NEW USED .223 Scope Question

[Zen Archery]

A friend gave me a New England .223 with a Red Head 4x12 scope. I went out to the range yesturday and shot the thing for my first time. After sighting it in at 20 yds I put 2 bullets through the same hole. The range master had me drop it 1.5" low at 20 yds so that at 100 yds. it would be dead on.

Delimma?!?!?!

When I was @ 20 yds I pulled the scope down to 20 yd marker on the front of the scope. When I shot @ 100 yds I zoomed out to the 100 yd marker on the front of the scope. It hit exactly 1.5" low in the exact same spot as it did at the 20 yd mark??? What's the deal? Should I click up? Should I keep the power around 70 yds and not mess with it?

Help this new gun shooter. I have a bazillion coyotes calling my name!

[getom59]

Zen:

I'd zero it in to hit dead on at 100 yards. With a 100 yard zero you should be good to go for hunting at ranges between 20 and 200 yards. I think what you're referring to as power is actually the adjustment for the objective lens (AO) which is the dial on the lens that's farthest away from your eye. When you adjust the objective lens what you're doing is bringing the target into focus at that range. The power setting or zoom is found on the dial closest to your eye and it's used to magnify the image. In your case the magnification ranges between 4 to 12 times what it would appear to the naked eye.

[North Texan]

Howdy and welcome to the forums Zen Archer and getom59!

I keep my .223 zeroed at 100. It is capable of shooting out past 300 yards with a little practice. With some bullets, I don't have to hold very high at 300. With others, I have to hold a little high. After having gone a while without shooting it, I checked my zero in Dec. It was dead on at 25. Then a few days later, I shot at a coyote and the bullet went right over his back. I checked it again, and again it was dead on at 25. At 25, I was told it would be dead on at 250 and about an inch or two high at 100. When I shot it at 100, it was just barely hitting the top of a 10" circle target. I decided I did better zeroed at 100 and just holding over at longer ranges.

As far as adjusting your scope, you should be able to adjust the objective and the power without changing the point of impact. If your point of impact is changing when you adjust either, scrap the scope and get a better one.

[getom59]

Zen:

Here's a link to Remington where you can download free ballistic software that will tell you theoretically where you should be hitting at various yardages with a different yard zero in ranges.

http://www.remington.com/ammo/ballistics/ballistics.htm

I've downloaded the software and it tells me the following with a 100 yard zero:

25 yds, the bullet is -.77 inches (low) if zero'd at 100 yards
50 yds is -.27
75 yds is 0
125 yds is -.28
150 yds is -.87
175 yds is -1.78
200 yds is -3.05
250 yds is -6.84

You can also set the software for a 20 yard zero. In that case it says the bullet will it 4.5 high at 100 yards.

Hope this helps, checkout the free software at Remington. It's pretty cool.

[green01]

there is nothing wrong with the scope you just have the numbers wrong for your gun. being the .223 shoots pretty flat. i have a couple of the H&Rs in the .223. with a 45 grain and a cross hairs 1.50 inches above the bore. sight your gun to be dead on at 65 yards. this will put it about .25 high at 100 yards and dead on again at 125 yards and a couple inches low at 200 yards. just about right for all your shooting needs. remember your bullet goes threw your cross hairs two times. those H&R shoot good don't they.