243 and 200yd zero.

[Redgum]

After reading the post that was running on grouping and seeing the various arguements on 200yd zero it made me wonder what grain bullets others are shooting to zero at this range.My Remmy 700 has 9 1/8 twist and groups real well with 100gr bullets, I zero at 100yds as I need my gun to be very accurate ( head shots) around this range, further out would only be heart/lung shots, also I can estimate 100yds much better than 200yds. With this in mind I was having a chat with a fellow hunter on a cull earlier in the year, he was using 100gr softpoints and reckoned that zeroing at 1 inch high at 100yds would give him bang on at 200yds. You would need to pack some sort of powder into a 243 case to get a 100gr bullet to go quick enough to only drop 2inchs at 100yds surely.

[kent]

After reading the post that was running on grouping and seeing the various arguements on 200yd zero it made me wonder what grain bullets others are shooting to zero at this range.My Remmy 700 has 9 1/8 twist and groups real well with 100gr bullets, I zero at 100yds as I need my gun to be very accurate ( head shots) around this range, further out would only be heart/lung shots, also I can estimate 100yds much better than 200yds. With this in mind I was having a chat with a fellow hunter on a cull earlier in the year, he was using 100gr softpoints and reckoned that zeroing at 1 inch high at 100yds would give him bang on at 200yds. You would need to pack some sort of powder into a 243 case to get a 100gr bullet to go quick enough to only drop 2inchs at 100yds surely.

 

Firstly head shots! never has such a thing been considered good practice at anything other than dispatch range in culling pens etc. High neck is the best considered small kill zone, brain shooting deer is very unreliable as the brain is small and the head quite big . My .243" using 100 grn pro hunter at max velocity is just a shade over 3" low at 200 yds from 100 yds zero. 1" low is only possible if he has a very canted mount set up, though i doubt it still (but like most he has probebly never shot that sort of range much and it all is in his imagination)

[CharlieT]

I use 95gr and zero at 200 yds. This gives me +1.5" at 100 yds. Plenty good enough for boiler room shots but if I was to contemplate head shots at 100 yds I would reset the scope to be spot on at that distance. However I have to say that I am not good enough to even consider head shooting deer.

[foggy11]

Cant answer your question as to 100 grn.

 

But i know my 90 grn ballistic tip hunting bullets are a shade under 3 inches low at 225 yards (measured)

 

Thats a 100 yd zero and traveling about 3100 fps.

 

So i guess if i was to put them an inch high at 100 yds, then i would be a tad under 2 inches at 225, so basically within a normal kill zone when point and shoot.

 

Maybe this is what he meant, as opposed to actually beng bang on....

[Dekers]

After reading the post that was running on grouping and seeing the various arguements on 200yd zero it made me wonder what grain bullets others are shooting to zero at this range.My Remmy 700 has 9 1/8 twist and groups real well with 100gr bullets, I zero at 100yds as I need my gun to be very accurate ( head shots) around this range, further out would only be heart/lung shots, also I can estimate 100yds much better than 200yds. With this in mind I was having a chat with a fellow hunter on a cull earlier in the year, he was using 100gr softpoints and reckoned that zeroing at 1 inch high at 100yds would give him bang on at 200yds. You would need to pack some sort of powder into a 243 case to get a 100gr bullet to go quick enough to only drop 2inchs at 100yds surely.

 

 

That is a 200 yard zero, not a 1" high zero at 100 yards, frankly I also think it is ********, I don't know any .243 with that 100-200 yard performance! Someone enlighten me!

[Dekers]

We all settle for the shot we are happy with and I haven't taken a 200 yard headshot at any deer ever.

 

God knows why, I always go for the heart at that distance and very rarely miss it, so the head should be on, I'm just not easy with it!

 

Edited May 3, 2011 by Dekers

[WGD]

http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/rifle.aspx?id=8

 

I shoot Federal Power-Shok 100gn soft points and zero at 100 yards. I have found the charted 3.3" drop to be about right.

 

Also as stated, with a 200yd zero the bullet is approx 1.5" high at 100.

[foggy11]

Better safe thasn sorry....

 

Thats why, and you've got a conscience.

[kent]

Firstly head shots! never has such a thing been considered good practice at anything other than dispatch range in culling pens etc. High neck is the best considered small kill zone, brain shooting deer is very unreliable as the brain is small and the head quite big . My .243" using 100 grn pro hunter at max velocity is just a shade over 3" low at 200 yds from 100 yds zero. 1" low is only possible if he has a very canted mount set up, though i doubt it still (but like most he has probebly never shot that sort of range much and it all is in his imagination)

 

Ah , missed the bit about zeroing high at 100. To me all this zeroing high is gobbledeegook (zero means zero)not zero +1" etc.

[mikee]

i use 100gn siera gamekings in my 243 doing about 2950fps, for stalking purposes I zero at 150yds, I use it at the range quite a bit and have played about to see how much a bullet drops, zero at 100yds then moved back to 200yds and the bullet drops between 4 and 5 inches, then at 300yds it drops about 8 more to 13 inches, not tried 400 or 500 but at 600yds the bullet drops a total of 88 inches

 

mikee

[kent]

i use 100gn siera gamekings in my 243 doing about 2950fps, for stalking purposes I zero at 150yds, I use it at the range quite a bit and have played about to see how much a bullet drops, zero at 100yds then moved back to 200yds and the bullet drops between 4 and 5 inches, then at 300yds it drops about 8 more to 13 inches, not tried 400 or 500 but at 600yds the bullet drops a total of 88 inches

 

mikee

i suspect this is not a chroned 2950 as taking the middle ground of 4 1/2 " low at 200 seems to great a drop from a 150 zero. ok a lot depends on the setup but for the bullet traveling at a mv of 2950 thats a heck of a lot of drop over 50 yds. at 150 a 100yds zero is only going to be around 1" low remember and will only drop another 2" or so- your doubling or more the drop that would be expected. I should chrono these rounds mate they might not even be deer legal

 

Hey guys the thing is drop don't mean a whole heap when you consider that a full value 10mph gust is going to move .243" bullets near enough 5" sideways, so even a mere 5mph gust is gonna move you near as makes no matter as your 200 drop and a more usual highland breeze of 15-20mph is going to push that pill sideways 7- 10" . Of course thats all fine untill you factor in uplift from ground rising and wind chaneling etc,etc. The only way to learn all this is get out and shoot in those conditions, theorising and guesswork is all well and good but tends to make you look a fool out in the field

 

hey before anyone talks balistic programs these are off the top of my head SWAG calcs based on unknown bullet etc. but i bet they aren't far out

Edited May 3, 2011 by kent

[gixer1]

Zeroed at 100 with 100 grain prvi's I'm getting around 2" drop at 200 yards and around 9" at 300 yards.

 

I would like to try a 55gr round to see how it performed between 50-300 for foxing but I don't reload and they just don't seem to be commonly available around here.

 

Regards,

 

Gixer

[highseas]

Zeroed at 100 with 100 grain prvi's I'm getting around 2" drop at 200 yards and around 9" at 300 yards.

 

I would like to try a 55gr round to see how it performed between 50-300 for foxing but I don't reload and they just don't seem to be commonly available around here.

 

Regards,

 

Gixer

i was useing 55s in the estate rifle when zero 1 inch high at 100 they where spot on at 2 and about 4 inch drop at 300 (truth be told more like 3inch)

[kent]

Zeroed at 100 with 100 grain prvi's I'm getting around 2" drop at 200 yards and around 9" at 300 yards.

 

I would like to try a 55gr round to see how it performed between 50-300 for foxing but I don't reload and they just don't seem to be commonly available around here.

 

Regards,

 

Gixer

you will burn your barrel faster for liitle or no depending on what you look at balistic gain. In a factory rifle there is a wopping great jump for that 55 grain pill to reach the launds which is generally less than condusive to stunning accuraccy. Perhaps the best performing 6mm Fox bullet is the Hornady 75 grn v-max, it is close to as flat as the faster 55 grn pill as makes no matter and takes significantly less wind out at 200 yds and further. Also the 55 grn 6mm offerings are generally produced with very fast fragmentation and smaller American varmints in mind, lacking the beef of the heavier rounds. Best thing about 55 grn 6mm bullets is they are great fun for shooting up old oranges from the fruit bowl

[gixer1]

you will burn your barrel faster for liitle or no depending on what you look at balistic gain. In a factory rifle there is a wopping great jump for that 55 grain pill to reach the launds which is generally less than condusive to stunning accuraccy. Perhaps the best performing 6mm Fox bullet is the Hornady 75 grn v-max, it is close to as flat as the faster 55 grn pill as makes no matter and takes significantly less wind out at 200 yds and further. Also the 55 grn 6mm offerings are generally produced with very fast fragmentation and smaller American varmints in mind, lacking the beef of the heavier rounds. Best thing about 55 grn 6mm bullets is they are great fun for shooting up old oranges from the fruit bowl

 

 

Thats interesting info kent, I have had a play with a few 75gr BT's and found them a lot flatter shooting, so I may just start playing around with them...If only PRVI made 75gr 243's! in my local suppliers the difference between buying 20 100gr PRVI to 20 75gr rounds is £11.50 vs £38...just doesn't seem worth almost 3 times the price.

 

Regards,

 

Gixer

[Ackley]

After reading the post that was running on grouping and seeing the various arguements on 200yd zero it made me wonder what grain bullets others are shooting to zero at this range.My Remmy 700 has 9 1/8 twist and groups real well with 100gr bullets, I zero at 100yds as I need my gun to be very accurate ( head shots) around this range, further out would only be heart/lung shots, also I can estimate 100yds much better than 200yds. With this in mind I was having a chat with a fellow hunter on a cull earlier in the year, he was using 100gr softpoints and reckoned that zeroing at 1 inch high at 100yds would give him bang on at 200yds. You would need to pack some sort of powder into a 243 case to get a 100gr bullet to go quick enough to only drop 2inchs at 100yds surely.

 

on a personal note and from experience with 243s and AI I alwasy zero at 200 yards,although I only use a 70 to 80 gr bullet,if you use a ballistic program correctly IE putting real time data into it,bullet weight,bullet BC,FPS,scope higth above bore ect ect,the good programes like Exbell will give your optimun zero range in my case its 214 yards to hit a 2 inch target

it amazes me how many people "set up at 1 inch high" at 100 yards and havnt got a clue where the bullet will hit after that distance,there is no way on this planet a 243 shooting a 100gr bullet set up 1 inch high at 100 yards will only drop 2 inch at 200 yards

if you havnt got access to a chrono or a proper ballistic programe why not test the old fashioned way by setting target boards up at various distances as its no good guessing when shooting living animals

if anyone has there data I can run the numbers on exbell just to show whats really happening

[Tam]

Zeroed at 100 with 100 grain prvi's I'm getting around 2" drop at 200 yards and around 9" at 300 yards.

 

I would like to try a 55gr round to see how it performed between 50-300 for foxing but I don't reload and they just don't seem to be commonly available around here.

 

Regards,

 

Gixer

http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/rifle.aspx?id=216 :good:

[Harnser]

I have never concidered a head shot on deer because of the inherent danger of missing or maiming by shooting in the face or jaw . An other danger with the head shot is that you will have to shoot higher if the deer has its head up and the bullit will have to travel further before it touches down wether or not it is a shoot through or a clean miss . Base of the neck or heart and lungs .

 

Harnser .

[kent]

on a personal note and from experience with 243s and AI I alwasy zero at 200 yards,although I only use a 70 to 80 gr bullet,if you use a ballistic program correctly IE putting real time data into it,bullet weight,bullet BC,FPS,scope higth above bore ect ect,the good programes like Exbell will give your optimun zero range in my case its 214 yards to hit a 2 inch target

it amazes me how many people "set up at 1 inch high" at 100 yards and havnt got a clue where the bullet will hit after that distance,there is no way on this planet a 243 shooting a 100gr bullet set up 1 inch high at 100 yards will only drop 2 inch at 200 yards

if you havnt got access to a chrono or a proper ballistic programe why not test the old fashioned way by setting target boards up at various distances as its no good guessing when shooting living animals

if anyone has there data I can run the numbers on exbell just to show whats really happening

 

Ho,hum sort of blows your previous views apart about group 2" group sizes for deer though don't it as that way is amounting to 4" I think what your forgetting in the above though is the bullet that is set 1" high at 100 will drop about 3" through its trajectory but that still leaves it 2" low @ 200 (3" drop at 200yds is about were your balistic program will put a 100 grn bullet from a 100yds zero). Balistic program data is never ever gospel though it only starts the dope data gathering process the "old fashioned way" as you put it is always essential. The Basic start used by British snipers is to gather what is termed "real world" data 100 mtrs to 1500 mtrs then the same 100-1500 in yardage in thier log book for thier individual rifle and record it. Why cant they just be given this electonic data and work with it as a base? after all they use the same ammo, because they don't shoot from a rail rest for one thing, there are more though. To explain if we both shot equally as good with the same individual gun yet it was zeroed by just one of us at 100 yds although our groups might be equal our precise zero point wouldn't be and this would also show / reflected in our individual trajectories. Don't believe me? think i am talking pants? then actually try changing your hold on a zeroed rifle from a hard to medium then free recoil. Like i say though there are more reason why, but ballistic programs do not hold all the answers and to repeate myself aint "gospel" so your kind offer of help is unlikely to help someone who won't do it "the old fashioned way"

Edited May 5, 2011 by kent

[kent]

I have never concidered a head shot on deer because of the inherent danger of missing or maiming by shooting in the face or jaw . An other danger with the head shot is that you will have to shoot higher if the deer has its head up and the bullit will have to travel further before it touches down wether or not it is a shoot through or a clean miss . Base of the neck or heart and lungs .

 

Harnser .

 

yep

[Ackley]

Ho,hum sort of blows your previous views apart about group 2" group sizes for deer though don't it as that way is amounting to 4" I think what your forgetting in the above though is the bullet that is set 1" high at 100 will drop about 3" through its trajectory but that still leaves it 2" low @ 200 (3" drop at 200yds is about were your balistic program will put a 100 grn bullet from a 100yds zero). Balistic program data is never ever gospel though it only starts your dope data gathering process the "old fashioned way" as you put it is always essential. The Basic start used by British snipers is to gather what is termed "real world" data 100 mtrs to 1500 mtrs then the same 100-1500 in yardage in thier log book for thier individual rifle (this applies to the std issue L115A3 by the way). Why cant they just be given this and work with it as a base? after all they use the same ammo, because they don't shoot from a rail rest for one thing, there are more though. To explain if we both shot equally as good with the same individual gun yet it was zeroed by just one of us at 100 yds although our groups might be equal our precise zero point wouldn't be and this would also show in trajectories. Don't believe me? think i am talking pants? then actually try changing your hold on a zeroed rifle from a hard to medium then free recoil. Like i say though there are more reason why, but ballistic programs do not hold all the answers and to repeate myself aint "gospel" so your kind offer of help is unlikely to help someone who won't do it "the old fashioned way"

sorry to disapoint you,I didnt say I group 2 inch at 200 yards I do that at 500 yards with my 243,enter the real time correct data into a good ballistic programme your either bang on the money or a little fudging of the bullet BC to compensate, the old fashioned way is alwasy best to final test your data

no ballistic programmes dont hold all the answers you have to feild test as well,put **** in and get **** out

Edited May 5, 2011 by Ackley

[kent]

sorry to disapoint you I didnt say I group 2 inch at 200 yards I do that at 500 yards with my 243,enter the real time correct data into a good ballistic programme your either bang on the money or a little fudging of the bullet BC to compensate, the old fashioned way is alwasy best to final test your data

no ballistic programmes dont hold all the answers you have to feild test as well,put **** in and get **** out

 

ah, is this why the MOD do it wrong because you say so and so does you computer. Have a look in the L115A3 Shooting Data record log. we have conversed about your theory about garanteeing 2" at 500 previously

[al4x]

Simply its all in the wording, on the quick look I've just had setting up an inch high at 100 effectively gives you a 170 yard zero. Can be checked in the field before I get a hard time but that means you have a little over an inch drop at 200 yards then obviously is shooting an inch high at 100.

In real world use on deer that is point and shoot out to 200 yards.

 

If you zero at 100 that gives a little over 3" drop at 200 which still is pretty much point and shoot but not ideal to most. Thats all in theory from remington and their quick calculator so will depend on lots of variables but try it in the field.

 

As a few have said head shots are not ideal I'd suggest if its the only shot you take then get a lurcher as you will need it at some point to clear up the mess you get yourself into.

[Ackley]

ah, is this why the MOD do it wrong because you say so and so does you computer. Have a look in the L115A3 Shooting Data record log. we have conversed about your theory about garanteeing 2" at 500 previously

 

if you want to put some money on the table mate,I may be at Bisley on the 15th if I can get someone to look after my pups,were shooting 100 300 and 600

theres an old saying out up or shut up

Edited May 5, 2011 by Ackley

[kent]

if you want to put some money on the table mate,I may be at Bisley on the 15th if I can get someone to look after my pups,were shooting 100 300 and 600

theres an old saying out up or shut up

 

it wasn't me who claimed such, its quite possible to post results here though so please do the above - but i supose its not a real comp just a few mates hey