Zero height for AR

mcseal2

New member
I have a couple AR's I hunt with and have been using a 1.5" high at 100 yard zero. It works well for me but I have to remember to hold a little low in the 150-175 yard range and a little high from 225 to 250. I'm used to it at this point from practice shooting the polymer ball targets I use.

I'm curious what others set their AR at? Mine are shooting 55gr bullets, the 20" gun at 2964fps and the 16" gun at 2750fps. Thanks in advance to those who reply.
 
1 to 1.25 inches high @ 100 no higher. Checked my zero recently I was over 2 niches high. Cost me a couple coyotes this last fall I am pretty sure.
 
Range Elevation Elevation Elevation Windage Windage Windage Time Energy Vel[x+y]
(yd) (in) (MOA) (MIL) (in) (MOA) (MIL) (s) (ft.lbf) (ft/s)
0 -1.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1073 2964
50 0.74 -1.42 -0.41 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.05 943 2779
100 1.85 -1.76 -0.51 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.11 827 2602
150 1.67 -1.06 -0.31 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.17 722 2431
200 0.02 -0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.23 628 2267
250 -3.33 1.27 0.37 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.30 543 2109
300 -8.63 2.75 0.80 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.37 468 1958
350 -16.21 4.42 1.29 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.45 402 1814
400 -26.43 6.31 1.84 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.54 344 1677
450 -39.76 8.43 2.45 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.63 293 1549
500 -56.71 10.83 3.15 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.73 250 1431
550 -77.91 13.53 3.93 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.84 214 1323
600 -104.09 16.56 4.82 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.96 184 1229
650
 
250-yard zero makes the highest you would have to hold low at 150, 3 at 100. Not much to get the results. Calculated for a scope 1.5 over the bore. You are practically good to go on a center hold to 300 with your velocity quoted for the 20 gun and 240 BC.

Range Elevation Elevation Elevation Windage Windage Windage Time Energy Vel[x+y]
(yd) (in) (MOA) (MIL) (in) (MOA) (MIL) (s) (ft.lbf) (ft/s)
0 -1.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1073 2964
50 1.41 -2.69 -0.78 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.05 943 2779
100 3.18 -3.03 -0.88 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.11 827 2602
150 3.67 -2.33 -0.68 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.17 722 2431
200 2.68 -1.28 -0.37 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.23 628 2267
250 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.30 543 2109
300 -4.64 1.48 0.43 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.37 468 1958
350 -11.56 3.15 0.92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.45 402 1814
400 -21.12 5.04 1.47 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.54 344 1677
450 -33.77 7.17 2.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.63 293 1549
500 -50.06 9.56 2.78 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.73 250 1431
550 -70.60 12.26 3.57 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.84 214 1323
600 -96.12 15.30 4.45 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.96 184 1229
650 -127.39 18.71
 
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Be easy to make a come up data sheet for your rifle stock too if you have a scope with exposed turrets. Coyote hunting would need to be a 300 plus game for me to do that myself. Would also be faster with a 1/2 minute or one-minute scope instead of 1/4.
 
I have a Leupold 3.5-10x on the 20" AR. That sight in height I use puts the 300 yard crosshair dead on at 300. The old duplex scope I used to have on the rifle used the same zero. My scope is 3" over the bore.

The 16" gun has a 1-4x and I mainly use it in close range situations anyway. I was just curious what others were using. I have turrets on a lot of my bigger rifles and may end up with a 3-12x Huskemaw or a Burris Eliminator 3 3-12x on my main calling AR someday. I haven't had the need to use it a whole lot but there are always those late season yotes that hang up way out where it would be nice. I have Huskemaw scopes on a couple of my big game guns and like them. I like the capped elevation turret so I can set it and forget it until I have a need to dial. The Burris looks like a fast option for a calling gun and would let me skip packing my rangefinding binos some of the time.

Thanks Everyone.
 
Interesting thread!

I use a 50 yard zero. Of course it will be close to on target again at 200

H4895 will give you almost NATO ball velocities with 55 grain bullets in your 16 carbine rifle.

I found sub moa accuracy from 25.3 - 26.1

3010 at 26.1 with a 9 twist and a can.

Shoots amazing. Shoots soft and no pressure in my Colt 6721 barrel.

These are my findings from my iSnipe iPhone APP



65gr Sierra GK at 2850fps


50 yard sight in

+ 1.1 @ 100 yards
- 0.8 @ 200 yards
- 4.1 @ 250 yards
- 9.5 @ 300 yards

75 yard sight in

- 2.7 @ 200 yards
- 6.6 @ 250 yards
- 12.4@ 300 yards

100 yard sight in

- 3.0 @ 200 yards
- 7.0 @ 250 yards
- 12.4@ 300 yards
 
I zero at 100 yards, but I hunt where there is more cover and most shots are under 150 yards.

I am a bow hunter by nature, when I see a little coyote over 100 yards away I start aiming higher without even thinking about it, I tried the 75 and 200 yard zero before and was shooting too high.

The ballistics are the ballistics and your scope isnt going to change that, it just depends on how you train and practice.
 
Originally Posted By: Rock KnockerI zero at 100 yards, but I hunt where there is more cover and most shots are under 150 yards.


Same here!
 
No more than one inch high for me at 100 with a normal daytime scope. My end goal would to be dead on at 200 and let the chips fall where they may be on that and just know what the holdover needs to be at those distances beyond.
 
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1" high @ 100,

Remember to aim high at distances less than 25 yards also. That scope sits really high on an AR.
 
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One of the issues is scope height over the bore distance. Here is a spread for your rifle with a scope height 3 inches over the bore for 200 yard zero.

If I used an AR or any rifle I strive to get the scope down as close as I can to the bore.

Range Elevation Elevation Elevation Windage Windage Windage Time Energy Vel[x+y]
(yd) (in) (MOA) (MIL) (in) (MOA) (MIL) (s) (ft.lbf) (ft/s)
0 -3.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 60 3000
50 -0.80 1.52 0.44 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.05 60 3000
100 0.43 -0.41 -0.12 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.10 60 3000
150 0.70 -0.44 -0.13 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.15 60 2999
200 -0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.20 60 2999
250 -1.68 0.64 0.19 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.25 60 2999
300 -4.31 1.37 0.40 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.30 60 2999
350 -7.92 2.16 0.63 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.35 60 2999
400 -12.48 2.98 0.87 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.40 60 2998
450 -18.02 3.82 1.11
 
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Originally Posted By: Rock KnockerI zero at 100 yards, but I hunt where there is more cover and most shots are under 150 yards.

I am a bow hunter by nature, when I see a little coyote over 100 yards away I start aiming higher without even thinking about it, I tried the 75 and 200 yard zero before and was shooting too high.

The ballistics are the ballistics and your scope isnt going to change that, it just depends on how you train and practice.

The scope really does change it and scope height is a factor. I bowhunt too, used to only Bowhunt but recently have become very interested in predator hunting. The three lines all meet at the same place for your point on with a Bow and a Rifle is the same with a Bow to the yardage it is set to be PO.

The bullet starts dropping as soon as it leaves the barrel like an arrow. The three lines, The line of sight, the projectile and the Bore all make up the three lines. Scope height has a lot of effect on the midrange trajectory and lower scopes make it easier to shoot a straight line.
 
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I am zero at 100 yards. Have done it this way my whole life, If its a 250-300 yard shot, I just know where to hold it. Do not think I could change if I wanted to, as it would require me to re-think every shot, where now it is automatic..
 
Originally Posted By: Runnin'HardI am zero at 100 yards. Have done it this way my whole life, If its a 250-300 yard shot, I just know where to hold it. Do not think I could change if I wanted to, as it would require me to re-think every shot, where now it is automatic..

I understand that being a longtime Recurve shooter and having taken a lot of Game from Colorado to Arizona. I shot split vision gap, tuned my bows POI and then had my gaps ingrained. Beware the man with one rifle or bow.
 
I set mine at 100. And I'm good out to 300 with my set up. I made a lifesize steel coyote target and set it at 200 and 300 and learned with my load where to hold to hit center mass. Then theres no guessing. The way I see it is if hes at 200+ odds are I'll have time to either turn the turrets or hold where I know I need to be. Never did see why guys felt the need to complicate something simple.
 
I look for a zero distance that will allow me the most, different ranges where I won't go above or below 4in. That is my sweet spot for coyotes. So for me, 75 yards seems to be the best.

No matter what you zero it at, make sure you shoot at different ranges to see exactly where yours hits. That's the only way to know what it will/won't do.
 
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