300RUM is done, kind of

[OU812]

Well I went out this early afternoon and shot the 300RUM for it's final 100 yard check. Sighted 3.5 inches high at 100 puts me dead on at 325 and 19.7 low at 500. Those are calculated values so I will still need to check real world values but they give me something to compare to.

1st shot was from a cold dirty barrel, 2nd and 3rd shots were one after another from the first shot. Not the tightest group at 100 yards but good enough for who it's for and my intended purpose. The brass is or was once fired and NOT weight sorted, bullets are NOT weight sorted.


Bill

 

[JD338]

Bill,

Excellent! I would say you are there.

JD338

 

[FOTIS]

Not too shabby!

 

[DrMike]

Gratifying. You have to be pleased.

 

[SJB358]

Great shooting Bill. I think we practice the same zeroing strategy. I run just about every, from the 35 Whelen to the 264WM at 3" high at 100 yards. Gives me a 250-300 yard zero depending on the cartridge. It find it is nice to be able to shoot out to 400 without even really thinking about my zero. Plus, it isn't super high at mid range where I am going to miss an animal.

Your load/group looks great to me. That is alot of rifle to shoot bugholes with. I think Brian is running that same load and is getting about the same accuracy out of his Model 70. That gives you some awesome range with the 300 RUM and wow, no elk is like that 200 AB...

 

[338winmag]

Nice 300 RUM load Bill!! I take anything under an inch all day long. Man the more I look and hear about those 300 RUMs, the more I get to liking the idea of "maybe having one".

I started doing brass and bullet weight sorting for myself but I did not see any results for my type of shooting. I still do this for some of the camp hunters I reload for since some talk about 600-800 yard shots (though we have not done anything over 200 - :mrgreen: ). It gives them a "good feeling they have weight sorted bullets and cases".

Can I say "great minds are thinking alike and on the same page"? (Scotty & Bill) All my scopes are BDCs but I have started to understand and know their MPBR (@200) and that gives me the option of no sight-over for at least 3/4 complete MPBR or I can use the BDC marks for shots. Both seem to work pretty good for paper anyway. I might stop paying extra for the BDC reticles and do sight-in for MBPR for the caliber and be done with it as well.

338winmag

 

[wildgene]

...um, OK, 3.5" @ 100, where are you @, say 175yds. (approx. high point of trajectory)??? Since I try to keep the majority of my shots down to 200-300yds. that much hold-over @ 100yds., even w/ something as "flat-shooting" as that .300RUM would start to make me nervous. I figure if I'm gonna be shooting over 300yds. it's going to be a shot that I have time to "adjust" & I'm going to check my range est., even if it's a "quick & dirty check" using my scope reticle, everything I shoot is "zeroed" @ 200yds., 6" @ 300/ 18" @ 400/ 36" @ 500 (more or less). Past 500yds. you're no longer shooting @ the elk, you're aiming @ a point in space, & it's time to rethink your "adjustment", by using a known reference on your scope (BDC), dialing, or my preference, closing w/ your target...

...easy enough to figger out what different parts of your scope subtend @ different powers/ ranges w/ some duct tape...

 

[Guest]

Bill,
Nice shooting. Your 300 RUM is ready for the 2012 Hunting Season.

Don

 

[Woodycreek]

Good stuff Bill! My new 300 RUM is kinda done also :lol: That 94.5 grains of Retumbo seems to be the one for the M70. It's been shooting right around .75" the past two times at the range. Let one my friends shoot that load and he put two in one hole almost. Moved 8 clicks up putting the next round dead centered and 2" higher. That could have been an .5" or smaller group if I didn't want to check the scope.

 

[FOTIS]

All my rifles are sighted in at 200 yards. Minus the levers in 30-30 32 WS 4570 etc.

 

[OU812]

...um, OK, 3.5" @ 100, where are you @, say 175yds. (approx. high point of trajectory)??? Since I try to keep the majority of my shots down to 200-300yds. that much hold-over @ 100yds., even w/ something as "flat-shooting" as that .300RUM would start to make me nervous. I figure if I'm gonna be shooting over 300yds. it's going to be a shot that I have time to "adjust" & I'm going to check my range est., even if it's a "quick & dirty check" using my scope reticle, everything I shoot is "zeroed" @ 200yds., 6" @ 300/ 18" @ 400/ 36" @ 500 (more or less). Past 500yds. you're no longer shooting @ the elk, you're aiming @ a point in space, & it's time to rethink your "adjustment", by using a known reference on your scope (BDC), dialing, or my preference, closing w/ your target...

...easy enough to figger out what different parts of your scope subtend @ different powers/ ranges w/ some duct tape...

wildgene my highest point of trajectory is 4.7 calculated at 200. Need to shoot to confirm but I can tell you that IF I miss the vitals of an elk at 200 to 300 yards it's the Indian and not the arrows. Out to 500 yards I don't even need to do anything other than rest the cross hair right on the top of the back and I will hit vitals. The 3.5 is not set in stone UNTIL I shoot the rifle at different distances to KNOW that bullet drop matches the calculated drop and if not it will be adjusted.

Like you I try and keep my shots under 300 yards and have done so with all the elk I have killed but 1, it was 420 yards. It's pretty easy to remember to aim slightly low at 200 and less and not have to worry out to 500 yards.


Bill

 

[OU812]

338winmag and Scotty I'm all in with you guys. I like to keep things simple and it don't get much easier than setting you POI at 3 inches or so, setting a max imposed shooting distance, practice said distance for real world verification and kill everything in between. It's much easier to settle the cross hairs a little low at 200 yards and less than high at 400 or 500 yards.

I've only strayed away from this method 1 time and used my Ziess rapid Z 800 to a distance of 200 yards.


Bill

 

[IdahoCTD]

For short range rifles I zero for 200yds and for long range rifles I zero for 300yds. With a 200yd zero most rifles can hold hair close to 400yds for elk. If it's further I dial the scope for the range. That's why I have elevation turrets (or both elevation and windage) put on my scopes. I have missed a few close whitetails by shooting over them when I'd set my zero to 300yds plus (one I even blew a puff of hair off the top of its back). Off hand at close range I tend to shoot a bit high already so adding to that by sighting in the rifle high doesn't help.

 

[SJB358]

I haven't missed anything yet with a 3" high at 100 yard zero, to include deer in the woods up close. Not saying I won't, but since I try to shoot into the lower 1/3 most of the time, unless it is over 300 better, I haven't been affected. I like to keep it simple out to 400 and that allows me to not worry about holding over/under for the most part.

Since, most of my stuff is geared more elk, I don't sweat it too much. 200 yard zero's are good too, but like Nathan, if after about 350-400, I am going to shoot, I would likely be turning the dials.

 

[nvbroncrider]

Bill,

Good shooting she's definately elk ready.

Now for everyone else, got a silly stupid question. If your sighted in at 300 yards and shooting at 50 yards wouldn't you have to aim high to hit your target? I've found while blasting countless rabbits though I'm sighted in for 100 yards I have to aim high to hit one at 25 yards. If I aim low I hit the ground before the bullet reaches my target.

Since a bullet flies in an arc, and your aim point is above the barrel the only time you reach a zero elevation with your line of sight "aiming point" is at your sight in range meaning the bullet rises out of the barrel until you reach your sight in range and then falls after that range?

 

[SJB358]

Well, technically, bullets don't rise at all Jake, they start falling as soon as they leave the barrel. What your seeing is your sigh offset up close, you are actually canting the rifle upward, so you actually shooting with your rifle up in the air (slightly).. Not sure if that made sense though?

Yeah, you have to aim a little higher at close ranges, especially so with higher mounted scopes/optics. With the M4 and like rifles, the optics are mounted pretty high above the bore and you must aim at the hair line of a head shot in order to get your bullets in the brain box as you move closer to the target, when zeroed further out.

The best way to see what your short range trajectory is like, is to shoot it, just to verify where your holding. I miffed a shot up close on a good bull by doing about the same thing with my 270WSM. I didn't miss the mark by much, but I was shooting at the neck and had very little margin of error. I learned not to take neck shots at that point! HA!

 

[338winmag]

"Since a bullet flies in an arc,"

Just a thought. You are probably saying bullets fly flat as gravity pulls them down and we set our scopes so that the bullet will "loop" and hit targets at a specific ranges. ... or am I confused.wink:

338winmag

 

[IdahoCTD]

Jake,

As Scotty has mentioned a bullet flies in a continuous arc and starts dropping the moment it leaves the barrel. The bullet crosses the line of sight twice, once up close around 25-30yds, and then again wherever it is sighted in for. The further away it is sighted in for the higher the arc between the two points where the bullet crosses the line of sight. So in your case when you sight the rifle in at shorter distances the bullet will cross the line of sight the first time further out. That is why it is still low at 25yds and will most likely be slightly high at 50yds. The peak of the arc would probably be around 65-75yds with a 100yds zero but that depends on velocity and BC. The further away you sight the rifle in the more the rifle has to be angled upwards compared to the scope and because of that the bullet has to cross the line of sight closer to the muzzle.

To give you and example: When I sight in for 300yds my rifles are usually close to dead on at 25yds and 3 1/4" or so high at 100yds. If you want to sight in for 200yds then it has to be low at 25yds in order to be the 1 3/4" or so high at 100yds and dead on at 200yds.

 

[nvbroncrider]

Yeah you guys are right I wasn't thinking real well this morning in fact as soon as I posted it I had this light turn on. At 100 yard sight in my statement is correct since that is the high point in your trajectory.

 

[IdahoCTD]

When it is shot at 100yds it actually it gets higher further out when it is sighted in for 200yds or further. Another words the peak of the arc is past 100yds when it is zeroed for 200yds or more.