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What’s the Best Distance to Zero A Hunting Rifle?

Talyn

Talyn

SAINT
Founding Member
I totally agree with this sub-title - " Most hunters dial in their centerfires at 100 yards, but you should sight in a rifle at a distance that fits your shooting capabilities and the game you will be pursuing", in the article.

For my area I sight in for 200 yds. based on my typical hunting conditions, but then determine my drops for farther out, but always try to get in closer for a humane shot. IMO, that's why they call it hunting.

What’s the Best Distance to Zero A Hunting Rifle?

However, I have a couple lever-actions set up for closer ranges in case I go into some thick terrain.
 
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For when I didn't have the ranges I have now, I used to sight in 2" high at 100. I then referenced any available info on what drop I could expect with the cartridge velocity & bullet weight to estimate what the range of yardage I could expect for a dead-on hold.

My .02
 
Talyn said:
For when I didn't have the ranges I have now, I used to sight in 2" high at 100. I then referenced any available info on what drop I could expect with the cartridge velocity & bullet weight to estimate what the range of yardage I could expect for a dead-on hold.

My .02
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Yea, that’s what I usually did, what I had my .220Swift I was good out to 400-500 yards depending on the weather conditions, bullet weight and how much mirage the scope gave me.
 
xdman said:
The other thing is lack of ranges to reach out. for the longest time max range at any of the shooting ranges was 100yrds. Then one private range I belong to expanded to 200yrds but that was after a decade of talking about it.
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Yeah, that's like the Gun Club I belong to, 200 yards max, which is the furthest distance of any local ranges around me (all 100 yards). It's still to small for the long range precision shooting I'd like to do.
 
I always hunted on local farms in Ky. I always went up there in August to look over the trails and judge the population and would sight my rifles in according to the terrane. My lever action and muzzle loader were sighted for 100 yds because most of my hunting was in the woods and had a max shot of 65-70 yards. I had a British 303 that I put a scope on and zeroed it at 200 just in case I needed to watch over a field.
 
Yes I use a 100 yard range to sight in too. Sight it in high at 100 so its on at 200. Most of my hunting is in the woods so it not very long shot. When I go to Colorado in Nov I might be pushing to 300 but most likely I will try to get closer.
 
My hunting rifles are set up for deer and sighted in dependent of where I use them. In Missouri you will almost never get anything more than 100 yard shot at a deer. I have one of my 30-06s set up for Wyoming, Montana and Colorado though. I haven't hunted out there in several years now so I ought to take it to the range and switch it back.
 
When I used to hunt, I sighted my rifle 2" high at 100 yards. That would allow me to use the same sight picture at 200 yards. I never hunted anywhere you would have a shot at a greater distance.

My rifle - Remington Model 700 chambered in .30-06
My ammunition - Remington Core-Lokt 180 grains
My scope - Simmons 44 Mag
 
Bassbob said:
My hunting rifles are set up for deer and sighted in dependent of where I use them. In Missouri you will almost never get anything more than 100 yard shot at a deer. I have one of my 30-06s set up for Wyoming, Montana and Colorado though. I haven't hunted out there in several years now so I ought to take it to the range and switch it back.
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Or you can go to one of the states and hunt with them, It feels left out.
 
adam sr said:
Or you can go to one of the states and hunt with them, It feels left out.
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Possibly Montana or Wyoming. To hell with Colorado. Out of state tags are ridiculously expensive now and their elevation rule means that any animal you’re likely to kill will have to be drug down by a guide with a horse. That was $500 last time I was there. You can’t even bring a drag cart with a wheel on it above a certain elevation. Last time I went, between 5 of us we spent nearly 10k in tags and permits and didn’t harvest a single animal.
 
Went 2 separate days to zero in several rifles at a local outdoor range. 1 hr wait first time, and almost 2 hrs second time. Zoo. Had to settle in and go to my indoor range and sight in a 25 yards and do the math to get it adjuated to correlate to 100 yards. Do what you have to do sometimes. I prefer 100 yards on avg for most rifles.
 
KillerFord1977 said:
Went 2 separate days to zero in several rifles at a local outdoor range. 1 hr wait first time, and almost 2 hrs second time. Zoo. Had to settle in and go to my indoor range and sight in a 25 yards and do the math to get it adjuated to correlate to 100 yards. Do what you have to do sometimes. I prefer 100 yards on avg for most rifles.
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Yep, my Missouri rifles are sighted at 100 yards. I don’t recall what the BAR is sighted at. I think 300 yards.
 
Bassbob said:
Possibly Montana or Wyoming. To hell with Colorado. Out of state tags are ridiculously expensive now and their elevation rule means that any animal you’re likely to kill will have to be drug down by a guide with a horse. That was $500 last time I was there. You can’t even bring a drag cart with a wheel on it above a certain elevation. Last time I went, between 5 of us we spent nearly 10k in tags and permits and didn’t harvest a single animal.
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I'm going to Colorado in Nov. Yes its getting costly for tags now you have to buy a Nonresident small game annual license ($82.78), Habitat stamp ( $10.13) + others small fees =$110.91 total before you can apply for your tags. Bull elk nonresident tag is $670.25 cow elk is $503.12 and Mule deer tag is $401.83. I don't have guides I have to cut it up and carry it out with the help of a couple hunters with me. Total of 6 of us going this time. Hunting in Route National Forrest out side of Steamboat Springs. We are going to a new spot this time but where we went before we did get a few animals each time.
 
adam sr said:
I'm going to Colorado in Nov. Yes its getting costly for tags now you have to buy a Nonresident small game annual license ($82.78), Habitat stamp ( $10.13) + others small fees =$110.91 total before you can apply for your tags. Bull elk nonresident tag is $670.25 cow elk is $503.12 and Mule deer tag is $401.83. I don't have guides I have to cut it up and carry it out with the help of a couple hunters with me. Total of 6 of us going this time. Hunting in Route National Forrest out side of Steamboat Springs. We are going to a new spot this time but where we went before we did get a few animals each time.
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I was in the area north of Steamboat 3 weekends ago, and there's a large wildfire NE of Steamboat.
 
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