Zeroing in scope

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Re: Zeroing in scope

Post by JWS_777 » 04 Sep 2017, 11:23 am

Brett - Was served by Phil and he couldn't have been more helpful. Great shop!
Wombat - Thanks mate. It seems to have had limited use/ rifling perfect. I went for a Leupold Vx2 3-9 x 40. Is SK more of a competition round opposed to hunting?
Rancher - Great to hear this. Re competitions is it just case of joining a club then heading to events? I'm not quite ready just yet but may look to do this in the future.
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Re: Zeroing in scope

Post by Bent Arrow » 04 Sep 2017, 12:15 pm

SK plus is a mid price point target round. My 1450 Annie loves them. They are a 40 gn round nose lead projectile running at standard velocity. Not really a hunting round, but given my. 177 air rifle drills bunnies at reasonable distances I can't see how they wouldn't get the job done if you put the shot in the right place at sensible distances.....
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Re: Zeroing in scope

Post by brett1868 » 04 Sep 2017, 1:07 pm

JWS_777 wrote:Brett - Was served by Phil and he couldn't have been more helpful. Great shop!
Wombat - Thanks mate. It seems to have had limited use/ rifling perfect. I went for a Leupold Vx2 3-9 x 40. Is SK more of a competition round opposed to hunting?
Rancher - Great to hear this. Re competitions is it just case of joining a club then heading to events? I'm not quite ready just yet but may look to do this in the future.


That's twice that Phil has received positive feedback, he was also a big help to another member who was looking to purchase his first pistol. This Saturday morning is looking good for a range trip if you're keen, I'll raid the rim fire safe and bring a sample of what I've got. I have several 22LR rifles and pistols and unfortunately for my wallet they seem to prefer the expensive euro brand ammo. My Lithgow 22Mag loves the cheap CCI stuff which HPGS had on special so I bought a couple bricks.
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Re: Zeroing in scope

Post by Wombat » 04 Sep 2017, 6:30 pm

Did you get a rimfire version? I'm running an older and smaller VX on mine with lower rings than you, but am looking to upgrade it.
The SK rifle match ammo I only ever use at the range a box at a time as its a bit expensive for 22 ammo at around $16 a pack.
The Winchester stuff shoots well enough that Rabbits dont complain.
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Re: Zeroing in scope

Post by JWS_777 » 04 Sep 2017, 8:21 pm

Brett - Just shot you a PM.
Wombat - Bit average but I'm not entirely sure as I was directed to this scope by a couple of mates who have Leupolds on their .22s. Had to go for the high rings due o the height of the bolt. Thanks re SK info. Along with the Winchester I was also sold a box of Eley.
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Re: Zeroing in scope

Post by Gamerancher » 05 Sep 2017, 9:44 am

JWS, as far as rimfire silhouette goes, they used to shoot it out at Silverdale but last I heard the targets had been pulled out. ( They had a set of resettable targets that worked brilliantly.) Next closest to you would be the range at Hilltop, I believe the Illawarra club shoot some silhouette there. Next closest is the Southern Highlands branch that shoot at the Bowral Pistol club range at the back of the Belanglo State forest. ( Yes, that one.) Your next bet would be ACT club at Majura. A bunch of folk from Sydney shoot there regularly. The club matches are on the 1st Saturday of the month and they welcome new shooters to our sport.

Silhouette is run by SSAA, you don't have to be a member to shoot casually or to try it out but you do if you want to shoot competitions. Don't be afraid to try it out. A lot of people are intimidated when it comes to competition shooting. They needn't be. Ultimately you are competing against yourself, no-one really cares how you shoot as long as you are enjoying yourself and having a go.

Silhouette can be a demanding sport but is is also ,( in my opinion ) a more interactive form of target shooting. You have both a visual and audible result when targets are hit. The clang of the metal target getting hit and the acrobatics of it tumbling through the air are very addictive.
The rifle set up you have is more than capable of shooting silhouette. As for sighting, using high velocity ammo, a zero at the 77m turkey target results in a foot hold on the 40m chicken, a low belly line hold on the 60m pig and a backline hold on the 100m ram target.
Most people who take up the sport graduate to scopes with target turrets but it is not essential for getting started or just casual attendance at club days just for fun.
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Re: Zeroing in scope

Post by in2anity » 05 Sep 2017, 10:27 am

Gamerancher wrote:JWS, as far as rimfire silhouette goes, they used to shoot it out at Silverdale but last I heard the targets had been pulled out. ( They had a set of resettable targets that worked brilliantly.)


Incorrect information. Silverdale has a fully automatic pneumatic setup that has a formal meetup the last Sunday of each month. You can use the range outside of these times for practice if you've been through induction. Please refer to the SSAA Sydney range calendar for more information; http://www.ssaasydney.net/images/PDFs/S ... lendar.pdf

JWS the next formal Silverdale shoot is on Sun the 24th Sept; be advised they haven't run a comp in a while, but a group of us are quite regular for a lot of fun. Come join us and don't worry about missing, we all miss a-lot (after all it's the wind's fault right? ;) )!

Gamerancher wrote:As for sighting, using high velocity ammo, a zero at the 77m turkey target results in a foot hold on the 40m chicken, a low belly line hold on the 60m pig and a backline hold on the 100m ram target.


But not the only way to do it; most of the guys who I shoot with (myself include) use subs for accuracy and dial in their scopes between each bank for a dead-on hold. Some guys use air rifles, again dialled in. It really depends on what suits you best and what you feel comfortable doing. Anyway, you only figure that out once you actually get there.
Last edited by in2anity on 05 Sep 2017, 11:21 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Zeroing in scope

Post by bladeracer » 05 Sep 2017, 11:09 am

in2anity wrote:This is your opinion not the only "way" to do it; most of the guys who I shoot with (myself include) use subs for accuracy and dial in their scopes between each bank for a dead-on hold. Some guys use air rifles, again dialled in. Not that OP was even asking "how to do metallic silhouette", but it really depends on what suits you best and what you feel comfortable doing, there is not "correct" way of doing. Anyway, you only figure that out once you actually get there.


I don't see where he suggested this was the only way to do it...
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Re: Zeroing in scope

Post by in2anity » 05 Sep 2017, 11:23 am

bladeracer wrote:I don't see where he suggested this was the only way to do it...

I misread it; sorry GR that did come across as a little harsh. I changed my response accordingly.
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Re: Zeroing in scope

Post by Gamerancher » 06 Sep 2017, 9:37 am

Yeah, please take the time to read posts before jumping up and down and yelling foul.

My suggestion for sighting was due to the fact that his scope, take a look at the picture of his outfit, does not have target turrets. Using this style of scope, high velocity ammo for the flatter trajectory it offers and not adjusting the scope simplifies the process. There is "target" grade, high velocity ammo available. My reply is based on the K.I.S.S. principle and many a new shooter to silhouette starts with just a basic "hunting" style scope. I have introduced many a new shooter to the sport over the 20+ years that I have been participating in it and this method gets them into it with a standard "rabbit" rifle set-up. Yes, "most" people do "dial-in" for each animal and use sub-sonic target ammo, but then we have scopes that are designed to do so.

As for my comment on Silverdale, please re-read it, "last I heard" . That was based on a conversation with the then silhouette captain from Silverdale. He did say that they were panning on rebuilding them as a pneumatic system, they were electric and worked fine last time I shot there. I hadn't heard whether they were up and running or not.

I'll be shooting lever-gun silhouette this Saturday from 9am at Bowral pistol club range at the back of Belanglo state forest if you want to meet me and we'll discuss the "how to's" of silhouette shooting if you like.
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Re: Zeroing in scope

Post by in2anity » 06 Sep 2017, 10:34 am

Gamerancher wrote:As for my comment on Silverdale, please re-read it, "last I heard" That was based on a conversation with the then silhouette captain from Silverdale. He did say that they were panning on rebuilding them as a pneumatic system, they were electric and worked fine last time I shot there. I hadn't heard whether they were up and running or not.


That's irrelevant, your information was still incorrect, no need to re-read. I was simply correcting it :thumbsup: .

Gamerancher wrote:I'll be shooting lever-gun silhouette this Saturday from 9am at Bowral pistol club range at the back of Belanglo state forest if you want to meet me and we'll discuss the "how to's" of silhouette shooting if you like.


Not this W.E but I'm actually really keen to make an attendance to Bowral soon, do they shoot all silhouette disciplines there? (i.e. rimfire, lever and centerfire) Also are they just free-standing targets? (i.e. not automated)
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Re: Zeroing in scope

Post by wildcard6 » 12 Sep 2017, 12:33 pm

For a purely hunting set-up, I use Power Points [40-grainers] zeroed .5" high at 50m. This gives me a head-shot on a rabbit out to around 65m without any over or under calculations necessary. Just aim at the centre of the head and WHOP. Currently I have a Burris 3-9X scope with a duplex reticle on my .22 CZ and this one features a series of three short bars below the main crosshair for holdover/drop allowance. Because I mainly use the rifle for club shooting these days - metallic silhouettes - I now have the rifle zeroed for spot on at 50m. Still using Power Points, using 6X magnification, the first bar is zeroed for 77m [Turkeys] and the second bar is spot on for 100m [Rams]. If I use 9X, the third bar is spot on at 100m. I am currently getting organized to shoot long-range metallic silhouettes at 50/100/150/200m and by using the 'picket', or top of the duplex portion of the reticle ON 4X, I have the correct holdover for 200m! A 50m zero for Power Points will do just about everything a .22 should do at sensible RIMFIRE ranges. I personally have MISSED rabbits close in with the age-old 75m zero. I did so in front of a guy who bought his first car with money he earned shooting rabbits. I asked him what distance he zeroed his rifle at and he said "50 metres". I have never had any problems using this range/zero in all the years since that conversation took place.
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Re: Zeroing in scope

Post by JWS_777 » 13 Sep 2017, 5:00 pm

Thanks again for all replies. Great info.

For those offering to meet up and shoot a few targets I'm keen but struggling with any spare time ATM. When a few things clear up I'll be in touch to see if the offer still stands.

Cheers,

Jimmy
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Re: Zeroing in scope

Post by hankyhead » 16 Oct 2018, 12:33 am

The thing I have learned about setting up a scope is to adjust the parallax first.
In your case, set the scope to 9x, and as it is on the rifle,good, focus at a reasonable distance with the ocular virtually all the way in, then turn it out until the reticle does not move or moves the least, when you move your eye up/down left/right.
When it's at the best you can get it, you wont have reticle movement (parallax error) at <9x magnification either.

The usual instruction is to adjust the ocular for focus on the reticle. If you get the parallax done first the reticle "will be clearly visible" for sighting on target.
What you will then notice is that the reticle is in the same plane as target, and "out of focus objects" will move.
This is what will help avoid stray hits.

I don't know what reticle pattern you have, and where you are going, where you have to shoot bunnies at 100m, (yes you can see them but surely there are bunnies a lot closer, and you'll scare the pants off them; bugger), but may I suggest sub-sonic is reputedly more accurate, zero at a comfortable distance for the bunnies you are after, and possibly "off hand" and practice hold over/hold under. Hold is a lot quicker than mucking around with clicks (and oh sh_t, I've forgotten how many clicks up/down sh_t, thers goes another rabbit down a hole).

Ate a lot of rabbits when I lived in the bush.
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Re: Zeroing in scope

Post by Urastus » 30 Nov 2018, 1:27 pm

bladeracer wrote:
in2anity wrote:For those of us who CBF reading the article; for hunting purposes if you want to always just point-and-shoot, a ~66m zero is optimal, don't take shots past ~82m and always stick to the one brand of supersonic ammunition. This way you will have a maximum variation of +/-1.5" inside 82m.


Three-inches spread is too much for .22LR in my opinion. You have to add the ability of the rifle to that remember. At 82m you might be lucky to hold 2" groups under field conditions, which gives you a spread potential of anywhere within a five-inch circle.

I would go with a 50m zero which gives you a MPBR of around 60m with only one-inch spread. If youre going to shoot a rabbit past 60m I suggest you hold over whatever is required to get a brain strike, or get closer.


50 yards looks awesome - only .01" low at 25 yards! Slightly different for meters of course, but I agree. Also because I want to do 3 position stuff at the club which I think is at 25 and 50m.
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