I have a question to ask Will a 20 MOA base allow me to zero scope at 100 & 200. I am setting up for long range but will also be shooting at 100 and 200 I have been reading that you need a 20 MOA base to let you shoot farther distances but can you still zero your scope for 100 and 200. I will be using it the base with a Monarch with a BDC reticle.
Will a 20 MOA base allow me to zero scope at 100 & 200
- Thread starter tabs4u
- Start date
- Location
- Virden, MB
I just felt like I traveled back in time 24 hours.
This was just asked yesterday. LOL
This was just asked yesterday. LOL
It depends on your scope. Most hunting scopes come from the factory with the elevation turret centred on the middle of the adjustment range, so these you don't really want to use with a tapered base.
Target/"Tactical" scopes often come with the elevation turret set at the highest point of the adjustment range (as opposed to the middle). So, by using a base with a taper equal to half the adjustment range, it should put the factory turret setting on paper at 100m/yds. Example: my scope has 13 mils of adjustment, which is about 44 MOA, so I need a 20 MOA base.
If you don't use a tapered base with a scope zeroed at the top of the adjustment range (i.e. you use a flat base), then you have to adjust the turret down halfway along the adjustment range to zero-in at 100. This way, you wasted half of your adjustment range, possibly not allowing you to adjust elevation on really long shots (depending on your scope.)
Here's a pic to illustrate; pic 2 describes the hunting scope scenario, pics 3 & 4 describe most target/"tactical" long range scopes.
You should have enough info now to decide what to do.
Target/"Tactical" scopes often come with the elevation turret set at the highest point of the adjustment range (as opposed to the middle). So, by using a base with a taper equal to half the adjustment range, it should put the factory turret setting on paper at 100m/yds. Example: my scope has 13 mils of adjustment, which is about 44 MOA, so I need a 20 MOA base.
If you don't use a tapered base with a scope zeroed at the top of the adjustment range (i.e. you use a flat base), then you have to adjust the turret down halfway along the adjustment range to zero-in at 100. This way, you wasted half of your adjustment range, possibly not allowing you to adjust elevation on really long shots (depending on your scope.)
Here's a pic to illustrate; pic 2 describes the hunting scope scenario, pics 3 & 4 describe most target/"tactical" long range scopes.
You should have enough info now to decide what to do.
gushulak
CGN frequent flyer
I have to hold off 8/10 of a mildot at 100 yards. I zero at 200.
I am shooting a custom Rem 700P with a Leupold 3.5x10-40mm M3A LR with Badger rings and a Badger 20MOA rail. I have enough elevation for just over 1100 yards, which is really pushing the limit of a .308 and my skills.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
If your scope has MOA adjustments, roughly 1 mil equals 3.5 MOA.
The specific dimensions of the scope and how you mount it to the base effect the zero when the adjustment is bottomed out. The larger the scope tube, the higher the center of the scope is above the bore. The further to the rear the scope is placed on the tapered rail, and the higher the center of the scope is relative to the center of the bore.
Thus, if you point of impact is too high when the rear scope ring is mounted furthest to the rear of the rail, move it a notch forward and with no other adjustment the point of impact has dropped. I found that to have a 100 yard zero, I had to move my scope ahead by 2 notches on the rail, but from that point I could use all of the elevation adjustment in the scope. A scope with a 1" tube will print lower than a scope with a 34 mm tube.
The specific dimensions of the scope and how you mount it to the base effect the zero when the adjustment is bottomed out. The larger the scope tube, the higher the center of the scope is above the bore. The further to the rear the scope is placed on the tapered rail, and the higher the center of the scope is relative to the center of the bore.
Thus, if you point of impact is too high when the rear scope ring is mounted furthest to the rear of the rail, move it a notch forward and with no other adjustment the point of impact has dropped. I found that to have a 100 yard zero, I had to move my scope ahead by 2 notches on the rail, but from that point I could use all of the elevation adjustment in the scope. A scope with a 1" tube will print lower than a scope with a 34 mm tube.
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There are three ways of doing it, from easiest to most painstaking:
1. Read the manual/specs
2. Look at the markings on the elevation turret; they shuold indicate how much MOA/mils you have total, since it works like a dial, i.e. you should see a minimum and maximum value; the min will most likely be zero, and the max will be your total elevation range (in mils or MOA). This is the case with target/"tactical" style scopes that have hand-adjustable target turrets
3. If it's an old-school hunting scope with no hand-adjustable turrets and instead needs a screwdriver, then no choice but to count each click
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
Both my 3.5-10x Mark 4 on my ATRS 300WM and my 3.5-15x NXS on my LE2B zero fine at 100 with +20 bases (Nightforce and Farrel respectively)
