if im dead on at 50...

[buckslayer]

yards, where would i hit at 75 and 100 with a .243?  i hunt in extremly thick woods, and a 50 yards shot is about max range, but there may be a chance of a 75-90 yard shot, maybe once in a lifetime.  i have sighted my .243 dead on at 50, because the 100 yard range is like and hour away, and it seems unnessecary, due to the ranges i will be hunting.  but just in case, i need to know where it will be hitting in a get a 75 or 80 yard shot.  thanks for any info.

[jpshaw]

Sounds like you should have had a .30/30 instead.

To answer your question you would need to know your scope height over the bore height.  You want it low at 25 and high at 50.  How much depends on that difference between the bore and the center of the scope.

[GPR125]

Consult a ballistics chart; but in my experience with 6mm bullets between 75-100 grains it will be flat shooting enough to not worry about any holdover at 100 yards.  If you know where it goes at 50, 100 yards is still short range for a 243.  If you are talking about minute-of-deer, put the crosshair behind the shoulder, or whatever, and its done.  Point blank from a 50 yard zero should be good to 150 or so. 

[buckslayer]

yep, a 30/30 would be great, but i gotta use what i have so a .243 it is.  thanks for the info.

[Graybeard]

Ballistic charts cannot and will not answer your question. It can be answered ONLY by actual shooting with your rifle and load. Forget the silly ballistics tables and get out and shoot your rifle and KNOW where it hits. There are too many variables for a chart to tell you at those ranges. Tiny aiming errors have more meaning at such ranges and totally toss out the results charts give there.

[Singleshotsam]

I agree w/ Greybeard.  Ballistics charts only get you close.  If your gunning in the thick woods, I would just leave the gun sighted where its at and hold dead on for any 100 yard shots you may encounter.

My Rossi .243 gets sighted in 2" high at 100 yards.  Then I don't worry about any holdover for shots on deer out to 300 should the need arise.  Most of my shots stay at around 100.

I sighted my mom-in-laws 700 .243 in the same way last season and she took a buck at 280 last season...
She said she held dead on.

[rex6666]

If you are dead on at 50, i wouldn't worry about 100yds with the 243,
if any thing depending on load you might be a little high at a 100,
that is why you need to shoot it. 

[petemi]

If I'm sighting in a new load, I look at the long range, usually 200 yards, trajectory charts for that round.  I note where the bullet crosses line of sight first rising and sight in there.  Then I try it at the long range point and adjust from there.  It saves me a lot of legwork sighting in at say 35 yards rather than 200.  I can't see .22 cal. holes in paper at 200 yards.  I was told, years ago, that the Army sighted M-16s at a thousand inches for that reason.  Anyone know if that's true.

[Gohon]

As already mentioned, ballistic charts are not a substitute for actually shooting but they can be beneficial and useful.  Especially in your situation where a long range for actual shooting is not available.  Go to this site http://www.huntingnut.com/ and down load the free program called "PointBlank".  The program is free and actually pretty accurate within limits considering as also mentioned there are a lot of variables involved.  I use the program for a 25 yard sight in to get me aligned vertical and horizontal and where I should hit at 25 yards to be dead on at 100 yards.  Then I move my target out to 100 yards and do actual shooting to get a bulls eye group.  Then I'm back to the program to see what the holdover should be at 100 yards for any given range beyond that point I may need and I adjust from there.  Works very well for me.  Three things you will absolutely need with any ballistic program is bullet BC, muzzle velocity, and bullet weight.  

[coyotejoe]

As a top of the head guess, a .243 will be rising up to meet the line of sight at 50 yards, will cross the line of sight and continue to rise for some distance before it begins to drop back down across the line of sight again. I suspect 50 and 100 may be pretty much the same point of aim.

[NoBull60]

JM2CW.

I also own a 243 and have hunted wooded country for a long time. Personally, I would loose the scope, replace the iron sights with fiber optics and shoot the heaviest bonded factory load you can find. The 243 really isn't a very good bush gun. If you can thread the needle between the branches and trees, they're great medicine for whitetail deer. Good luck.

NoBull60

[Spanky]

If I'm sighting in a new load, I look at the long range, usually 200 yards, trajectory charts for that round.  I note where the bullet crosses line of sight first rising and sight in there.  Then I try it at the long range point and adjust from there.  It saves me a lot of legwork sighting in at say 35 yards rather than 200.  I can't see .22 cal. holes in paper at 200 yards.  I was told, years ago, that the Army sighted M-16s at a thousand inches for that reason.  Anyone know if that's true.

We sight our M-16's to impact point of aim at 36 meters.
This establishes out 300 meter zero.
Marine Corps...   The Army may be a little different.



Spanky

[BBF]

These replies may or may not reasuring to you. PM me with the type of ammo you got. If it is handloads, give me an idea what sort of muzzle velocity you have and bullet info.
If you use handloads, as slow and heavy a bullet is best at short range everything else being equal.

[petemi]

Thanks Spanky.  That's about what I figured.  I'm proud of you Jarheads.  I was a Squid for 7 years and spent a lot of time with the Corps during Vietnam.  My Kid is a nine year Navy veteran.  He was aboard the Vinson and was part of the first Task Group in the Persian Gulf after 9-11.  He spent 3 tours kicking butt over there and one tour flying out of Turkey, all with an EA6B squadron.  Because of you guys risking your lives we haven't had any more 9-11s.  A lot of Americans think the war in Iraq and Afghanistan isn't worth it.  Well, they're walking around downtown not worrying about car bombs while complaining about gas prices.  We could be burying civilian dead.  Thank You!!!!

[spinafish]

AMEN! petemi! thank all of you warriors out there..

[Graybeard]

The problem with short range sight in and trying to figure out what will happen on out there from it is aiming error. Even a quarter inch error at close range equates to inches further out. Unless your group is literally one hole almost caliber size you have that much error in trying to figure precisely where the center of group is.

It's ball park sure but that's all.

[petemi]

Yes, Bill.  I think we all know that.  It's just a jumping off place to get on paper.  I guess, as I tried to say earlier, It's easier than walking 150 yards to see where your tiny pill went. Sight in on the short range and adjust to the long range.  I'm not trying to say that sighting in at 35 yards will put you dead on target at 200.

[kyelkhunter3006]

If I'm sighting in a new load, I look at the long range, usually 200 yards, trajectory charts for that round.  I note where the bullet crosses line of sight first rising and sight in there.  Then I try it at the long range point and adjust from there.  It saves me a lot of legwork sighting in at say 35 yards rather than 200.  I can't see .22 cal. holes in paper at 200 yards.  I was told, years ago, that the Army sighted M-16s at a thousand inches for that reason.  Anyone know if that's true.

We sight our M-16's to impact point of aim at 36 meters.
This establishes out 300 meter zero.
Marine Corps...   The Army may be a little different.



Spanky

My cousin is a Navy Corpman in Iraq.  When he got out of Basic, that's how he said that they sighted the rifles, and I've read that in other places as well.  

I've found that with most of the common flatter shooting rounds, if you're dead on at 50, its about an inch high at 100.  Just put the x-hairs where you want the bullet to hit.  

[petemi]

My .357 shoots dead on at 60 yards.  It's killing at 100 and 25.  Most of the rest of the Handis don't know the difference between 50 and 100.  They just might be an inch high at 50 or an inch low at 100.  An inch won't make any difference hunting........as long as the rifle groups there.

[will36]

I sighted my 308 in at 50 yards. I shot the deer I posted pics. of at 60 or 70 yards thru thick woods. I think you will be just fine.  Do you clear shooting lanes???

[cwlongshot]

My .357 shoots dead on at 60 yards.  It's killing at 100 and 25.  Most of the rest of the Handis don't know the difference between 50 and 100.  They just might be an inch high at 50 or an inch low at 100.  An inch won't make any difference hunting........as long as the rifle groups there.

 Truer words, I haven't herd spoken....

 (For give me, I am half way thru the second season of DEADWOOD on DVD.  )

CW