For those of you who mix detachable scopes with iron sights, do you zero the two at the same distance?

I have a .416 Rem Mag shooting 400 grain A-Frames at a measured 2500fps. Right now my scope is zeroed at 200 yards to take advantage of the optic's magnification and the load's trajectory. The irons are currently zeroed for 100 yards just because.

While I see value in both sights being zeroed at the same distance, therefore only needing to know one trajectory curve, I can't imagine shooting a .416 to 200 yards over iron sights. Conversely, it seems like zeroing the optics at 100 yards doesn't take advantage of the .416's ballistics.

How do you all prefer to do it?

I zero both the same, 2 to 3 inches high at 100 yards, then hold center body on a buffalo or duiker..I would not hesitate to shoot a buffalo or anything else at 200 yards with iron sights. A .416 under proper conditions with a decent rest like a tree or big rock and the bull broadside to me is easy pickens.. I have done that on a couple of occasions..

I like the shallow V, and prefer the NECG gold faced post and I take a flush sight picture like you would with a pistol,its fast and accurate, Its a old Texas Ranger trick for quick shooting..The other option is a receiver sight, they are fast and super accurate..Some folks like a 3/32nd bead and the shallow V, and its a good option, Ive used it a lot.

Iron sights are as good as a scope up to 200 yards IMO, beyond that the scope is best. They get a bad rap form folks that have not used them to any extent, and from some press by gun scribes that know not from whence they come.

If you sight in your rifle at 2 inches high at 100 yards, it will be on at 150 and 5 inches low at 200 yards as a rule, but always shoot it in at 100, 150, and 200 to be sure..You can become very proficient with irons with a little effort. I was lucky, I grew up shooting iron sights on low comb mod. 70s and 94s..When scopes came along we shot them with low comb rifles, and I am forever greatfull in that I learned early that you can shoot a scope with a low comb just fine, and your irons will work also. the rest is hooey!

Too old to shoot irons? another myth for the most part..Im 81 wear bifocals. a good eye doc can address that issue in most cases, maybe put a focal in the top of the glass or a clip on for long range shooting..Target shooters do this.

I sight irons in to hit at the top of the bead at 100. That also puts the POI dead on at 25 yards, and more or less a bullets width high for everything in between. 150 Yards comes in at a couple inches low if you have time or need for super precise alignment.

This is where it gets interesting. Most of my beads cover about 8 inches at 100 yards, but that varies with bead diameter, barrel length and who's holding the gun. You'll have to find your own magic number. If you simply aimed with the center of the bead you'd have every range covered from zero to well past 200 yards. Who needs leaf sights?

Your rifle irons and optics are set-up correctly for a .416Rem to be used for hunting.

My go-to is a .416 Rem. Main scope is a Z6i, 1-6. I always carry a backup, my old main scope, a 1.5-5 Leupold. Scopes are sighted dead on at 100. Irons at 25, but as Dogleg says, that's very likely dead on at 100 as well. My thought is that with the scopes, dead on at 100 translates to 6" low at 200 and 21" low at 300. That's manageable and I'm not going to shoot farther than that.

Only time I've removed scopes is for a follow-up or in really thick stuff, hence sighting in close. But I haven't even done that since going to the 1x6 with an illuminated reticle. The Z6i has a dim setting for dusk and a bright setting for daylight. So, set at a true one power and bright, you essentially have a red dot that every bit as fast as irons.

I am far from expert but I typically sight open sights @ 50 yards and scopes 100 yards or an inch high @ 100 yards.

I sight aperture sights @ 75 yards if on a scope equipped rig. If no scope and straight aperture sights I will go 75 yards on up depending on application/terrain.

Sounds about right. I sight all of my rifles 2.5" high at 100 yards, iron sights dead on at 50. For my 500 Jeffery that puts it dead on at 25 yards and 175 yards with my scope.

Most of your shots with a .416 will be within 100 yards, in my experience. Almost all within 200 yards. I see no reason to sight in high, but an inch high doesn't bother me much. Two and half inches high sounds like sighting in for a South Texas deer rifle.

Each to his own. I'm not trying to be critical.

I don't disagree, I sight in my 270 the same way, for the 270 2.5" high at 100 puts it dead on at 25 yards and 275 yards with a 150g Partition at 3000 fps. Just habit I guess.

I use JBMballistics and set the target radius to 2.1" inches. That generates trajectories for any load that limits a maximum height above line of sight to 2.1" inches.

Your 2500fps load will probably register a 2.1" sight-in at 100 yards. Then simply learn its curve, depending on the BC of the bullet. I would guesstimate its zero would be just under 200 yards (maybe 185 yards) and maybe a 12" drop at 300 yards. Test those ranges and go hunting. I like my 416 to be able to take little oribi or a Tommy at 200-300 yards. The rest is meat on the table.

Why 2.1"?
Because shooting high on a small, close (150-200yards) animal is much more likely than a ponderous, slow, long shot that is too low. 2" inches max trajectory keeps everything in the boiler room and is easily adjusted for that rare 300 yard shot. On the other hand, when the drop is more than 12-15" at 300 yards, I consider the rifle to be beyond its range. Rangefinders change this to some degree, of course. Most of my hunting is done at 2800 fps and loads tend to produce -6 to -9" low at 300 yards, depending on BC. I can handle that for most situations 200-300 without even using a rangefinder. Naturally, as estimates approach 300 yards, the recommended use of a rangefinder arises.

Tanzan:

You must be shooting light bullets to get those velocities. Nothing against that, I just like the 400 grain and I'm used to it and it's trajectory.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Tanzan:

You must be shooting light bullets to get those velocities. Nothing against that, I just like the 400 grain and I'm used to it and it's trajectory.

Yes, we've been using the 350 grain TSX and TTSX in a 416 Rigby at 2820fps. It shoots about the same trajectory as a 225 grain TTSX in a 338WinMag at 2835fps. the Win Mag gains an inch at 400 yards because of a better BC. That inch is irrelevant because 400 yards is a rare shot in Africa.

One reason for the 350 grain is that I want a solid of the same weight, 350 grains. The 400 grain flat-nose monolithic solids are long for a 16.5" twist in a 416 Rigby barrel. they work, but are more marginally stable. I don't expect to replace the barrel. If I did, I would order a 12" twist for extra stability.

Here is a picture of our sight-in shots last December. We dropped the scope 4 clicks, and were able to shoot a nice impala. That was the only opportunity to hunt last Fall, but it worked out well.

while the rifle is obviously accurate, those shots at 100 yards would reach a high trajectory a little over 4 inches somewhere out around 150 yards. That is too high in my book, although I have hunted that way for many a season. A person needs to aim very low until the animal is a good way off. a 2" max trajectory is much more forgiving and very practical in an African context, or any context under 400 yards.

I sight in everthing 3" high at 100 yards, that way I don't have to figure things out when things get hairy..On a DGR I like to see my Buffalo over the front sight. I would not trust that dead on at 25 and 100 without testing each rifle, it just ain't so all the time. Irons normally should be on at 12 yards and one a 150, scopes at 25 and on at about 250 and almost 3 inches high at 100 and 4 inches high at 200 with 30-06s and such and a bit less with DGRS...The point is do not accept that as written n stone, before you sashay off to Africa shoot your rifle at 25, 50, 100, 200 and 300 off a bench, I also add on 400 and 500 as long as Im there and playing with them.. know where it shoots before you get there and don't rely on some mathematical baloony. the number one problem with most PHs is getting a clients rifle sighted in upon arrival, many are not.

Jack O'Connor said 3" is the magic number and that's the best way..I trust old Jack when it comes to good shooting.. but to each his own,I ain't the shooter cop, Jeffe is !!

I like Jack too, but settled on 2.5" a long time ago. I always shoot my irons as well as scope and check my rifle at 25 yards, 100, 200 and 300 yards. I stop at 200 yards for the 500 Jeffery.

Very good idea to check at each range and not just rely on the ballistic charts.