Thread: Sighting in a rifle on a short range

Originally Posted by timattalon

No. I would suggest that you need to see where YOU hit at 200 not the other person. I have found in the past that what is set up as bang on for me will have a different point of impact for someone else. (technique, consistency even where you put your eye all have a minor effect) For sighting in I use as much bracing or steadys that I can like proper rests, and so on. This takes your wobble out as much as possible and confirms where you are shooting. If you wobble enough that this is not possible then I would have to suggest that you wont be in a condition to shoot at an animal at that range either. Bear in mind that while you are aiming at a smaller target, as long as you can hit an A4 page or a dinner plate consistently, that is as accurate as you need. If you get to sa distance that you cannot keep all you shots on that page, that is your range that you are capable of a clean hit in an animal. Any further is spray and pray and ethically getting into dodgy habits. I always remind shooters that your range of accuracy is more important than the rifles accuracy. 1 MOA means 5 shades of F all if you give the rifle to a 2 VHA shooter (Very Huge Angle...)

Personally I do not see it as a waste of ammo to practise.

I can now shoot reasonably well but I used to struggle to hit a barn door from inside a barn made of doors....

Windage is easy.It is the left right version of the elevation turret on your scope. Adjusting elevation is the up/down turret, and windage is the left/right adjustment. While it is pronounced windage as in win-dige it can help to think of it as not as wind as in it is windy outside but as in to wind a clock) Whine-dige (bloody stupid english language....why did I not learn another one when I was younger? Now I am stuck with this one)

I hear what you are saying and others on here about shooting to "one’s own" capability
You see - on animals I have no problem
I would never shoot at a moving animal or one on the edge of bush/scrub over 100m - only one that was in open terrain and more than likely with someone as back up over 200m

So - not trying to discredit your comments above - but you say ""I use as much bracing or steadys that I can like proper rests""
That isn’t going to be the case out in the wilds shooting at animals – if you get my point.

As I said above I have shoot rifle & gun for 55 years now
I have never been good at target shooting apart from Trap (shotgun) competitions

However - I would have shot in excess of 5000 animals in my time and apart from a timeframe with a Mini14 that had the old Wichita base system that was a complete arse - I rarely a wounded animal.

What I still do not understand (call me stupid or just call me dumb) but if I can hit a 20c piece consistently at say 40m (my max comfort distance for sighting in) why should that shot be way off out at 150 - 200
If I get the formula for rise correct at 40m (say 1.5" low of bull) it should be a killable shot out to 200m ???

It’s been an interesting read on this thread and I will be trying a few options mentioned that I can do myself here in my limited terrain.