Of course, always something comes up.
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Not really a sighting issue. More that I have so little time behind a rifle, that I can't tell the difference between needing an adjustment on my scope, or if I'm shooting poorly.
Today I was on paper, centered, at 50 yards, but 6" high. I didn't touch the scope, took a shot at 200 yards, and got nothing on paper. I moved back to 100 yards and was on paper, but the impacts were way left. Now, I can throw a shot, but the strong, steady wind, was also coming from the left, so if anything the shots should have been to the right. I move the windage turret 10 clicks to the right, took another shot that was way right, and that's when the case got stuck. So I went home. I had other stuff to do, so today was hastily planned and I felt ill prepared. I'm sure everything will be fine, I just wish I had more time. I'd like to zero at 200 and know where things are hitting from 50-400 yards.
I'm sure it's all very basic stuff, it's just stuff I've never taken the time to learn, and have very little time to accomplish before I need it (this weekend).
If you know the ballistics, you can zero at 200 and be damn close to the supplied result at any other range assuming you're not reaching past a humane kill distance.
Hell, Strelok Pro will show your reticle and the hold for any distance on your phone for different animals. Or perhaps you have a range finder that can show some ballistic data? My trusty Leupold is about dead on for .308 and mil hold.
The wind hold is where the real work comes in, but a ballistics app can help there too.
I decided to quit being a moron and actually input useful info into an online calculator to give me a decent baseline.
I think I'll go to a 100 yard zero because I can see the hits at that distance and looking at the wizbang ballistics chart, even shooting out to 550 is only 3.52 mils hold over, which is no big deal with this scope. Everything will be fine, I just need to stop being a lazy POS and whining.
Ammo:
You said 6.5 Creedmor?
Cabela's shows stock for Hornady Precision hunter 143gr ELDX. Get some.
Zero it at 200 and here's your ballistics (close enough without a chrono).
https://i.imgur.com/FOtS0Ro.png
If we need more detail, subtract 40-50fps per inch of barrel under 24" (unless you run suppressed) and we can swizzle it through Strelok or any other ballistics app to get you some good numbers.
Well there you go.
In the time it took me to assemble my last post, you found some useful stuff.
Getting things right in your mind and not stressing about your readiness helps.
Of course, a busted gun doesn't help alleviate any stress.
The long term plan is to sell the .308 with a bunch of extras to get into a 6.5 Creedmor with very little extra cash on my end, but that is a next year thing. TL;DR the Axis has too thin of a barrel to thread, so I might as well get an already threaded barrel rifle in a caliber that I'm interested in. For now, .308.
I went out Sunday and even in the wind was pretty happy with my initial groups.
Then something went horribly wrong. POI was 6" off vertically previous groups at 100 yds (200 yd zero). WTF?
Ended up being the damn AAC can had loosened and backed off one tooth. Hard to believe it affected the POI that friggin much but tightening it put it back on track. Frustrating to say the least.
Wind was mostly at my back at about 170* I'd estimate but got continually stronger and quartering as time rolled on. I made a one click windage adjustment from last year and called it good.