Sighting in your rifles for hunting

[CharlesT]

Just curious as to how you sight in your rifles for hunting.

Do you sight in specifically for the game animal and what distance you expect to shoot from? Do you sight in to zero at 100yds? Do you sight in for MPBR?

I hope this doesn't open a can of worms.

CT

 

[Adrian]

You can't guarantee what distance you will be shooting from.
You could be aiming at 250m in the morning and 50m in the afternoon.
Best to zero your rifle for what you know and make sure you know your bullet drop or are proficient with dialliing it into your turret.
Most zero to be either dead on at 100m or an inch high at 100m.
Know where your bullet will fall at anything from 30m to 300m and aim according to the range you have zeroed at.

 

[JimP]

A lot of it is going to depend on the country that you are hunting and the round that you are shooting out of your rifle.

Here in the western part of the US I'll sight most of my rifles in with a 200 or 250 yard zero. Those distances wouldn't make any sense if you are hunting areas where the shots are 100 yards or less.

 

[Opposite Pole]

I sight in dead on at 100m and use ballistic data from my rangfinding Leica binos to adjust the scope. I do tend to stalk close in rather than take long shots though, most of my shots are well within 100m. If possible I like to stalk to within 50m but obviously appropriate conditions are necessary for this to happen.

 

[DrBob]

In one area, exact sighting in is optimal... leopard. Small animal at close range and wanting to hit exactly where one aims. I will usually zero at 100 yards also with come ups... and usually set at 250 yards afterward.

 

[Tanks]

I sight in for MPBR based on Swaro data. I have BTs on my Z6i scopes so set the turrets in 50 yard increments after. I do verify the ballistic data at range.

As @DrBob said for cats set it at 100 yards as at 50 it will also be dead on most likely.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I usually sight in 1.5 to 2 inches high at 100 yards. The exception is my 404 Jeffery which is dead on at 100 yards.

A couple of good articles on the subject:

How to Sight-In a Rifle
https://www.chuckhawks.com/sight-in_rifle.htm

Sighting In for Maximum Point Blank Range
https://www.chuckhawks.com/sight_rifle_mpbr.html

 

[Red Leg]

MPBR unless hunting a leopard.

 

[Tanks]

It also helps to have a dope card.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

2 inches high at 100 yards.

 

[Ryan]

It depends on the caliber and situations I will use it for. For my hunting in Alaska and southern Africa with my 30-06 and 7mm-08 I go for dead on 200 yards. It will be between 1.5 and 1.75 inches high at 100, which isn't enough for me to adjust for in a hunting situation under 225, I just aim where I want to hit. Beyond that I learn the drop and adjust accordingly. But honestly I don't shoot beyond 300 yards hunting which is a 7-8 inches drop for those two. My 375 Ruger is sighted in for 100 at the moment for any shot 125 or less, which is all it's intended for at this time.

 

[bruce moulds]

if you have a rifle you need to hit dead on with you need a more powerful rifle.
primarily this is because shot placement cannot be guaranteed under field conditions.
winding the elevation knob of a scope in the field is fraught with danger.
sooner or later the sight will be on a wrong setting when a shot is fired.
ranging animals is often impossible due to time constraints.
with these facts in the formula, taking advantage of point blank range seems to be the best option for zeroing a hunting rifle.
generally speaking, taking the above into account, +/- 3" max point blank range is in most cases a very useful zero.
a ballistic programme will give a height at 100 yds to zero.
for many cartridges this is somewhere between +2 and + 3" at 100, with the likes of 270 win 130 gn being + 2.5"
this will put the 270 dead on at about 250 yds and 3" low at 300, so aim dead on out to 300.
the 30/06 will be a bit less.
the 375 will be about dead on at 200 yds., and aim dead on out to 250.
for further than the point blank range of the cartridge, you can still aim high, but aim on fur, out to any sensible range that is ethical for hunting.
if you have to aim off fur, don't shoot.
allowing for wind deflection is the same.
never aim off fur to allow for the wind.
you can make a long gun soot short this way, but you can't make a short gun shoot long.
solution? use a sensible cartridge for the situation.
varmint rifles are more suited to a +/- 1.5" point blank, as the targets are smaller.
be aware that at ranges closer than about 20 yds using a scope you will go low.
bruce.

 

[CharlesT]

All your replies seem to confirm that my decisions are within reason.

I keep my scoped 6.5x55 140gn zeroed at 100. It is a deer gun for under 100 and is also used for pest control at much shorter ranges.

My Lee Enfield No5 is zeroed so that the POI is correct for the elevation setting. I don't think the setting for 800 yards is much more than a hopeful suggestion.

I have set the open sights on my 9.3x62 for MPBR which gives a maximum range of 220yds.

Thank you all.

CT

 

[Trail Rated]

I was “today years old,” as the kids say, when I learned about sighting for max point blank range. I’m glad I clicked on this thread. Thanks to everyone who posted answers.

 

[Buckdog]

I sight in for the caliber and the likely game I will be hunting with the gun. Then I will work up a "true ballistic table for that gun" i.e. I will fire groups at 50, 100,150,200,250,300,350 400 etc so I know exactly where the bullet is going to hit at those ranges. 0-400yds I will have them memorized cold and hold accordingly and will have shot plenty so that hold will just be automatic. Many times in real life hunting there is no time to play with range finders or turn scope turrets you have to lock on and put em down now or never. So my advice practice well with one or a few guns and become very good with them!

 

[Bonk]

MPBR. +/- 4". Simple is good.

 

[NWT]

My woods whitetail gun which is a 7mm/08 is sighted in @100yds
.375H&H is sighted in @60yds
The rest are primarily set up for western mountain hunting and they are sighted in dead on @200yds and practiced at up to 500yds

 

[Tra3]

For me: 1-2” high at 100 if the scope doesn’t have exposed adjustable turrets.

if the scope has adjustable turrets, then zero at 100 and memorize the ballistics and print multiple ballistic charts and keep them in various places. Paper chart sealed with clear packing tape is easy to carry.

 

[Hearties]

Depends on the distance you’re likely to be shooting. If on the plains - I zero at a certain distance and a certain magnification and use the ballistic reticle for drops (with a dope card stock to my stock). If in the bush where shots are normally not extended (past 200m) and I’m usually shooting off sticks, I zero for a mpbr of 220m and go for a walk...

 

[Dr Ray]

Just curious as to how you sight in your rifles for hunting.

Do you sight in specifically for the game animal and what distance you expect to shoot from? Do you sight in to zero at 100yds? Do you sight in for MPBR?

I hope this doesn't open a can of worms.

CT

For my 270 I sight 2.75 inches at 100 yards (not m)
Same for 338 Winchester
But 416 Rem I sight in to be spot on at 100 yards.