I agree if you truly want a 200 yard load you'll need to look at uping your charge some. 100 grains for me was unpredictable in its results at 200, it would be 12" low than 16" low, than 13" low, my theory was that bullet was travelling to slow that any difference in the conditions affected the trajectory/grouping more than marginally or human error. I would say 100gr will give you in the area of a150 yard max and really becomes iffy at 200.

Last yearI worked on a 200 yard load because I wanted to see if i could get a comprimise between trajectory but more imprtantly accuracy. I also had a hunt where I figured a 200 yard shot may be a possibility. I ended up going with 105 grs of T7(which would equal approx 120 grs of pyrodex)behind a 250gr SST (same bullet as you mention). This load produced both the groups and trajectory I felt confident in. At 200 yards I am 9-10" low. I sighted in to be 3" high, basically because this is what I sight in my CF's for deer hunting. Reason being I don't like holding over when taking a shot. I like to have some part of the animals body in the duplex of my crosshairs, for me it makes for better judging the placement and has led to more long range success. As such when i get a close encounter I always aim lower..again it is what i am use to. I harvested a mule doe at 200 last year I held on her spine and it drop right into the middle of her lungs...what suprised me is the 250gr bullet passed thru cleanly and while it didn't open up a ton she never made it 30 yards after the shot. I personally would not have attempted this shot if everything wasn't perfect, which included solid rest, known yardage, standing broadsideand next to ideal conditions (aka minimal wind, not rushed, etc).


However what you must do is shoot your load at the ranges you expect to shoot, all guns are different. Then come to a comprimise with load, recoil, trajectory and accuracy that will give you confidence. As to what to sight in for, that is all personal so go with whichever you feel is best. Most of all be realistic to your abilities, if you can't get a 200 yard load or group then don't chance it in the field you can pretty much double your group size as a safe rule of thumb and I don't go by the hope n prayer theory. If I ain't 100% confident I can make the shot, I simply don't shoot!!!

Best of luck

Another thing I would consider is what ranges you are realistically going to shoot at. I wouldn't set a rifle up to 200 yards because one day you might possibly get a 200 yard shot at a nice buck and you don't want to miss out on the opertunity. When in reality most of your shots will be at 100 yards and in. This means that the majority of the time you will be aiming low and compensating for a bullet that strikes high at your normal hunting distances. I would rather have a bullet that shoots flat at the distances I actually intend to use it at, and then hold over a bit at longer distances if I have to. With a duplex reticle and some practice it really is not that hard. You just use a different part of reticle is all.

I would also suggest if you really want to shoot long ranges to would look at a different bullet. I really like the Precision Rifle bullets. I use the ones cabela's sells. And I would go with a heavier bullet, not lighter. This would give you a bullet that expands better, has a much better BC and will carry more energy down range.

I will use my set up as an example. Where I hunt I could realistically get a 150 yard shot. I hunt over an open meadow and the far corner of the property is 148 yards to the fence post. On the other side of that is a corn field that goes for another 300 yards. However directly in front of me is a tree line for a large wooded area at about 85 yards. So far all of my shots have been at 80 yards and in. But deer do run across the field and jump the fence at the far end of the property. Or one could always hop out of the woods near that corner.

I sighted in at 130 yards because with my load that gives me point blank range out to 150 yards. I don't have to worry about aiming high or low at any shot I would get if I have to make a quick one. Now if I have the time I will compensate and try to put the bullet right where I want it. But if I had to I could just put the cross hairs center of mass and the bullet will hit the lungs from 25 to 150 yards.

I use a 350 grn non jacketed lead QT bullet with around 90 grns of 777. I figure it for around 1600 fps. I am 2.5 inches high at 80 yards and 2.5 inches low at 150. I don't hunt at 200 yards but I did shoot it that far while sighting it in. I was about a foot low and had a 4 inch 4 shot group. That is inline with what the ballistics calculator says, it says 11.2 inches low at 200 yards. And my load carries 1300 ft/lbs of energy at 200 yards. So shooting a deer at 200 yards would not be a big challenge for my set up. If were actually going to hunt that far I would try to get better groups though. Again, knowing the correct range is pretty important once you get out there.

Normally a longer heavier bullet will work better for long ranges becuase it has better flight characteristics and more momentum down range.

These are only my opinions though. Something to think about any way.

Paul

I have a rangefinder and will experiment at least with 100 grains tomorrow, but will definitely try 130 and 150 before the season.

Paul - where are you at 25 and 50?

Thanks
Steve

Lead bulletsare fine if you are using 100grs. or less of powder.I have found thatpure lead bullets don't shoot well out of my rifles. The reason is, when you get a pure leadbulletover 2000 fps. itstart to deform causing your groups to open up.

I'm not sure exactly without looking it up, but being that I am 2.5 inches high around 80 yards it would be less at 50 and even less than that at 25.

I don't really concern myself with it since if the deer is that close I can just put he cross hairs on it and pull the trigger. I can't make a 25 yards shot out of my blind anyway because of the angle and window placement. I would have to lean out the window to pull it off.

Paul

I looked it up, 1 inch at 25 and 2 inches at 50.

Take a look at this site, these are the bullets I use. I don't think they have problems shooting them at higher speeds. They are lead, but they are saboted. I just feel a lead bullet like this expands better at muzzle loader velocities vrs a jacketed bullet made for a pistol.

Precision Rifle Bullets

Paul

Thanks Paul - if the weather is good tomorrow, I am going to shoot a bunch to see where I want my zero - probably 125.

Steve