 WM, good scope and lots of practice.
This thread brings up a common misconception about the southeast. Sure, deer hunting in the eastern U.S. is often a matter of woods hunting where 100 yds is the absolute maximum. But it all depends on your individual situation. If you come to the south with only a .30-30, you're going to be unnecessarily limited much of the time. A sporter weight rifle in .270 or .30-06 will cover virtually all your needs but there will still be exceptions.
I grew up in TN and I've prowled the forests and fields from AR to FL for 30 years and one thing is certain. The southeastern U.S. is a patchwork mosaic of fields, forests and power and gas line right-of-ways. I can be hunting in the woods and suddenly step into a field that's 600 yds from one end to the other, and that's on my own land. Take a quick look at Google Earth and you'll see what I mean.
This thread brings up a common misconception about the southeast. Sure, deer hunting in the eastern U.S. is often a matter of woods hunting where 100 yds is the absolute maximum. But it all depends on your individual situation. If you come to the south with only a .30-30, you're going to be unnecessarily limited much of the time. A sporter weight rifle in .270 or .30-06 will cover virtually all your needs but there will still be exceptions.
I grew up in TN and I've prowled the forests and fields from AR to FL for 30 years and one thing is certain. The southeastern U.S. is a patchwork mosaic of fields, forests and power and gas line right-of-ways. I can be hunting in the woods and suddenly step into a field that's 600 yds from one end to the other, and that's on my own land. Take a quick look at Google Earth and you'll see what I mean.