# Sighting in at 50 yards



## scandmx5

Does anyone out there do this? My eye sight isn't the greatest for sighting in a 3-9 at 100 yards, plus where I hunt I'm not getting a shot more than 70 yards max. I sight in for dead center no high or low at 50


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## flingin-ammo

thats fine... if max shot is 200 yards or less. it will be dead on at 50 and 125 yards and about 3 inches low at 200.if your windage is off 1 inch at 50 yards it will be off 4 inches at 200.So if i were you i would shoot couple of 3 shot groups from cold bore start to make sure its REAL close on windage.A little high or low not that big of a deal.. remember each click on scope is about 1/8 inch at 50 yards..good luck


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## Jimmyp

if its an AR, 50 is a good place to sight in, dead on at 50 and close at 200 depending on barrel length and bullet and velocity.


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## Offroadtek

If your concerned over where your long shots will be you can always take a few long shots at the range just to put your mind at rest. If you want to know exactly where your second zero is you can use something like this.
http://www.hornady.com/ballistics-resource/ballistics-calculator


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## thomas the redneck

yep thats what i do too  split hairs at 50 and kentucky windage any thing over unless your hunting a feild where you need to be dead on at 100 yards or more i see no reason to 
most our shots are 25-75 yards anyway


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## miles58

scandmx5 said:


> Does anyone out there do this? My eye sight isn't the greatest for sighting in a 3-9 at 100 yards, plus where I hunt I'm not getting a shot more than 70 yards max. I sight in for dead center no high or low at 50



That's fine, but you need to remember that if your scope is mounted high that you're going to be operating in the flat portion of the trajectory.  That means that you will be getting away from zero quickly as your range changes closer or further.  So, your shots need to be for places where a little miss high or low won't be a problem.  ie:  no head shots without knowing exactly where the bullet will hit.

Me, I would have someone else shoot for me to sight in at 100 and know that I am and inch and a half or so low at fifty and on or close enough from 70 to 150.

Dave


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## Buford_Dawg

*I have always sighted my rifles*

1 inch high at 50 yards and this has always worked perfect for me.  I do not have shots over 250 yards where we hunt.  If I did I would definitely sight it in at 100 yards.


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## dixiejacket

*Sighting In*

Have always sighted in at 50 yards.  Never really had an issue.


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## mrmeanbean74

same as the above


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## NOYDB

Just a couple of things, you may already have covered them, but covering the basics just in case

Focus your scope for your eyesight. Often people forget that the eyepiece is adjustable.

As pointed out above, use one of the free online ballistics calculators. Remington has one as does Winchester plus lots of others. The Remington one let's you input the height of your scope center line above bore. They can help you decide where you want to set your 50 yd zero to achieve the results you want at other yardages.

When was the last time you had your eyesight checked? If your prescription is over a year old, you need to go. Tell the Dr. what you want to do, they may suggest a different prescription for a pair of hunting glasses, optimized for that purpose.

Reassess your scope, a newer model might be a big improvement.


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## Nannyman

Wow. Lots of info for not knowing what caliber you are shooting.
How high are your crosshairs above the bore?
Eye sight should not be an issue as most all scopes today have a focus adjustment at the eyepiece.
Is your scope 1.5" above bore, or maybe more?
You should take all this into consideration and sight in at 100.
Most High caliber rounds can be sighted in at 100 and you will have no need for "Kentucky Windage" 25 to 200yds.
Take your time. Do it right.

John


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## Jdgreen

The farther out you sight your rifle in, the less error you will have with close shots..  1" at 50 yards translates to 2" @ 100 yards and so on.  If your only 1/2" off at 100, you'll only be 1/4" off at 50.  It just all depends on what you are comfortable with. 

I sight most of my guns in at 100 yards.  Some I shoot 200 yards and some I only sight in at 50 yards or less.  It all depends to on the caliber, the ammunition, amount of powder and what you plan on doing with it.

For most hunting in Georgia, at least in wooded areas, shots are usually less than 100 yards.  So sighting in at 50 yards is not so bad. You just want to make sure that you are consistently grouping your windage (horizontal adjustment) and you may want to set your elevation a little high (an inch or so), here again depending on your caliber and type of hunting..


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## killerv

Show the game you are chasing a little respect and sight in at 100. Find a power line, whatever, plenty of places out there. In most of my calibers, 1.5-1.7 inches high at 100 puts me dead on at 200. So from 0-200 yards, I can just aim where I want, no holding over, etc. That's piece of mind.  Nothing like the confidence of knowing exactly where that bullet will hit at longer ranges.  If 50 was my only choice. I'd shoot a 3 shot group and make sure it grouped dead center. Someone mentioned an 1in high at 50, no offense, but that is crazy unless you are shooting something heavy and slow.


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## Jdgreen

No mention was ever made of the caliber in the post, so if it is a 44 round, black powder or even a 30-30 round, an 1" high at 50 is OK.  If you are shooting a 270, an alt 6, or a 7mm then no, you wouldn't want to sight the elevation over at 50 yards.  But, again, no mention was made to the caliber in the post.


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## NOYDB

No need to know caliber to answer *the question asked*.


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## scandmx5

Seems some do and some don't. Yesterday I sighted my buddy's .223 in at 100 yards with a fixed 3 power scope with no issue at all lol, actually made better groups than I could with any of my 30-06's or 7mm Mag zoomed in on 9. I think recoil anticipation may be my issue afterall, judging from these results. 



> Show the game you are chasing a little respect and sight in at 100



I guess you didn't read this:


> where I hunt I'm not getting a shot more than 70 yards max


Seems like I'm being plenty respectful to the game by sighting in and taking shots that I KNOW are within my limitations and would have no trouble with pinpoint accuracy


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## wareagle700

I say sight it in where ever you want. Just know where its going to hit from 0-your longest distance.

All my long rifles have a 100 yard zero even though 3/4 of my shots are inside that. I know where the bullet is going to hit from 0- wherever though.


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## Georgiaoutlaw

200yd zero with my 308 hope it’s gonna be a great deer season come later in October that’s with a 150grfederal cartridge hope it works well


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## Georgiaoutlaw

200yd zero with my 308 hope all is well come later october with a 150gr Federal cartridge


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## killerv

scandmx5 said:


> Seems some do and some don't. Yesterday I sighted my buddy's .223 in at 100 yards with a fixed 3 power scope with no issue at all lol, actually made better groups than I could with any of my 30-06's or 7mm Mag zoomed in on 9. I think recoil anticipation may be my issue afterall, judging from these results.
> 
> 
> 
> I guess you didn't read this:
> 
> Seems like I'm being plenty respectful to the game by sighting in and taking shots that I KNOW are within my limitations and would have no trouble with pinpoint accuracy



Oh i read it. So if the deer is at 100 yards you aren't gonna take the shot?

You don't know 70 is max...that's highly subjective. I'm also assuming you'll have a rangefinder with you at all times. So nowhere on your property can there be a shot further than that or if you get invited to a buddys place?

If you are so confident with your last statement....why even bother with the initial post? Especially since you claim pinpoint accuracy and know your limits. I'm assuming you have a sub moa setup too, not that you need one at close yardage...but you did claim pinpoint accuracy.

A buddy always sights his dead on at 50, he missed..according to him... a 130 class on my property last year. He said the deer was maybe 60 yards. He showed me where it was standing and it was more like a 100, we shot his rifle at 100. It was 4in high, and 3in left. That is the possible difference I am talking about.


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## cam88

I've sighted some of my rifles in at 50 yrds and use the Nikon app to adjust accordingly..


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## transfixer

If you're only going to shoot 50-75yds,   then zeroing at 50yds is okay,  won't matter.  But the longer you zero in for, the more precise you'll be,  and as others have said, your scope should have an adjustable eyepiece to compensate for your vision.


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## hooksnhorns

I may be wrong, but I believe he was just curious as to who else on here does that. He wasn't asking if he was right or wrong. That's the way I took it.


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## transfixer

hooksnhorns said:


> I may be wrong, but I believe he was just curious as to who else on here does that. He wasn't asking if he was right or wrong. That's the way I took it.




You're right,  I lost track of that in reading the whole thread, lol  

   I typically sight in at either 100yds or 200yds,  depending on the rifle I'm shooting,  I just like to be as precise as I can be,  but I'm a little ocd when it comes to accuracy.


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## ProAngler

This thread is 5 years old


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## transfixer

lol,,,   dang !    didn't notice that either,   glad I wasn't the only one didn't notice that !


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## hooksnhorns

transfixer said:


> You're right,  I lost track of that in reading the whole thread, lol
> 
> I typically sight in at either 100yds or 200yds,  depending on the rifle I'm shooting,  I just like to be as precise as I can be,  but I'm a little ocd when it comes to accuracy.



I'm in the same boat as you. I'm very ocd when it comes to accuracy or sighting in.


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## Lukikus2

killerv said:


> A buddy always sights his dead on at 50, he missed..according to him... a 130 class on my property last year. He said the deer was maybe 60 yards. He showed me where it was standing and it was more like a 100, we shot his rifle at 100. It was 4in high, and 3in left. That is the possible difference I am talking about.



This ^^^^^^


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## Bob Wallace

I usually sight in a brand new scope at 25 yards. Get the windage right and the elevation about an inch high. Then take a few shots at 100yards to make any fine tune adjustments.


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## cam88

ProAngler said:


> This thread is 5 years old



I didn't even notice this as well!! Well hopefully you got ur answer.


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## coolbreezeroho

So shooting a 3030 with a 150 grain If I'm one inch high at 50 yards I will be about dead on at a 100 yard ? This is using a peep sight.

Thinking about using the 3030 when I'm in the thick stuff and scouting for rub lines


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## Bigmonk96

I zero all my rifles @ 50yds. -- .270,25-06,308,30-06,7mm-08, and none have over 3" movement,within 200 yds. -- same can be said for the 100yd. zero**  -- I'm old and only take neck shots ( 5 inch target )  -- the boiler room shot is much bigger**-- can't see past 100yds so if he walks by at 200 yds,I never see him -- range time is your best friend ( trust your rifle & your eye ) -- good luck, Monk**

bullet drop chart**


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## Jester896

coolbreezeroho said:


> So shooting a 3030 with a 150 grain If I'm one inch high at 50 yards I will be about dead on at a 100 yard ? This is using a peep sight.



you would still need to prove that I think.  Running 2390fps federal 150gr loads .1 @ 50, zero @ 100, & 2.2 at 150 according to their data


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## coolbreezeroho

Thanks Jester896...I will sight in for 50 and see  what I can do at 100 on a target . Pretty sure 50 to 75 will be my limit.  Something about getting old makes these eyes not see as good.


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## Jester896

with your 1" at 50 you may be 1.5 high @ 100 and 0 at 150 using those same figures.
you would need to prove any of it "in your rifle"


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## 7Mag Hunter

1" high at 50 yds for me.....


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## GunnSmokeer

When I'm hunting in the woods where I expect a 50 yard shot, and where anything more than 100 yards is just IMPOSSIBLE because of all the bushes and shrubs and weeds and trees around me, I do zero my rifle (either .243 or .308) at 50 yards, dead-on. 

Such a zero on a .243 with 100 grain bullets gives me less than an inch of rise at 100-150 yards, then I get my second "zero" point at 160 yards.
At 200 yards, I'm only 1.5" low. Not enough to even bother holding-over for. I can't see 1.5 inches of movement of the crosshair at 200 yards anyway!

For the slower-moving .308 with a soft point round,  my 50 yard zero also gets me a second zero at 130 yards, and at 200 I'll be 3.25" inches low. That's just barely enough to notice and attempt to compensate for, but if you forget and just aim dead-on, hitting 3 and 1/4 inches below the crosshairs will still bag your game.

(All calculations from gundata.org).


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