Bullet Drop Between 100 and 150 Yards
 

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything, mostly because the HOT HOT summer we've had curtailed my range time. Now that the weather is getting a bit friendlier I decided to take care of a scope change I've been wanting to make. .

For the last several years my Omega X7 has worn a Cabala's 2x10 Powderhorn Muzzleloader Scope. It was zeroed for 100 yards with 240 grain Speer .429 Deep Curls in Harvester crush rib sabots over 70 grains weight (100 gr. vol.) of Blackhorn 209.

That Cabala's "el Cheapo" scope is not the sharpest optical around. So I took it off and mounted a 2x7 Leupold Vari-X II. Now the new scope needed to be sighted in.



After getting the scope pretty well set by bore sighting and firing a few shots at a 25 yard target, I put a fresh target out at 100 yards and took three shots - shots 1, 2 & 3 on the target below. (DAMN! Did I ever get lucky with that 25 yard bore sighting.) I then adjusted the scope 3/4 MOA left and took three more shots - numbers 4, 5 and 6 on the target.

One of the food plots I hunt offers shots out to 150 yards. I wanted to see how much this load would drop in the 50 yards between 100 and 150. So I moved the target out to 150 yards and took three more shots. I was expecting a 3" drop, but got something closer to four and a half inches. I can live with that and easily adjust my hold if a long shot presents itself.



Anyway, this gun is ready for the upcoming season. And I enjoyed finally getting back to shooting.

Semi, I have yet to figure out why TC dropped the Omega so abruptly! They were really good rifles.

Have you ever considered using a PBR (point blank range) sighting technique. I use a 3" PBR (with a muzzleloader) and with that I should never be higher or lower than 3" through a given range. In most cases with a muzzleloader it usually computes to about 3" high at 100 and 3" low at 160/170 yards. Of course that varies with the load and the bullet.

This is an ballistic sheet computed using a Lehigh 452x240 shooting a 120gr. V of BH - with a 3" PBR built in.

Sabotloader, I'm with you. As far as I'm concerned the Omega was the best in-line design ever. And the X7 is a sweet little platform.

I have used the PBR method, and do have a gun or two sighted in that way. But I seem to be stuck in a mindset where I sight most rifles in for 1" high at 100 yards and adjust my holdover for any really long shots. I guess that's because longer shots are fairly rare in my neck of the woods. I generally take two or three deer a year. As best as I can recall, over the last ten years or so only four of those were shots of over 125 yards.

You do make a very valid point! The range you might be shooting can really be a factor in the need or non-need of the PBR.

About fifteen years ago I bought a leupold 2x7 muzzzleloader/shotgun scope for my knight. I think its one of the best ever for a muzzleloader. Optics are still clear as could be.

Semi That's some dandy shooting especially for an old buck like you. But I have to agree with Sabot in sighting in 3" high at 100. Then you can hold dead on out to 150 easily.
But then again, if you're only hunting one area and know the yardages in your plot you can just use a hold over and put your tag on your deer.
As for the Leupold scope, I like them. My Accura V2 has a Leupold Ultimate Slam scope and has the BDC reticle. And it is spot on for my load. Too bad they dropped this scope from their product line.
I like the Omegas too and I just might get one someday. But every time I see one the used rack it is in rough shape. You know how it is. Some guys just don't know how to care for muzzys.