30-06 ballistics or shooter error

[steve2]

I had a nice 8buck lined up in my scope at about 200 yards with no wind. I was shooting 165 grain bullets, had my rifile hitting dead center at 100 yardsand put the crosshairs right on the vitals. I thought about compensating for drop but as I did this I heard a conversation I had that day saying that 30-06 will drop an inch at 200 yards so I decided against any compensation. I missed. Was this a miss on my part or did the bullet fail me?

[Remnard]

a 165 grain leaving an -06 at 2900 feet per second with a 100 yard zero will drop 4.6 inches at 200 yards. If you want to hold dead on out to 240 yards you need to sight that gun about 2.5 inches high at 100. Other wise use kentucky elevation.

[longrifle1000]

You should have had 3.5-4" of drop at 200 yards with a 100 yard zero. Unless you were aiming for a low heart shot, it was probably shooter error. Roughly 2" high at 100 yards will give you a 200 yard zero. But you should shoot at that distance as well to know exactly where it is going.

[ericstacy]

The main question is this! Think!!!!
When you say "Vitals". Do you mean lungs, heart, or did you shoot the
safe shot "Shoulder" at 200. Shoulder was right for adjusting to "1 inch drop".
Ifyou went for the heart/lung at two hundred and was shooting slightly
downward from elevated stand, you might have passed under.
I always take the high side and settle with the drop. Bone is better then
vitals at 200.
Eric S. Stacy

[Paul L Mohr]

The easiest thing to do would be to go to a range and shoot YOUR rifle with YOUR ammo at 200 yards and see how it groups and how much drop you get.

Ballistics tables are great reference points, but you should still know how your equipment performs at certain distances.

How high or low your scope is mounted will also effect this, so every set up is not the same. You also have to factor in shooting form and parallax at that distance.

And how well you shoot and how your gun groups at that distance. Let's say that bullet drops 4 inches at 200 yards with a 100 yard zero. Lets say you shoot minute of angle off from a bench, that gives you roughly 2 inch groups at 200 yards, maybe and this is under perfect conditions, not hunting. Now your scopes parallax is probably set at 100 yards, so at 200 if you are not perfectly lined up with your scope it could throw you off several inches, you would have to check that with your gun in a vise or cradle and a target 200 yards away. Just move your head back and forth while looking through the scope, however much the crosshairs move off the target is how much your shot could be off.

Factor all those together and you could be several inches off your mark. And this is providing you didn't flinch or slap the trigger. And that is best case scenarios.

Paul

[ericstacy]

Excellent Point. The "Parallax" as you call it, is what makes each shooters view slightly different.
Although it it not greatly noticed at close distances, it is compounded the further you shoot.
As Paul suggested, look down the longest range available to you and move your head side to side.
You will see a diference , no matter how slight, in any scope. Like shooting a bow, find an ancher point
for your chin and stay with that spot. Learn to mount the gun the same way every time. Lock on and fire.
As they say, practice makes perfect! Or at least your groups will look impressive even on long shots.
Eric S. Stacy

[nchawkeye]

Well...At least you learned something...I have never figured out why someone would sight in a high velocity centerfire deer rifle to hit dead on at 100 yards...

My personal rifle is 2 1/2 high at 100 and dead on at 250...I also use this gun for groundhogs out to 300 yards....

When someone wants me to sight in their deer rifle my standard procedure is to sight it in 2 inchs high at 100 yards...