By Any farther, the bullet drops to -5.0 at 225, which would result in either a miss of a very low hit on deer-sized vital areas. Ever have someone suggest to zero your rifle at 50 yards because that will provide a secondary zero at 200 yards? Its called point-blank range, and to maximize it you should alter your sight-in range for a particular load, rather than letting your traditional sight-in distance dictate your rifles zero. What that means is,. Lets take a look at what this popular deer and hog hunting round is capable of through an analysis of 243 ballistics. If we examine the ballistics data for a 400-yard or longer shot, the bullet trajectory starts to become a significant factor. At that distance youd be able to get the best maximum point blank range in yardage of around 300 yards (296). I cant think of a single reason not to zero at 100yds (or close to it). Also as stated, with a 200yd zero the bullet is approx 1.5" high at 100. You will set your new target to 50 yards. TNGunOwners.com (TGO) is a presentation of Enthusiast Productions. Magnum Velocity - Cartridges with a muzzle velocity of approximately 3,000 feet per second. Zeroing a rifle at 50 yards and assuming the secondary 200 yard zero will be usable is a mistake. Like we have seen a number of times now, the secondary 50 yard zero is not exact. This gives me +1.5" at 100 yds. I should chrono these rounds mate they might not even be deer legal, Hey guys the thing is drop don't mean a whole heap when you consider that a full value 10mph gust is going to move .243" bullets near enough 5" sideways, so even a mere 5mph gust is gonna move you near as makes no matter as your 200 drop and a more usual highland breeze of 15-20mph is going to push that pill sideways 7- 10" . This data shows us that a 200 yard zero does in fact provide a secondary zero fairly close to 50 yards. Since then, I've taught them everything I learned from my father about hunting and why we hunters hunt. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. The below 223 ballistics chart shows 60 grain PDX1 Defender hollow point rounds with a 100 yard zero. Mag., and the more recent 6mm Creedmoor, 27 Nosler, and 7mm Remington Ultra Magnum, the drops are even greater. In real world use on deer that is point and shoot out to 200 yards. No worry, theres a better zero anyway. Don't believe me? 9 0.243 .243 Win Cartridge BlackHills .243 dia. It's a very common deer round for a reason. The Federal Ballistics Calculator lets you quickly determine the trajectory for any rifle or handgun load, and save data for an unlimited number of loads. Rangemaster certified master instructor.View all posts by Uncle Zo. Like i say though there are more reason why, but ballistic programs do not hold all the answers and to repeate myself aint "gospel" so your kind offer of help is unlikely to help someone who won't do it "the old fashioned way", Ho,hum sort of blows your previous views apart about group 2" group sizes for deer though don't it as that way is amounting to 4" I think what your forgetting in the above though is the bullet that is set 1" high at 100 will drop about 3" through its trajectory but that still leaves it 2" low @ 200 (3" drop at 200yds is about were your balistic program will put a 100 grn bullet from a 100yds zero). Although based on the 308 Win, the 243 Win differs substantially from it. A small cartridge for an accordingly small rifle, but one that permits the kind of accuracy that amounts to fast and clean kills. Here is a link to a program that will give you all the tragectory info you need. Context matters. Can be checked in the field before I get a hard time but that means you have a little over an inch drop at 200 yards then obviously is shooting an inch high at 100. This cartridge launches the bullet at more than 3,000 fps with 2,400 foot-pounds of energy. Not sure what bullet weight is optimal for the longer range shots, but it certainly can do them and many a hunter has taken game at 500 + yards with the caliber. http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/rifle.aspx?id=216 :good: I have never concidered a head shot on deer because of the inherent danger of missing or maiming by shooting in the face or jaw . Zero Range (yd) Must be a number greater than 0. . . Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. 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THE 200-YARD ZERO Sighting in your high-power deer rifle at 100 yards is a waste of a perfectly good flat trajectory. in about 1.1 inches high at 50 yards or better yet, move out to 100 and try for 2.6 inches high, or even better yet, move to 200 yards and try for 2.0 inches high. So even if you put your reticle's 200-yard drop marker right on his heart, you're going to hit more than four inches low. However, this requires using a chronograph to get an accurate velocity reading and a ballistic calculator to determine the expected trajectory deviation at 50 yards. As an added bonus to that process, we've discovered what gear works and what doesn't. Nothing I can do about it. shoot at 50 feet to get it on bull. If you zero at 100 that gives a little over 3" drop at 200 which still is pretty much point and shoot but not ideal to most. Not what were after. Ive written a more in-depth description on how to sight in a rifle in another article. In other words, if you hold dead center on the vitals, your bullet can be 3 inches high or 3 inches low before it slips out of the vital zone. Review. You still should get some range time on paper at that range to make final adjustments. Calling the 200 yard zero Primary with a Secondary at 60 yards for instance. 200 Yard Zero. Zeroed at 100 with 100 grain prvi's I'm getting around 2" drop at 200 yards and around 9" at 300 yards. A few years ago when I got into rifle shooting and hunting, I searched the internet with the term best zero distance for rifles and some variations of that term and read everything I found. Zero distance is setting your sights or scope crosshairs so that your point of aim is the same as your bullets point of impact at a given distance to your target. Perhaps more interesting, is that a 50 yard zero doesnt even come close to providing a decent secondary zero at 200 yards. Even though the 30/06 case is about 24% longer than the . Also the 55 grn 6mm offerings are generally produced with very fast fragmentation and smaller American varmints in mind, lacking the beef of the heavier rounds. I would like to try a 55gr round to see how it performed between 50-300 for foxing but I don't reload and they just don't seem to be commonly available around here. The trajectory path at 50 yards is 1.2 inches high, at 100 yards the bullet is 2.9 inches high, at 200 yards 2.3 inches high and at 300 yards the bullet only drops 3.8 inches. It in no way increases the amount you pay and helps us stay in business. This was a very good article. But many hunters dont have the luxury of zeroing at 200 yards. This bullet has an initial velocity of 3100 fps, and is pushing 2027 lbs of force. Powered by Invision Community. Find out which caliber you should buy first. Does this change if the same rifle is zeroed at 200 yards? We won't even bother with the .30/30 or .45/70. Share. Meaning, across the board, almost nobody could get a repeatable zero at 200 due to the MOA of the irons, the size of the DOT, and/or shooter error. And precious few of us have access to a 26 yard range. We all settle for the shot we are happy with and I haven't taken a 200 yard headshot at any deer ever. This should give you a 4" point blank range from the muzzle out to nearly 200 yards. So, with a 100-yard zero, a hunter can simply aim at a buck and expect to hit it in the vitals anywhere from 0 to 203 yards. Edit - the 6 inch low is what I experience with my BLR 243. This 25 yard zero will allow you to aim dead on target all the way out to 300 yards. Camo Crew is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Point blank range defined is the range of distances at which you can hold your rifle on the bullseye and never fall in or out of your targets kill zone. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The 243 Wins muzzle velocity hinges on its bullet weight. The 243 Win delivers substantially less recoil and a flatter trajectory. This bullet really performs well up to 200, 250, and even 300 yards having a drop of just 2.7" (2 and 1 half inches) at the 200 yard mark. Pro's: this affords the shooter the longest range. 300 AAC Blackout is a fantastic hunting round. a Federal American Eagle 223 55gr FMJ factory load, zeroed at 200, has it's initial POA/POI at 44 yards.granted, not much difference at the 50 yard mark (.2 inches). Dec 1, 2016. If you want to work it our properly, invest in one of the ballistics programs, input as much data as you can and see what the ballistic curve looks like. While having a chunky projectile is a nice improvement over the standard 5.56 cartridge, it does mean that you lose some muzzle velocity. Round-nose bullets throttled to 2,700 fps or so (.22 Hornet, .25-20 Win., .30-30 Win.) A look at 243 Ballistics with information for some of the most popular 243 Winchester ammo loads available in the United States. Hunter-ed.com. At 55 grains, its bullet achieves 3,910 fps; at 100 grains, 2,960 fps. The .243 is a flat shooter and according to . .243 Winchester, Maybe just for the initial adjustments to get on paper but after that it's good to shoot at 100 yards out to whatever distance you plan on hunting at. The flip side to this is a much wider trajectory deviation beyond 200 yards. When you're hitting no higher than 4 inches at 150 to 180, shoot paper at 200 yards, 250 and 300 yards. 243 Winchester Hunting Load -- Part 3: Settling on a final load The Outdoor Generalist 4K views Core-Lokt 45-70 govt - Ballistics Gel, Body Armor, 100 yard groups, and Chronograph WHO_TEE_WHO. A 150-grain round-nose from a 30-30 Winchester can stay within the kill zone of a whitetail out to about 220 yards if you zero it 3 inches high at 100 yards. Starting at 2700 and 2600 fps respectively, their velocities maintain about 100-200 fps difference all the way out to 1000 yards. The scope (line of sight) is mounted 1.5 inches over the middle of the bore. Bluntly, at zero distance, your bullet will hit dead center where youre aiming. If you sight in your .243 for 100 yards, its MBPR will drop to 200 yards. Drop continues beyond that to three hundred yards to 9.88 inches. Your mileage may vary. I cant fault him for it though, because say what you will about his sighting in methodology, the guy killed deer. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. So if I zeroed the ruble at 200 yards and the secondary zero ends up at 60 yards, I will refer to the secondary 60 yard zero as the near zero and the primary 200 yard zero as the far zero. That is if my other assumptions about your gun are correct. You go through passport control on the way to your onward flight but customs control for checked baggage is at your final destination, not at the port of entry in Europe. Powered by Invision Community, http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/rifle.aspx?id=216. So with a 50 yard zero on a .243, youd only be able to aim dead on out to 225 yards. Perhaps the best performing 6mm Fox bullet is the Hornady 75 grn v-max, it is close to as flat as the faster 55 grn pill as makes no matter and takes significantly less wind out at 200 yds and further. You must log in or register to reply here. Ivory Club: Zero customer service - totally disappointed - See 588 traveler reviews, 177 candid photos, and great deals for Frankfurt, Germany, at Tripadvisor. A more subtle, but also interesting thing to note, is that we do get a secondary zero around 60 yards when using a zero distance of 100 yards albeit its not a very usable secondary zero. 1" low is only possible if he has a very canted mount set up, though i doubt it still (but like most he has probebly never shot that sort of range much and it all is in his imagination). A slower barrel twist of 1:10 is generally adequate to stabilize bullets weighing up to 100 grains, while the accuracy of heavier, higher ballistic coefficient bullets is improved by a 1:7 or 1:8 twist. 1,311. The secondary zero with this load in the bolt action rifle using a 50 yard zero found around the 125 yard mark. . http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/rifle.aspx?id=8. Sighting in at the elevations I suggested would put you in a 6 inch kill zone out to about 285 yards. In the west, the .243 along with its cousin the .308 is unparalleled at distances of 200 yards. Left or right misses by 1/2 inch will impact a 200 yard target 2" off in the same direction. Or is Primary zero the the bullet touching the line of sight as confirmed on a target, regardless of first or second time crossing the line of sight? 243 is QUITE capable out to 1k yards, maybe farther but at LEAST that much. Were not shooting for accuracy in a war, we are shooting to kill. All my rifles are zeroed at 50 yards, not because I wanted to, but Hurricane Florence destroyed my 100 yard range by dropping a 24 diameter tree across the path to the target stand. A .243 is flat at 200 yards, but at 500 yards the bullet will drop . I setup all my rifles to shoot 1.5" high at 100 yards, So, the simple answer is that with a 50 yard zero you will be good out to about 230 yards. Like i say though there are more reason why, but ballistic programs do not hold all the answers and to repeate myself aint "gospel" so your kind offer of help is unlikely to help someone who won't do it "the old fashioned way", sorry to disapoint you,I didnt say I group 2 inch at 200 yards I do that at 500 yards with my 243,enter the real time correct data into a good ballistic programme your either bang on the money or a little fudging of the bullet BC to compensate, the old fashioned way is alwasy best to final test your data, no ballistic programmes dont hold all the answers you have to feild test as well,put **** in and get **** out, sorry to disapoint you I didnt say I group 2 inch at 200 yards I do that at 500 yards with my 243,enter the real time correct data into a good ballistic programme your either bang on the money or a little fudging of the bullet BC to compensate, the old fashioned way is alwasy best to final test your data, ah, is this why the MOD do it wrong because you say so and so does you computer. Depends on what round you're firing. But I like to stay with the 6-inch rule of thumb because is allows for some shooter error, an occurrence that youd be naive to assume doesnt happen while in field positions shooting at wild game. Thats all in theory from remington and their quick calculator so will depend on lots of variables but try it in the field. #1. Maximum 2000 meters; Minimum 0. start with bore sighting it. W Altitude: 0 Feet with a Standard Atmospheric Model. Using ballistic software downloaded from Remington.com, I manipulated the zero range input data until it was optimized for the greatest point-blank range. The trajectory of a 55gr .243 round at 4000 odd fps is very different to a 100gr at 3000 fps. An other danger with the head shot is that you will have to shoot higher if the deer has its head up and the bullit will have to travel further before it touches down wether or not it is a shoot through or a clean miss . RN, 200-Yard Zero This gives me a lot more confidence in engaging targets up to 200 yards without making elevation adjustments. The TGO state flag logo and the TGO tri-hole "icon" logo are trademarks of Tennessee Gun Owners. First is the trajectory deviation between 50 and 200 yards is much narrower when using a 200 yard zero. As an example, lets use a very common hunting round, a .270 Win., loaded by Remington with a 130-grain Premier Accutip boattail bullet that has a .447 Ballistic Coefficient (BC). But to use it to its maximum effectiveness, youll need to sight in your .243 to the best zero distance for your intended use. 243 Winchester ~ 90 Grain ~ Trajectory Chart. Initial POA/POI is at 36 yards, but now, the difference is .5 inches at the 50. (Thats missing the 6-inch circle, 3 inches below the center, or point of aim.) 70gn ballistic tip. Maximum point-blank range (MPBR) is the distance (in yards) a projectile (bullet) can travel without rising or falling more than a predetermined measurement above or below the point of aim. No national military has ever designated the 243 Win for service, although the LAPDs SWAT unit did implement it during their infancy. I've been a hunting junkie for my entire life. 3rd rock from the Sun, CDB land(Mt Juliet). An elks vital zone is larger of coursewell say 8 inches. Let's take a closer look at the mythical 50/200 yard zero. Because of this, Id suggest that the farthest range you should attempt to kill deer-sized animals with a 100 grain .243 bullet is 400 yards. This bullet really performs well up to 200, 250, and even 300 yards having a drop of just 2.7" (2 and 1 half inches) at the 200 yard mark. Unless I misunderstood, which is quite possible. That said there is still some truth to the claim that the 50 yard zero can be used to engage a target out to about 250 yards without having to worry much about making an elevation adjustment as long as the target larger than the projectiles trajectory deviation plus the precision deviation of the cartridge and rifle combination. Even if you reload, common calibers still make things easier. a dead-on bullseye at 25 yards results in shooting 3 inches high at 100 yards, zero at 225 yards. don't meet that standard. The only way to learn all this is get out and shoot in those conditions, theorising and guesswork is all well and good but tends to make you look a fool out in the field, hey before anyone talks balistic programs these are off the top of my head SWAG calcs based on unknown bullet etc. For most big-game rifles, a 200-yard zero makes sense. . I've tried to instill in them a deep appreciation for our public lands and the animals we pursue. The table below will include drop data using a 50 yard zero, a 200 yard zero, and 100 yard zero for comparison. By using this site, you agree to the following.Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | GuidelinesWe have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. Consequently, in conversations I most often use the terms near and far zeros. Notice that the cluster shrinks on each target as the velocity increases. It makes it a lot easier to find ammo. Bullet Diameter: Caliber: Cartridge / Bullet Bullet Manufacturer: Bullet Description Muzzle Velocity . High neck is the best considered small kill zone, brain shooting deer is very unreliable as the brain is small and the head quite big . As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Buying a common caliber, like the 243, is a good idea. Unless you live in the Northeastern big woods or southern swamp country and will never shoot at a deer past 100 yards, you're far better off zeroing your rifle at 200 yards. If those land more than 4 inches high, re-zero 23/4 inches high at 100 yards and try again. But check your PPU, and shoot some other brands. So long as your target isn't much over 100 yards, that is. Hi folks. So with a 200 yard zero, a hunter can hold dead on from 0 to 257 yards and kill the animal, assuming he does his part and fires an error-free shot. At the same, the secondary zero is much closer to the 50 yard mark when using a 200 yard zero in comparison to how close the secondary 200 yard zero was when using a 50 yard zero. This 25 yard zero will allow you to aim dead on target all the way out to 300 yards. Tennessee Gun Owners (TNGunOwners.com) is the premier Community and Discussion Forum for gun owners, firearm enthusiasts, sportsmen and Second Amendment proponents in the state of Tennessee and surrounding region. . While the 200-yard zero does carry bullets to about 235 yards before they fall 4 inches from point-of-aim, it also puts 4.5 inches high at 100 yards to 125 yards. Its got a muzzle velocity of 3,060 fps. It was a practical, but not mathematical zero. Ever heard a broken clock is right twice a day? Why? 243 vs 223 Ballistics. 1/4 inch left or right at 50 yards will give you 1 min of angle on a 100 yard target (= 1 " off) and be 2' off on the 200 yard target. I'm Steve. The latest way appears to be an app called CamoSpace, designed specifically for members of the hunting community. The problem with a 50 yard zero for a .243 is that the MBPR falls off pretty significantly. I have found the charted 3.3" drop to be about right. Again, we see that using a 200 yard zero doesnt guarantee an exact second zero at 50 yards. Bottom line is 50/200 yard zeros are very usable for many applications. You mentioned 25 yards? Next, let's look at 308WIN, same manufacturer, 150 grain FMJ. But this doesnt mean you shouldnt be aware of exactly where your zero point is adn the drop off at differnt distances and the realtion of the drop to your reticle (if you haev markers or mildots). A Balistic program data is never ever gospel though it only starts your dope data gathering process the "old fashioned way" as you put it is always essential. Liberty junkie. As we get out to the 500-yard mark, the two lightweight .243 rounds have bled off a tremendous amount of velocity and are now lower than three of the 6.5 CM rounds. So i guess if i was to put them an inch high at 100 yds, then i would be a tad under 2 inches at 225, so basically within a normal kill zone when point and shoot. It says that at around the halfway point of 250 yards the bullet will have slowed 580fps to a velocity of 2520fps, lost 688 ft pounds of energy (now pushing just 1339 lbs), and dropped due to gravitational forces just 5.9833 inches, and all of this in just a fraction of a second (.269 of a second). And in turn, the trajectory past 100 yards for this gun has been described as "rainbow-like.". I have been checking various ammuntion, store brands and handloads, in my SteyrMannlicher carbine and a friend's Merkel K1 Stutzen, both with 20-inch barrels. Several forums had posts swearing that at 50 yard zero was the absolute best because it always gave you the same point of impact at 200 yards and therefore one could easily engage targets up to 200 yards (and even a bit further) with it without giving much thought to making adjustments.