Maximum Point Blank Range: How many do YOU know who understand it?

Silverado

Silverado

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I'm always fascinated every time a thread comes up that has anything to do with load trajectories. The inevitable argument about drop and holdover begins, and is followed by a litany of charts and lists, ballistic coefficients and zero ranges.

Do hunters really not understand how to maximize the distance their rifle/load combo will hit, on game, without bringing holdover into the equation? Most of the posts in these threads would suggest not.

I think this is partly a byproduct of manufacturers publishing trajectory data showing zero ranges at 100 and 200 yards. A great service to shooters would be done by illustrating the MPBR for a deer sized vital zone for each load, right on the box.

Hunting magazines should do the same in their pages of punditry.

What do you think? More tellingly, how is YOUR rifle sighted in, right now?

:nest:
 
I usually sight my hunting rifles in to be 3" high @ 100 yards. In theory, I should be able to shoot out to 300 yards or so, depending on rifle / load, and hit a deer sized animal without aiming over or under the animal.
 
Juster said:
MPBR assumes 0" groups and is of little value.
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I couldn't disagree more. You allow for dispersion (your 'groups') in the maximum mid-range height you choose for your MPBR.

The vitals of a whitetail deer are not a 6" circle. A WT lung is roughly 8"X10".

By using a 6" circle (3" MRT) as a vital zone hit, you've allowed for 2" dispersion.

The ability to confidently hold on centre and shoot, in a real field scenario, is of great value indeed.
 
Point blank is the range where the bullet crosses a line, parallel to you sight line, that is the same distance below the sight line as the crest of the trajectory is above the line of sight.

Point blank range depends on the ballistics of the cartridge you are using as well as what distance you have zeroed your rifle.

pointblankrange.jpg
 
I used to figure out the MPBR for my rifles, and zero accordingly, but nowdays I use a rangefinder, target turrets and/or scopes with added dots or crosshairs.

All my rifles shoot flat enough for a dead on hold on the upper part of the animal at 300 yards, so I don't worry much about MPBR anymore. I admit it's a good system for those without the extra gadgets, though.
 
That diagram is excellent Wally.

On another note, the use of 'point blank range' in place of 'contact distance' annoys me almost as much as 'clip' for 'magazine'.
 
Gatehouse said:
I used to figure out the MPBR for my rifles, and zero accordingly, but nowdays I use a rangefinder, target turrets and/or scopes with added dots or crosshairs.

All my rifles shoot flat enough for a dead on hold on the upper part of the animal at 300 yards, so I don't worry much about MPBR anymore. I admit it's a good system for those without the extra gadgets, though.
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Amazingly (to some...), most popular hunting cartridges have a MPBR of around 300y; 275 - 325 for the most part. Discussion of MPBR illustrates how little advantage most magnum cartridges offer for common hunting ranges.

I happen to think less gadgets is better for most hunters.

The only instance where a 200y zero (for example) is appropriate is with a ballistic compensating reticle, such as the Leupold B&C, Bushnell DOA, etc. I also feel that having the compensation in the reticle is much preferable to having it on the turrets, at least for a hunting rig.
 
I know what MPBR is but I never use it. I zero my rifle for 100m and either use a drop reticle or turrets, in theory that is as I have never shot an animal past 192m (lasered that distance). I don't like to hunt areas where crazy long shots are required. I prefer to use the good old "meeting engagement" and shoot them from up close and personal where you just put your reticle on the animal and fire. My average shot is about 60-70m (guesstimate) with the closest being 25m and the absolute furthest being 192m (only had to shoot that far twice). I rarely miss but when I do it is generally a clean miss as either you get them or you don't at 70m.
 
I have taken dozens of large game animals while hunting. Very seldom do I get a shot closer than 100y and sometimes 250yds+. My personal best is 420y..... I actually had to take 2 shots to find my hold over.

Personally I don't have the cofidence in my abilitys to try an animal over 450y, even if I go prone.
 
Wally said:
Point blank is the range where the bullet crosses a line, parallel to you sight line, that is the same distance below the sight line as the crest of the trajectory is above the line of sight.

Point blank range depends on the ballistics of the cartridge you are using as well as what distance you have zeroed your rifle.

pointblankrange.jpg
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Wow, learned somethign else new today....interestingly enough, I usually would sight my rifle in 1.5" high at 100 yards....but never really knew about MPBR
 
MPBR is useful assuming accurate range estimation, but means nothing to a shooter who can't tell if a moose is 300 yds or 500 yds away. And that would be the majority of the hunters in the field.
 
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Silverado said:
Amazingly (to some...), most popular hunting cartridges have a MPBR of around 300y; 275 - 325 for the most part. Discussion of MPBR illustrates how little advantage most magnum cartridges offer for common hunting ranges.
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That's what I mean. Most of the rifles have a MPBR of somewhere around 300 yards, so I dont' start compensating for elevation until well past that distance. I zero around 2.5" high at 100, and don't really care what the exact MPBR is.


I happen to think less gadgets is better for most hunters.
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A LRF is a pretty good gadget that allows you to know if you are shooting at an animal within your MBPR.:p

The only instance where a 200y zero (for example) is appropriate is with a ballistic compensating reticle, such as the Leupold B&C, Bushnell DOA, etc. I also feel that having the compensation in the reticle is much preferable to having it on the turrets, at least for a hunting rig.
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The dots or slashes on the reticles are good but not as precise, nor versatile for different ranges as turrets. (Unless you have lots of them, I guess) The dots are faster, but I dont' tend to rush longer shots, so a turret works fine, too. I use both systems and they both have advantages.
 
mpbr is the way to hunt , i have a 450yd mpbr for moose at sighted 4.5 high @ 100yds

7.5 inches up an 7.5 inches down from 0-450yds.

no holdover no guessing

i turn elevation down 6 clicks for deer giving me 350yds point blank
 
I've got a printed copy of Hawks' table in the shop, and use it to TRY to illustrate useful sighting in to guys who come in and ask "Where should I sight this ammo in at?"

@Gatehouse: I agree with most of what you said, but I think that some of us are gear nuts, and many aren't. I'll agree that a LRF is one of the handier gadgets a guy might carry in the bush, after a GPS. That said, it is one more (or two more including the turret) gadget a hunter must learn to operate in the woods.

Practice estimating ranges would be handier though! I'm hoping to have a set of steel deer made up for next year, so that shooters can get accustomed to what size a deer appears to be at 200, 300, etc. yards when practicing on the range.
 
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