Best distance to zero a .243?

[maroonandwhite]

Looking on Remington's website they list zeroing their core lokts (what I shoot) at 150 for short trajectory and 200 for long. Right now I have only shot mine at 50 yds and set it for .5" high which should be roughly zeroed at 200.  Anyone have any different recommendations on this load/caliber combo? Are these ballistics charts normally pretty accurate? I am shooting a Remington 700 if that matters.

 

Also I will mainly be using it for hunting but leaned more towards the longer tracjectory zeroing so I can play around and try to get hits out to 400 yds. 500 would be tough at -44" haha.

[jphillips63]

I setup all my rifles to shoot 1.5" high at 100 yards

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[maroonandwhite]

That would be close to zero at 200 based on that chart. I realize I am probably splitting hairs with getting it exact but I am kind of new to the rifle ballgame and am just collecting as much info as I can. Thanks!

[maroonandwhite]

Here is an excerpt from another sight I just found. Makes pretty good sense that this setting would give you a good "range" of accurate shots without too much over or under aiming but see what you guys think. 

 

 

 

So, the simple answer is that with a 50 yard zero you will be good out to about 230 yards. This is not optimal for that cartridge or bullet however. I would sight in about 1.1 inches high at 50 yards or better yet, move out to 100 and try for 2.6 inches high, or even better yet, move to 200 yards and try for 2.0 inches high. That would put you on this table for the Remington Core-Lok: 
Calculated Table 
Range Drop Drop Windage Windage Velocity Mach Energy Time Lead Lead 
(yds) (in) (moa) (in) (moa) (ft/s) (none) (ft•lbs) (s) (in) (moa) 
0 -1.5 *** 0.0 *** 2968.8 2.659 1956.7 0.000 0.0 *** 
25 -0.1 -0.3 0.0 0.2 2903.4 2.601 1871.5 0.026 4.5 17.2 
50 1.1 2.1 0.2 0.4 2839.1 2.543 1789.5 0.052 9.1 17.4 
75 2.0 2.6 0.5 0.6 2775.7 2.486 1710.4 0.078 13.8 17.6 
100 2.6 2.5 0.8 0.8 2713.2 2.430 1634.3 0.106 18.6 17.8 
125 2.9 2.3 1.3 1.0 2651.5 2.375 1560.9 0.134 23.5 18.0 
150 3.0 1.9 1.9 1.2 2590.8 2.320 1490.1 0.162 28.6 18.2 
175 2.7 1.5 2.6 1.4 2530.8 2.267 1421.9 0.192 33.7 18.4 
200 2.0 1.0 3.4 1.6 2471.6 2.214 1356.2 0.222 39.0 18.6 
225 1.0 0.4 4.4 1.9 2413.3 2.162 1292.9 0.252 44.4 18.8 
250 -0.4 -0.1 5.5 2.1 2355.7 2.110 1232.0 0.284 49.9 19.1 
275 -2.1 -0.7 6.7 2.3 2298.9 2.059 1173.2 0.316 55.6 19.3 
300 -4.3 -1.4 8.1 2.6 2242.8 2.009 1116.7 0.349 61.4 19.6 
325 -6.9 -2.0 9.6 2.8 2187.5 1.959 1062.3 0.383 67.4 19.8 
350 -10.0 -2.7 11.2 3.1 2132.9 1.910 1010.0 0.418 73.5 20.1 
375 -13.5 -3.4 13.1 3.3 2079.1 1.862 959.7 0.453 79.8 20.3 
400 -17.6 -4.2 15.1 3.6 2026.1 1.815 911.4 0.490 86.2 20.6 
425 -22.1 -5.0 17.2 3.9 1974.0 1.768 865.1 0.527 92.8 20.8 
450 -27.3 -5.8 19.5 4.1 1922.6 1.722 820.6 0.566 99.6 21.1 
475 -33.0 -6.6 22.0 4.4 1872.1 1.677 778.1 0.605 106.5 21.4 
500 -39.3 -7.5 24.7 4.7 1822.5 1.632 737.4 0.646 113.7 21.7 

Sighting in at the elevations I suggested would put you in a 6 inch kill zone out to about 285 yards. That is if my other assumptions about your gun are correct. I am confident that out to 300 yards my assumptions are close enough. 

[Jonnin]

You zero your gun at the range you shoot it at the most unless it is for hunting.  If it is for hunting, you zero it at the range you expect, which is probably 100 yards or so around here (?) maybe even 75 to allow for a decent shot at 50-100 with minimal adjustments.    If you just play at the range, zero it at the 50 that you shoot at! 

 

Most of my guns are range toys and most are sighted in at stupidly short ranges for their capability --- my long range rifles are still only set to be decent at 100 - 200 since that is all the range I have.   Even if my 308 could tag something a mile out, I don't have a mile long range :(

 

I know you said you would like to play at a longer distance, but that falls into the hunting category --- if you plan to shoot it at 300-400, zero it at 350.   Basically, I am just saying that if you know how far you want to shoot at, zero it at halfway between the estimated min and max and then use your mildots or whatever you have for the longer/shorter shots.

 

 

The charts are ballpark --- every rifle and every load is a little different.   Barrel length, exact twist rate, velocity --- its a huge multivariable equation so the best you get from charts will be usable but not exact.  Software will get you closer IF you know more of the variables (exact velocity and bullet weight alone will really help a ton).   You probably know this but the box velocity on ammo is not good enough either, you need to actually measure it if you really, really want to know.

Edited October 9, 2013 by Jonnin

[maroonandwhite]

Yeah after reading up more on it I am not sure it matters for what I am doing. I think I will leave it alone for now. I should be able to pretty much hold right on out to 250 and make a good hit. That will keep it simple for the wife too. I had forgotten about her shooting it!

 

Any longer that that and it just become a guessing game. I'll wait for a bigger caliber for those long shots haha.

[Jonnin]

243 is QUITE capable out to 1k yards, maybe farther but at LEAST that much.   You do not need anything bigger unless you plan on getting very, very serious about it.   Not sure what bullet weight is optimal for the longer range shots, but it certainly can do them and many a hunter has taken game at 500 + yards with the caliber.

Edited October 9, 2013 by Jonnin

[maroonandwhite]

Wow I didn't realize it was that capable. Probably not in my hands. I have some possible plans of getting a Boyd's stock and a nice scope on it soon. I'll probably wait until after hunting season.

[KahrMan]

Yeah after reading up more on it I am not sure it matters for what I am doing. I think I will leave it alone for now. I should be able to pretty much hold right on out to 250 and make a good hit. That will keep it simple for the wife too. I had forgotten about her shooting it!

 

Any longer that that and it just become a guessing game. I'll wait for a bigger caliber for those long shots haha.

For hunting purposes you are thinking correct.  For a deer I like to think of a kill area being a 6" circle.  I always sight my rifles in for a point blank range of 250-300yards.  Meaning I do not have to change my hold to hit in the 6" circle.  For you, that means your trajectory can not being any higher of lower than 3" inches.  So going by that chart above, if you sight in at 1.1" high at 50yards your point blank range is just under 300 yards.  That is a good set up for these parts.

Edited October 9, 2013 by KahrMan

[RED333]

You zero your gun at the range you shoot it at the most unless it is for hunting.  If it is for hunting, you zero it at the range you expect, which is probably 100 yards or so around here (?) maybe even 75 to allow for a decent shot at 50-100 with minimal adjustments.    If you just play at the range, zero it at the 50 that you shoot at! 

 

Most of my guns are range toys and most are sighted in at stupidly short ranges for their capability --- my long range rifles are still only set to be decent at 100 - 200 since that is all the range I have.   Even if my 308 could tag something a mile out, I don't have a mile long range :(

 

I know you said you would like to play at a longer distance, but that falls into the hunting category --- if you plan to shoot it at 300-400, zero it at 350.   Basically, I am just saying that if you know how far you want to shoot at, zero it at halfway between the estimated min and max and then use your mildots or whatever you have for the longer/shorter shots.

 

 

The charts are ballpark --- every rifle and every load is a little different.   Barrel length, exact twist rate, velocity --- its a huge multivariable equation so the best you get from charts will be usable but not exact.  Software will get you closer IF you know more of the variables (exact velocity and bullet weight alone will really help a ton).   You probably know this but the box velocity on ammo is not good enough either, you need to actually measure it if you really, really want to know.

The very way I think, where are you going to get a shot and make a clean kill at longer distances.

All mine are zero at 100 yards.

[MarMxCoach]

Not to state the obvious, but a round rises, then falls. There are many variables, but on average, it's safe to say a .243 peaks at 100 yards. Then starts falling.. around 200 yards it's around 2.5 inches low, and at 300 yards, it's around 10 inches low. Of you zero at 100 yards, your range of arm accurate group will fall too far below your zero to be consistent. If you zero closer.. say 25 yards, the round will go higher and further along your zero line giving you a calculated elevation difference up closer to 300 yards. Who wants to aim 10 inches high at 300 yards. Unless you want to run towards or away from the target to make sure it's 100 yards away... zero in ther prone at 25 yards.. at least a 3 shot group... adjust until zero. Then set up a target every 50 yards and shoot a 5 shot group to tell the trajectory. And write down the inches in difference. Using a range finder, get used to how far targets are by judging with your eyes. This is for hunting.. anything.

Every weapon varies slightly.. know yours. 

USMC Rifle Master and Marksman Coach. 

[10-Ring]

It's personal preference.  I'm not familiar with 243 trajectories.  I use a 270 for long range work.  I use a 200 yard zero, that puts me a hair high at 100.  It becomes an advantage at 300.  At 300 in going to be about 3 inches low.  With a 100 yard zero in going to be 8 inches low at 300.  So, theoretically, I'm in the kill going anywhere up to 300 yards by placing the crosshairs at the center of the kill zone.  If I want to hold over a little it's easier to estimate 3 inches than 8.  If I forget to hold over I should still have a dead deer.  This is what works for me YMMV.

Study your trajectories and put it on paper.