problem sighting in rifle
 

I came across a very weird situation while sighting in my savage 270. I have a bushnell banner 6-18x50 scope on it. I got it dead on from 100 yards. It was about an inch low from 200 yards(which is what i expected). But then I got curious and shot 50 yards with it. It was consistently 3-4 inches low. Does a bullet rise that much that it would be low from 50 yards. I dont like this bc i hunt in the woods alot and most of my kills are from 75 yards and closer. Am i crazy or has this happened to anyone else.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

How high your scope is monted from your gun barrel?
The bullet and scope intersect at 100yrds.Thats your zero. I'm not sure of the distance your crosshairs and muzzle are in inches.But generally it is about 2.5"-3".If you have higher mounts that could be the reason why its
shooting a little low for you.In reality it is not going to make a difference
to the animal,unless you do a head shot.But a well placed shot will kill the animal.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

A bullet does'nt rise once it leaves your gun barrel, its plain of flight may rise in a arch so to say but it does'nt rise on its own, Do you have see-thru mounts on your rifle? the closer you can get the center of your bore to the center of your crosshairs the better off you will be, Since you are using a 50mm scope you probably have some sort of high rings mounted, thats the reason you are seeing this kind of difference.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

This is my first 50mm scope. I have always had 32 or 40mm. I am not really confidnet with it yet. the distance from the bore to the cross hairs is about 3-4 inches. I realize that 100 yards is my "zero" point. If I am shooting 30-40 yards..would u as a hunter ever consider aiming a bit high to try to compensate for this 3-4 inch in difference. No my scope rings are not see through. It will not matter much as long as you get the vitals but..with a real close shot I am tempted to aim high to compensate..what is your advice

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

try different sight in's ; try 1" high at 50 yards and see how you like that.

I sight in at 25 yards. dead on at 25 and it is on at 250. that is my 243 with 100 gr. bullets.

my wife can't remember to (do as you were thinking) to aime different than sighted.so I sight hers like mine.then she can aim dead on at any distance she shoot at.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

It shouldn't make a difference.as long as you have enough vital area of the game to hit.
I sight my 06 3"high at 100yrds.This is roughly zero at 25yrds and zero at
just over 200.It verys from gun to gun but thats what mine hits.
The vitals behind the deer shoulder is eight to 10 inches depending of the size of animal.Less if you shoot elsewhere.So it all depends on the situation as to weather or not you compensate.
One thing I'm wondering though is why did you purchase a 50mm scope if most of your shots are 75yrds and under.
The only reason I ask is because your going to find that you'll have a harder time focusing on the animal with a 50mm objective lens compared to one with a 36 or 42 at distances 75yrds and under.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

ive been looking for this gun for a while.. I got a great deal on it...it just happened to come with a bit to much scope on it..Its a nice scope but a 32 or 40mm scope would suit my hunting area better. I am learning with this one.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

Could be the high mounts or scope. Depending on ammo (same every time? not just make but loads and weights?) I wouldn't guess too much this way or that. I'm curious how it performs with the iron sights. I STRONGLY AGREE with Jef in regards to scope choice (high/variable magnification). A decent, 4X fixed would be great up to 150 yards, but definately for under 100/75 yards. Maybe you can sell off the "nicer" scope for a decent $ to cover a "proper" scope or if not, that's why gun cabinets have drawers and shelves. LOL.

Good luck. Those Savages are shooters.

Uncle Matt (in IL)

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

Oh I understand.
I'm glad you got a great deal on the gun/scope.
Good luck.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

The way you sighted in your rifle the bullet is converging with your line of sight for the first time at 100 yards. It will continue to rise above the line of sight until it gets so high it won't hit a deer, then come down somewhere so far off as to be without enough energy to hurt a mouse when it gets there. If it was my rifle I'd zero it somewhere closer, say 25 yards. That way you won't be shooting over the back of a buck while aiming right at him. With a 130 grain bullet you should be zeroed again at roughly 275 yards and can expect the bullet will never get more than 4" or so high, which ought to prevent missing the one at 185 yards. The bullet can be expected to not fall more that 4" or so until it passes 325 yards down range. Try that, you'll like it, knowing you are shooting a death ray that don't require holdin' over deer as far off as you can see 'em. Your figures WILL vary because your scope is mounted higher than mine, those numbers worked for me.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

SLAMFIRE just cannot happen. if you sight your .270 dead on 100 yards everthing after that is down hill. even at a 100yards zero your bullet cross hairs between 70 and 80 yards. there is no load that i know of that can hold that line if zeroed at 100 yards. even a 22-250 with a 45 grain if zeroed at 100 yards will never be high after the 100yard mark. you are forgetting one thing GRAVITY. just cannot happen.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

oh it can happen. Not with a 22-250 or 270 or any other caliber.

If you could shoot a projectile at 8,000 FPS and could negate wind effect, it would never hit the ground. The bullet would fall at the same rate as the Earth's curvature.

The best way (that I am aware of) to sight in a rifle, first is to figure out how far you can expect to kill anything that you'd be willing to shoot at. If you won't shoot over 200 that fine, or if not over 400, that's fine too.

But you have GOT to know a very close approximation of the trajectory of your projectile, and you have GOT to know how far away your target is.

If you're willing to shoot at something 400 yards away (this is an example), sight it in at 400 yards. How do I do that? Sight it in at 100 for however good of a group I can get (5 shots, good cleaning after a 5 shot group, one minute apart in shots), then step back to 200 yard shots, adjusting only the top knob on the scope (not windage) till you're in a tight pattern at what you're shooting at. Then 300...same process. Then 400...same process.

When you're done at whatever range you're comfortable to shoot at something, put a target at 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, and 350. Hold right on the target and see where the bullet goes. How much off at 50? at 200? With a flat shooting .270, you won't be much, if any out of a +/- 4" line off the aimed at target, above or below, at any point in the trajectory of the bullet.

Thus this is the tradeoff. Sight your gun in for 200 yards (dead on) and anything less than that you don't think about bullet trajectory. You put the crosshairs where you want and end it. BUT, you take a major risk shooting much farther than that. 300 is still a safe range, bullet is (from a handy ballistics chart) about -6.5 from the target on a 200 yard zero. That's pushing it, in my mind.

If you sight in your gun for a farther distance (which is up to each shooter, in my mind) then you need to know where your bullet is (vertically) on it's trajectory at points between you and the zero distance.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

RAZORMATT YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT. we are talking about 100yard zero. you are talking about changing your point of aim. by adjusting you scope. if you are zeroed at 300 yards yes the bullet has not peaked yet at 100 yards. the main words here are 100 YARD ZERO. about the 8000 feet per second stuff with guns you lost me. but i do agree with the 200 yard zero being the best. except for a few of the slower calibers.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

Check this website out!! This guy knows his rifle stuff. His method will get the most out of the bullet you are firing. [link]http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifle_trajectory_table.htm[/link]

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

You have assumed that the bullet was already decending in relation to the line of sight at 100 yards, In other words crossing zero for the second time. His midrange groups show that did not happen, his bullet is crossing zero for the FIRST time at 100 yards. It started out some 3" inches low and got to the line of sight at 100 yards so it is still climbing at that point. I don't know where it will peak or how high it will be when it does, nor do I know at what range it will cross zero again.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

green01: if the earth had no atmosphere and had the same gravitational acceleration, a projectile would never hit the ground if it were fired horizontally (parallel to the ground) at 8,000 FPS. It would literally be like a satellite at 4'. (trees and mountains not included in this example!)

Slamfire: Must be a really odd scope/gun configuration....but I have hard time believing a bullet traveling 100 yards and hitting dead on in that distance when on the "up" of it's trajectory.

But this is an interesting problem.

I guess to figure out what was really going on, I'd go to a VERY FLAT PLACE where I could put transparencies out at like ever 25 yards to cover 200 yards or so. I'd color code them with like a 1" circle (not darkened), vice my gun, and through the scope work to line-up those circles in the transparencies.

They'd have to be just 8X11 pieces, but it would be important to make sure the aiming point was the same in each.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

slamfire i have assumed knowthing. these numbers i am passing on to you have been in the books for years. if you have a gun sighted in dead at 100 yards and it is still climbing it is a million dollar gun and you have the only one in the world.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

Green01:

No reason to question the guys inability to read a chart.

One possible problem here would be a VERY high scope mount that is very poorly sighted in (aiming VERY high).
Hell, I don't know what the problem is, but I know I could fix it.



But I would agree for one thing: if you've got a gun that's on the way "up" and hits your "sighted on" target at 100 yards, it's worth a frickin' lot of money and the only one around.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

I don't know about this bullet rising thing. Yes, it is getting higher off the ground, but that is because the tangent the rifle was fired is "Upward".

No bullet rises after leaving the barrel.

All bullets immediately start falling to the ground at the force and speed of gravity the instant they leave the barrel.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

razomatt i will agree. i will edit.[&o]

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

Visit one of the ammo manufacters' sites or in many hunting fairs like the one they have in Anoka MN in August, mfgs like Federal or Remmington will have booth with a CD having most of the common calibers, slug types, etc. and where they'll hit at 100-500yds. if zeroed at 100 or 200.

Yes, the slug is rising up to several inches between the time it leaves your barrel til it hits 100 or 200 depending upon what range you zero it at, what slug weight, caliber, etc.

Good luck

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

I surrender! :eek:

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

OH NO NOT ANOTHER ONE.

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

NO NO NO CAN'T GO THREW THIS AGAIN.[:o]
SLAMFIRE SEE WHAT WE STARTED
MINNFINN PLEASE STOP

RE: problem sighting in rifle
 

Lose the scope. It is not suited to your type of hunting. Even set at 6 power at 30 yards all you would see is fur (head or rear end?). Also hard to aquire moving game in your crosshairs at close range.

A low power variable ( 1.5 X 4.5 or simular ) would suit your type of hunting best. Set at the lowest power would give you the largest field of veiw for the close in shots. If a longer shot came up you would generally have time to turn up the power.

Best Wishes

Ps: The above advice comes from personal expierience. I started with a 4 X 12 power scope on my 25.06. After the first hunt I changed it to a 1.5 X 4.5 and have been :D ever since. I hunt in simular conditions to you.