sighting in deer rifles
10-20-2014, 08:39 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: missouri
Posts: 195
sighting in deer rifles
hey guys i am going to sight my rifle at my good freinds farm and i am not what you would call good at sighting them in i know how to but just not good at it and wanted to know if you guys had any tips on how many yds i should sight it in at btw i had it bore sighted. or if you have any favored rests to shoot off of or any tips on sighting in a rifle. thanks in advance.
10-20-2014, 08:47 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Clermont Florida U.S.
Posts: 4,970
After bore sighting, I typically move to 50 yards and get it bulls-eyed to .5 inches low. Then I move back to 100 yards. Depending on the caliber and hunting scenario expected, I usually shoot /set it about 1.5 inches high at 100. That will utilize the MPBR pretty well (in most cases).
10-20-2014, 09:09 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: SW, missouri
Posts: 822
After bore sighting, I typically move to 50 yards and get it bulls-eyed to .5 inches low. Then I move back to 100 yards. Depending on the caliber and hunting scenario expected, I usually shoot /set it about 1.5 inches high at 100. That will utilize the MPBR pretty well (in most cases).
10-20-2014, 10:06 AM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: West TN
Posts: 847
If it's been bored sighted properly (that's a sketchy subject, the pimple faced kid at Walmart or BPS seldom knows their butts from a hole in the ground) then I'd start at 25yds, put it dead on. Then you're ready for 100yds. I prefer my leverguns and non-mag bolts be 2" high at 100yds so that most are essentially dead on at 200-250yds depending on caliber and load. For my faster guns (7mag, 300Wby, Lazzeroni Warbird) I'll have them 2.5"-3" high at 100yds for 300-400yd essentially dead on holds. www.jmballistics.com is a great tool for printing out essentially any commercial as well as handloaded hunting round and the choices for ranges and conditions are limitless. Now DON'T make the mistake of thinking "Well this says if I put my bullet xyz at 100yds then I can simply aim as it says all the way out to a quintillion yards." That's NOT the way it works, you GOTTA shoot your gun to make sure it's hitting where you are aiming. The calculations are simply mathematical and "best case scenarios". When dealing with guns and the outdoors you are tied to "REAL case scenarios"...
Likewise, all of this is dependent upon how high your scope is from the centerline of bore in your rifle! I prefer a 1-1.5" line of sight above the line of bore. (When you are looking at printed ballistics tables, the industry standard is figured at 1.5" sightline to boreline) If you have exceptionally high rings or especially if you have say, see-thru mounts, then you'll have to shoot and see where everything ends up because the numbers obviously change as the line of sight to line of bore distance increases! (That's another reason I like the jbm sight, you can put the sightline-boreline figure of your gun into it's factors to get a reasonable "expectation/baseline" of what you should be able to expect on the range.)
Rest wise, obviously a stable table and rest is best. But you DONT have to have all that if you just can't manage that. LOL my best "rest" and comfortable shooting "platform" is the perfectly flat hood of my farm truck, a 1980 Chevy 4x4. It's just the right height to stand beside and shoot off of. Sandbags, commercial rests, rolled up carpet, whatever you want to shoot from works perfect on the hood of "ol blue". (Just make sure when shooting from/off a vehicles hood or roof that you DONT have the windows less than 90 degrees from the muzzle of your gun or you could crack glass, ESPECIALLY if there's already some cracks/holes in the glass to begin with! A rifles crack/muzzleblast will play hell on existing cracks and stars in glass!) If you have a muzzlebrake/boss on your rifle than be sure and increase that 90degs to 180degs!!! I have a 500yd range on my farm and many a "competition" has been had from the hood of "ol blue" at over a 1/4 mile!
Likewise, all of this is dependent upon how high your scope is from the centerline of bore in your rifle! I prefer a 1-1.5" line of sight above the line of bore. (When you are looking at printed ballistics tables, the industry standard is figured at 1.5" sightline to boreline) If you have exceptionally high rings or especially if you have say, see-thru mounts, then you'll have to shoot and see where everything ends up because the numbers obviously change as the line of sight to line of bore distance increases! (That's another reason I like the jbm sight, you can put the sightline-boreline figure of your gun into it's factors to get a reasonable "expectation/baseline" of what you should be able to expect on the range.)
Rest wise, obviously a stable table and rest is best. But you DONT have to have all that if you just can't manage that. LOL my best "rest" and comfortable shooting "platform" is the perfectly flat hood of my farm truck, a 1980 Chevy 4x4. It's just the right height to stand beside and shoot off of. Sandbags, commercial rests, rolled up carpet, whatever you want to shoot from works perfect on the hood of "ol blue". (Just make sure when shooting from/off a vehicles hood or roof that you DONT have the windows less than 90 degrees from the muzzle of your gun or you could crack glass, ESPECIALLY if there's already some cracks/holes in the glass to begin with! A rifles crack/muzzleblast will play hell on existing cracks and stars in glass!) If you have a muzzlebrake/boss on your rifle than be sure and increase that 90degs to 180degs!!! I have a 500yd range on my farm and many a "competition" has been had from the hood of "ol blue" at over a 1/4 mile!
Last edited by HatchieLuvr; 10-20-2014 at 10:09 AM.
10-20-2014, 10:45 AM
#5
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location:
Posts: 5,130
What is your "normal /expected" distance to shoot them at ?
If 100 yards or under - zero in at 100 yards.
What kind of reticle and/or turrets do you have on your gun.
Is it a BDC reticle or can you dial distances with your turrets ?
If you are confident out to 500 yards, I expect you would not be asking this question.
If 100 yards or under - zero in at 100 yards.
What kind of reticle and/or turrets do you have on your gun.
Is it a BDC reticle or can you dial distances with your turrets ?
If you are confident out to 500 yards, I expect you would not be asking this question.
10-20-2014, 12:48 PM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
It would be nice to know what type rifle you are using as well as caliber and if it is scoped...
I would sight in an open sighted 30-30 different than I would my Ruger bolt action .243 which is scoped...
I sight in my slug shotgun and my flintlocks about an inch and a half high at 50 yards...
I sight in my .243, bolt action deer rifle 2 inches high at 100 yards...
I would sight in an open sighted 30-30 different than I would my Ruger bolt action .243 which is scoped...
I sight in my slug shotgun and my flintlocks about an inch and a half high at 50 yards...
I sight in my .243, bolt action deer rifle 2 inches high at 100 yards...
10-20-2014, 04:10 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Southeast Missouri
Posts: 2,178
I Love my older Caldwell Leadsled.....nice and sturdy,keeps down the recoil and helps me get my Rifles sighted in Dead On!
As several mentioned,I start out at 50 yards then out to 100 yards dead center!This is using a Scoped Rifle and I do it with pretty all my Rifles be it Smaller Predator Calibers on up to Deer specific Rifles!
With an open sight Rifle You may need to keep it closer since it's going to be difficult to see further out.....or use a larger target!
As several mentioned,I start out at 50 yards then out to 100 yards dead center!This is using a Scoped Rifle and I do it with pretty all my Rifles be it Smaller Predator Calibers on up to Deer specific Rifles!
With an open sight Rifle You may need to keep it closer since it's going to be difficult to see further out.....or use a larger target!
10-21-2014, 02:31 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: MICHIGAN
Posts: 2,568
I sighted in a bunch of rifles over time. Being a hand loader I know the weight of my bullets and the speed they travel so I rely on the charts in my load manuals on the drop of the bullet.
220 swift 55gr. bullet goes 3800FPS so a sight in of 1.5 inches low at 100 yards with it makes it a dead hold out to 600 yards.
I start with a home made rest, take the bolt out of a bolt rifle and aim the bore to a target at 25 yards once that is done I line the cross hairs up on that target.
Once I am sure the scope is on target I shoot the rifle/slug gun to make sure.
Then depending on the game I am hunting and area I am going to hunt I sight in at distance.
Al
220 swift 55gr. bullet goes 3800FPS so a sight in of 1.5 inches low at 100 yards with it makes it a dead hold out to 600 yards.
I start with a home made rest, take the bolt out of a bolt rifle and aim the bore to a target at 25 yards once that is done I line the cross hairs up on that target.
Once I am sure the scope is on target I shoot the rifle/slug gun to make sure.
Then depending on the game I am hunting and area I am going to hunt I sight in at distance.
Al
10-24-2014, 08:38 AM
#9
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: missouri
Posts: 195
sorry i havent been on life got busy thanks for all you info i think i will start at 25 yds and get it dead on then move out to 50yds as i will most likely never shoot over 100 yds thanks again guys and have a good one
10-24-2014, 09:17 AM
#10
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Maryland
Posts: 129
25 yds-100 yds
Do as allyooper said, We started at 25 yds , I have an 06, so i sight in at 25 yds were the bullet hits 3/4"to 1/2" low. Then move it out to 100 yds. Just make one move after 25 yds, if you stop at 50 you will be making adjustments you don't need. Now at 100 , I put the bullet dead center on the bulls eye , then i set it to hit 1 1/2" to 2 " high at 100. Good luck.
