[MoRivera]

I love those targets and use them a lot. My local outdoor range only goes out to 55 yds, so the adjusted ones really help.

 

[TerminalSigness]

Problem is most ranges here are marked 25/50/100. Setting up at 36 is kinda difficult as they always insist you place targets at those ranges.

I think it is an age thing. As Willard stated earlier, it was the norm back then.

I always sighted at 50, because it was at least that distance that you had to lock in with your sights, to make a humane hit. The rudimentary ranges that we used for sighting, were set up for 20/50/100. The holdover was pretty simple back then too. Even irons on my first ARs were set for 50.

With my first dot sight, I just randomly picked 20, because it matched the range, and seemed sufficient for close quarters use. I remember playing around with the POA/POI between the sights and dots, at the 100 range, just to get an idea of holdover. No big mathematics or science involved. Heck, I used to be pretty good at Kentucky Windage, just by watching the leaves on the trees.

The math and science on the 36 zero seems to be spot on. I may take a day, and set one up that way. It would be interesting, for sure.

 

[MoRivera]

What's nice is as the video pointed out, out to 300 yds you're pretty much within the size of a CD, so for combat you're good. My thing is when shooting close range or in tactical/competition stage I have to remember my holdover especially in smaller target areas or head shots at 'speed'. Circle-Dot reticles can help but unless in a large-window dot sight like an Eotech, I find them a bit too busy and prefer just the dot. So for say a head-shot in the 'A-zone', got remember to hold on the top of the forehead.

 

[TerminalSigness]

What's nice is as the video pointed out, out to 300 yds you're pretty much within the size of a CD, so for combat you're good. My thing is when shooting close range or in tactical/competition stage I have to remember my holdover especially in smaller target areas or head shots at 'speed'. Circle-Dot reticles can help but unless in a large-window dot sight like an Eotech, I find them a bit too busy and prefer just the dot. So for say a head-shot in the 'A-zone', got remember to hold on the top of the forehead.

Hmm. Didn’t even think of that aspect. Depending on cartridge, 16 yards is a lot of difference Out of the barrel. May have to leave this old dog alone. 😳

 

[MoRivera]

I think it comes into play more for actual 'operators' or LE SWAT that may have to take a head shot in a live cover or hostage situation within room distance. But then a lot of competition also simulates that with no-shoot targets obscuring all but a small part of the intended target et al. It even comes into play with pistol red dots as there's still an offset from barrel and some shooters tend to yank a bit as they're shooting 'at speed'. But yeah a 2.5" or so offset from bore can be big at CQB distances. Just takes some practice to get used to holding a bit high within 15 yard or so.

My pistol-caliber-carbines I usually zero at around 45-0 feet because that's around the usual distance for steel/plate targets and about as far as it gets in CQG competition stages. Offset isn't as big up close as with rifle.

 

[MoRivera]

Also keep in mind that the target posted for 25yds adjusted for 36yd is for a typical Eotech or Red Dot with an absolute cowitness to lower-1/3rd mount height (like 1.41 to 1.6x" above rail). If you use like a 1.91" high mount or have your red dot way up on top of your scope like....

...it's going to change the impacts a bit, obviously.


On my gaming rifle that has a 1-6x scope, I have a 35˚ offset mount like this....

...so height over bore is still within that range.

 

[TerminalSigness]

I think it comes into play more for actual 'operators' or LE SWAT that may have to take a head shot in a live cover or hostage situation within room distance. But then a lot of competition also simulates that with no-shoot targets obscuring all but a small part of the intended target et al. It even comes into play with pistol red dots as there's still an offset from barrel and some shooters tend to yank a bit as they'r shooting 'at speed'. But yeah a 2.5" or so offset from bore can be big at CQB distances. Just takes some practice to get used to holding a bit high within 15 yard or so.

My pistol-caliber-carbines I usually zero at around 45-0 feet because that's around the usual distance for steel/plate targets and about as far as it gets in CQG competition stages. Offset isn't as big up close as with rifle.

Yup. My holds are ingrained. Given the degradation of accuracy just from age, probably shouldn’t create uncertainty by changing my zero.

 

[MoRivera]

Yup. My holds are ingrained. Given the degradation of accuracy just from age, probably shouldn’t create uncertainty by changing my zero.

Yeah if it's 'in your blood' already, you're probably good anyway. 36 just seems more of a 'cushion', or the reverse if you will for 'quick and dirty'.

 

[P938365]

With my own rifles, I rarely ever have access to ranges with distances extending beyond 100 yards, so I just zero them at 100. Ballistics has never been something in which I've had a lot of in-depth training, so discussions like this provide a lot of food for thought. Funny enough, this thread prompted me to look up the ballistic trajectory for a 100yd zero, and the first article that came up discussed a 36yd zero.

It has diagrams showing POIs for 36, 25 and 100yd zeros and is an interesting read if anyone is interested.

Is Your Carbine’s Zero Wrong? - The Armory Life

What distance should you zero your carbine at? 25 yards, 50 yards, 100 yards, or some other distance? Determining the correct zero for you will require some thought as well as some range time.

www.thearmorylife.com

 

[MoRivera]

My 1-6x scope has the ACSS reticle, which works great. My first 3-gun match, my best stage actually had plates out at 300 yds and I was sitting them at a good pace 1 for 1. The holdover marks were spot-on....

 

[DansSIGs]

For those zeroing at BB/Pellet platform distances....drop the rifle/carbines & grab a scattergun...no zeroing required...point & click.

 

[MoRivera]

All bases covered....

 

[11b4v]

Wears Filson, but shoots S&W Sport II. LOL.

 

[TerminalSigness]

Must have been an early thaw in Alaska

 

[sagerat]

Well, I have fancier and modern outdoor gear, but nothing stands up to bashing through the puckerbrush or rolling around on the ground better than a Filson jacket or does as well in bad weather.

And it has lots of character marks from wearing it while shooting my various muzzleloaders. .32 squirrel rifle; .54 1803 Harpers Ferry replica (both flinters), and Great Plains, aka Hawken, caplock also in .54.

 

[japander]

The 36 yard zero is the battle zero used on ACOGS. I have mine zeroed at that distance.

 

[AUGop41]

Doesn’t the strike eagles come with a BDC reticle? I remember when I had one years ago it had to be zeroed at 100 yards for the BDC to work.

The 36/300 is ideal for 5.56 with irons or back ups. Doesn’t obscure your target with the front post-and effective to 300

 

[MoRivera]

Yes Strike Eagle does. I bought one as an affordable entry scope as I was getting into 3-gun. Switched out for a Primary Arms 1-6x because I liked the ACSS reticle a bit better.

And yeah, as illustrated in pics I posted earlier, it's gauged for a 100 yd zero.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Unless in a hostage situation all you need to hit is a dinner plate sized target. I hunt with an open sighted handgun and the next time out will be a red dot because I can no longer see. effectively, the front and rear sight. Am I wrong?

 

[Firearms Collector]

I recently had a Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8 put on my AR. S&W M&P Sporter II. Grabbed it and went out today to sight it in at 36 yards. Crappy weather, windy day, but what the heck.

Breezy as all get out; torso target and the plastic uprights kept rocking forward as wind was coming from 12 o’clock. Temp was in low 40s, but windchill made it much colder. Broken clouds with me laying prone on damp to muddy ground. Rested AR on range bag; too low. Took off Filson tin cloth jacket, rolled it up and put that on top of range bag. Settled in, (yay for fleece jackets and warm base layers) found my cheek weld, got good eye relief and crosshairs on target, butt in shoulder pocket, wrapped offhand around mag well, pulled rifle tight, then worked on my breathing and prepared to pull the trigger.

Thought to myself “you know, this is my happy place.” Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy shooting handguns. Especially DA/SA pistols. But there’s something almost magical about shooting a rifle.

Took less than 10 shots to get the AR zeroed. Three clicks to move POI to left; elevation was already dead on. I’ve never chewed out the center of a bull’s eye before, but actually did it. Then it was death to tin cans everywhere.

Pulled scope as it’s on a quick release. Repeated process for irons. Few clicks to move POI to right; again elevation was fine. Took about a dozen shots to get irons dialed, then more tin cans getting riddled.

Finally, started on the last victim with irons. After ten shots, I put the scope back on and kept aiming at the same spot until this symbol of fall fell.
View attachment 490932

Why 36 yards ?