sighting in????

[Sikanni Stalker]

Howdy all,

Just a quick question........I sight my gun in @ 150 yrds. by putting out a target @ that distance and then pluck away until I get a decent 2" group. I was reading in a book that for my gun I could sight in @ 25 yrds and with the trajectory it would be accurate @ 200 yrds.2" high @ 100.


my question is , should I sight in the way i have been, or is this a hard and fast rule???? I don't want to change half way through the hunting season, but maybe try this for next year......I shoot 30-06 carbine with 180's all the time.

thanks in advance.

Tim

[Gateholio]

Howdy all,

Just a quick question........I sight my gun in @ 150 yrds. by putting out a target @ that distance and then pluck away until I get a decent 2" group. I was reading in a book that for my gun I could sight in @ 25 yrds and with the trajectory it would be accurate @ 200 yrds.2" high @ 100.


my question is , should I sight in the way i have been, or is this a hard and fast rule???? I don't want to change half way through the hunting season, but maybe try this for next year......I shoot 30-06 carbine with 180's all the time.

thanks in advance.

Tim

NO NO NO!!!

To get your bullet on paper, shoot it at 25 yards. 25 yrds tells you jack shit, except that if the bullet hits dead on a t 25, it's good for whacking grouse heads...

Zero your rifle at 100 or 200 yards, not 25.

In the field, you can shoot at 50 yards to VERIFY zero, but the only real way to know where your bullet will hit at 100/200/300 is to shoot it at those distances.:razz:

[Ronforca]

Gatehouse is right.The 25 yd.is just to get it on the paper.A lot of people disagree with me but with my rifles I sight them in 3 in.high @ 100 yds .and that puts me in the ballpark @ 300 yd.

[ringo]

Go to http://www.mytargets.com/ from the top count down 6 sheets to the target with the green and red bullseyes, print it off, set target @ 100yds, crosshairs on the red, print your bullets in the green, go hunting knowing you are accurate to just over 300yds. Hope this helps.

[Fred]

Tim, if your method is working for you, don't mess with it! Fred

[Red Foreman]

Hey cool sight Ringo thanks for the link.

[rock]

I'll agree with fred, great link ringo. As for sighting in 25 is to get on paper at 100 I'm usaully at 2 inches high thats seems to work for me.

[Steeleco]

I'd have to agree with Gatehouse, as that's what I practice, I don't shoot further than a 100yds at the range but if you can you should shoot at the distance you expect to shoot in the bush. If for no other reason "It's goog practice" The only thing I shoot at 25yds is .22cal for off the shoulder practice at very tiny target's to simlate the kill zone at distance.

[Thunderstix]

NO NO NO!!!

To get your bullet on paper, shoot it at 25 yards. 25 yrds tells you jack shit, except that if the bullet hits dead on a t 25, it's good for whacking grouse heads..

I tried head whacking a grouse once with my .338 RUM and missed, but the concussion killed 4 Robins and felled 2 trees.

[Bow Walker]

I agree with both steelco and gatehouse - get it on "target" at 25 yds and then shoot for accuracy out to at least 100 yds. Get your group where you want it (2-3 inches high @ 100yds for me) and you should be set.

Shooting further than 300 yds - even with a scope - can be dicey as the kill zone is all but invisible at that distance, hell the target itself will most likely be covered (or almost covered) by the reticule on a standard 4-power scope.

Good luck out there!

[brotherjack]

If you make a device to clamp your rifle (I've seen it done with 2x4's, some foam rubber, and a couple of ratchet ties), you can sight in with 1 shot.

Assuming you're already on the paper at 100 yards - put your crosshairs on the dead center of the target at 100 yards with the rifle clamped down. Verify crosshairs are on dead center when you're not touching the rifle. Pull trigger. Re-allign crosshairs with dead center, with rifle clamped. While looking through the scope, dial the hairs to where the bullet actually hit (you can then crank it up an inch or two if you usually set your rifle up that way). Your rifle is now spot-on, any subsequent deviation is your own shooting errors. You might want to pull the trigger one more time to verify the bullet goes exactly where the crosshairs were.

Also, it is VERY important to sight in at 100 yards, no more, no less. Almost all rifle scopes have the crosshair parallax set to 100 yards. If your scope has a parallax set for a different yardage, you should sight in for that yardage. If your scope has an adjustable parallax, then you probably didn't need me to tell you any of this. :)

[ruger#1]

i always sight in at 25yrds to start ,then 100yrds, then 2.5 to 3 inches high at 100 yrds, and it is on at 300yrds, works for me. with a 7mil mag with 160grns noslers. also with my 6.5x55 mauser. 140grns noslers.

[rrfred]

A 25 yd shot is meant to give a reference for longer range sighting, yes it might be close further downrange, but it may not; and all errors are magnified exponentially downrange. All of my stuff goes 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 inches high at 100 and is dead on at 200, 6-7 inches low at 300, that keeps the scope holding on hair /fur and will make a killing hit to 300yds or a bit more on deer sized game.
In the field if I want to check a zero, usually take a good rest and let one or two go at 75- 100 yds app.and I expect the bullets to be 'bout 2 inches high, if so i don't mess with it. my .02- mileage may vary -cheers.

[Sikanni Stalker]

Awesome guys, thanks .Lots of good info, and those targets are great too.

[hoochie]

I use "full values" to sight in. 100, 200 300 etc....
Using a target at 25 yards helps me establish windage, the 100 yard target establishes the group.
I use the Hornady 2nd edition to know my relative "dope", but variables such as wind may be a factor in a 300yrd shot.
I think it is Winchester that has a download ( I know some one has it.. not sure of the manufacturer) and it tells you what your trajectory will be based on your zero.
It will calculate for example:
shoot 3.5 inches high at 100 yards for a 200 yard bullseye.
the download is free.
A lot of people like to think they can aim and shoot... dont forget your math for windage and slope calculations.

[Ronforca]

I bought a bore sighter.It sure makes sighting in easy.

[ruger#1]

oh shut up

[Steeleco]

oh shut up

I have one in my shooting bag Mark, just a PM away, ;-);-)

[ruger#1]

no david that was my dad ronforca, just trying to rattle his chain.

[brotherjack]

I bought a bore sighter.It sure makes sighting in easy.

I've never seen a bore sighter do anything but get it on the paper at 100 yards...

[Foxer]

I've never seen a bore sighter do anything but get it on the paper at 100 yards...

Yeah, but some might very well say that in and of itself is a major time saver :)

We use a trick very similar to the one you described earlier. So if you can get on in one shot at 100, then with that little adjustment your second shot is 99 perent of the way there - you can get the gun well sighted in with only 5 bullets or so. That beats one or two at 25, one or three at 100 and then a 3 shot group for fine tuning.

[Ronforca]

Gets it pretty close and saves wasting a bunch of messing around at 25 yds.If you can't sight pretty good with 3 or 4 shots after bore sighting there is something wrong.These guys that carry cannons appreciate this.
Don't know what kind of bore sighter you were using.
To each his own.

[Steeleco]

Also they're good for checking your scope hasn't been bumped after a plane trip or a bad fall. If you record where the crosshairs land on the grid after sighting in the gun, you can always check to see if things have moved. That and if your like me and keep smacking scopes or swaping them around soon enough the bullets saves equal the cost of a unit.

[Ronforca]

I agree with you 100 percent Steeleco.I carry mine on the Quad a quite a bit and it gets bumped a lot.I check the rifles before we take them out just in case.Just put a new acope on my Ruger #1 and have it bore sighted.Should get me pretty close and now I just have to fine tune it.

[Gus]

I used to shoot a 30:06 with 180's as well, and I made it a custom for myself to sight in at hundred yards, making sure a was 2 inches high. Seemed to work perfect for me.

Gus

[brotherjack]

Yeah, but some might very well say that in and of itself is a major time saver :)


I didn't say it was a bad thing, I get mine boresighted before I take it out to the range for the first time with a new scope - just that I know too many guys who get a rifle boresighted, and think they're ready to go hunting, and they ain't even close.

[Ronforca]

Brother Jack
I consider that an insult.If you have been hunting for fifty years like I have then
maybe you could make comments like that.I sure have a lot to learn but one thing is not to make dumb comments if I don't know the other person or what I am talking about.
Ron

[Steeleco]

Just put a new acope on my Ruger #1 and have it bore sighted.Should get me pretty close and now I just have to fine tune it.

Ronforca, I don't think BJack was talking about you, as you stated above you fine tune, he's saying some people don't even do that.

Don't be insulted it's just his opinion. We all have them and they're all different!!!

Lets all get along;-);-)

[Ronforca]

Sorry Brotherjack.That is my opinion.I guess that I came on a bit strong.
Ron

[brotherjack]

Sorry Brotherjack.That is my opinion.I guess that I came on a bit strong.
Ron

No offence taken, I got thick skin. I apologize for offending you - I guess I should have elaborated what I meant. I was just alluding to the fact, that at least in my own experience - most freshly boreshighted rifles are off by at least 2 inches at 100 yards (I have never seen one come out better than that), and usually more like 6 to 12, and sometimes worse than that. Fine tuning at a range is required for any (IMHO) ethical shooting at more than short range, since accuracy errors are amplified exponentailly by distance. Some people get their rifles boresighted, and go hunting without ever firing a round - and that is what I was referring to as being a Bad Thing (tm).

[rrfred]

hi, the primary purpose of a boresighter is to align the vertical and horizontal crosshairs with the mid point of the bore, the device is not a fine zeroing instrument and is designed to get a bullet on paper; generally 25 yds app -to permit fine zeroing. sometimes a bore sighter can land the bullets really close at 100 or so but usually not. some more experienced people use the boresighter to recheck the scopes position in the field- It can work,but not always. Must consider, different bullets, rate of twist, powder charges, different brands of ammo and much more will decide where a bullet lands. two weeks ago I was at the local range checking the zero of one of my toys and a chap came along with his freshly bore sighted rifle, set up at 100 meters, missed several shots on full size target paper at 100, i suggested he try the large collection of blank paper i'd just put up, his "bore zeroed" rifle was about a foot low and 6 inches right, gave him some help to sort out his zero and when he left he was going back to the store to complain, poor chap missed the point altogether, he was initially convinced that if it was bore sighted it was zeroed,- not, cheers.

[Ronforca]

I take care in sighting in with my bore sighter and it has never been out more than 3 in.so far.Not too tough to fine tune that way.there are many types of bore sighters you must remember and some are better than others.You usually get what you pay for.Not that mine is the best but it works for me so far.I also use it to check my rifles from time to time.We use 4 rifles and always the same load in each individual rifle so for me it works fine.So I guess that the horror stories apply to certain people but noy to all.I would guess that some people might be more careful than others.

[Steeleco]

I would guess that some people might be more careful than others.

Yes we are, ;-);-) but like rrfred suggested these things are easy to trust. I had quite the learning curve when I got mine, I have a bushnell with the three arbours. I would set it up 2" high and go shoot , but couldn't figure out why I wasn't printing on my home made target's. I couldn't blame a store clerk as I did it myself. After shooting on larger paper the groups were 8" low:oops: But I'm a guy, I read the instructions AFTER and figured it out. I too have seen guys at the range cursing out the local store because they can't print on paper. But once your printing where you like, you can put the B/S back in and make a note as to the position of the C/H's, but even that is a guide only. If I ever found things had moved in the bush the gun is parked.

If anyone local needs a hand to set up a scope, PM me, I'll see what I can do to help.

[Ronforca]

I also forgot to mention that I have 2 bore sighters.Both Bushnels but one I bought @ a garage sale and one I bought at S.I.R.the one that I bought at the garage sale is a big paper bore sighter.Tried to give it to Ruger #1 and he would not even take it.The other one works well.I always carry a spare rifle when I go hunting but I always take the bore sighter just in case I bump my scope.Then I can sight in a bumped scope usually sometime during the hunt.

[todbartell]

I'd sight in for the range you're expecting to get shots at. Sighting in at 25 yards is pointless unless you're hunting in thick brush. Alot can change at different ranges in different situations and it's best to be sighted in for a zero of 150-250 yards, depending on the cartridge and expected shot opportunity.

[Sikanni Stalker]

I tried head whacking a grouse once with my .338 RUM and missed, but the concussion killed 4 Robins and felled 2 trees.

LMBO too funny

[talver]

just sighted in a new rifle and scope on sat did what i always do bore sight it then within 2 to 3 shots at 100 im sighted in then just work on a furhter shot just to see where im at further down range