204 Ruger Zero

T

tkg

New member
Hello to the forum and everyone involved. I have a question about the normal zero for a 204 Ruger. I have mine zeroed to hit bulls-eye at 100 yds. Do most people use this zero or do they have their rifles hitting 1/2 to 1" high at 100 yds? I'm just beginning with this cartridge and I like what I see so far. I'm shooting the 32 grn, V-Max ahead of 28.5 grns of TAC powder. Just wondering how you do it. Thanks
 
http://www.biggameinfo.com/BalCalc.aspx

I shoot a 32 grain Vmax & 34 grain (Midwayusa) Dogtown's for Praire Dogs @ just under 4000 fps. My Nikon scope has target turrets so I zero it at 100 yards then reset the turets back to zero/zero. Then click it up to 1.5 inches high at 100 yards which gives me a zero of 250, 2.6" low @ 300, and 12" low @ 400. But thats just me...
 
welcome first off. the AR is different to load for, i have a DPMS that i load for. took me a bit getting use to. i have mine zereod at 200yds. i shoot 34-35 gr bullets. both the dogtowns in 34 and berger in 35gr. it just depends your range your gonna be shooting. i shoot corn and alfalfa fields so i have 900 yrds across. wont shoot that far but i sit center pivot so i have 450 to the edges
 
You really need to determine what your most likely shooting distance (or at least an average of) will be and set your zero there...Take into consideration the Maximum Point Blank Range of your cartridge...The .204 is pretty flat shooting when compared to the .223 and it's always a good idea to run your cartridge specs through a ballistic calculator (several free ones on the net), and work out your MPBR from there..

For normal hunting purposes, my .204s are zero'd at 200 yards, as an average normal shot for my area would be around 150 yards and that let's me hold 'dead on' at most normal ranges..

I'm getting ready to head for Colorado for a Prairie Dog shoot and the distances will be much farther on a normal basis and my scope is zero'd at 300 (3.2" high at 100), with stadia lines that will give me decent accuracy out to 600 yards..
 
It is much easier to zero to 200 and adjust to a closer distance, than zero to a shorter distance and adjust to a farther distance. I usually do about 1-2 inches high at 100 depending on the cartridge.
 
With my 20 Practical AR, it is 1click (1/4 moa turrets) difference from 100 to 200 yards. I would guess it would be the same with a .204. They shoot flaaaaat. I wouldn't worry to much about it.
 
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