# shotgun zero



## crossneyes (Sep 26, 2005)

what range do most of you zero your slug guns at?i am shooting winchester platinums 2 3/4".thanks for your help.


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

Dead on at 125 yards. If you only have a 100 yard range, 3" high will get you into that range. Every gun is different so make sure you spend time sooting at different yardages so you can get a good idea ofthe trajecotry of those particular slugs. That info will go a long way in helping you be succesfull if that buck of a lifetime steps out.


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## jmoser (Sep 11, 2002)

You did not say where you are hunting or what range is typical. In the woods you rarely need over 100 yards so:

Dead on to one inch low at 100 yards should get you appx. 2" - 3" high at 50 yards depending on your velocity and scope height, etc.

I zero a bit low at 100 M [109 yards] and verify my trajectory at 50 M [ 54 yards.]

If you are looking for 'generic' one range sight in then I would vote for one inch high to 1 inch low at 100 yards.

Beyond 100 yards the slugs start to drop a lot - if you really think you are going to have a shot at 120 - 150 yards you had better zero for that distance and check your trajectory at 50 and 100 as well. Do NOT rely on the trajectory data printed on the box or manufacturers website, etc.

My slug is a 1 Oz. at 1450 fps muzzle velocity; FYI we have found *in general *that the 'high velocity' slugs are not as accurate plus they are murder to shoot and can beat up sub-par scopes. If you really think you need 120 yards or more then you may want to look into the 1650 fps and up slug choices; they will shoot a bit flatter.


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

jmoser said:


> .
> 
> My slug is a 1 Oz. at 1450 fps muzzle velocity; FYI we have found *in general *that the 'high velocity' slugs are not as accurate plus they are murder to shoot and can beat up sub-par scopes. If you really think you need 120 yards or more then you may want to look into the 1650 fps and up slug choices; they will shoot a bit flatter.


Those platinums are these:

http://www.winchester.com/products/catalog/shotdetail.aspx?symbol=SSPTH12&bn=5&use=8&gauge=12
Like Jmoser says, do not rely of the trajectory charts listed in that table...every gun is different. That load is fully capable of taking shots in the 150 yard range, so imo, it pays to sight the gun in to take advantage of point blank ranges out to the furthest capabilities of that load. All this ofcourse is assuming that this load is accurate in your gun.


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## deputy (Feb 2, 2002)

Slugs need to be zeroed in at 50 yds if your shooting the super speed slugs zero them 2 - 2.5 high at 50yds gravity will do the rest.
100yds zero =/- 1inch 

Slug guns must be zeroed (sighted-in) at a distance where the slug will impact the target while still in the supersonic phase of its flight. Most slugs become subsonic, travelling less than 1220 feet per second, slightly beyond a muzzle distance of 50 yards, thus making 50 yards the ideal zeroing distance. Zeroing at 50 yards also cuts down, by approximately 60%, the chance of adjusting windage error into your scope setting. 

A common shortcut taken by a majority of shooters is the attempt to zero their guns at 100 yards. This is a serious mistake as several significant factors come into play that will prevent an accurate zero at this distance in all cases. When zeroing a slug gun at 100 yards only, you never know how much windage is turned into your scope setting. Your gun becomes effectively sighted in for that day's wind only, and your point of zero will be as much as 6 inches off of where it should be. 

Zero your gun at 50 yards, 2-3/4" high of absolute dead center on your target...no left, no right, simply 2-3/4" high. You will then be dead-on zeroed at 100 yards because gravity will see to it. Check trajectory data for the brand of ammunition you are shooting and adjust the height of your 2-3/4" 50 yard true zero as necessary so as to produce a dead-on gravity zero at 100 yards. 

Once your gun has been zeroed at 50 yards, you should fire the weapon at a range of 100 and then again at 150 yards so that you can get a feel for how negative factors, such as wind drift, will effect your shot placement. A perfect hold at 100 yards may now produce a target impact as far as 6 to 8 inches off your point of aim, but since your gun has been precisely zeroed at 50 yards, you can be assured that this drift was caused by a windage effect. Wind has more effect than most shooters realize on the flight of a large, relatively slow moving projectile such as a slug. Learning how to compensate for differing wind velocities and angles, especially at extended distances, is a lesson that must be learned if you wish to be consistently successful hunter and shooter. 

Although Tar-Hunt rifled slug guns perform similarly to rifles, they are not rifles and cannot be zeroed as if they were. Even the fastest slug is significantly slower than the typical rifle bullet. It is therefore extremely important to apply back-pressure to the forend of the stock with your left hand while you are shooting. Not doing so will result in the barrel of your slug gun jumping into the air off of the front rest, moving your point of aim and ruining your shot before the slug even has a chance to exit the barrel. 

Let's say you have zeroed your gun in this manner at 100 yards, adjusting into your scope setting this muzzle jump as well as windage error. While in the field you shoot at a deer at 100 yards while holding onto the forend of your gun's stock. Your shot hits low or, most likely, misses completely. Most would tend to blame the gun or the ammunition, when in reality methodology is the real culprit. Think about it! Learn to properly set up your equipment and you can be confident in your shot when the time comes.


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## explodingvarmints (Jul 1, 2004)

Deputy,
you _almost_ sound like you know what your talking about:lol: .


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## mparks (Sep 4, 2001)

That's the info Randy Fritz gives on his Tarhunt page.

For some reason, I can't stand the idea of being 2.5" high at 50 yards when most of my shots are under 50 yards. Being 1.5" high at 50 puts me an 1" low at 100 and frees my brain from the torment of having to think about ever holding low on a 25-50 yard shot. Fairly neurotic on my part I know.:lol:

All kinds of ballistic free ware out there. Using a ballistic calculator you can take the data for your load and get a rough idea of where you should hit at a given range. That let's you sight in for the best trajectory for you. If I were watching been fields I would sight in differently than the way I hunt now which is thick stuff and treestands.

Here is a good on-line ballistic calculator:
http://handloads.com/calc/index.html


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## deputy (Feb 2, 2002)

sure is and since i have tested 15 differnt slug guns with 100 differnts load a few years ago i can say this he is on the money with it....

i have astack of data here! and it all points to the same thing give or take 1inch


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## jmoser (Sep 11, 2002)

Deputy is correct about the wind - I simply avoid sighting in on gusty days.
If you must sight in on a windy day then by all means use 50 or even 25 yards to adjust dead center windage - most folks cannot comprehend how far a slug can be pushed sideways by a 10 mph crosswind.

As far as subsonic/supersonic:

Most projectiles will get 'buffeted' as they cross through [under] the sonic barrier. This certainly affects their stability and will be seen in group sizes. [FYI they go supersonic in the barrel so there is no instability on the way up.] For example: 22 match ammo is carefully calibrated near 1080 fps to remain always subsonic so it does not suffer this effect. Most 'high velocity' .22 ammo at ~1250 fps will go subsonic before 50 yards and will not be as consistent as the slower ammo.

For achieving tightest sight in groups this can be an issue, but you should still shoot at 100 yards to confirm the capabilities of your gun/ammo combination before attempting a hunting shot at that distance. 
The ballistics of a specific projectile at a specific velocity with a specific rate of twist will not be the same from brand to brand - one may do fine while another falls apart.

For example I got unexpected and unreliable results with one brand of slugs at 100M while another will cloverleaf. Both of these looked fine at 50 M; it took the extra range to uncover the instability of the one projectile. [Brands are hidden to prevent flame war here!]

So I will strongly argue that while 50 yard zeroing is a perfectly fine calibration excercise you must still shoot at 100 to verify the capabilities of your specific gun/ammo. If all you can do is 50 yards then I agree with Dep - dial it in 2-3 inches high based on your maximum expected hunting range and you are OK to 100 - even a 8" group at 100 will drop your deer if you hold in the right place.


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