Long range shooting = 100 zero?

[.284]

Anyone care to school me on why it seems that most long range shooters that dial for elevation always seem to zero at 100 yards as compared to the more popular (I think) 200 yard zero for hunting rifles?
Thanks

 

[saskcanshooter]

For me i zero at 100 meters for the reason i can get a good solid zero and changes in temperature, altitude, humidity and all the other factors dont change POA POI as much at 100 as it would at 200.

 

[gagreflex]

Not Sure, but it could be that their scopes with hold-over reticles or externally adjustable turrets are calibrated to 100yrds. They want to gauge where there bullet will exactly go. A 200yrd Hunter zero is for best point-blank accuracy, put the cross-hairs on the vitals and drop the hammer.....

 

[knotty]

Most can zero @ 100 as their scope has enough elevation adjustment to the range they wish to get to. There are also canted scope bases for scopes with less elevation range or to provide more to what you have. Also scopes that have 34,35mm tubes can have around 23 mils of total elevation. Also zeroing @ 100, you can factor a lot less of you out of your zero.

 

[Ar180shooter]

A 200 yard zero is best for most hunting rifles as you can essentially hold dead on from 25 out to 300 yards. At 25 it's a little low, 100 it's a little high, and 300 is about 4-6" low, depending on the cartridge.

 

[.284]

Thanks guys, I was kinda thinking along the lines of saskcanshooter`s thoughts where there would be less variation at a closer distance which might translate into less error farther out.

 

[kombayotch]

In addition to less POI shift with environmental changes, a 100 yard zero is also used in precision tactical rifles because it's the lowest point in the trajectory. Further out, you're dialing up due to bullet drop. At closer ranges, you're also dialing up to compensate for the scopes height above the bore.

A 200 yard zero is best for most hunting rifles as you can essentially hold dead on from 25 out to 300 yards. At 25 it's a little low, 100 it's a little high, and 300 is about 4-6" low, depending on the cartridge.

Basically. A 200 yard zero typically is also zeroed at 50 yards and only an inch or so high at 100 yards and an inch low at 25 yards. Leupold's new CMR reticles rely on that principal. Notice the 50 meter zero and no hold-over points till 300 yards.

 

[HKMark23]

Most can zero @ 100 as their scope has enough elevation adjustment to the range they wish to get to. There are also canted scope bases for scopes with less elevation range or to provide more to what you have. Also scopes that have 34,35mm tubes can have around 23 mils of total elevation. Also zeroing @ 100, you can factor a lot less of you out of your zero.

Well, you left out the H-37 reticle but, yep with the right configuration you can use virtually ALL the clicks and/or ALL the glass. I don't know that you'd necessarily want to, but you can.

 

[Juster]

You don't have to zero at one distance. You just need to know the number of scope clicks corresponding to the distance you are shooting at if you want to be accurate.

 

[Jordan Smith]

I leave my scopes zero'd at 200 yards, and then dial up for anything over 300.

 

[Andrzej]

Most of my scopes have plex reticle and hunting covered turrets.
So the simplest way it is to set about 3"high at 100 y.

7 STW 140 gr at 3450

zero 325 y
100y 2.96 high
200y 4.08 high
300y 1.37 high
325y 0.03
400y 5.73 low
500y 17.9 low

zero 100y
100y 0.00
200y 3.00 low
300y 11.31low
325y 14.32 low
400y 25.86 low
500y 47.85 low

So with 3" high at 100 this is 500y gun for hunting
with zero at 100 same gun load combo becomes 350 y gun

Even with standard caliber like
30-06 150 gr 3000

zero 275 yards
100y 3.18
200y 3.34
300y 0.03
400y 13.84 low
500y 32.0 low

No clutter of Xmas tree reticles,
30-06 set this way is aim and shoot up to 375y( low 9.69") with 3-9x40 Zeiss Conquest Plex Reticle.

I hunt with my two sons and have three Sako's 30-06 set same way as described above.
As they are not shooting enough this set up helps them to be successful with decent point blank distance.

As for long distance shooters I think that most ranging reticles calls for 200 y zero and with turrets 200 y zero would give you more range untill you run out of adjustment
Andrew

 

[Dogleg]

I've spent years sighting hunting rifles for MPBR and used an STW since the late 80s , then learned to use duplex reticles as subtension reticles, then slowly started converting to subtension reticles.

The idea of zeroing a turret scope for 100 seemed foreign to me at first, but it makes more sense to do all the dialing in one direction instead of zeroing the scale at a longer distance and dialing backwards for shorter distances.

This doesn't mean that the scope "zeroed" for 100 yards can't be carried "dialed" for 200 or 300. Seeing a turret set at 2 or minutes doesn't bother me a bit.It also fits in nicely with all those years of sighting 2 or 3 inches high at 100. I am also known to check a rifle at 600, make the corrections then change the turret setting so the 600 yard POI matches the chart. That moves the error back to where it matters less.

There can be an advantage to zeroing at a longer distance on a single turn turret, but with a regular setup it doesn't add clicks to your scope.