ammo waste-a-rama sighting in AR yesterday.

Not sure about the confusion here. A 25 yard zero from an AR set up is supposed to reintersect at 300 yards.

For closer ranges most AR iron sighting systems have the alternate ghost ring aperture for 50-200

If you are talking optical sights than a 50 yard zero is pretty much generally accepted as a good zero range for any optic on a high powered rifle to generally more or less allow the bullet to drop back through the sight plane at around 200 yards (give or take). Slower rounds like the 308 might require a slight elevation i.e. 1/2 inch high at 50 yards.

That is if the sight offset is between 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 inches

I had no trouble zeroing my AR10 in today at 25 yards using troy flip ups with the small aperture. Flipped up the ghost ring and went on down to the rock pit and busted my targets precisely offhand with no further sight adjustments.

Which considering how nice some of todays flip up sights are, I have to question why I would go through the trouble of using a dot sight that has no magnification.
 
The "confusion" lies in people telling new AR owners to just zero at 25 & they're good for everything.

Yes, it should "reintersect" at 300, but what does it do in between, how far above point of aim might impacts be, and how relevant to most AR shooters is that 300-yard return to POA?
For those who won't be shooting anything at 300, where the gun prints at the actual distances it'll be used is more important.

At 50 yards, I saw bullet "rise" up to a bit over 2 1/2 inches at the extreme.
At 100 yards I saw up to 8 & 9 inches of rise above POA.
At 200 I saw 6, 10, 13, and 14 inches of rise above POA between the four guns, with the same load.
That CAN make some notable difference in precision shooting at those distances.

If you've got military experience, or you've been working with these guns for a while & know what a given load will do in YOUR gun & hands, it's at least an educated choice for you.

For a new guy, without experience, without knowing anything about zeroing, without knowing anything about trajectories, without knowing the effects on impact that different bullet weights can make, and who may not be sufficiently motivated to actually learn his gun & confirm what it does at longer distances, it's bad advice to just blindly tell everybody who asks where they should sight their new AR at to do it at 25 yards.

On the .308, I wouldn't trust a 50-yard zero, either.
I've zeroed mine for 150, and I don't have to either wonder or guess where it'll print beyond 50. :)

If I were going to be shooting at 400 yards, you can bet I'd be using a 400-yard confirmed zero, not a 50-yard zero.
On the "flip ups" & dot issue, I can't get the same accuracy at either 100 or 200 yards with stock AR-15 aperture/post sights that I can with the Aimpoint dot.
The recent testing dramatically confirmed that.
If your eyes are 20 years old, maybe; mine aren't & I can't focus on that front post as well as I used to.
The dot can be adjusted to size & brightness across a wide spectrum of lighting conditions and target sizes, and one single aiming point just lines up better on a target than two.
It particularly excells in dim lighting where irons can blur out or disappear.

I have a good set of backups on the AR with the Aimpoint, I can't get the same degree of accuracy at longer ranges with them as I can with the dot.
If you can do that well with just irons, more power to you. :)
Even with no magnification, at 200 yards I put three holes under 2 inches with the dot through that 16-incher, and I wasn't particularly trying for best groups, just consistent groups.
The 20-incher with aperture & post didn't do nearly as well.

Denis
 
The 25 yd zero has been around far longer than the M-16.I do not know the military program,and am not arguing it.
What may be useful to consider:The 25 yd zero was initially about iron sight height on M-1's and M-14's and sporting rifles.From a taller line of sight,the 25 yd zero will give a higher poi
Just for fun,try about 37 yds next time with your AR
 
My post about moving the target to 25-50 yards wasn't meant to be the final zeroing yardage.I should've written in more detail,I meant to bring the target in closer to find POI then go out to the 100 yard zero or 200 yard zero.
If I am having problems hitting paper at 100 yards say on setting up a new scope,I will bring the target in closer to find POI and not waste so much ammo out at a 100 yards trying to hit paper.My centerfire rifles are generally scoped in on a 200 yard range.
 
from what I understand, the 50 yard works best for me because a - I don't plan to shoot beyond 250 yards in any event, and B - because apparently theres only a 2 inch variation high or low out to 250 yards. That covers my bases with this rifle, I think. Later on, I can see myself getting a rifle length or an HBAR or the like and really experimenting and learning, but this "is what it is" for me.

Anyone think that this really wouldn't be the best option for a self defense/plinking rifle equipped with a dot and BUIS?
also, I should state that I plan to shoot 55-60-62 grain STRICTLY so while there may be some ammo variation, it won't be as pronounced because I won't shoot the heavier bullets. 55-60-62 is it. And yes, I've been using the large aperture on the rear because I thought that was whaqt I should do at a close range (150 yards and less). Should I be using the small aperture during the zero instead even at a short distance like 50?
 
Last edited:
Whichever way you go, TEST your choice at longer distances, if you ever expect to shoot at longer distances.
"Apparently" isn't always reality.
Denis
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top