sighting .243 question

sanson · January 29, 2007, 10:04 AM

if limited to 50yds when sighting-in, where should the groups impact to be dead-on at 200yds? ...thanks...

rantingredneck · January 29, 2007, 10:27 AM

Your best bet is to check your ammo manufacturer's website for trajectory information on the particular load you're using and use that as your guide. Keep in mind though that variables such as barrel length and height of your scope mounts relative to their test rifles will affect the results somewhat.

The ideal thing would be to rough sight it at your 50 yd. range and then fine tune it at 100-200 yds later if you can.

sanson · January 29, 2007, 10:33 AM

should it shoot low or high @ 50yds(high I guess)

kingudaroad · January 29, 2007, 01:49 PM

The bullet will rise between 50 and 100 yards and then start dropping. A rough calculation will have the bullet dropping aprox 2" at 200 yards, if zeroed at 50 yards. So if you are 2" high at 50 yards you ought to be pretty darn close at 200 yards.

Bullet weight and velocity can change it up to a few tenths either way.

Art Eatman · January 29, 2007, 01:57 PM

I have found that dead on at 25 yards is pretty close to two or three inches high at 100. My usual sight-in is for two inches high at 100.

So, sorta guessing, at fifty yards I'd want to be no more than an inch high.

I've almost exclusively used the Sierra 85-grain HPBT for varmints and the smaller whitetail.

Art

kingudaroad · January 29, 2007, 02:05 PM

After further review, I'd probably sight in to 1.7" high at 50 yards. Coincidently, dead zero at 50 yard is also dead zero at 150 yards.

dogngun · January 29, 2007, 02:51 PM

With a .243, 1.5" to 2" high at 50 yards should put you in the ballpark at 200 yards using 100 grain bullets.

If possible, shoot the rifle at 100 yards later. Yor strike shoud be about 1" above point of aim.

FWIW, I like to sight a .243 to shoot about 1.5" high at 100 yards, giving me a relatively flat shot out to about 300 yards.( about 2.5" difference between 50 and 300 yards using the same sight picture.)

The .243 is an excellent cartridge.

Mark

sanson · January 29, 2007, 03:11 PM

thanks all

Art Eatman · January 30, 2007, 03:04 PM

"With a .243, 1.5" to 2" high at 50 yards should put you in the ballpark at 200 yards using 100 grain bullets.

If possible, shoot the rifle at 100 yards later. Yor strike shoud be about 1" above point of aim.

FWIW, I like to sight a .243 to shoot about 1.5" high at 100 yards..."

dogngun, how can you be 1.5" to 2" high at 50 yards, and somehow only 1" or 1.5" high at 100 yards? That's mutually exclusive, seems to me. You can't be both flat-shooting and also have a basketball-like trajectory.

That is, if the bullet is at all high at fity yards, I'd think it's still rising at 100. So, 1.5 high at 50 would mean around 2.5 to 3 high at 100.

My rather lengthy experience with my particular .243 is that some 1.5 to 2 inches high at 100 yards is pretty much dead on at 200 yards, and five to six inches low at 300 yards. Rough figures, of course; I've not shot at paper beyond 100, although I've had no trouble with either Bambi or Mr. Wily Coyote. With my 19" Sako, I'm guessing I'm a bit below published muzzle velocities, as well.

Art

mikejonestkd · January 30, 2007, 03:15 PM

my .243 pistol ( 15 " barrel ) encore is 1" high at 50, 2" high at 100, zero at 200, and about 7 low at 300 with 95 gr remington accutips. my velocity is lower than rifles because of the the shorter barrel.

Simply put - sight is in to be about 1" high at 50 yards and you'll be in the ballpark for a 200 yard zero. You still should get some range time on paper at that range to make final adjustments.

Jseime · January 30, 2007, 03:29 PM

The .243 is a flat shooter and according to the ballistics section of the Remington website....

A 100 grain bullet that is 0.1 inches high at 50 yards is zeroed at 150 yards and 2 inches low at 200 yards and roughly 10.4 inches low at 300 yards. Thats pretty flat

If you were to go with a lighter core-lokt bullet such as an 80 grainer a zero at 50 yards puts you dead on at 150 and 1.6 low at 200. when you move out to 300 you're looking at only 8.8 low

The remington accutip-V bullet which is a 75 grain varmint bullet is dead at 50 and 150, 1.4 low at 200 and 7.8 low at 300

You should be able to tune er in from this data. They also have tables for other bullet weights so you can get more info.

January 29, 2007, 10:04 AM	#1
sanson Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2006 Location: FL panhandle Posts: 547	sighting .243 question if limited to 50yds when sighting-in, where should the groups impact to be dead-on at 200yds? ...thanks...

January 30, 2007, 03:15 PM	#10
mikejonestkd Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2006 Location: Brockport, NY Posts: 3,758	my .243 pistol ( 15 " barrel ) encore is 1" high at 50, 2" high at 100, zero at 200, and about 7 low at 300 with 95 gr remington accutips. my velocity is lower than rifles because of the the shorter barrel. Simply put - sight is in to be about 1" high at 50 yards and you'll be in the ballpark for a 200 yard zero. You still should get some range time on paper at that range to make final adjustments. __________________ You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

January 29, 2007, 10:27 AM	#2
rantingredneck Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,728	Your best bet is to check your ammo manufacturer's website for trajectory information on the particular load you're using and use that as your guide. Keep in mind though that variables such as barrel length and height of your scope mounts relative to their test rifles will affect the results somewhat. The ideal thing would be to rough sight it at your 50 yd. range and then fine tune it at 100-200 yds later if you can.

January 29, 2007, 10:33 AM	#3
sanson Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2006 Location: FL panhandle Posts: 547	should it shoot low or high @ 50yds(high I guess)

January 29, 2007, 01:49 PM	#4
kingudaroad Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2005 Location: austin Posts: 735	The bullet will rise between 50 and 100 yards and then start dropping. A rough calculation will have the bullet dropping aprox 2" at 200 yards, if zeroed at 50 yards. So if you are 2" high at 50 yards you ought to be pretty darn close at 200 yards. Bullet weight and velocity can change it up to a few tenths either way.

January 29, 2007, 01:57 PM	#5
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	I have found that dead on at 25 yards is pretty close to two or three inches high at 100. My usual sight-in is for two inches high at 100. So, sorta guessing, at fifty yards I'd want to be no more than an inch high. I've almost exclusively used the Sierra 85-grain HPBT for varmints and the smaller whitetail. Art

January 29, 2007, 02:05 PM	#6
kingudaroad Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2005 Location: austin Posts: 735	After further review, I'd probably sight in to 1.7" high at 50 yards. Coincidently, dead zero at 50 yard is also dead zero at 150 yards.

January 29, 2007, 02:51 PM	#7
dogngun Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2002 Location: South east PA Posts: 570	With a .243, 1.5" to 2" high at 50 yards should put you in the ballpark at 200 yards using 100 grain bullets. If possible, shoot the rifle at 100 yards later. Yor strike shoud be about 1" above point of aim. FWIW, I like to sight a .243 to shoot about 1.5" high at 100 yards, giving me a relatively flat shot out to about 300 yards.( about 2.5" difference between 50 and 300 yards using the same sight picture.) The .243 is an excellent cartridge. Mark

January 29, 2007, 03:11 PM	#8
sanson Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2006 Location: FL panhandle Posts: 547	thanks all

January 30, 2007, 03:04 PM	#9
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	"With a .243, 1.5" to 2" high at 50 yards should put you in the ballpark at 200 yards using 100 grain bullets. If possible, shoot the rifle at 100 yards later. Yor strike shoud be about 1" above point of aim. FWIW, I like to sight a .243 to shoot about 1.5" high at 100 yards..." dogngun, how can you be 1.5" to 2" high at 50 yards, and somehow only 1" or 1.5" high at 100 yards? That's mutually exclusive, seems to me. You can't be both flat-shooting and also have a basketball-like trajectory. That is, if the bullet is at all high at fity yards, I'd think it's still rising at 100. So, 1.5 high at 50 would mean around 2.5 to 3 high at 100. My rather lengthy experience with my particular .243 is that some 1.5 to 2 inches high at 100 yards is pretty much dead on at 200 yards, and five to six inches low at 300 yards. Rough figures, of course; I've not shot at paper beyond 100, although I've had no trouble with either Bambi or Mr. Wily Coyote. With my 19" Sako, I'm guessing I'm a bit below published muzzle velocities, as well. Art

January 30, 2007, 03:29 PM	#11
Jseime Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 1,775	The .243 is a flat shooter and according to the ballistics section of the Remington website.... A 100 grain bullet that is 0.1 inches high at 50 yards is zeroed at 150 yards and 2 inches low at 200 yards and roughly 10.4 inches low at 300 yards. Thats pretty flat If you were to go with a lighter core-lokt bullet such as an 80 grainer a zero at 50 yards puts you dead on at 150 and 1.6 low at 200. when you move out to 300 you're looking at only 8.8 low The remington accutip-V bullet which is a 75 grain varmint bullet is dead at 50 and 150, 1.4 low at 200 and 7.8 low at 300 You should be able to tune er in from this data. They also have tables for other bullet weights so you can get more info.