Rifle Scopes Zero at 300 yards

[AricaPuki]

How do you zero at 300 yards without a 300 yard range on paper?

I have a NF NX8 on a 300 Win Mag. Zeroed at 100 yards spot on in the middle of the target. Based upon the bullet and the velocity of the bullet that I chrono'd and using the Hornady 4DOF Ballistic Calculator it will take 0.98 MILS to hit 300 yards. I have tested this and it hits steel 1 moa plates at 300 yards.

If I wanted to zero the scope from 100 to 300 yards, do I just dial 0.98 MILS and call it a day? Did not want to put wind and atmospherics into the calculation since it changes constantly. My thought is if it is zero'd at 100, where wind and everything else is out of play then by simply dialing 0.98 for a 300 yards zero would be the same.

Your thoughts and advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Bradv86]

If you have a perfect zero at 100 as you say, dial 1 mil and reset you turret / zero stop if applicable. Verify at distance when you can.

Do you actually want to zero there? Or just dial for that range and return back to your 100y zero later?

 

[AricaPuki]

If you have a perfect zero at 100 as you say, dial 1 mil and reset you turret / zero stop if applicable. Verify at distance when you can.

Do you actually want to zero there? Or just dial for that range and return back to your 100y zero later?

I would like to eventually zero at 300 yards. Will just leave the zero stop wher it is and just adjust my turret since it is only 1 mil. Thank sir for your advice.

 

[1moaoff]

I would like to eventually zero at 300 yards. Will just leave the zero stop wher it is and just adjust my turret since it is only 1 mil. Thank sir for your advice.

Why?

 

[AricaPuki]

Why?

From
Going the Distance
by Bryce M. Towsley - Monday, December 10, 2012

With a 200-yard zero the .300 Winchester’s bullet will be about 3 inches below the line of sight at 250 yards. So from zero to 250 yards the bullet is never more than 1.86 inches above or 3 inches below the line of sight. On big game this means you can hold on the center of the chest and you will hit the kill zone if you do your job. Even at 300 yards the bullet is only 7.3 inches below the line of sight. If you hold slightly high, but still on the critter—on hair not air—you will hit vitals.

From My Long Range Point of view... At a 300 yard zero, and I use a Tremor 3 with my NX8, I will be around the 2 to 6 mils hold at 500 -800 yards which is the middle of the T3 Reticle. This means I will be able to use with Wind Dots more accurately at the ranges I shoot if not hunting. For ELR from Ranges from 1200 to 1700 yards, the 300 Win Mag come up will be less as well. I will also be able to put about 50-55 MOA of Cant between my mount and the NEAR Rail.

The best part to all this is ... Will go out and shoot it and test and will find out.

 

[Leftie]

A trick that I was taught by a friend is this: think of dialing as setting a new "zero" (the intersection of the crosshairs on the reticle) - if you just need to dial 1 MIL in elevation for 300 yards, leave it dialed there, and understand that your 100 yard point of impact will be 1 MIL lower (for instance) than your new "zero" (the intersection of the crosshairs on the reticle). this way, if you need to quickly engage a target beyond 300 yards or under 300 yards, you can use the MIL value difference between 300 and the other variable to find your hold-over/hold-under. as it relates to the intersection of the crosshairs on your reticle.

As @AricaPuki alluded to above, a different zero will "smooth out" your linear unit differences in what the target can absorb, but I think that what it really translates to is that you are allowed a greater amount of "insurance", which begs the question, if you are capable of accurately ranging a target within the ability for your errors to be absorbed, why even bother with a fixed zero that isn't a 100 yard zero unless you have a clear need for it, because you can dial with your turrets?

An added benefit is that you can always keep your 100 yard zero, which I find is far preferable than trying to zero at some obscure distance and then derive a chart based on linear units of measurement on a zero that isn't at 100 yards. I like angular units of measurement, and they really are effective for shooting because less math (and time) are involved.

Personally, I'd keep the 100 yard zero and then use a combination of range estimation, dialing on your turrets, and hold-overs to get what you need as a solution.

 

[Criver600]

Point blank zero, 300 Win is very flat shooting with a non adjustable 2nd focal plane scope that's a great advantage in the field. With your NX8 first focal plane I'd zero at 200, and use the reticle out as far as you need.

 

[Dthomas3523]

300 yds is getting into not actually a real zero range. Part of the point of 100yd zero is that it’s almost the same in all conditions. 300yds is getting far enough away wind can really screw with it.

To do the the “right way” you really need to zero at 100 and the check your dope at 300. Depending on rifle setup and cartridge, it will be somewhere between .8 and 1.2mil at 300.

So, with that true data, you can either dial up to the dope for the day, and back down to your 100yd zero. Or zero at 100yd, spin turret to your true 300 dope, then slip the turret back to zero. Either way, you’ll be using 100yds get your most environmental free starting point.

If you don’t have 300 to get the true dope, zero at 100, then either set it to 1mil and then back later. Or zero it at 100, turn turret to 1 Mil, and slip the turret back to zero.

No matter which way, the common factor is using 100yds as your starting point.

 

[GrumpyOleFart]

Zero at 100.
Regardless of calibre, shit gets tricky the further out you go.
Then just practice hold over and turrets.

 

[Huskydriver]

From
Going the Distance
by Bryce M. Towsley - Monday, December 10, 2012

With a 200-yard zero the .300 Winchester’s bullet will be about 3 inches below the line of sight at 250 yards. So from zero to 250 yards the bullet is never more than 1.86 inches above or 3 inches below the line of sight. On big game this means you can hold on the center of the chest and you will hit the kill zone if you do your job. Even at 300 yards the bullet is only 7.3 inches below the line of sight. If you hold slightly high, but still on the critter—on hair not air—you will hit vitals.

From My Long Range Point of view... At a 300 yard zero, and I use a Tremor 3 with my NX8, I will be around the 2 to 6 mils hold at 500 -800 yards which is the middle of the T3 Reticle. This means I will be able to use with Wind Dots more accurately at the ranges I shoot if not hunting. For ELR from Ranges from 1200 to 1700 yards, the 300 Win Mag come up will be less as well. I will also be able to put about 50-55 MOA of Cant between my mount and the NEAR Rail.

The best part to all this is ... Will go out and shoot it and test and will find out.

The fudd is strong with this one

 

[huntnh]

I normally zero my hunters at two hundred but not my long range guns I see no advantage to a 3 hundred yard zero.

 

[Deleted member 113831]

From
Going the Distance
by Bryce M. Towsley - Monday, December 10, 2012

With a 200-yard zero the .300 Winchester’s bullet will be about 3 inches below the line of sight at 250 yards. So from zero to 250 yards the bullet is never more than 1.86 inches above or 3 inches below the line of sight. On big game this means you can hold on the center of the chest and you will hit the kill zone if you do your job. Even at 300 yards the bullet is only 7.3 inches below the line of sight. If you hold slightly high, but still on the critter—on hair not air—you will hit vitals.

From My Long Range Point of view... At a 300 yard zero, and I use a Tremor 3 with my NX8, I will be around the 2 to 6 mils hold at 500 -800 yards which is the middle of the T3 Reticle. This means I will be able to use with Wind Dots more accurately at the ranges I shoot if not hunting. For ELR from Ranges from 1200 to 1700 yards, the 300 Win Mag come up will be less as well. I will also be able to put about 50-55 MOA of Cant between my mount and the NEAR Rail.

The best part to all this is ... Will go out and shoot it and test and will find out.

There is an initial zero...and there is a hunting zero.

With a scope capable of being dialed, it makes absolutely NO sense to set "0" at 300 yards. It takes exactly the same number of clicks, and exactly the same amount of your internal elevation either way. The ONLY difference is whether you are calling that 300 yard mark "0" or "1 mil".

1) If you are determined to call 300 yards "0", then all your numbers will be off for any other distance. You will have to constantly remember that you are zeroed at a distance other than 100 yards.

2) The wind dots on the Tremor reticle will not be accurate if the scope is zeroed at anything other than 100 yards.

3) If you zero at 100 yards, then get into a hunting situation where it makes sense to have a 200 or 300 yard zero on to utilize "maximum point blank range" then you just dial on "0.4mils" for 200 yards or "1 mils" for 300 yards and hold dead on.

 

[308pirate]

I would like to eventually zero at 300 yards.

With an NX8, I have to ask.......WHY?

I could understand this if you had a scope with capped turrets that are designed to be used to zero the rifle and then left alone.

But with a scope that you can use to dial (or holdover with the reticle) the exact compensation from a 100 yard zero to wherever you want to shoot, again, WHY?

 

[308pirate]

From
Going the Distance
by Bryce M. Towsley - Monday, December 10, 2012

With a 200-yard zero the .300 Winchester’s bullet will be about 3 inches below the line of sight at 250 yards. So from zero to 250 yards the bullet is never more than 1.86 inches above or 3 inches below the line of sight. On big game this means you can hold on the center of the chest and you will hit the kill zone if you do your job. Even at 300 yards the bullet is only 7.3 inches below the line of sight. If you hold slightly high, but still on the critter—on hair not air—you will hit vitals.

From My Long Range Point of view... At a 300 yard zero, and I use a Tremor 3 with my NX8, I will be around the 2 to 6 mils hold at 500 -800 yards which is the middle of the T3 Reticle. This means I will be able to use with Wind Dots more accurately at the ranges I shoot if not hunting. For ELR from Ranges from 1200 to 1700 yards, the 300 Win Mag come up will be less as well. I will also be able to put about 50-55 MOA of Cant between my mount and the NEAR Rail.

The best part to all this is ... Will go out and shoot it and test and will find out.

Bryce M Towsely is a nobody in long range professional and competitive shooting circles. He's an old hunter trying to stay relevant while clinging to outdated ideas applied to modern equipment.

It's like that moron "sheriff" Wilson still trying to convince everyone that while an isoceles grip and stance works better for handgun competition, a Weaver stance works better for "combat".

 

[1moaoff]

From
Going the Distance
by Bryce M. Towsley - Monday, December 10, 2012

With a 200-yard zero the .300 Winchester’s bullet will be about 3 inches below the line of sight at 250 yards. So from zero to 250 yards the bullet is never more than 1.86 inches above or 3 inches below the line of sight. On big game this means you can hold on the center of the chest and you will hit the kill zone if you do your job. Even at 300 yards the bullet is only 7.3 inches below the line of sight. If you hold slightly high, but still on the critter—on hair not air—you will hit vitals.

From My Long Range Point of view... At a 300 yard zero, and I use a Tremor 3 with my NX8, I will be around the 2 to 6 mils hold at 500 -800 yards which is the middle of the T3 Reticle. This means I will be able to use with Wind Dots more accurately at the ranges I shoot if not hunting. For ELR from Ranges from 1200 to 1700 yards, the 300 Win Mag come up will be less as well. I will also be able to put about 50-55 MOA of Cant between my mount and the NEAR Rail.

The best part to all this is ... Will go out and shoot it and test and will find out.

And this or something like this is why I asked.

 

[AZBackcountry]

This discussion is a flash back to 70's when I bought my 1st rifle, a Rem 700 7mm Rem Mag with a Bushnell 3-9X40 duplex Weaver rings and bases and went to Black Canyon Shooting Range to sight it in. Now it's call Ben Avery. I had my aluminum cleaning rod and bottle of Hoppe's #9 for a proper break-in. I was at the 100 yard max range but had my mind set at zero at 250 yds. I had read an article by Bob Hirsch or Ben Avery. It worked great for what we had. We didn't have rangefinders.

Now every riflescope of mine is zeroed at 100 yards. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

 

[B-P-UU]

If you have a good 100 yd. zero and good dope, you have a good zero for all ranges... if you are hunting an area where 300 yd "walking around" zero seems like a good idea, add a MIL and you're set. If you know that bull is going to step out into a park at 500 yds, dial to 2.6 or whatever and you are zeroed.
You've got a turret on that scope, use it whenever possible.

 

[Steel head]

Why?

 

[AricaPuki]

Thank you guys for the thoughts and advice. Good discussion. Will stay with the 100 yard zero and just dial up and if I wanted a 300 yard zero then just leave it there. Please be safe and have a wonderful day.

 

[Rthur]

Zero at 100 and hold one mil.
Shazam! you have, at the same time, a hundo and 3 hundo zero.

R

 

[wkelly]

Some people will first zero a scope at 25yds and then move to 100 yards . As the zeroed bullet passes the 100yd target it may raise some more or at some greater distance start to fall. The distance when it starts to fall is called Maximum Point Blank Range for the benefit of hunters.