What range should I sight my 416 Rem Mag in for? I'm hunting black bear, and using 400 gr. Hornady RNSP's. Shots are usually inside 100 yards, but some can be somewhat longer. What size of a vital zone does a large black bear have? 6"? If so, 3" high @ 100 yards will have a point blank range of 227 yards. Would this suit my needs better?

[This message has been edited by todbartell (edited 05-16-2002).]

I would site it dead on at a 100 that well put near dead on at 25 hair high at 50 just right for a woods rifle.

That black bear won't know what hit him if the first shot is spot on. Sight in at 100 yards, can't have more than 3.5 inch drop at 200 yards. But in the hunting world chances are your shot is going to be off-hand and I would work towards 4 inch max target dia at 100 yds. Last fall, hit my brownie in the shoulder at over 150 yds with a 400 gr Swift TB and he dropped like a lead sinker.
Good Luck!!

I think I'm going to try the 2-3" high at 100 yards thing. This should give me no trajectory concerns out to 200-225 yards. According to the ballistic tables, a 400 gr. round nose at 2400 fps drops 6.2" at 200 when zeroed for 100y.

I'm taking my own .416 Remington on a blackbear hunt in a couple of weeks. I'm shooting 400 gr. Swift A-Frames at 2465 fps. The rifle is printing 1.5" high at 100 yds. for a 150 yd. zero, which is not a bad compromise. I'll leave it this way for African use as well.

AD

I was at the range this afternoon, and sighted in 2.5" at 100 yards. This was with 350 gr. Speer Mag-Tips.