How do you zero your centerfire rifles, and why?

[Coyote Hunter]

Factory ammo data generally assumes a zero at some arbitrary range – typically 100 and 200 yards.  Some people I know zero for ‘X’ inches high at 100 but I’m not sure even they know what that corresponds to in terms of the zero range.  Others like to zero their bolt guns at one range and their lever guns at another.  Still others like to zero each weapon for its own MPBR (Maximum Point Blank Range).

There are advantages to each method.  If you are going to be taking 99% of your shots at ranges under 150 yards, why zero for 200 or further?  In this case a shorter zero range makes pinpoint accuracy a bit easier because the vertical component of the bullet’s arc is less pronounced. 

At longer ranges zeroing all your bolt guns for 200 or 250 or 300 yards also has an advantage as it allows the hunter to pick up any rifle and know where it will be shooting for the bulk shots that will likely be taken.   Doing so results in a more pronounced arc in the trajectory, but that is not necessarily a problem.

Zeroing for MPBR assumes a target of diameter ‘X’ and assures that the bullet will never impact above of below the target from the muzzle to MPBR.  Some people conceptualize this method as zeroing for maximum range when shooting down a pipe of ‘X’ diameter.  This maximizes the range for the given target size but MPBR will likely vary with each rifle and cartridge combination.

My preference is to use MPBR and zero the rifles for the particular loads I will be hunting with.  For a target size I use a 6” diameter, regardless of whether I will be hunting antelope, deer of elk.  Although individual zero ranges will vary, standardizing on a 6:” target assures me that the bullet will never be more than 3” above line of sight.

In the case of the lever guns (.30-30, .375 Win and .45-70), they all come out 3.0” high at 100 yards and the MPBR range is from 204 yards (.45-70) to about 220 yards (.30-30).  In the case of the .300 Win Mag and a 168g TSX at 3246fps, zero range is 269 yards and MPBR is 316 yards. 

A ballistic calculator like “Point Blank” from www.huntingnut.com makes MPBR calculations easy and will tell you how high to zero at the fixed ranges you normally shoot at (100/200/300, etc.) to achieve an MPBR zero.  For example, in the case of the 168g TSX and the .300 Win Mag above, the bullet is 2.4” high at 100, 3.0” at 150, 2.5” high at 200, and 1.9” low at 300. 

What I’m interested in is how you zero and what factors lead you to choose that method?

[SDS-GEN]

I set my scoped centerfires to hit a couple of inches high at 100, then tape a ballistic chart to the stock so I know what the bullet is doing out at 300-350.  My lever guns, muzzleloaders, and slug guns are zeroed at 50 yards.

[james]

The three calibers I shoot the most are the .223, .308. and 6.5 x 55, which have similar ballistics.   With respective 55, 165, and 140 gr. bullets I can sight them in 2'' high at a hundred, be close to zero at two hundred, 8 " low at three hundred and about 2 feet low at 400.  These are sporter  weight rifles with 22 or 24 inch barrels and I reload to moderate velocities.  In my forgetful state I don't have to try to remember what rifle I have in my hands and where it is sighted in for.   Most of my deer hunting shots are 100 yards or less and probably account for less than 1% of my shooting.   Varmints, white rocks and targets receive most of my attention and usually succumb to withering fire.   

[Buckfever]

James, I have the same battery except for a 30-06 instead of  the .308, same trajectory.  Thanks for connecting the dots for me.   That is so easy and simple to remember I had just never thought of it this way.  Great for hunting.  Thanks again.    Buckfever

[tuck2]

I use a PACT chronograph to get the bullets average muzzle ft/sec  of my reloads and the rim fire ammo I use. The bullet muzzle velocity can vary quit a lot from published data. I have down loaded the ballistics program from the web site www.huntingnut.com . I use the MPBR to set the scope sites . It is well worth a persons time to use the hunting nut program. I find the wind drift and ft/lb energy data interesting. When some one claims that they shot some game whay out there ,I at times enter the data for the bullet to see how high and the hold into the wind it would take to hit the target. Some times I think there is a lot of BS about how far game is shot or they dont know the difference between 200 , 400 and 600 Yds.

[Larry Gibson]

Considering 90% + of all bi game are shot on the short side of 200 yards and 80%+ of that is on the short side of 100 yards I zero my scoped rifles at 200 yards. (exception being the 30-30, 45-70 and when using cast bullets for hunting). I chronograph the load with an Oehler 35P. Then I zero at 200 yards and confirm the zeros at 300, 400 and 500 yards. I use scope adjustments instead of holdover for longer range shots although with a couple rifles (.375 H&H for instance) holdover is used to 300 yards.

Larry Gibson

[flintlock]

Fortunately I only have one center fire rifle...I zero in at 250 yards...(Or about 2-2 1/2 inches high at 100)..Its used for everything from deer down to crows...Hunting over big fields I'm comfortable out to 300 yards, hunting in the woods where shots are 50 yards and closer the bullet hasn't had time to rise above the center of the scope reticle...

btw...Don't trust the charts, they will get you in the ballpark, but you need to shoot to see where your gun will hit...I have seen them off by several inches when you get out to 250-300 and have also seen 2 guns of the same caliber, using the same ammo, yet have one hit 3-4 inches higher/lower at 300.

[Dave in WV]

I zero my centerfires dead on at 50 yards. They're close to dead on or a little bit high at 100. Range in the fileld most places I hunt are under 100 yards and brushy so picking a shot through brush is common.

[kombi1976]

Since at the end of the day all of my rifles have to hit game I zero them the same way keeping their own capabilities in mind.
My scoped .22LR is zeroed to 50m no matter what.
If I can't compensate with that sort of zero range I have bigger problems.
The 2 centrefire rifles I use most of the time are a Martini Cadet in 25-20 and a Short Lee Enfield 303/25 as as most of the game The 25-20, even with the most good will, is only up to rabbits, hares & foxes I have it zeroed to 100m and I'm experimenting with 75gn V-Maxs to make the most out of the modest velocity it develops and to try and wring a little flatter trajectory with a more ballistically efficient bullet.
The 303/25 on the other hand is zeroed about an inch high at 100m to make it practical out to around 200yds on kangaroos as well as for varmint shooting.
My 8mm Mauser, which is currently undergoing fitting of a new stock, will probably be zeroed for 150m as I seldom go for long shots although if I begin to deer hunt as I'm intending to I may change that.

[Boxhead]

Generally I zero my scoped big game rifles shooting at 200 yards and being dead on at that range.

[poncaguy]

I use a 200 yard zero for my deer rifles............

[tanoose]

Depending on caliber most of my rifles are zeroed at 25 yards and that lets me hold dead on to 200 yards It even gets me to125 yards with my 12 ga. smoothbore 1 oz. slug  at 1600 fps or so.

[Slamfire]

The difference is in the height of the sight above the line of the bore. A scope is typically twice as high as irons.
With a scope mounted close to the bore, say 1 1/2 " above, I zero at 25 yards. I do that for two reasons, 1. I'm sure to be on the paper, and 2. After only one shot, adjust my cross hairs to bisect the hole from the first shot.
Now I can move out the the 100 yard line and shoot a 3 shot group, expecting the bullets to land about 3" high. I can refine my aim at this range and be pretty sure it is sighted in as well as I can aim.
Depending on the velocity of the round, and its ballistic properties I can figure where it is zeroed. i.e., a .270 with a 130 grain bullet at 3100 fps, should pass zero again at 275 yards and end up 4" low at 325. At apogee, the bullet will be 4" high at someplace near 175 yards. Shooting at those ranges ought to confirm this.
If we slow the bullet's muzzle velocity down to 2900 fps, we will lose 25 yards from the second zero and 4" low i.e. zero at 250 -4" at 300.
For every 200 fps more or less muzzle velocity expect 25 yards more or less on these figures. This is called the point blank range sighting. Any place from the muzzle of my rifle to that magical far away place the trajectory will put the bullet within 4" of the line of sight, so I can ignore range for the most part, put the cross-hairs 1/3 of the way from the brisket up toward the back, definitely behind the front shoulder and kill the game animal.
As you can see the so called flat shooters don't gain a whole lot on the moderates with this method. If I start a 129 grain bullet from my .260 at 2800 fps, it takes a real rip snorter of a magnum to send a bullet of similar ballistic properties at 3200 fps and gain a whole 50 yards point blank range on me. At what cost in barrel life, at what risk of shooting the internals of the scope loose, at what cost to your hearing, or your wallet? You'll have to buy the $2 bullets, and half again as much powder, all for a measly 50 yards extra range. Provided of course you shoot enough to be able to use that 50 yards.
Iron sights should be started a 12.5 yards, you can expect something like 2" high at 100 yards 0 at 150 and 5" low at 200 yards. I can't see well enough to get all the range out of that cartridge without some sort of scope sight. With the scope  0  for a 2100 fps muzzle velocity, 5 increments of 25 yards less than the .270 or 150 yards. Hey I already said that! The difference I can now use the 200 yard effective range of the old turdy turdy. 
Some people prefer the 200 yard zero, claiming the game at 300 looks so far away, they just can resist aiming high and shooting over. I can understand that philosophy, but using the duplex reticule in my variable scope I can avoid gross errors in range. 

[Sourdough]

Depends on the cartridge, velocity, and scope.  Some of my scopes have range finding marks, some are set to have the gun sighted in at 100 yards, some at 200 yards, others at 300 yards.  There is a lot of factors to take into consideration.

Several years ago I tried the 25 yards sighting.  Worked great out to 50 yards.  Beyond that I was several feet high at 150 yards.  Missed several deer at 100 yards and beyond.  Finally sat down and shot at 25, 50, 75, and 100 yards.  Man did I have to nmake some corrections.

My rule of thumb before I started shooting at long ranges was to be two inches high at 100 yards.  Worked great out to 300 yards

[RaySendero]

Zero my 270 for 200 yards - Its 1.2" high at 100 and 6.2" low at 300

Zero my 8X57 for 150 yards - Its 1.0" high at 100 and 2.7" low at 200

[Coyote Hunter]

Slamfire –

If we take your example of a .260 shooting a Hornady 129g SP (B.C. .455) @ 2800fps and my .300 Win Mag with a 168g TSX (.B.C. 404) at 3246fps, and zero both for MPBR using an 8” diameter circle, we come up with the following:

.260 = Zero @ 265yds, MPBR @ 311yds
.300 = Zero @ 300yds, MPBR @ 353yds

So the .300 give you an extra 42 yards.  Hardly worth bothering with, right?

Imagine you are sitting in the middle of a circle 167 yards in radius.  That’s the difference in area between a circle 311 yards in radius and one that is 353 yards in radius.  The mathematical relationship is the same whether you are looking at a full circle or just a segment of a circle, say 120 degrees, 30 degrees, or whatever.  If we consider the game density per unit area to be constant there is an equal chance of game being in the first 167 yards as there is in the area between 311 and 353 yards. (In fact, however, there may be a greater chance that game will be in the outer area due to the game’s natural awareness.  Moreover, game will always be in the outer area first, which is why we try to “get closer”.)

Most of the game I’ve shot has been at ranges under 167 yards, so I consider the difference rather significant. 

Another option, though, is to zero the .300 using a 6” diameter target instead of an 8” target.  Using 6” puts MPBR at 319 yards.  Now you have the same range as the .260 does and have more room for shooter error.

At any rate, that's the way I look at it.

[Slamfire]

Another option, though, is to zero the .300 using a 6” diameter target instead of an 8” target.  Using 6” puts MPBR at 319 yards.  Now you have the same range as the .260 does and have more room for shooter error.

And more recoil induced shooter error to compensate for!

[jro45]

All my rifles are zeroed at 200 yds. I have two or three Burres Bplex scopes on some of my rifles for long range hunting.

[Spanky]

35 Whelen
30-06
30-30
All sighted dead on at 100 yards

22 Magnum
Dead on at 50 yards

223
Dead on at 200 yards (my coyote gun)

12 gauge slug gun
20 gauge slug gun
Both dead on at 75 yards

410
20 gauge
12 gauge
All patterned at 30 yards


Spanky

[Cement Man]

I don't remember where, many years ago, I read about the MPBR standard using a 6" target, and that is the method I used on my '06's for elk, black bear, and deer, and my .308's for deer in the midwestern woods.  After many years of almost all sub 80 yard shots in the deer woods of WI and MN, I started zeroing my deer rifles at 100 yds so I could head shoot does to keep all the meat nice for my hunting buddy-butcher who would lash me unmercifully for blowing up a shoulder.

[Coyote Hunter]

...After many years of almost all sub 80 yard shots in the deer woods of WI and MN, I started zeroing my deer rifles at 100 yds so I could head shoot does to keep all the meat nice for my hunting buddy-butcher who would lash me unmercifully for blowing up a shoulder.

That works, too!  My .30-06 has a Burris Fullfield II with a Ballistic Plex reticle. If I had any brains I'd zero at 100 yards like the manual says...  Same thing with the .300 Win Mag, same scope, but 200 yards...

Went out this morning chasing coyotes with the .257 Roberts, zeroed for MPBR for a 6" target at 291 yards.  Spotted one way out there and hit it with a laser.  Cranked the Leupold 4.5-14x all the way up, adjusted point of aim for proper hold-over and put a 75g V-MAX in its head.  The laser read 483 yards.  Whatever works... 

[deltecs]

The way you put the question makes it truly interesting.  I too use MPBR for most of my rifles.  However, recently I came across a website that had a unique trajectory graph that plots for different bullets made by different makers.  What made it unique is the various input for max range, target size, and height above line of sight at every distance from the muzzle to target range in 10 yard increments.  Once, MPBR is determined go to graph and find bullet path at 100 yards, sight exactly on at that range.  The hunting conditions and bullet travel will vary very little from the plotted graph.  I've tested it a various yds from 50 to 350 and it works.  The more accurately you can measure the bullet hole from the line of sight at exactly the range for which the graph shows, the more accurately the actual bullet path will follow the graph pattern throughout the trajectory. Try http://www.realguns.com/.  Not for advertisement purposes but for info. 

[Coyote Hunter]

deltecs -

I use a Ballistic Calculator called “Point Blank” which is available free at www.huntingnut.com.  It provides both tabular data as well as graphical data, and you can compare different loads simultaneously on the graph.  Range increments go from 5 yards to 100. 

Using “Point Blank” to calculate MPBR is as simple as plugging in the Ballistic Coefficient, Bullet Weight, Muzzle Velocity, clicking on the “Calculate PBR” button, entering the target diameter and clicking on “OK”.  Click the “View Data” button (if in graphical view) to see bullet height at the selected range increments.  (The default is every 50 yards.)  It takes longer to describe the process than it does to do it. 

If you decide to zero for a particular range, you can do that, too – just enter the “Target Range” instead of clicking on the “Calculate PBR” button.

“Point Blank” has a lot of other features, too.  It is very fast and has been pretty accurate.  Before I got a chronograph I was able to “reverse calculate” load velocity for my 7mm Rem Mag by tinkering with the imput variables until I got a calculated trajectory that matched the observed trajectory.  When I got my chrono I discovered my guessimate was off by about 20fps.

At any rate, its free and works very well.  IMHO every serious shooter should have a Ballistic Calculator and while I’ve tried others “Point Blank” is the one I keep using.

[Blammer]

My rifle shoots so flat, I zero mine 2 inches high at 100 yards and that way I can shoot out to 700 yards by holding just dead on. 

I actually zero about 1 inch high at 100 so my MPB is about 200 yards or so...

[deltecs]

Coyote Hunter,
Didn't know anything about that software program.  Sounds like it might be better than the one I've used.  I couldn't agree with you more about the chronograph too.  I have some really upset friends once they used my Chrony and found that the velocity of their 7mm mags was below what they thought it was.  Come to find out, most of them were shooting the .284 bullets at less velocity than a couple other guys in our group with 280 Rem.  After all the ribbing and kidding from the guys owning the 7mm mags, they were a bit red in the face after actual chronograph tests.  The tests were using factory ammo on the 7 mm mags and handloads in the 280 Rem.  Interesting trajectories after plugging the results in the ballistics calc.  Will give the other ballistics calc a try.

[Sourdough]

Where you finely settle on sighting it in at is really unimportant.  What matters is that you shoot it enough to know where it shoots at all ranges out to the maximum you will be shooting.  Practice, practice, and more practice.

Last October I was carrying my 30-06 with my pet load for cayotes, a 125gr varmit bullet.  I had been asked by the  miner friend I was staying with to bring in a Moose for his feeezer for the winter.  I got up early and there was a moose on the side of the hill above the camp.  I walked up level with her and to within 80 yards.  The gun is sighted in for 300 yards with this load, and I know is 3.5 inches high at 100 yards.  I held about 3.5 inches below her ear and she dropped instantly.  I go through one to two boxes of shells a month with this gun. 

[SHOOTALL]

If you know what you are hunting and its kill zone  , or the animal with the smallest kill zone you are hunting then check out the ammo you will use as to bullet drop . the idea is to sight in so you can use a point blank hold for the longest possible distance !
ie. a 45/70 drops faster than a .270 therefore the 45/70 will be sighted to a shorter range than the .270 !
if you have a 6 inch kill zone ,  sight in so you never have the flight of the bullet more than 3 inches above the line of the sight when a dead center hold is used , then check the bullet drop and the farthest distance the bullet can travel and still be in the kill zone with the center hold , is the maximum point blank hold for your rifle ! then shoot and record hold over so you can extend the range if needed !
most of the time you will find this works out better than just picking a distance and making it work unless you only shoot at one distance like target shooting , your gun maybe sighted in at 162yds. instead of 150 or 175 but you are getting all the help the gun/bullet combo can give you , and a point blank hold at say 280 yds has got to be better than Kentucky windage

[Coyote Hunter]

...a point blank hold at say 280 yds has got to be better than Kentucky windage

That's kind of the way I see it, too, but I understand those who use different methods.  Two of my rifles had Burris scopes with Ballistic Plex scopes on them (.30-06 and .300 Win Mag) and I sometimes think I should zero them for the scope rather than MPBR.  Those that use turrets don't have a problem as long as they record the settings at various distances.  And those that hunt where 100 yards is a long shot, why on earth would they zero for 250-300 or beyond?

[Slamfire]

And those that hunt where 100 yards is a long shot, why on earth would they zero for 250-300 or beyond?

Because even the thickest forests have power line right of ways. Around here there are plenty of hayfields, you might have to shoot across.

[SHOOTALL]

why would you limit your set up to a specific distance ? for me i would rather be able to hold point blank over the longest distance and not have to do alot of math before the shot , i realize that takes the excuse to buy a range finder away but that's just me !  if ya sight in at 100yds. and a shot presents itself at 250 where do you hold ? how much light do you see between the top of the critter and the horz. wire in the scope ? where is this in relation to the kill zone ? i used to sight in at 100yds. and after missing 2 nice deer at a couple 100 yds. i read about sighting in point blank and have had alot better luck in the field since ! oh yea i shot over both of their backs !