I added another AR to the gunsafe, Dam me but it was looking kinda empty.

I wanted this one to be a little more of a intermediate range and target ID gun and put a Leupold Patrol 1-4 on it (which I love) and am wondering for the guys with these type scopes what range do you zero it at and why?

I have my other M&P 15 with a EOTECH set at 50 due to its a close to 150-200 gun. But this gun will be a be all purpose gun, close to distance 300 or so max.

IIRC a approximately 30 yd zero........is on at 30yds and 200yds and + or - 2inches from 20-250 yds.

3inches low at the muzzle..........................

50yd zero will keep the bullet path within 2in above and below line of sight out to 250yds and then about 4in low at 300yd.

I go with 250 secondary zero on mine. That gives me minute-of-center-of-mass from zero to 300, maybe a tad more on a good day.

Google "Zen of the 100 Meter Zero" and read that article (it's on another site, so I don't want to post a direct link).

This made me rethink the common 50m/200m zero.

I didn't read the entire thing, just skimmed it... however this jumped out at me...

"Iron Sights.
When it comes to irons I prefer to zero 2 inches high at 100 meters."

So essentially, he ends up using the 50 yard zero, as 2 inches high at 100 meters (109 yards) is very close to the same trajectory.

Not sure if you'll find this article to be of specific use but I found it an interesting read and the included table toward the end may prove helpful.

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642-1, M&P15 TS

And so the search for the magic zero continues....

With apologies to Bonnie Tyler...


"I need a zero
I'm holding out for a zero 'til the end of the night
It's gotta be strong
And it's gotta be fast
And it's gotta be fresh for the fight
I need a zero
I'm holding out for a zero 'til the morning light
It's gotta be sure
And it's gotta be soon
And it's gotta be larger than life"

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642-1, M&P15 TS

I was trying to figure out what the majority of folks here on the forum use for their AR's with the low power TAC style scopes attached. Sounds like its still the 50 or 100 argument for BUIS and red dots.

50 yard zero, don't overthink it.
Higher powered scopes just help you see the target better. They don't change bullet trajectory. All of my .223/5.56 ARs are 50 yard zeroed. Irons, red dot, magnified, whatever.
Worry more about being able to judge unknown distances.

My two AR-15's are zeroed at 50 yards because that's all I have been able to get done. When our winds die down I will zero them at 100 yards. I don't think there is anything magic about the 100 yards zero it's just the distance I zero all my rifles.

I zero at the longest distance at which I will normally shoot. For my AR, that is 200 yards. I occasionally shoot it at 250 and 300 yards, but not often. I prefer to hold low at shorter distances (than my zero distance), rather than zeroing at say, 100 yards, then holding high for distances beyond that.

Of course, if a rifle is zeroed for X yards.....and this distance happens to correspond to a zero at the longest normal shooting distance also .....then it works out the same.

What's there to argue?

Unless a magnified scope has a ballistics bullet drop reticle then the zero isn't dictated any differently than with a 1x red dot or irons. And if the scope has a bullet drop reticle then the scope instructions should indicate the correct zero to use.

So since you're asking then of course you'd get the same answers as folks use with their red dots and irons. Simply because an aiming device has magnification doesn't change how the bullet travels in relation to line of sight from 0-300yds as you're indicating the rifle will be used. It's not a like a guy with an EOTech and 3x magnifier is necessarily going use a different zero from 0-300 than a shooter without a magnifier. Same for your Leupold 1-4x vs 1x Aimpoint or MBUS.

If you've got a chronograph so you'll know what's actually coming out the muzzle of your rifle and have a range that allows you to move targets to any specific distance, then you can pick a more exact zero that best fits. Otherwise.... pick one and run with it.


Typical factory 62gr

50yd


100yd


-----------
Typical factory 55gr

50yd


100yd

If I had a fixed POA sight, I would choose 50yd and fine-tune at 200m.
On the two main "woods rifles" I use, one has a ranging optic and one has irons:


The optic sight in the picture has a reticle that is ranged for M855 and M193 (M193 ammo should get 1-click up on the elevation turret):


The rear sight on the A2 peep is altered so I can go two clicks under the 8/3 drum marking and I set the POI at this setting at 50yd/200m. With this modification, the original 300-800m markings can still be used for those distances. -2 clicks is where this one stays unless I'm shooting at something farther than 200m.

Been following this thread... off and on......

Question I don't remember being asked.....what are you going to be using the rifle for?..... Home defense, SHTF,TEOTWAWKI, shooting Coyotes at 50-150 yds , Ground hogs or ground squirrels at 250yds.

Size of target and anticipated distances are important considerations;

I don't think I could justify shooting a bugler at 100+ yds. so I might not want to be shooting 2.4" low at 5yds.

I don't think I'll be shooting little ground squirrels at less than 100yds and out to maybe 250-300....so maybe I should sight in at 200.

In my area of Pa. Coyotes and ground hogs are mostly 50-100/125yd targets. So maybe I'll sight in at 100yds.......making poi -.25"at 50 and - .75" at 150yds.

The OP stated.... "this gun will be a be all purpose gun, close to distance 300 or so max"

Once you've picked a theatre of operation 0-300, whether it's coyotes or steel or zombies is of little matter to selecting the zero.

Those buglers get no respect, I'm tellin' ya.
(Just havin' a little fun, BAM-BAM. )

I purchased my rifle for recreation and home defense. The 100 yard zero would, according to the chart I referenced in an earlier post, result in a holdover of about of about 2.5" at 5 yards, an inch and a half at 25 yards.

But, since the line of sight and property lines on my small 1+ acre patch are all within about a hundred yards, I would at least be zeroed in when the zombie apocalypse or a meth-riddled horde invaded my property.

Any POA on center of mass is going to hit in an acceptable area of the torso from near to far.

At least, that's how I see it using my Magpul BUIS. If my reasoning is wrong, please chime in and set me straight.

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642-1, M&P15 TS

You can't hunt with a semi in Pennsylvania....so ARs are range (our club has 50 & 100yd ranges) and "defense" use.......I can't see much use outside of 100yds even in a SHTF.......maybe TEOTWAWKI.......but I've read that most combat is urban and at less than 100yds.

JMHO.......... maybe I could have said it better........

I would zero to maximize the gun's usefulness for what type of shooting I would be doing most.......if most, say 90%;of my shooting will be for small/tiny groups on paper at 100yd range or ground squirrels at 200 yds....I would zero at those ranges.

the gun is still GTG for rare larger targets like Coyotes or a SHTF that may never happen.

Why should they ...not quite TEOTWAWKI.... but .... they can ruin your whole day!!!!!

Right now a bugler would be preferable to what is going on a hundred yards away. (New neighbor/friend bought 20 available acres and he's either tearing down or rebuilding a greenhouse on the property I can't quite see through the trees and foliage.

I think I may have found my zero distance.

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642-1, M&P15 TS

Well yeah..... If the OP said that he was going to use the rifle for precision paper punching exclusively at 100yds there would be no question where to zero, he'd already have answered his own question. But what he said was general use 0-300.

This stuff is far simpler than folks sometimes make it out to be.

A man can always use another friend.......walk over and see..... if he tearing it down ask to throw a rock through a window...... it's on my 'bucket list".

We'd already become friends during the time he was having the property surveyed. He's an outdoorsman and avid shooter, spends time in western Montana yearly, (to backpack with his sons, not to hunt), and is a builder to boot. His wife runs a hair salon in town.

Seem to be good folks so far. I've already told 'em if he doesn't toe the line I've got a line of sight from my deck to the old house on the property he is going to live in until they build a new one at some point.

(Oh, and I've broken plenty of windows in my time. Not always for the best of reasons. )

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642-1, M&P15 TS

That's for the input, guys. I think for my probable range the 50 yard would still work for me. I will verify the far zero though. Didn't mean to cause consternation. Next time I will keep to something simple and without too many conflicts, like which is better .45 or 9MM

.40!!!!!!!!

Caj....... resurrection of an old thread.

Found a note in my workshop over the weekend......with the Zerro I was trying to discribe in post 2 above.........

A 37 yd zero put all shots within a a 4" circle out to about 270 yds...... poi is low at 25 and 250 yds and high at 100 and 200.


100 yd poi + 2.6"
160 yds poi +3"
200 yds poi +2"

+ poa/poi 37yds and 230 yds

25 yds poi -1"

250 yds poi -1"

Good video on AR 15 Zero's

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Thank You
Wayne