Zero

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ar15rdy

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Need advice on zeroing my AR15 .223 16" Wilson combat barrel 1/9 twist. Primarily hunt coyotes with this rifle. Very few shots past 300 yards. Using a Vortex Viper 6.5-20×44 scope. What is a recommended zero, I was thinking a 100 yards, but wanted others input. Thanks for your time!
 
For coyotes I zero to achieve mbr on a 6" target. Very rare to need a shot outside of that, and its always hold on hair. If it feels like 400 I give it an inch or 2 of air between fur and crosshair. Target rifles get zero'd at 100.
 
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100 yds for target and hunting guns. Most ballistic tables for apps are set at 100 yds. I dial if I can but you generally don't have time to dial. It's good to have a reticle with substensions but if you don't shoot it to see where you will hit with the crosshair. Very rarely will a coyote be still. At least not for me.
 
I guess I am the oddball here as I zero @ 200 yds for hunting guns. This puts me a little high @ 100 but still in the zone a little low @ 250 but also in the zone. For longer shots I dial in or hold over.
 
Well, 100 sounds like the common zero. I have my scope set for that, but I recently missed 3 foxes and have made several adjustments to my scope before and after the missed shots. I'm not sure if it's me or my rifle setup. Prior to having to re-zero wasn't having any misses, but I cleaned my rifle and had a new break installed so I took it to the range to verify zero and since then I have made several adjustments more than ever in the past.The foxes were missed at 5 and 6 feet roughly and about 25 yards.
 
Most of my coyotes are shot at less than 100 yards, so I zero the AR at 100. My big game rifle, a .300 WSM, is zeroed at 200.
 
Yes, I have shot paper and I'm about an inch high. After the break install and cleaning, I was hitting about a foot high and 4" right. But I brought it back, but I don't think it's consistent. It's really weird and frustrating. I'm considering a new barrel or scope, but i want to hit the range more. I need to make sure I'm not the issue, maybe dropping the barrel before completing the shot.
 
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I have my A15 zeroed at 50 yards and that also makes it hit the target at 200 yards perfectly on the way back down. That allows me to shoot up close and out to 300 yards easily. I'm about 1" high at 100 yards which is fine.


The bullet will rise up as the gun is pointed upwards and the bullet will rise up and pass through the bullseye at 50 yards and hit the bull's eye again at 200 yards.

I use an EOTech HHS1 and a Nikon scope.
 
That's interesting. I may try that out, it sounds like a reasonable compromise, but will it work on small targets like foxes and bobcats out to 300?
 
I zero at 50 yards.

Then test it thoroughly at 100, 200 and 300

You will notice you need some tiny windage adjustments at 200 that you did not see during the initial 50 yard sight in.

Expect to be high at 100 and a tad low at 200.

Measure your drop at 300 if you can. It will give you better shooter confidence.

All bullets need to go dead center, elevation wise, into a tiny bulls eye at 50 yards. No slop.



 
In the desert I rarely get to shoot past 100yds. As such all of my ARs have a 50yd zero. Just point and shoot at anything I can see with my naked eye.
 
Originally Posted By: ar15rdyI know it's only 50 yards, but i don't think i can shoot that tight, even from a bench

You can just focus on general group elevation. Then work out windage at the 200 yard line. It needs to be calm wind though, and double checked from time to time.
 
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