Hunting sight-in

[Ace-Man]

I'm torn between sighting the rifle in at 50 yards or 100. What I mean is a correct dead-on sight picture through the sights and on target. I'm pushing patched roundballs out of a .45 or .50. Whats the drop or correction of a round ball between 50 and a 100. We're talking about 1700 fps at the muzzle?

 

[JJB22]

Well first of all let me just say that all rifles are different--- now that is out of the way. I have a 45 cal and mine shoots the same at fifty as it does at 100 if I do my part. I have the simple buckhorn rear and blade front so the target looks bigger at 50 of course so I aim at the center. At 100 the spot is there and the sights are covering the target more so if I hit it, I am happy.(I am talking about a four inch circle) My 45 shoots about the same fps as you mentioned and I would say my rifle might be 2 inches low at 100 but like I said the sight picture is different for me. I have played with the powder charges and it does not seem to change the point of aim. Again this is my experience with my 45 cal. I am sure others that have a ton more experience will chime in soon. Good shooting. :wink:

 

[jethro224]

Sight in for dead-on at 75 yards. You should be just a bit high at 50 and a bit low at 100. The sights should never have to be off the vitals. Of course you still have to actually shoot at the various ranges to find out for sure where your gun shoots with your load.

 

[musketman]

Sight in for dead-on at 75 yards. You should be just a bit high at 50 and a bit low at 100.

I agree, that's what I would do. :thumbsup:

 

[nchawkeye]

With my .54 and 80grs of FFF Geox I'm an inch and a half high at 50 and about an inch and a half low at 100...

With my .40 and 25grs of FFF Goex I'm dead on at 25 which is about as far as I can see a squirrel's head anymore...

 

[longcruise]

Given the parameters you specify, they will both shoot so much alike that it would probably take a machine rest and perfect range conditions to see the difference on target.

Ask yourself what is the most likely maximum distance you will shoot and sight in dead on for that distance. Then select a few shorter distances and shoot for comparison of point of impact.

If you max your shots at 100 yards and sight in dead on for that distance, you will not be more than about 2.75 inch high at any point in between for either caliber. As has been said, for big game, that degree of variation will allow you a dead center hold on the vitals ant any range out to 100.

The reason I suggest dead on at your max range is because an error in range estimation of 10 or 15 yards (110 or 115 yards) will not have you shooting too low. You will still be within that 2.75 inch high or low window. That would give you what is typically called a 5.5 in point blank range of about 115 yards.

Just my opinion here now. You and your rifle have a *real life* point blank range that only you can determine by shooting from field positions under field conditions. IOW, if your best field position/conditions group at 100 yards is 6 inches, then you have to add the 2.75 inch variation up or down to your six inch group. that means that you are shooting with a 11.5 inch Point blank group at 115 yards. That extra six inches takes into account how you and your gun are likely to shoot when it's a deer, bear, antelope, etc. that you take a bead on.

That's why you will see many experienced hunters and shooters on this forum say they just won't take a shot on big game at over xx distance. XX often being 50 to 75 yards.

 

[catman]

I sight-in 2" high @ 50 yards this puts me right on @ 75 yards. Most shots are inside 65 yards in our thick woods max. We have a lot of wait a minute briers, they are tough.

 

[BrownBear]

75 yards with most guns for me.

 

[Dphar]

I'm torn between sighting the rifle in at 50 yards or 100. What I mean is a correct dead-on sight picture through the sights and on target. I'm pushing patched roundballs out of a .45 or .50. Whats the drop or correction of a round ball between 50 and a 100. We're talking about 1700 fps at the muzzle?

Hunting rifles are sighted differently than target rifles if best utility is to be had.
Sighting a rifle for 50 yards for hunting greatly reduces its point blank range. The distance over which a center hold can be used on game. This is why velocity is important in a hunting rifle. Its difficult to increase killing power of a RB by increasing velocity at the muzzle from 1500 to 1900 but the trajectory is much flatter.

There should be no correction for anything larger than a coyote to 100-120 with a load making 1700 or more from a 50 caliber IF its sighted for 110-120 yards. I would prefer 1800-1900 for a hunting load where I live.
Deer sized game only needs 4" plus or minus to provide a "point blank" trajectory. 50 caliber rifles with a respectable powder charges will do this to 115-120 yards.
45 should work almost as well but power is not as good of course.
Below is a 50 caliber RB at 1900 fps from a ballistics program. I am not sure the program is absolutely correct for RBs but its pretty close.

Dan

 

[luieb45]

What type of ground are you hunting? Are you hunting over a field or deep into the woods? If you're in the woods I would go for 50 yards but if you're in the field I'd go for 75 yards.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I'm sighted for my .50 and .54 with roundballs to be on at 85 yards. This gives me about on at 25 yards, 1-1/2" to 2" high at 50 yards and about 1" low at 100 yards - so I just hold slightly below center chest on a deer way out to as far as I can see the deer in the iron sights.

I've only ever gone past 100 yards once - that was on a buck that came in and beddded down and I had the change to use a good log rest in my ground blind.

 

[rabjr]

I keep records of every shot deer. How, when, why, whatever. If I just look at muzzleloader Harvests my average yardage is around 40 yards. Even if I add in all the modern shotgun and centerfire harvests, the average yardage is barely over 40 yards. So it really makes no sense for someone who can barely see 100 yards (me) to sight in for that. I used to sight in for 75 yards with open sights for a long time but for me this doesn't even make much sense anymore, when I rarely get a shot that far. So I sight in at 50 now, test where I am at 75 and I'm all set.

 

[Tom Compton]

Hi, Ace.

I hunt different terrain from South Texas to the Hill Country to East TExas piney woods. Most shots are 65 yards and under with the RB MLs. But there are places where 100 will not be out of the question so I sight in at 100 yards. I find it easier to hold 2 or 2.5" low than to have to cover up the vitals with the front sight and have to guess at 2.5" hold over.

TC

 

[necchi]

Ya know, you'll get alot of guy's telling about 2" groups at 100, and others worrying about holding high or low, or adjusting aim or powder charge for different distance. There are alot of really good shooters with really good guns out there too.
All hoowey aside, it's not that complicated. The kill zone,(heart/lung area aka; boiler room) on a deer is quite large.
If you can hit an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper at 100 yards, off a bench, using open sights, consistantly, anywhere on that paper,your fine. I blacken an 1 1/2" circle in the center of printer paper,,stands out real well at 100.
You won't have to worry about any adjustment to your hold. Just remember to aim at the deers heart, not the deer in general.
That's the key element, putting that shot where it counts.
The adage; "Aim small: Miss small"
means something. :wink:

 

[smokehouseman]

Very well said :bow: .

 

[longcruise]

If you can hit an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper at 100 yards, off a bench, using open sights, consistantly, anywhere on that paper,your fine

Yes, just remember to take your bench with you.

 

[necchi]

:grin: :haha: Some folks do hunt from stands.
My point was, if thats best one can shoot at that range, sobeit, that same piece of paper moved closer will show tighter groups on it. And an 8 1/2" x 11 kill zone, closer, will be a bigger looking target, and still be hit with the gun sighted at 100, without too much to think about. If your on that paper, your in the vitals.

The gun is just a tool, that is usually used at the end of the "hunt".
If my gun is sighted at 100, and game comes out at 25-50-75,,I'm still going to aim at the heart from one angle or another.
I've never been presented with a texas heart shot. But I know where to aim if I have too,

 

[rabjr]

I've never been presented with a texas heart shot. But I know where to aim if I have too,

Me too, that's where I wave bye bye and say they'll be another day.

 

[longcruise]

Some folks do hunt from stands.
My point was, if thats best one can shoot at that range, sobeit, that same piece of paper moved closer will show tighter groups on it. And an 8 1/2" x 11 kill zone, closer, will be a bigger looking target, and still be hit with the gun sighted at 100, without too much to think about. If your on that paper, your in the vitals.

Oh, I understand, just could not resist that bench remark. :haha:

Wish these rocky mountain animals would be more cooperative with a stand hunter. I'm getting too old to climb these hills the way I used to.

 

[longcruise]

Me too, that's where I wave bye bye and say they'll be another day.

I field dressed a deer that my wife killed with a texas heart shot. Messy enough to convince me to not take that shot. :shocked2: