Sighting in a 30-06

[huntandfishguy6]

So what is the general consensus on sighting in a 30-06, or similar hunting caliber. I have always gone with 1.5, or 2" high at 100 yards. I have always been told this will result in a dead on shot at 200 yards. Looking at a few charts shows that a 300 yards i would be hitting 7" low at 300 yards. So what do you guy do ?

[32drawlength]

I’d consider 2” at 100 or even at 150

How heavy of a bullet are you shooting?

Guess you’d also just have to go out and shoot it regardless of the charts

[huntandfishguy6]

150 g Sierra Gameking sbt

[Texas Grown]

Only real way to find out is to go shoot those distances. There are a lot of variables: barrel length, load you are using, ect. For a 150-165 gr that could be pretty close in most circumstances, for those distances. I've shot a lot of 30-06 in the 150-165. But mostly hand loads. I did recently buy a few boxes for a couple guns I've had for several years. And have not shot yet, just to see what they would do. Also loaners and back-up for a hunt coming up.

[T-roy66]

Question you have to answer is:
What will be your normal shot distance ? If you say 100 yards or less sight your rifle in for that distance. Once sighted in shoot your rifle / load at 200 then 300 yards.

[Chase4556]

There are multiple variables that go into it as Texas Grown mentioned. The height of your scope above the bore changes it too.

Best thing to do would be plug the info into a ballistics calculator(take a close guess on muzzle velocity, BC can be found for the Sierra 150) and see what it tells you. That will get you close. Zero the rifle at 100yds, then shoot at 200 and 300. Adjust the MV you put into the calculator until it matches the trajectory you see from shooting at 200 & 300. You should now have a pretty reliable dope, and of course verifying it further would be ideal.

Just winging it, yes an inch or so high at 100 will put you in the vital area of a deer at 200 with a 150 out of a 30-06. 300 starts to be a guess and past that who knows without verifying.

[jdg13]

I have mine 1.5" high at 100 but have confirmed it's dead on at 200 with what I shoot.

[Ætheling]

Originally Posted by huntandfishguy6

150 g Sierra Gameking sbt

Im assuming you are using a scope with simple cross hairs and no elevation or windage adjustment knobs?

If you look up the scope manufacturer you should be able to know how many MOA the distance of the hairs are and can use that to compensate. Or just practice by shooting that much higher on the target or get a scope that you can make adjustments too. I would get a scope that you can dial adjustments too if shooting beyond 250 yds.

[Chase4556]

Couple of quick charts. Both are using the BC of the 150gr Sierra gameking SBT. Both with a 2975fps muzzle velocity, if you have a 24” barrel you are probably pretty close to that with factory ammo. Working down to 2900fps as your barrel gets shorter. One using a standard 1.5” sight height(center line of your scope above center line of bore) the other using 2”. Both zeroed 1” high at 100yds. You can see the slight difference just in the sight height being changed.

Bottom line, at 1” high at 100yds you will be in the vitals of a deer at 200.

[diamond10x]

What are you trying to do is the first question? Are you planning on shooting to 300 yards or are you just shooting 100 yards?

If just wanting to have your rifle zeroed for the bullet to be in the kill zone for as far as possible (4" above line of sight and 4" below line of sight) then I would be sighting it in to its maximum point blank range. That would give you a 300+ yard shot without any compensation.

[Drycreek3189]

Sight in 1.5” high at 100 yards, then shoot at 200 yards (and 300 if you can) to adjust.

[tx_basser]

for normal hunting I will sight it in at 100, but if I am going where there are longer shots I will do like mentioned. I prefer hunting in the woods, so having shots longer than 100 is not common.

[Bucknaked]

I would not go solely off of charts! Go shoot it at those ranges and Know what your rifle and you will do!

[Sackett]

Originally Posted by T-roy66

Question you have to answer is:
What will be your normal shot distance ? If you say 100 yards or less sight your rifle in for that distance. Once sighted in shoot your rifle / load at 200 then 300 yards.

This right here. I always wonder why rifle hunters (In this state) who make the vast majority of their shots to a feeder with a known distance (the majority at or near 100 yards), think they need to zero at 200+ yards? Give yourself the utmost ability to put the bullet exactly where you want it, not within 2-3” of where you want it. If a shot becomes available or necessary at yardage beyond your zero, simply learn the bullet trajectory of your round and adjust.

I’d liken it to us bowhunters. I’d venture to say the vast majority that hunt feeders, do so at “20 yards” and 99.999% of us have fixed pins at 20, 30, 40, etc….. and a single pin that starts at 20. We don’t sight our 20 yard pins on our bows to be 2” high, so why do so with a rifle?

[JustinJ]

Originally Posted by Sackett

This right here. I always wonder why rifle hunters (In this state) who make the vast majority of their shots to a feeder with a known distance (the majority at or near 100 yards), think they need to zero at 200+ yards? Give yourself the utmost ability to put the bullet exactly where you want it, not within 2-3” of where you want it. If a shot becomes available or necessary at yardage beyond your zero, simply learn the bullet trajectory of your round and adjust.

I’d liken it to us bowhunters. I’d venture to say the vast majority that hunt feeders, do so at “20 yards” and 99.999% of us have fixed pins at 20, 30, 40, etc….. and a single pin that starts at 20. We don’t sight our 20 yard pins on our bows to be 2” high, so why do so with a rifle?

You can sight in for mpbr and not need to adjust anything out to a certain distance around 300yds. It’s just maximizing the use of the rifle without needing to hold over or adjust the scope. +/- 2” doesn’t matter on deer sized game. If you sight in for 100 and need to make a 250yd shot you can’t just aim at vitals and shoot.

We don’t sight in our 20yd pins to be 2” high because we have 30,40,50 yd pins If bowhunters used a single pin sight that didn’t adjust I’m sure more people would sight in a bow more like a rifle. But point of impact between 20 and 30 yards on some bows is a pretty big difference.

[Leverhunter]

Don't over think it. If your feeder is 100yds away zero at 100yds. If it's 150 - 300 yards away, sight in 2" high at a 100yds and you will be within an inch at 200yds and about 7" low at 300yds.

[Jeremy7306]

I use the Hornady ballistic calculator app. Had great success with it for my .270 zeroed at 100 yard, made a 330 yard shot on an antelope last year using the app input with my specific bullet specs, told me exactly how much to dial on my scope.

I didn’t get the app out while in front of the antelope. I pretty much just memorized the MOA clicks out to 300.


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