.308 rifle ballistics and deer hunting....

canoeguy · May 3, 2009

Took my lightweight Remington .308 out yesterday to sight it in properly. When I bought it a couple of months ago, I had it pretty close to zero, but wanted better. Only had to move point of impact 2" right to get it centered but left the elevation 2" high, thinking I could still hold center on a deer size target and hit at longer distance.

My question is, if a scoped .308 rifle shooting a 150 grain bullet, at what point does the bullet drop to the aiming point? How far could you expect to hold the crosshairs on a deers boiler room and get a killing shot?

By the way, it was fun shooting that rifle. Once I got the windage sorted out, I was slaying some clay birds at 100 yards, just held underneath them. For a lightweight rifle (6.5 pounds with scope), it seems quite accurate.

s&wchad · May 3, 2009

2" high at 100 yds should be very close to zero at 200 yds. Here's some data:

http://www.remington.com/produ...data=PRC308WA*R308W1

canoeguy · May 3, 2009

S&WChad,

Thanks for the reply, looks like with the rifle sighted 2" high at 100 yards I could put the cross hairs on a deers chest from zero to 200 yards and have a killing shot.

The only deer I have shot so far was only 40 yards away, but I do have opportunitys to shoot in large fields near my home, so that is how I'll keep my rifle sighted.

A deer looks pretty small at 200 yards!

Gutpile Charlie · May 3, 2009

Canoeguy, without regard to the "particular" cartridge and bullet weight, all rifles that I have used for deer sized game hunting have been routinely zeroed at 1 1/2 to 2 inches high at 100 yards.

Years ago I "studied" all the tables, etc. but came to one conclusion, they are all pretty close when you are considering the same "class" of rifle.

A "center of chest" to "slightly higher" hold on deer sized game out to maybe 250 yards will bring them down everytime...if you do all the right stuff.

I guess what I'm saying is I zero them all to about 2 inches high, .308, .270, 243, 30-06, etc. and it accomplished the same goal.

Frank237 · May 3, 2009

I've routinely sighted 90% of my big game rifles to shoot 2" high at 100 yds for years. The only time I've used a different POI was for deep brush where 50 yds was the max range.

I would suggest checking where your particular rifle and ammo puts the slugs at 150, 200 and 250 yds. See how close YOUR data is to the data on the ballistic tables.

FN in MT

rburg · May 3, 2009

Originally posted by Frank237:
I would suggest checking where your particular rifle and ammo puts the slugs at 150, 200 and 250 yds. See how close YOUR data is to the data on the ballistic tables.

Best suggestion yet. Tables are fine and dandy, actual holes in paper are much better and a confidence builder.

Note: none of the bullet trajectories hold true for the faster magnums. When you get to the really fast 300s, you've got to test your load on paper. And when you can't hit the paper, its out of range for you/your gun/your load.

Smithfan · May 3, 2009

I routinely keep my .300 Sav and my '06 both sighted 2 to 2.5 inches high at 100 yards, which puts both rounds right into the boiler room of a deer sized animal out to around 225 yards. FWIW, that's about an eighth of a mile, give or take, and I am not about to try to shoot at anything further away than that.

From posts I've seen, a lot of folks here who are about the same age and have the same practical experience in these cases, would seem to agree: 2 to 2.5 inches at 100 yards is a very practical way to sigth in.

Bill

rp85 · May 3, 2009

visit -> http://www.biggameinfo.com/BalCalc.aspx

Ron H. · May 3, 2009

Sir, with a .308 sighted 2 inches high at 100 yards, point of aim and point of impact will coincide at 200 yards, give or take a little. You'll be about 9 inches low at 300 yards.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

jkc · May 3, 2009

A deer looks pretty small at 200 yards!

It's all relative, I guess. Out here in the wide open spaces, 200 yards would be considered a not terribly long shot, 300 yards demanding, 400 stretching the capability of most sporting weight rifles and the optics they wear, not to mention the capabilities of most shooters. But many Coues whitetail hunters sort of expect shots at ranges to 400 yards, and are prepared and capable to take them.

I began deer hunting in northern Michigan, where a shot across a cleared south forty (440 yards) would have been unthinkable with typical equipment, i.e., an ironsighted .30-30 levergun. Time, place, and circumstances present different challenges...

canoeguy · May 4, 2009

Lots of good info, thanks for your replys. I know several folks who live around here that havea lots of acreage, one guy has a 2500'
grass strip airfield!

I'll check the rifle out to se what I can do with it at 200 yards...

.308 rifle ballistics and deer hunting....

canoeguy

US Veteran

s&wchad

Administrator

canoeguy

US Veteran

Gutpile Charlie

US Veteran

Frank237

Absent Comrade

rburg

Member

Smithfan

Member

rp85

Member

Ron H.

US Veteran

jkc

Member

canoeguy

US Veteran

Similar threads

Latest posts