Could use some advice on load and set up

[bgood]

Today's ML outing at the range proved to be frustrating big time. I was hoping to dial in my Omega with my new Bushnell Elite 3200 once and for all to get ready for permit ML. First I noticed that the mount had the crosshairs slightly off level. I could probably live with that but I don't want to so all the work I did on the mount had to be redone (I hate these Weaver rings, it seems that as I tighten them they very slightly rotate the tube and pull the crosshairs off level). After that, I wasn't even on the paper - remotely.

I pulled the breech plug and eyeballed it to get the scope on the paper and when I shot it was nearly perfect. All 5 shots grouped on the 6 inch target at 50 yds with my last three touching. Fired 4 more at the next target also at 50 yds and had another nice group of less than 3 inches center to center. OK I like this. The scope is RIGHT ON at 50. Feeling good I move to 100 yds and proceed to learn that every shot is 4-5 inches high but on line. This to me is a surprise as I was thinking the bullet would be starting to drop by 100 yds. The load is great for 50 but my plan was to dial the gun in so I was a little high at 50 and right on at 100. Looks like if I want that I'll have to set it a few inches low at 50 to be on at 100. What's the conventional wisdom on setting up one load for 50-100 yard accuracy?

Does anyone have some advice for me? The load is two 50 gr. 777 pellets under a Powerbelt 245 gr bullet. I'm wondering if a heavier bullet will give me the drop I expected at 100. I'm not willing to go to loose power as I like the convenience of pellets. Should I just leave it dead on at 50 and be happy knowing any longer shots will require a lower hold (seems counter intuitive to me but what do I know).

Thanks

 

[big6x6]

Hey Bgood and welome to the board!

I'm going to try to help, best I can!

pulled the breech plug and eyeballed it to get the scope on the paper

VERY smart! Saves bullets, powder, and aggravation at the range! And you PROVED..it WORKS!

What's the conventional wisdom on setting up one load for 50-100 yard accuracy?

I don't know how conventional this is but here's what I do and it works for me. After getting your gun on paper at 50yds as you have done...forget 50yds for the time being. If 100yds is where you want your gun/scope zeroed then sight it in dead on at 100yds. THEN...when sighted in a 100yds, just aim dead on from zero to 100yds on game(ACTUALLY you'll be able to aim dead on from zero to 120yds) and forget it. If you want to see where your rifle is shooting at 50yds AFTER sighting in at 100yds, that's fine. Chances are you'll THEN find that it is about 1 inch high at 50yds when sighted in at 100yds. When I plug your load into my ballistic program using an estimated bc for the 245gr .50cal Powerbelt of .15, and velocity of 1800fps, and zeroed at 100yds I get 1 inch high at 50yds, zero at 100yds and 1.63 inches low at 120yds. That's good enough to am exactly where you want to hit from zero to 120yds. Hope this helps!

 

[bgood]

hmm - that's what I thought

Thanks Chuck,

I expected this load to do almost exactly what you are saying. The fact that it is behaving in the opposite fashion leads me to believe something is wrong. Hot bbl, bad shooter, 100 gr 777 too hot for 245 gr bullet.

Right now
Zero'd at 50 yds = +4-6 inches at 100 yds

If I zero it at 100 yds I'm afraid it will be way low at 50 yds but I'll give it a try. I think your suggestion is good - thanks.

I want to be able to hold it in one spot and have a good kill shot anywhere from 50-125. I could leave it like it is but I don't want to think about it backwards (bullet climbing between 50-100 instead of dropping slightly). I am hoping for something like your software projected.

 

[Rifleman]

Keep in mind any error in zeroing will be doubled at 100 yds if you zeroed at 50 yds.
A combination of using different eye relief and an improper natural point of aim can make you think your zeroed at a particular range when you are actually not. It is possible but not 100 percent,
that this might be part of the problem. What happens at short range is sometimes parallax comes in to play (inproper or inconsistent eye relief) , and a natural point of aim that is off causing you to muscle the gun. Put both of these together it is quite possible to be off an inch or two at even 50 yards in your zero.
Not at all saying this is exactly what is going on here, but just making a suggestion as to the possibility.

 

[big6x6]

Keep in mind any error in zeroing will be doubled at 100 yds if you zeroed at 50 yds.

BINGO! Dwight is exactly correct! Hard to tell exactly WHERE you really are sighted in at 50yds in relations to 100yd zero. Best to zero at 100yds and THEN see where you are at 50yds!

 

[bgood]

Thanks alot

Sounds like I have some work to do at the range. If I can't get this right next week - that scope is off and I'm back to open sights. Can't risk it when ML season opens.

 

[big6x6]

Bob..
Just zero it at 100yds and forget it. I think you'll be just fine!

 

[Rifleman]

Chuck is right, one thing I always remember when something seems screwy is this " THE LAWS OF PHYSICS NEVER CHANGE"
In other words if what you are seeing seems to defy the laws of physics,then you are not seeing what you think you are.

 

[bgood]

Much Better - thanks again for the advice.

Thanks for the help. I was at the range today and had it shooting consistently well at 100 yards and it was quite breezy. I shot the 245 gr Powerbelts, 245 Grain Cheap Shots sabots as well as 295 gr. Powerbelts everything worked great. Then trouble arrived. I bought a box of TC Shockwaves with the spire point in 300 gr to check them out and while loading my first one I got it stuck about 5 inches down the bbl. I couldn't believe it. I was so ticked off because everything was going great and I was just about to move the target to 50 yds to check my impact point. I tried to ram this thing in and almost broke my rod so I bailed on it and left. I had to use a wooden dowel and a hammer to knock it back out the muzzle when I got home. I double checked the box before I tossed em in the garbage to see if I bought the wrong caliber but it was labeled 50 cal, 300 grain. There is no way that bullet should have been that tight but since it doesn't come in a 54 cal - it must have been right. Ruined my day - thanks TC. Now I have to go back yet again between now and next Monday!!!!

Thanks for the advice though - zeroing at 100 seems right and I hope to see where that leaves my impact point at 50 later this week. All three bullets I tried today worked equally well and didn't require any scope adjustments. I think the heavier Powerbelt had the slight edge though - maybe cause of the wind.

 

[jims]

If you have a tight barrel that could have occurred with the .452 bullets. Sometimes different sabots are looser or some use .451 bullets in tight bores.

 

[d94jonca]