Optimum Scope Range

M

marsbars

New member
My Father in-law is in the process of sighting in his new 30-06 and we were trying to decide what the optimum distance is for sighting dead on. Neither of us have any real working knowledge of the ballistics of the 30-06. I was guessing 100yds. But I know that the round will go farther at a pretty flat trajectory. would it be better at 150 or 200?
Opinions welcome.
 
You might browse through my "Life Is A Learning Curve" thread...

Anyway, with a 150-grain bullet, and the usual 24-inch barrel: If you sight in for two inches high at 100 yards, you will be about dead on at 200 yards.

At 300 yards, you will be roughly 6" low. About 24" low at 400, and four feet low at 500 yards.

With 165-grain and 180-grain boat-tailed bullets, you will have close enough to the same trajectory that it isn't worth worrying about. Certainly not in hunting situations for deer and suchlike.

Federal now makes some Premium High Energy ammo which will give about 200 ft/sec more than other ammo. It won't affect the trajectory enough to care about in deer/elk hunting, but will give better wound/kill characteristics at any given range when compared to "stock" ammo. However, the stuff is $30/box, which offends my cheapA soul.:)

Overall, I've been happy with Federal ammo. It groups as tight, almost, as my handloads.

Unless he's a fairly experienced rifleman with other cartridges, I would recommend against trying for deer, etc, out beyond 250 to 300 yards. Experience and practice, as usual.:)

Hope this helps, Art
 
200 or 250 would work out much better. If you told me the bullet w/brand,type,and muzzle velocity, I could give you a more detailed answer. Even if you zero at 250 you will still have to adjust the point of aim once you shoot at anything more than about 325 yards away.
 
My Father in law seems to prefer the 180gr loads, we shot it last weekend using Remington as that was what the shop had and the price was right. If that helps we would appreciate it
 
Marsbars
I ran the data for a 180gr remington pointed soft point core loct at 2700 feet per second. If the scope is 2 inches above the bore and your dad zero's at 250 yards the bullet will be 3.8 inches high at 150 yards and 4.6 inches low at 300 yards. I would not shoot at anything farther than 300 yards unless I could practice at long range and had a good way to tell range in the field. Have fun:D Nic
 
A 180gr spitzer or SBT bullet at 2650 fps muzzle velocity, with a scope center about 2" high above the bore center, will give you 2.5" high at 100 yards when zeroed at 200, 4.2" low at 250, 10.7" low at 300, and 19.5" at 350 yards. Take your time to carefully zero 2.5" at 100, and then check at 200.
Then learning to estimate range beyond 300 yards (no shoot zone) is the name of the game.
Good luck!!!
 
Hey marsbars, This is a question that we hunters all have to answer eventually. Prior to my answer, I'd appreciate just a bit more information. Please respond to:

1) What type Game is your Father-in-Law after?
2) What range of distances is his Game typically seen?
3) What is the typical type of terrain where he hunts?
4) What is the fartherest distance he really practices?
5) Roughly how many practice rounds a year does he shoot?
6) At what distance does he think he would currently be comfortable taking a shot at Game.
7) Did he use iron sights for a long time before beginning to use a scope? (This REALLY affects me.)

Not trying to put anyone on the spot, but his answers will influence where I think he should sight-in. And how far he should "attempt" taking shots at undisturbed Game.

Good hunting and clean 1-shot kills, Hot Core
 
Well, risking flames, fire and brimstone, and possibly a nuclear labasting, I suggest Jack O'Connor's three inches high at 100 yard theory. Why? Because it works.
Years ago, before we had all the gun rags that exist today, you had three choices. Outdoor Life, Field and Stream, and Sports Afield. Most of the writers recommended sighting in at one hundred yards, so that's just about what everybody did. Might work for eastern Whitetaild, and rain forest deer in the Pacific Northwest. Fact is it did. But Jack said to sight in three inched high and you'd be good to go for as far as anyone should shoot at a game animal. Know what? He was right. I've done it for years.
A short anecdote, if I may. A friend, who sighted his .308 Win. 99 Savage at 100 yard could not seem to hit deer. He asked me to check out his rifle as he thought the scope was bad. I resighted the rifle three inches high at 100, and told him to hold for the middle of the deers chest, regardless of how far out he thought it was. At least for the first shot, anyway. Well, to make a long story short, he actually listened, did what I said and finally killed a deer with his first shot. Made him a happy camper.
Paul B.
 
Lots of great advise here depending on what type of terrain you hunt on. I would strongly recommend that wherever you place your zero, find the brand or combination handload which suits your accuracy needs and practice a lot at both known and unknown ranges. Books and reloading software aare great guides, but only that
 
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