A hunting buddy of mine ask a question about that to day and when I answered him we had to go to the range and shoot before he really understood.
He normally "0" at about 40 yards and he had trouble understanding why I "0" at 150 yds.
The difference is when a shot turns up at a longer than normal range the capability of the gun and the shooter are both maximized. I am only 2 inches high at the top of my trajectory, not enough to cause a miss, while the way he was sighting in he would be as much as a foot below the deer I would aim straight at and take with out a problem at 175 yds.
Now I know that the normally deer shot is not that long, I also know that on the logging roads in the woods around here that 200 yd shots turn up occasionally. When you have any open spots at all it is best to be prepared.
When we shot at a deer target at 150 yds he had a nice group 3-4 inches below the deers chest several were in the knee.
None of us want a deer hobbling away on 3 legs!
Sighting in for what we call point blank range gives you the best answer for yourself and your guns capabilities. And the confidence needed to make a good shot.
Here is a ballistic sheet ran for my Omega. I use a 6" PBR (max the bullet cam be up or down is 3")... so your calculation of 18 yards might be very close.... If you look in near the middle of the sheet on the right side you can see the calculations for the 25,50, etc...
Here is a 3" computed for a 300 grain Nosler... and it is dang close...
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Keep on Shooting Muzzleloaders they are a Blast
You mean O & Odoesn't refer to Oprah and Obama ???
I tend to sight my round ball guns in for dead on at 75 yards, and the sabot shooters in for 2" high at 100.
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My wife says I'm totally nuts, but I think I'm Semisane.
Things I've Learned: (1) It's not possible to please everyone, but quite easy to piss everyone off. (2) If you love animals as I do, then you're not a vegetarian. (3) There's no need to act stupid, even if you're very good at it. (4) If you eat right and exercise, don't smoke or drink, you're going to die anyway.
My goodness Sabotloader I discovered Pabst Blue Ribbon when I was 12. I always sight in dead on at 100 yards since most always my shots are less then this distance.
My goodness Sabotloader I discovered Pabst Blue Ribbon when I was 12. I always sight in dead on at 100 yards since most always my shots are less then this distance.
When i was 12, i read Jack O'Connor every chance i could. He suggested one sight in one's rifle for 25 yard. He said this would have one's rifle be around 3" high at 100 yard, and dead on again at around 260-280 yard depending on what one was shooting. This gave a point blank range of a bit over 300 yard. Of course this was for the common center fire rifles of the 1950's, not muzzle loaders, but the same idea still applies, as sabotloader' calculations show.
Even now, i sure miss reading Jack O'Connor once a month. Recently, it seems, even Pat McManus is gone from the magazine.
That's about right for my Omega also, the Triumph likes some more powder and runs about 100 FPS faster and the Endeavor like lots of powder and clocks in at 2300 FPS and the PBR on that is +3 and -3 to 200 yds with the 200/40 caliber bullets.
Ron I also am a Jack O'Connor fan I collected his books many years a go and still read them on rare occasions.
the Triumph likes some more powder and runs about 100 FPS faster and the Endeavor like lots of powder and clocks in at 2300 FPS and the PBR on that is +3 and -3 to 200 yds with the 200/40 caliber bullets.
Ya but! according to a well know individual to these forums.... you are just shooting that extra powder out the barrel without the increase in velocity that you are seeing.
He has beem assured by a well know company that anything above 100 is a waste....
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Keep on Shooting Muzzleloaders they are a Blast
Your "0" and my "0"
I'm confused. 
