{"id":1727,"date":"2021-09-20T14:56:41","date_gmt":"2021-09-20T18:56:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/?p=1727"},"modified":"2021-09-27T09:20:27","modified_gmt":"2021-09-27T13:20:27","slug":"the-perfect-zero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/the-perfect-zero\/","title":{"rendered":"THE PERFECT ZERO?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

 By<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Craig Boddington<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previously, this column discussed the process of \u201csighting in.\u201d If you\u2019re happy, then we\u2019re done; it\u2019s time to head for the deer stand! We\u2019re going to assume we have enough accuracy to reliably hit a deer\u2019s vital zone at whatever distance we might shoot. The vital zone of even a small deer offers about an eight-inch target, so extreme accuracy isn\u2019t essential for much for field shooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Jarrett-300groups\"
Boddington\u2019s Jarrett wears a Leupold<\/a> scope with a CDS turret, calling for a 200-yard zero. The left-hand group was shot at 200 yards, ensuring a good starting point for dialing with a 180-grain SST load.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hey, I love tiny groups because they instill confidence, and I love to ring steel at long range. However, I\u2019m unlikely to shoot at a game animal much past 400 yards. Most of my shots at game are much closer, and many of us rarely need to reach past 200 yards. Theoretically, if your rifle is producing one-inch groups at 100 yards (one Minute of Angle or \u201cMOA<\/a>\u201d), then it should produce two-inch groups at 200 yards, four-inch groups at 400 yards, and so on. Considering the size of the vital zone, one MOA<\/a> is more accuracy than essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boddington\u2019s
: Some of Boddington\u2019s rifles wear iron sights\u2026and a few have worn barrels. Either way, extreme accuracy isn\u2019t possible\u2026and unnecessary for a lot of field shooting. With excellent paper-plate accuracy at 50 yards, this old .300 Savage would be just fine to 150 yards\u2026if Boddington could see the front sight well enough!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Actual groups usually get larger as distance increases, so I don\u2019t mind having more accuracy than I really need, but let\u2019s be reasonable and practical. Even today, with the best rifles, optics, and ammo ever<\/em>, not all rifles can produce one MOA accuracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tight
Tight groups instill great confidence, but sub-MOA groups aren\u2019t essential for most field shooting. This Savage 100 .30-06 is more than field-ready: The excellent right-hand group is two inches high at l00 yards; the bullet will be \u201con\u201d at about 200 yards<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Not a train smash; 1.5 MOA <\/a>is plenty for most field shooting. Most modern rifles will do at least this well, and that\u2019s \u201cgood enough,\u201d at least at normal field ranges. I have older rifles that are \u201ctwo MOA<\/a>\u201d rifles.  Also not a problem. I hunt with them, but only in close-range situations! With such rifles, I usually do my zeroing on ten-inch paper plates. In that context, \u201cpaperplate accuracy\u201d is good enough! Regardless of the accuracy you have to work with, and the ranges you might consider shooting, you still must decide exactly where to leave your rifle zeroed before you head afield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TRAJECTORY CURVE<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, most of us leave a rifle zeroed slightly high at 100 yards, to take advantage of the bullet\u2019s trajectory. Here\u2019s how this works: There are two straight lines, line of bore and, slightly above, line of sight. Both are straight, but the path of the projectile is curved. Gravity starts working on any projectile as it leaves the muzzle, and air resistance slows it down. As distance increases, the projectile falls ever more quickly, eventually striking the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\":
Gordon Marsh of LG Outdoors at his bench, checking handload velocities with a Lab Radar, a wonderfully accurate tool that uses Doppler radar to measure bullet speed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If line of bore and line of sight remain parallel, the bullet will never cross the line of sight and no zero can be achieved. Using sight adjustments, we actually zero so the line of bore and line of sight slightly converge. Line of bore remains straight, while the projectile\u2019s path is curved. With line of bore tilted slightly upward relative to line of sight, the projectile\u2019s curving path crosses line of sight twice, once at short range and again farther out. In between these points the projectile\u2019s path will be above the line of sight. The point at which this distance above line of sight is greatest is referred to as \u201cmid-range trajectory.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Springfield
On the bench with a Springfield Waypoint<\/a> in 6.5mm PRC. The scope is a Zeiss<\/a> 2-12X; the big 56mm objective requires the scope (line of sight) to be considerably higher than line of bore. Height of the scope is a critical factor in good ballistics data and must be correct.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The steepness of the trajectory curve depends on velocity and projectile aerodynamics. In establishing final zero, we usually try to use that curve to best advantage, extending the ranges at which we can shoot without having to worry about holding off the target (above or below) to compensate for that curving trajectory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There should be little mystery about the actual trajectory curve. For generations, printed ballistics charts have yielded this information, usually suggesting various sight-ins at 100 yards (the bullet\u2019s first crossing of line of sight), and telling us greatest height of trajectory, and where the dropping projectile crosses line of sight again, and yielding bullet drop at various ranges as the decline accelerates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"On
On the bench with a Jarrett rifle in .300 Win. Mag<\/a>. Boddington\u2019s California range is hot in summer, cool in winter, and always near sea level. When figuring ballistics data for open-country hunts, he estimates expected temperature and elevation. This works fine for the ranges he shoots at game, but guesswork isn\u2019t good enough for extreme-range shooting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today, ballistics programs and smartphone apps yield the same information, and allow us to input altitude, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and more, all of which increase in importance as range increases. Printed data assumes a standard measurement of line of sight over line of bore (height of scope). Electronic data allows us to input this. With the larger (higher-mounted) scopes in vogue today, that measurement must be accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"PH
PH Poen van Zyl and Texan John Stucker at the bench in Mozambique, checking zero on Stucker\u2019s .375. With a crocodile hunt in the offing, we adjusted our zeros very carefully to be exactly dead-on at 50 yards.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

All data, whether printed or electronic, assumes that the starting velocity is correct. Barrels vary in length, and there are \u201cfast\u201d barrels and \u201cslow\u201d barrels. For truly accurate data, it\u2019s essential to use a chronograph to check the speed of your load in your rifle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"gnarly
Boddington was delighted to take this ancient and gnarly spike on his Kansas farm. The rifle is a Mossberg 464 with AimPoint red-dot sight. The rifle was zeroed at 50 yards, the shot about the same distance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, the vital zone of a big-game animal remains a large target! None of this stuff matters much if your goal is to shoot your buck from a favorite treestand, like in thick timber at my Kansas farm. When I\u2019m setting up a rifle for an open-country hunt, you bet I measure height of scope and check velocity! Effects of altitude and climatic factors are less critical\u2026until you get past normal shooting distance, or you have extreme variations. In preparation for fall hunts, I do my summer shooting in hot, low country. I make a guess on anticipated altitude and climatic factors, run the data, and zero accordingly. This has proven adequate for the ranges I shoot at game\u2026but isn\u2019t precise enough for extreme-range work!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DEAD-ON OR SLIGHTLY HIGH?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether at 25, 50, or 100 yards, a dead-on zero with a modern rifle cartridge is the first time the bullet crosses the line of sight. Farther on, it will be above the line of sight and, as the curve steepens, it will cross line of sight again somewhere downrange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is not true that \u201cdead-on at 25 yards\u201d will be close to \u201con\u201d at 100 yards. This is possible with slower cartridges, and with iron sights or low-mounted scopes. With faster cartridges and higher-mounted scopes, I\u2019ve found that a 25-yard zero will usually strike too high at 100 yards. A 50-yard zero comes closer, especially with low-mounted sights. I often zero iron-sighted rifles and scoped big-bores at 50 yards and call it done, knowing that I\u2019m unlikely to use such rifles much past 100 yards. However, with today\u2019s big scopes, I find that a 50-yard zero is usually three or four inches high at 100 yards. This puts the second crossing of the line of sight \u2018way out there, and creates a mid-range trajectory as much as six inches above line of sight. For me, this increases risk of shooting over an animal (or hitting too high).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John
John Stucker and Boddington with Boddington\u2019s Mozambique croc, taken in September 2021 with a Blaser .375 H&H. The Nile crocodile must be taken with either a brain or spine shot. All rifles were zeroed dead-on at 50 yards; Boddington\u2019s four-hunter group took four big crocs\u2026anchored with one shot each.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For close-range work, there\u2019s nothing wrong with a 100-yard zero. Depending on cartridge, \u201cdead-on at 100\u201d will be on again at 150 to 175 yards, with little mid-range-rise. More common is to zero a \u201ccouple of inches high\u201d at 100 yards. You can study ballistics charts and programs, and you should. Depending on your cartridge (and load, and bullet), a zero of two to 2.5 inches high at 100 yards will put you dead-on somewhere between 200 and 300 yards. You shouldn\u2019t have to hold low at closer range, and you shouldn\u2019t have to hold over until nearly 250 yards. In my youth, Jack O\u2019Connor was our greatest gunwriter. His consistent advice was to zero \u201ctwo to 2.5 inches high\u201d at 100 yards. I believe his formula remains sound, and that\u2019s the way I usually zero for general-purpose use. Most important to me: I never<\/em> establish a 100-yard zero any higher than that, because of the risk of shooting over at \u201cmedium\u201d range!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DIALING THE RANGE<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days, dial-up turrets are all the rage, and they change the game. Some systems require either a 100 or 200-yard zero as the starting point. If you intend to dial the range, then I assume you may be shooting at some distance. I don\u2019t like a 100-yard zero in open country, simply because you must start holding over (or dialing) at fairly close range. With today\u2019s optics, dialing is precise, but fraught with human error: You must dial correctly and, if you don\u2019t shoot, you must remember to dial back to zero. (Trust me, everybody forgets now and then!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Leupold
With a good scope, dialing the range or holdover is the most precise method, but the data must be correct and verified by shooting at actual distance. This CDS<\/a> turret is for a .300 Weatherby Magnum load at a measured 3185 fps with 180-grain SST. The 6000 feet elevation and 30-degree F temperature reflect anticipated hunting conditions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve used several systems with good results, but a favorite is Leupold\u2019s Custom Dial System (CDS)<\/a>, with turret calibrated to my load at a stated altitude and temperature. On these, again, I strike an average of most likely conditions. My CDS<\/a> is based on a 200-yard zero. At 250 yards I\u2019ll usually hold slightly high on the shoulder, keeping it simple and taking advantage of that large vital zone. I normally don\u2019t consider dialing until about 300 yards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your system is based on a 200-yard zero, then you should check zero at the actual distance, so your starting point is verified as correct. Then, if you\u2019re serious about shooting at longer ranges, you need to verify your data all the way out. This is a stumbling block for many who don\u2019t have ready access to a \u201clong\u201d range. Sorry, whether published or electronically generated, data cannot be considered valid until verified by shooting at actual distance. The farther you might consider shooting at game, the more critical this becomes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rigby
: This Rigby 7×57 groups about 1.5 MOA with this load, a 139-grain Interlock at 2700 fps. Zeroed two inches high at 100 yards, the bullet will be \u201con\u201d at 200 yards, so a dead-on hold will work to about 225 yards.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Finally, if you\u2019ve traveled some distance\u2014by any means\u2014it\u2019s important to check zero when you arrive at your hunting destination. There\u2019s no consistency about how much (or how little) rattling around may cause a shift in point of impact, so it\u2019s always worth checking. On long, tough hunts, I\u2019ll usually check zero every few days, for sure if the rifle has been dropped! I also recommend checking zero after an inexplicable miss. It\u2019s terrible for the ego, but great for peace of mind to know for sure it was your fault! When planning ammo for a distant hunt, factor in enough to check zero about three times!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

 By Craig Boddington Previously, this column discussed the process of \u201csighting in.\u201d If you\u2019re happy, then we\u2019re done; it\u2019s time to head for the deer stand! We\u2019re going to assume we have enough accuracy to reliably hit a deer\u2019s vital zone at whatever distance we might shoot. The vital zone of even a small deer … Continue reading “THE PERFECT ZERO?”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[7,101,24,47],"tags":[8,19,61,42,60,39],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/IMG_0109-Medium.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1727"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1727"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1727\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1747,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1727\/revisions\/1747"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}