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Hunting >> Hunting in Africa & hunting dangerous game

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bigmaxx
.375 member

Reged: 13/06/07
Posts: 660
Loc: Bowling Green KY U.S.A.

Sight in distance for dangerous game rifle
#105840 - 22/05/08 11:54 AM

I have been shooting my Ruger M77 magnum in .458 lott today, and sighted it in at 50 yards for now. It is cutting holes at that range. I have a Leupold 1.5-5X20 VXIII mounted on it in Warne QD rings. I am using Hornady dangerous game 500 grain solids. I would like to know what range to keep the rifles zeroed. I intend to shoot at various ranges out to 100 yards, but now sure where to leave it set. May be a dumb question but i'm not sure. BTW I zeroed from a Lead Sled. I have been shooting open sights up to now offhand and from sticks.

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One day at a time...

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ozhunter
.400 member

Reged: 18/08/04
Posts: 1692
Loc: Sydney, Australia

Re: Sight in distance for dangerous game rifle [Re: bigmaxx]
#105853 - 22/05/08 06:42 PM

I would zero at 50m and see where it is at 5m and 100m for big game.

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bigmaxx
.375 member

Reged: 13/06/07
Posts: 660
Loc: Bowling Green KY U.S.A.

Re: Sight in distance for dangerous game rifle [Re: ozhunter]
#105856 - 22/05/08 07:58 PM

Quote:

I would zero at 50m and see where it is at 5m and 100m for big game.

To get it on paper i began at 25 yards. It was 1" low at 25, and dead on at 50 yards. The open sights are about 2-3 inches low at 25 yards and about an inch low at 50 yards. I will take it out to 75 and 100 next session.

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One day at a time...

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Marrakai
.416 member

Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3592
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia

Re: Sight in distance for dangerous game rifle [Re: bigmaxx]
#105914 - 23/05/08 01:39 PM

Just for fun, I like to test sighting disances in a ballistics soft-ware package like 'Point-Blank'. I choose a mid-range trajectory height about equal to the height of sights above bore centreline, and see what zero is required to achieve it. Usually for the big-bores and open sights, using a 3/4 to 1" mid-range height, zero is at 60 to 70 yds. For a scoped rifle with 1 1/2" midrange height, it might be out towards 100 yds or just past.

In practice, though, the bench to target-frame distance at the local range has the greatest influence on sight zero for most of us!

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Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
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www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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Schamankungulo
.300 member

Reged: 21/04/07
Posts: 115
Loc: Southeastern USA

Re: Sight in distance for dangerous game rifle [Re: Marrakai]
#106014 - 25/05/08 06:22 AM

somewhere between 60-75 yds werks in my Lott , you're with an 1"~ or less of poa out to 110 yards or so ..

at least that is what my Lott is doing ..

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McLarenSafaris
.224 member

Reged: 24/03/05
Posts: 42
Loc: Soutpan, Free State, South Afr...

Re: Sight in distance for dangerous game rifle [Re: bigmaxx]
#106036 - 25/05/08 05:03 PM

Quote:

Quote:

I would zero at 50m and see where it is at 5m and 100m for big game.

The really important distance is the 5m one. This is also the distance at which you never want to shoot, but if you have to shoot at that distance, you want to be very sure to not make a mistake as you will not get in another shot!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

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bigmaxx
.375 member

Reged: 13/06/07
Posts: 660
Loc: Bowling Green KY U.S.A.

Re: Sight in distance for dangerous game rifle [Re: McLarenSafaris]
#106061 - 26/05/08 03:45 AM

I think the 50 yard zero i have now will be fine for what I want to do. After talking with a few people who have told me the vegetation in the area I am going, Chewore and Nykasanga, is very dense I believe what i have is good. Now I just need to shoot, shoot, shoot!

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One day at a time...

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albertan
.333 member

Reged: 13/06/06
Posts: 432
Loc: Alberta, Canada

Re: Sight in distance for dangerous game rifle [Re: bigmaxx]
#106112 - 26/05/08 02:04 PM

My drill with my .458 Winchester was to shoot 2-3 shots off a rest at a 100 yard target, then run to the 100 yard backstop and back, then do 2 shots at a 50 yard target from a position or braced up against something, then I would do 2 quick shots at a 25 yard target standing, unsupported. I screwed up the 25 yard standing shot the most. The purpose of this drill was to learn to shoot this big bore when the blood was pumping. The result: a 1 shot kill on a Cape buffalo.

The last bit of my regimine occurred in March in central Alberta. I was ready for that 18 inches of Zimbabwean snow. I had heard that it was much heavier than Canadian snow.

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shakari
.400 member

Reged: 09/02/03
Posts: 1107
Loc: South Africa

Re: Sight in distance for dangerous game rifle [Re: albertan]
#106124 - 26/05/08 06:07 PM

I'd recommend leaving it where it is and then if necessary, change it when you get here...........

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Steve "Shakari" Robinson
Kuduland Safaris (Africa) Ltd
info@kuduland.com
www.kuduland.com

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Tatume
.400 member

Reged: 09/06/07
Posts: 1091
Loc: Gloucester, Va USA

Re: Sight in distance for dangerous game rifle [Re: shakari]
#106133 - 26/05/08 09:27 PM

I think a 50-yard zero is probably not optimal. Consider the ballistics of the bullet you're using. For example, the Hornady 500 gr 458 RN at 2050 fps gives these results, rounded to the nearest whole inch (who cares closer than that?):

25 0
50 +1
75 +1
100 0
125 -1

Based on these numbers, my 458 Win Mag is sighted in one inch high at 50 yards. I'm confident shooting it to more than 100 yards.

Many people complain that predictive ballistics are useless, but I disagree. Calculated trajectories often fail to coincide with shots fired for "ground truthing," but not by that terribly much. The predicted trajectory gives you a place to start, to be followed by many shots fired in practice and confirmation.

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9.3x57
.450 member

Reged: 22/04/07
Posts: 5521
Loc: United States

Re: Sight in distance for dangerous game rifle [Re: shakari]
#106136 - 26/05/08 10:33 PM

Quote:

I'd recommend leaving it where it is and then if necessary, change it when you get here...........

Just curious, what does the "if necessary" part mean here?

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What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

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bigmaxx
.375 member

Reged: 13/06/07
Posts: 660
Loc: Bowling Green KY U.S.A.

Re: Sight in distance for dangerous game rifle [Re: Tatume]
#106146 - 27/05/08 01:59 AM

Quote:

I think a 50-yard zero is probably not optimal. Consider the ballistics of the bullet you're using. For example, the Hornady 500 gr 458 RN at 2050 fps gives these results, rounded to the nearest whole inch (who cares closer than that?):

25 0
50 +1
75 +1
100 0
125 -1

Based on these numbers, my 458 Win Mag is sighted in one inch high at 50 yards. I'm confident shooting it to more than 100 yards.

Many people complain that predictive ballistics are useless, but I disagree. Calculated trajectories often fail to coincide with shots fired for "ground truthing," but not by that terribly much. The predicted trajectory gives you a place to start, to be followed by many shots fired in practice and confirmation.

Well if that's the case it seems irrelevant what distance the rifle is bench zeroed within the 25 - 100 yard range. Only an inch difference in point of impact shouldn't matter. The lott is a tad flatter shooting. Bullet diameter is near half an inch! Sounds like its time for alot of practice and some unorthodox skills to be aquired, as in the shooting drill previously described. Good idea BTW. I think I can run fifty or so yards. I suppose i should carry the rifle, right?

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One day at a time...

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Tatume
.400 member

Reged: 09/06/07
Posts: 1091
Loc: Gloucester, Va USA

Re: Sight in distance for dangerous game rifle [Re: bigmaxx]
#106148 - 27/05/08 02:49 AM

Quote:

Well if that's the case it seems irrelevant what distance the rifle is bench zeroed within the 25 - 100 yard range. Only an inch difference in point of impact shouldn't matter.

That's not far off the mark (pun intended). If the same rifle is sighted in at 50 yards it will be about an inch low at 100, and about two inches low at 125.

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9.3x57
.450 member

Reged: 22/04/07
Posts: 5521
Loc: United States

Re: Sight in distance for dangerous game rifle [Re: albertan]
#106150 - 27/05/08 03:24 AM

Quote:

My drill with my .458 Winchester was to shoot 2-3 shots off a rest at a 100 yard target, then run to the 100 yard backstop and back, then do 2 shots at a 50 yard target from a position or braced up against something, then I would do 2 quick shots at a 25 yard target standing, unsupported. I screwed up the 25 yard standing shot the most. The purpose of this drill was to learn to shoot this big bore when the blood was pumping. The result: a 1 shot kill on a Cape buffalo.

It is this sort of "gaming" {skill-building} with the rifle that will trump small variations in bench zeroing every time.

Bravo, Albertan!

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What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

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