Thread: Shooting at Medium Range

Originally Posted by stug

My rifle is zeroed at 100yds. I hunt with 2.5 MOA dialed into my scope so anything inside 250yds I range and then shoot. Anything beyond 250 I range, consult drop chart and dial.

I apply this same method as @stug . Basically replicating the old school 200y zero incase I need to make quick shot within point blank range. Failing that it’s just the same old method, range, asses wind, dial, shoot.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

I just use a 270.

I usually just walk back a hundred or so metres and then let go with the trusty 25/303.

Running a .308 Bushpig, I keep it simple, zero for 220yds, =neg 4" at 270yd, hold a bit higher for 300yd. Inside my given zero plus a bit, it's just point and shoot, and you know when it's far enough to need ranging and if you need to range, you've got time to set the shot up.

Can hit what I want to at 400+yds, but that's a long way for me! If I do have to take a longer shot with the .308 I have preset and tested my zero using the duplex post, plus 4"at 305yd - zero at 345yd - neg4" at 375yd, hold a bit higher for 400yd , they all land in a 4" box at 400, but,

Can't beat getting closer!

Greetings All,
Thank you for all your replies, they have been most helpful. To summarise some ranged and dialed for everything, partly to develop a sound technique for long range shooting. Most used a hunting zero that gave them a point blank range somewhere past 200 metres and ranged and dialed beyond that. Some ranged for the closer shots to check that it actually was inside their point blank range. Only 257weatherby mentioned using an auxiliary aiming point (top of the bottom duplex post) as a secondary zero. 257weatherby also limited himself to 400 yards and that only when absolutely necessary.
So what does this mean for an old duffer with an aim of being technically capable of taking some medium range shots, say out to 300 or at the very most 400 metres. First I will stick with my 200m zero. This means that the various marks on my reticle are as follows: Cross wire 200m. First dot 280m. Second dot 365m. Top of lower duplex post 450m. I also mentioned bracketing as a rough estimate of range. Using a depth of a deer's body of 400mm if the body fills the distance between the crosswire and the top of the duplex post than the range is less than 200m and the cross wire can be used. Obviously deer do not all have a body depth of exactly 400mm but this should tell me when I need to reach for the rangefinder. This data has been calculated from the Leupold data and the Hodgdon trajectory ballistic calculator. Over the winter actual results will be checked on the range. Thank you all for your input.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

its older than us both bud...and still VERY RELEVANT........back before rangefinders were common...hell you DIDNT see them at all...and as for dialing up...yeah nah...twiddlin n fiddlin was done to sight in and not touched AT ALL otherwise..... if you read "the sharpshooter" arguably the bible of accurate hunting 30 years ago...one of the bits that stuck out for me was line...wait till deer is heading uphill away from you,giving big dorsal strip to aim at and from top of head down to hips ..... a shot ON LINE had big drop and still effective....
interesting Matt used the 22HP Savage for a time and had high praise for it.....when used with caution.....bit like,well actually VERY LIKE the thread on 223 on deer.
the more time goes by the more I come to realise everything has been tried before in some form and the old rules still hold true.

Thanks Micky,
I was looking for that chart on the rule of three plus have had my copy of "The Sharp Shooter" out as well. Although the kit some of us use changes the basic underlying techniques do not. Often they are just repackaged and hyped as the new thing. I would bet that some on the Forum don't realise that fixed power scopes are still available.
Regards Grandpamac.

I zero my 18” 708 at 200 yards there for point and shoot out to 250, after that i use the bdc reticle i have on scope, this gets me out to 600 on steel and 400 on animals. I used the stirlok app to get my holdovers right then verified at range then go hunting. Working well so far.

Originally Posted by H.M

I zero my 18” 708 at 200 yards there for point and shoot out to 250, after that i use the bdc reticle i have on scope, this gets me out to 600 on steel and 400 on animals. I used the stirlok app to get my holdovers right then verified at range then go hunting. Working well so far.

if you look at 7x57mm on above chart....not a lot has changed in 50 something years LOL.

I had a google for quality 6-8x fixed scope a while ago and couldn't come up with much ?

I happen to know where a couple are located....all of about 20 feet away from where Im sitting in fact....leupold and kahles LOL.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

I had a google for quality 6-8x fixed scope a while ago and couldn't come up with much ?

Leupold FX3 and Schmidt and Bender Pm2/ Klassik for point and shoot/ also have dialable options

Kalhles, Meotpa and IIRC Doctor for point and shoot

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

I had a google for quality 6-8x fixed scope a while ago and couldn't come up with much ?

Greetings Vietnamcam,
Yes they are not as common as they used to be. The 6 power FX2 LR Duplex on my T3 is still available. I looked at both the FX2 and FX3 but chose the former as it was lighter and the scoped rifle weighs less than 3kg. I had a 3-9 on my .308 rifle at one time and found it got left at 6 power most of the time. More of my rifles have fixed power scopes than not including 6, 8 and 10 power. The three 10 power scopes have Mil dot reticles which I quite like and avoid the problems from second focal plane reticles in variable scopes. Currently there is a much wider range of first focal plane scopes available in my price range and I might have to break open the piggy bank for one for my 7mm SAUM if I can improve my mobility by spring.
Regards Grandpamac.

Having a rangefinder is handy but I have also tested load drop on big sheet of cardboard at 100,200 and 300 metres with my normal hunting load. .270 130g powershok. Sighted 2 1/2" high at 100, tiny bit high at 200 and 7 inches low at 300. Anything past 300 just get closer or hold a bit above shoulder.

if the plurry rangefinder will give you a reading ay bud......otherwise your mate gets impatient and just shoots the plurry thing LMFAO.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

if the plurry rangefinder will give you a reading ay bud......otherwise your mate gets impatient and just shoots the plurry thing LMFAO.

Owch!

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

if the plurry rangefinder will give you a reading ay bud......otherwise your mate gets impatient and just shoots the plurry thing LMFAO.

Hence my desire for a simple and affordable system, available instantly, to see when a range finder is actually needed. Plenty of tails of woe have been recounted where the rifleman fishes out his rangefinder only to find that the range is 200m or less just as the deer disappears into the scrub.
Regards Grandpamac.