Sighting-In for Hunting

What should your sight-in objective be to assure that your rifle and ammunition combination will have an excellent chance of hitting the canonical ten-inch vital zone out to 300 yards?  This is about as far as most hunters should consider taking a shot because missing or wounding becomes more and more likely as the range increases. Further, statistics suggest that more than half of hunting shots are taken within 200 yards and more than 90% within three hundred yards. This is true even when the rifle, ammunition, and sights are capable of taking game out much further.

The experienced hunter develops a set of techniques for ensuring his or her rifle is properly sighted for the ammunition planned for the hunting season. The beginning or developing hunter, on the other hand, does not yet have these techniques developed to the point where confidence levels can be considered comfortable. All too frequently, the new hunter has no clue about why his shot missed or the animal ran off.

Knowing how much accuracy is really needed can significantly reduces the stress in prepping for the hunt. At the same time, understanding what your rifle can do over typical hunting ranges takes a fair bit of effort but one gains a goodly amount of trigger time in return.

Most rifles can be sighted so that the 200 yard shot requires no Kentucky Windage in 10 mph winds or Tennessee Elevation. While the beginning hunter should keep shots to within 200 yards, the corrections needed to get hits at 300 yards are modest and within the grasp of the developing hunter.

The Fouling Shot discussion illustrates where taking one is critical: long range shooting and highly competitive precision shooting while.

The Hunting Zero offers a path for the beginning and developing hunter and plinker to assess whether a fouling shot is needed for his or her rifle and ammunition.

Point Blank Range Revisited shows that the recommended zero in the above articles is at least as effective for comfortable shooting at intermediate ranges as the more complicated Maximum Point Blank Range technique.