Peep sight zero yard?

[welldone]

Installed a Skinner rear peep sight on a .308 handi and I will be using it next year for whitetails and hogs. Most shots will be under 100and yards and I was just wondering at what yardage do you set your open sights to. Any theories will be appreciated.

[hoytcanon]

If you know for sure that your shooting range will be 0-100 yards, then 75 yards is a good distance to zero your sights.

[Sourdough]

Since you are using a .308, that is a pretty flat shooting cartridge.  I'd adjust the peep site for 100 yards, I'm guessing the peep will be 1/2" above the muzzle, thats normal.  The 180gr Nosler Accubond bullet traveling at a moderate 2600 fps will only be .42 inches above the line of site at it's highest point at 50 yards.  At 100 yards it's dead on, and on out to 175 yards it will be 3.28 inches low. 

Yes you can say your shots will only be under 100 yards, and that may be true from your stand or blind.  But how about the day your walking looking for a new spot, or your just walking back to the truck, when on a straight stretch of trail there is a big buck standing sniffing the wind at 150 yards or even out to 200 yards.  You can still make that shot.  Hold high on the shoulder and you got him.  At 200 yards you will be 5" low so high on the should would do it.

[tacklebury]

Depending on load, I'd say 150 yards.  It's flat enough and if you are using decent BC bullets it should give you a Point Blank range of 250 yards give or take.    Seems like every time I zero short I end up with a longer shot. 

[wolverine_1]

I'm with Tacklebury and others that 100 to 150 yards is a good sight in distance. That is what I have always used for my .308s.  It is a really flat shooting cartridge.  Took a moose at 200 yards years ago and didn't have to adjust at all.

[Couger]

Initially sighting a rifle to hit a target at 25-30 yards is how Army recruits first sight-in their M16's/M4's.

Then they sith-in again at 100 yards.

But good advice has already been given.

[hoytcanon]

Initially sighting a rifle to hit a target at 25-30 yards is how Army recruits first sight-in their M16's/M4's.
Then they sith-in again at 100 yards.
But good advice has already been given.

The reasoning behind the 25-30 yard zero is that with a scope, that is the range where the bullet first crosses your line of sight... which will yield the approximate MPBR for that load... it doesn't work with a peep sight as the bullet crosses the line of sight before it travels 10 yards... some of the advice above is solid if you are trying to maximize the trajectory of the caliber... but it may not be good advice for the OP's conditions...if you were to zero at 150 yards, you will be approximately 1 1/4" high at 100 yards... the further out you sight in, the more your gun will be shooting high at mid range... as I said earlier, if you are SURE that you will be shooting 0-100 then sighting for 75 yards will mean that you are never more than 1/2" high or low from 0-105 yards... you can be confident that the bullet will hit where you are aiming... mind you learning your weapons trajectory and maximizing it's potential is the best overall way to go... but only you know your hunting conditions.

[SHOOTALL]

The military targets I have seen are for open sights , you snug your front sight in at at 25 meters ( might be 30 don't have one at hand) and the impact area of the target is about 1.5 inches above it. It will give you a "battle" sight when space is limited like on the deck of a ship. They are for the peep sights on most military rifles. And yes it is where the line of sight and line of bullet cross the first time. I still hunt with open sights alot and use a similar method to sight in . I have an aiming point at 30 yards and a contact point 1.5 inches abobe . I use this for most rifles like 7X30 W , 308 and 3030.
 One consideration is sun vs. clouds it will change you impact point as the darker the day the lower you will hold the front sight in an effort to see it so shoot on different days to see how it effects you impact point. And if you try the above sight in always shoot at longer distances like 100 yards to make sure you are on left or right .

[gcrank1]

I, like Hoyt, like and use the 75ish yard -0- for many of mine, but I shoot a lot of slower cast bullets with a loopy trajectory. Some find it useful to actually take a long piece of paper and plot out the parabolic trajectory to see just how the longer range -0-'s can make you shoot higher than you might want to up midway of that. Not such a big difference with some calibers that are fairly 'flat' shooters. I have heard it said, and seen it done, that many hunting misses are from too high, rather than too low a shot. You should keep in mind that the military rifles are intended for primarily vertical targets, game hunted is primarily horizontal targets.
I think you would do fine with anything 75 to 100yd for a -0- and go for the heart/lung shot (ya gotta know where that is on yer critter from every angle).

[hoytcanon]

Just a small clarification my "zero" recommendation was based on the OP's scenario... I don't zero for short range myself... most of my guns are zeroed for MPBR with a 3" radius... I learn my hold over/under from there and aim accordingly... but alot of the hunting situations we find ourselves in here can be 0-300 yard propositions... my only exceptions are pistol calibers (.357 & .44 mag) where the 75 yard zero is what I use.

[tacklebury]

Just a final thought from me.  If you know what your load will be, you can also run to JBM Ballistics trajectory calculator and get your bullet drop and energy.  This has been very useful for me to pick  proper crossing points and zero points. 

[SHOOTALL]

I wish my eyes were good enough to need a ballastic caculator with open sights. I shot IMHSA for years with open sights . Targets out to 200 meters. This might amuse some others might learn something. In the first few matches I had to learn sight settings for each range 50 m, 100m, 150 m, and 200 m. I say few matches because I wanted to shoot in the regional match where people from 13 states competed. You had to shoot three matches to be able to shoot the big match. Well I got settled in on settings and went to the big match. Tied for first place in AAA unlimited. Well there is going to be a shoot off  which consited of shooting 3 50 yard targets (chickens) at 200 meters and 2 chickens at 150 m. staggered . So that screwed up my settings smaller target at longer distance . The state director came over ( BTW he was helping me get started )  said set your sights on your 100 meter setting and it will work out , it did I won  . Point is hitting a quater at 100 yards is nice but in reality if you an keep everything in a 6 inch circle at what ever distance you shoot a deer at you will be fine.

[hoytcanon]

...Point is hitting a quater at 100 yards is nice but in reality if you an keep everything in a 6 inch circle at what ever distance you shoot a deer at you will be fine.

Hence my sighting at the MPBR with a 3" radius. 

[nanuk-O-dah-Nort]

Hence my sighting at the MPBR with a 3" radius. 

Hoyt, do you include the accuracy error in your calculations?

I usually do my initial calculations/comparisons using a 2" group for ease of math..

ie/ at 100yds, you add 1" to the upper limit, and at the lower limit, you add the negative.
for argument: at 250yds, I'd add a -2.5" to the lower limit
Therefore, if I can get my rifle to shoot better than 2" groups, I know my bullet will be within the MPBR zone.

without that, you could theoretically be outside your zone and have a miss and not know why.

[welldone]

Wow. I was expecting only a little bit of comments but thanks for the suggestions and experience. I can't wait to get my sights set up and get some rounds down range. Iam changing my hunting ideas from "big scope/ super accurate/ long range deer sniper" to simple,  lightweight,  open sights real hunting. Everybody to their own and who knows, I may get to slay a deer like I did when I was a youngster. I should get my Skinner sight in soon.(long way from Montanna to Georgia)  Any more input would be appreciated.