Shooting distance

[tipiguy]

Is theer an advantage to shooting groups at 100 yards over 50 yards?  I have a 10" .223 barrel with a fixed 2.5x scope.  I can see the target much better at 50 yards and was wondering if there were any disadvantages of working up loads at this distance.  I am testing various bullets and powder and felt more confident in the accuracy of the groups at 50 over 100 yards.  Just wondering if there were any negatives.

Tipiguy

[skb2706]

I would think there is no real disadvantage. You need to consider that trajectory changes more significantly the farther away your target is. For a .223 very little will change the first one hundred yards. ................if you are on at fifty you may be too high at 100. Check any good loading manual and work off trajectory info. they provide. If you aren't plannin on shooting much farther than 100 yds. or so it will make little difference.
The farther your intended target the farther you should not only sight in but practice as well. IMHO

[Questor]

I recommend practicing at the distance you expect your "real" targets to be.  The extra attention to detail makes a difference.

[Thomas Krupinski]

You would be better off shooting for groups at 100 or longer if that is the range you would expect to hunt.  A load recipe that may stabilize a particular bullet at 50 may not stabilize it at 100 or more.  What I do is shoot for groups starting at 50, then move back to 100 and 200 to see if I can keep the same tightness.

If you are having a problem seeing your target with the lower magnification, just use a larger target and shoot for the center of mass.  It is easier to hold on a larger target than a smaller one.  I also use a 2.5X as well as higher magnifications and find that the lower magnification does not pose any subatantial disadvantage hitting the center of the larger targets.

[tipiguy]

Eventually I plan on having the scope sighted in at 100 yards.  My concern is that I am trying to see how well the various factors in the reloaded shells effect groupings.  I feel that at 50 yards, I can better keep the 2.5x scope clearly on the small bullseye where at 100 yards it is a little more difficult to see the bullseye clearly.

If I get a good load worked up that is shooting 1/2" groups at 50 yards, can I expect it to be 1" at 100 yards?  

Once I get a good powder/bullet combo for my gun I plan on practicing a lot at 100 yards being confident that the gun and ammo are doing their part.

Is there any problem in selecting a powder/bullet combo for a gun that groups well at 50 yards when I will later be sighting the scope in for use at 100 yards?

Thanks for the help and sorry I wasn't clearer from the beginning.

tipiguy

[Thomas Krupinski]

A bullet that is grouping 1 inch at 100 can be expected to group 1/2 inch at 50, however one that is grouping 1/2 inch at 50 may not group 1 inch at 100.  

Just use a larger bulleye at the longer ranges.  

With that barrel you should not have much difference in the point of aim between 50 and 100.

[Questor]

With that caliber you should be OK assuming that 50 yard groups are an indicator of 100 yard groups.  For 100 yard practice with low power scopes I like a red and white checkerboard target that looks kind of like this:

[]  []
..[]
[]  []

I had to put the dots in so it would look right in the forum; ignore those.

With the squares in the center and at the corners in red. The target is 3" by 3". The squares that make it up are 1" square.  They are drawn on white paper with a T-square, and colored in with a red magic marker.

It's a great target design. Wish I had thought of it.

For 50 yard practice, I've got some 1.5" diameter orange pasters with a black diamond in the center. It's a good design for shooting with a low power scope, like a 2x.

That reminds me, I'm expecting storms for the next few days and I should make some extra checkerboard targets while I'm cooped up in the house.

[Captainkev]

I understand you are working up loads, and testing the accuracy and performance of certain variables.
My question would be what others have said already.
Are you just planning on punching paper at 50 yards or using the loads for hunting varmints?
If you are planning on hunting with the load, practice up to the longest distance you are going to hunt at.
Your lower power scope will be a limiting factor at the longer ranges on small targets.  But many say that it is unethical or just wrong to shoot the handguns at longer ranges, ie:200,300 yards plus.
I tend to take a different view.  If you are shooting a load that is capable of carrying enough velocity and energy out to those distances, and you are using a bullet that will still perform at those distances, and YOU PRACTICE AT THOSE DISTANCES WITH A REST THAT YOU WILL USE IN THE FIELD....................then rock on.
You are more ethical and responsible than the guy who takes his 270 rifle out 1 week before deer season, throws a couple rounds down range, then wings a deer at 50 yards and losses it.

JMHO

Kevin

[Paladin]

my approach is alittle different, I let the scope determine the distance I shoot. at what ever distance the parallax in the scope disappears is the distance I work up loads at. the better I see the target the better and more consistence I can shoot. and yes practice,practice, once I have a good load worked up I'll stretch it out the length of my shooting range

[Lawful Larry]

The way I set up my contenders is for a range from 25 to 100 yards.  I start out at 25 yards for grouping tests on different powder loads.  Once i choose a load I like, I then test groups at 50 yards and then 100 yards.  This gives me all the data I need for my purposes.  

It may sound like a lot of work, well it is fun though.   :wink:

[Bullseye]

I group shoot at 50 and move to 100 once I find a good load.  I never rest the pistol grip of the gun so I get better results to base decisions on at 50.  Use a big circle at 100 to aim at with a small scope.

While the comments are correct that a load might seem good at 50 and not perform at 100 are correct, from my experience this is not the norm.  You need to test the loads at 100 or whatever distance you will be hunting to be sure because they sometimes will not perform at the longer ranges.  From my experience I have seen groups look good at 50 but not at 100, but I cannot recall ever seeing groups look bad at 50 but good at 100.

[K2]

 Very true Thomas!  You know your stuff  :wink:

A bullet that is grouping 1 inch at 100 can be expected to group 1/2 inch at 50, however one that is grouping 1/2 inch at 50 may not group 1 inch at 100.  

Just use a larger bulleye at the longer ranges.  

With that barrel you should not have much difference in the point of aim between 50 and 100.