what zero

iano

Member
hi all
jus got my new rifle a styer pro hunter in 6.6x55 ,i am putting a 8x56 s+b on it .my question is what range should i zero it at ,i am getting all kinds of advice from 100 to 200 to 1" high at 100 etc . i am using federal 140 grain bullets so any help would be appreciated :confused: :confused:

ian
novice deer shooter
 
I've got the same creature and it's zeroed at just under 2" (I think it's 1.6 but with my crappy shooting who knows! ;) ) high at 100, should give you smack on at 200 and smack on at about 30 with 140g PMC ammuntion. Works for me.
Drew
 
Ian,

I think this comes down to what and where you usually stalk, I for examle usually stalk in fairley thick woods so have the rifle zeroed at 100 yards, as I rarely shoot over 60-70 yards.

Others that stalk open feilds or on the hill prefer Drews zeroing preference ie a long range zero.

ATB

James
 
i always had my .243 prohunter mountain with 8x56 s&b zeroed at about 1" high @100m, and never reall shot much in excess of that, using 100gns.

i've just change ammo to 55gn BT's for fox and zeroed it to 2cm high at 100m, which should be about zero @ 200m.

i hadnt checked this against a target, but missed 4 foxes the other night, all at about 200m ish!!

my point is, dont assume what your gun will do at different ranges, actually try it out at the ranges in question.

fitted a 6.5 - 20 x 50 leupold to it last night which i will zero at 200m, and then shoot targets at 100 to see where its hitting. the 8x56 is going on a .308 blaser which will be zeroed at 150M

hope this is useful.
 
I think this comes down to what and where you usually stalk

Very good point...I'm all open hill reds, if you're shooting from a high seat, for instance, you'll need to find out what it does at your range. Waste a few rounds...it's never a waste!
 
I always put mine one inch high at 100yds. That way anything out to 200yds is bang on the money, with most calibres used for stalking. And even though I stalk all the species throughout the season, you very rarely take shots over 200yds at anytime, unless you are on the open hill. And even then 200yds plus is a shot not taken that often. :D
 
I always sight in an inch high at 100 yards. As I never shoot much over about 150 yards, this way I am always in the zone, with a good bit to spare.

John
 
thanks for all the advice lads..

it looks like 1'' high at 100 is the best all round compromise as i hope to use it on deer in the woods and hill and fox's over open fields
i am off now put loads of holes in paper

thanks again

ian.. :D
 
I'd be all for doing a test at say 200yds just to get a bit of
reasurrance.
On one occasion I took friend along to a field and we set up a target at
about 250yds (223m) to see if my drop chart was ok. My friend has a
6.5x55 and running 156gr Lapua mega's. He had zeroed at 100m and
just did his HCAP (DSC) test succesfully. He thought he would possibly need to hold top right of the paper also because of the fluky wind. Three shots and he didn't hit paper at all and only two hit the bottom left of the plywood. So much for all the 300yd deer he told me about.

Similar was a chance we had at a 300m range with another friend and his 25-06 running 100gr Nos BT's. Although he clicked his scope up 13 or so
clicks he only hit bottom of the big 300m paper.
Think it was an eye opener for both lads.
A bit of testing would be helpfull incase a make good shot is needed
at some stage.

edi
 
Zero

I stalk woodland and i zero 1" high on both 308 and 22-250.

I never get an easy shot. all are over the other side of the valley down wind or staring at me from afar.

My reckoning is that a wee bit high is better than a wee bit low on a heart /lung shot. clip the spine or lung- rib cage and it shold be enough to put the animal in the bag.

I shot a blair atholl with the guns and the results were staggering. the 308 was at the time bang on @100 but was still killing at 200 aiming high on the sholder of the fallow target. 300m and i was clipping its toe nails.

22-250 was higher @200m than 100?????, was windy but i was seriously confused. did not get to try it @ 300m due to weather.

since done a lot of work on 22-250 and worked up a home load that would need re-evaluation over all distances. but it is on the money @150m for now.
 
I have shot out to 600 metres with 308 and 6.5 on the range. The 308 were fine but even with the scope dialled right up and aiming at the top of the target board the 6.5 still had trouble finding the target. Good rifle but they do fall fast. IMHO :(
 
Iano,
the nice thing about S&B scopes is you can get a bullet drop compensator
fitted. This costs about 100 Euro and is the very low turret which they use
on the precision hunter. Has to be done at S&B germany.
I had them fitted to my 3-12x50. Best thing ever.
I would have the rifle zeroed at 100m = scope on zero. If I stalk in open
terrain I'd set it on 3 clicks up = 150m zero. 6 clicks up = 200m zero.
At 300m a 308 drops about 20", that would be around 15 clicks.
Makes things easier if one runs very heavy heads.
Like a 156gr mega in the 6.5.
edi
DSCN0929.jpg
 
7x64 set at 5cm high at 100m makes it zero @ 230m and 5cm low @ 300.
No need to aim off except at less than 10m.

Mark
 
On this website is http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php is some free to download ballistic software called pointblank. With this you can feed in as many different scenarios as you like and it will tell where your round will hit. I have used it for years it provides all the info I need once I have chronographed my hand loads.

John
 
Back
Top