Point Blank Zone

[Arin]

Anyone use this method? If you don't know what it is(havent read newest OU):
You sight your gun in so that if you put crosshairs in the middle of vitals of a whitetail(10") it will hit the vitals out to a certain distance. It took me a while to grasp this, but here's an example:
30-30 Win., Win. 150gr Silvertip
Sight it in at 4.7" up at 100yds
With crosshairs centered it will hit vitals out to 260yds. This obviously eliminates any distance guessing and such, unless you plan on shooting beyond 260 yds:lol:
I'm PROBABLY not the best at explaining this, but if you want the whole article go get the November issue of OutdoorLife. It has a chart of quite a few loads and how to sight them in and such to get your 'PBZ'. To figure this out for other loads youre going to probably have to get the ballistic charts out. I'm going to see about getting a picture of the chart and posting it(unless someone else can).

[Foreveryoung001]

It all comes down to how comfortable you are with what round you are shooting, and what ranges you expect to shoot. I shoot a 7mm rem mag, because it is a very flat shooter, and at 2" high at 100 yards, I am comfortable out to 320-350... but that's at the range. The longest I've ever shot a deer was about 230, but even then the conditions were just about perfect. I've had opportunities for longer shots, but at that distance, the possibility of a wounding shot is to great. Most of my deer have been at 80 yards or less. Know your weapon, know your loads, and know your skills. Then sight it in where you are comfortable.

[john warren]

never shot anyhing at those distances but i know what your talking about. it works fine. where will you aim at a buck 20 yards from you?

i shoot my shot gun with slugs and pretty much just put the bead where i want it to hit and down goes the deer.

[Arin]

It doesnt only work out to the 260yds.. It's suppose to work so that you can hit a 10" vital area at any range up to 260yds(for 30-30 150gr silvertip). I'm just getting more confused:dizzy:

[Foreveryoung001]

It doesnt only work out to the 260yds.. It's suppose to work so that you can hit a 10" vital area at any range up to 260yds(for 30-30 150gr silvertip). I'm just getting more confused:dizzy:


To shoot out to 260+ yards, a bullet has to travel in an arc. The weaker the cartridge the more of an arc. A 30-30 is a nice deer caliber for Michigan, but it is not a very flat shooter... meaning you have to have more of an arc than some of the flater calibers, like a 270win. If you sight a 30-30 in 4.7" high at 100 yards, the arc of the shot will keep it within your kill zone up to 260 yards. With all of that being said, a 260 yard shot from a 30-30 can still be difficult. Because of the relative slowness of the round, wind can play a big factor in the flight. You might only be 5 or 6 inches low at 260 yards, but you may be 12 or 15 inches left or right of your intended target. Just because a gun "can" shoot that far, does not mean you "should" attempt to shoot an animal that far. That is why you need to know your gun, ammunition, and your own skills. Like I said earlier, it's fun for me to plink at the range out to 350 yards, but I know my own limitations. Where as I did take a deer at 230, there was no wind, I had a solid rest, and I am very familiar with my gun and the ammunition I shoot. Also, shooting at the range is one thing. When you sight in, you will have a solid bench, a good rest, and the time to line your shot up, and calmly practice. In the field, you might only have a few seconds to decide if he is a shooter, how far he is, get your gun up, sight him in, and squeeze the trigger. Without ideal conditions, I wouldn't be comfortable at anything over, maybe 150 yards. SO when you sight in, you need to decide for you and your hunting conditions what is going to be best. If you are hunting in some pretty heavy cover, you will most likely never have a shot over 50 yards, so why chance a high shot by sighting in high at 100. It woul dbe best to sight in with someone who has had some soid hunting or shooting experience. They will be able to help you determin the best set up for you, and the conditions you will be hunting in.

[Swamp Monster]

The caliber guide they give you in that article is for reference only. Do not, under any circumstances, try to kill big game at those ranges if you have not fired your weapon extensively at those ranges. The artcle is good, but I don't want people to think that making those shots is easy. And even though a 260 yard shot is possible with a .30-.30, I would bet money less than 1% of actual shooters can make it happen with your typical .30-.30. It workls as advertised though for the most part, but another important thing to understand is that every gun and every load is different. You gun may not produce the velocities that those loads did in their test gun etc. It's a reference point for starting out, it is not a guarantee.

Good point about the wind....factoring wind is a whole nother' ball game!


The good thing about this article...the graph showing line of site relative to the bore (barrel) angle and bullet drop is very good. Lots of people seem to think that a bullet rises from the muzzle of the gun after being shot and this is 100% false. Gravity starts pulling the bullet to earth immediately. This graph shows that perfectly, I applaud them, most don't show it as well as they have.

[flinch]

Know your skills is right. Most shooters have no business shooting a rifle past 75 yards, forget about 200+ yards. If you gave the average shot a scoped rifle and five rounds and told them to hit a pie plate off-hand at 100 yards, they would be lucky to hit it twice. 100 yards at a bench has nothing to do with the real world experience and all the variables in making an accurate shot.

[rzdrmh]

yes, sighting in for Maximum Point Blank Range(MPBR) is best for all hunting rifles. most guys cannot get past the idea of putting it exactly where you aim, and then aiming high or low to compensate. in my opinion, all hunting rifles should be sighted in for MPBR. same idea can go for a bow, although, on my compound, i do use multiple pins. i'm much better estimating 40 yards or less, than i am estimating 150 yards or more.

remember, maximum point blank range is determined by the size of the kill zone. the MPBR on my .223 for hunting primarily woodchucks is established on a 3" kill zone. the MPBR for my winchester model 94 30-30 is more like 215 yards, based on a 6" kill zone. (10" for a deer is far too big, IMO. i say far too big, because you don't want to be on the fringe of that MPBR. to keep your odds very high, shave some inches off the size of that kill zone - that should help account for wind, or poor shot, etc.). that keeps me no more than 3" high or 3" low. personally, i'd never take a 200 yard shot with that 30-30, not because its not capable, but because i don't practice at that distance. but i'm very confident out to 125-150 yards with it.

[Arin]

I also thought that 10" would be a little big and if I ever do this will shave some inches off, too. But, since I don't think I'll be taking any shots over 100yds(or very close at that) I don't think I'm going to try this right now. 30-30 only drops about an inch at 100yds, so I don't think this would benefit much for me at the moment. I'm sure I can use it sometime, though.

[Foreveryoung001]

I also thought that 10" would be a little big and if I ever do this will shave some inches off, too. But, since I don't think I'll be taking any shots over 100yds(or very close at that) I don't think I'm going to try this right now. 30-30 only drops about an inch at 100yds, so I don't think this would benefit much for me at the moment. I'm sure I can use it sometime, though.


It all depends on where you zero it. If you sero it in to drop an inch at 100 yards, it will drop an inch. Every gun with every round of ammunition is different. So get out there and practice with whatever ammo you will be using, and get to know your gun. A 100 yard zero is fine for a 30-30 in michigan, but don't assume that just because it is a 30-30 it is ready to go out and kill deer. Get it to the range and see where the bullets are going when you shoot. Then zero it in at the distance you would like. You should do that every year before you go out in the woods.

[Adam Waszak]

Ok what is the MPBR for a .300 Win Mag?


On another note, I do not think the 30-30 should ever be fired 260 yards at a deer.


AW

[skulldugary]

That MPBR article was in Outdoor Life this month.Seems like a lot of room for error to me.

[mparks]

All kinds of free ballistics calculators that will figure this sort of thing for you. PCB is my favorite.

[Swamp Monster]

That MPBR article was in Outdoor Life this month.Seems like a lot of room for error to me.

Skulldugary,
Your very right, there is a lot of room for error.
In theory, it does work well. Unfortunately most people can't hold groups, even with a solid rest from a bench. Telling someone to sight their rifle in 4.9" high at 100 yards is sometimes asking the impossible. One shot might be 3" high, the next 6" high and so on. Those that can't be consistant during site in, are certainly not going to be consistant in the field. Kind of stating the obvious I guess, but I know articles such as this one give those that don't practice far more info than they can ever use, yet they don't realize it. A few years of watching the range during public site in days has proven to me that only a small % of hunters have any business attempting a shot beyond 75-100 yards, regardless how effective the caliber may be. Sad but true based on my experience.

[fmsniper]

300 WM 180 Grn




Mpbr /Velocity/ Energy/ TOF/ Path/




Sight in at: 30 Yards

263 2427 2355 0.294 -2.48





Sight in at: 35 Yards

240 2470 2439 0.266 -2.45





Sight in at: 40 Yards

224 2500 2499 0.247 -2.46





Sight in at: 45 Yards

212 2522 2543 0.232 -2.44





Sight in at: 50 Yards

204 2538 2575 0.223 -2.47





Sight in at: 55 Yards

198 2549 2598 0.216 -2.49





Sight in at: 60 Yards

193 2559 2618 0.21 -2.47





Sight in at: 65 Yards

190 2565 2630 0.207 -2.48





Sight in at: 70 Yards

188 2568 2636 0.204 -2.49





Sight in at: 75 Yards

186 2572 2645 0.202 -2.46





Sight in at: 80 Yards

186 2572 2645 0.202 -2.49





Sight in at: 85 Yards

185 2574 2649 0.201 -2.45





Sight in at: 90 Yards

186 2572 2645 0.202 -2.48





Sight in at: 95 Yards

187 2570 2641 0.203 -2.49





Sight in at: 100 Yards

188 2568 2636 0.204 -2.48





Sight in at: 105 Yards

189 2567 2634 0.205 -2.46





Sight in at: 110 Yards

191 2563 2626 0.208 -2.47





Sight in at: 115 Yards

193 2559 2618 0.21 -2.48





Sight in at: 120 Yards

195 2555 2610 0.212 -2.47





Sight in at: 125 Yards

197 2551 2602 0.215 -2.45





Sight in at: 130 Yards

200 2545 2589 0.218 -2.48





Sight in at: 135 Yards

202 2542 2583 0.221 -2.44





Sight in at: 140 Yards

205 2536 2571 0.224 -2.46





Sight in at: 145 Yards

208 2530 2559 0.228 -2.46





Sight in at: 150 Yards

211 2524 2547 0.231 -2.46





Sight in at: 155 Yards

214 2519 2537 0.235 -2.45





Sight in at: 160 Yards

217 2513 2525 0.238 -2.44





Sight in at: 165 Yards

221 2505 2509 0.243 -2.48





Sight in at: 170 Yards

224 2500 2499 0.247 -2.46





Sight in at: 175 Yards

228 2492 2483 0.252 -2.49





Sight in at: 180 Yards

231 2487 2473 0.255 -2.46





Sight in at: 185 Yards

235 2479 2457 0.26 -2.48





Sight in at: 190 Yards

238 2473 2445 0.264 -2.44





Sight in at: 195 Yards

242 2466 2431 0.269 -2.46





Sight in at: 200 Yards

246 2459 2417 0.273 -2.48



to get by all of this get a good scope with a Bullet drop compensation reticle, like the Burris FFII

http://www.riflescopes.com/images/burris_ballisticplex_popup.jpg

[fmsniper]

here is a 270 140 Grain zeroed at 40 yards


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/FMSNIPER/d3a4bb34.jpg