# sight in question



## Jackpine47 (Feb 2, 2013)

so yesterday I was shooting my ruger 243 I havnt shot in years I thought id pull out for a different gun for yotes vs. my AR an get some seat time for it its it has only been used deer hunting once in 14 years so I shot it at 100 yards and was grouping 1/2" at 100 yards with 58 grain shells just was about an inch high and half inch to the left so I backed up to 200 and it was like 8" low and 4" right? is that normal to be messed up? I don't think so at all... I tried 95 grain shells as well and was still messed up I thought it would have been just a inch or 2 low? my buddy busted his tikka 243 that was sighted in at 100 and and at 200 it was way messed up like mine as well but where they both were shooting were both 1/2" groups with both guns no matter where they hit.. ive never had a rifle do this before... I got mine zeroed at 200 now but is it goin to always shoot like crap or is this normal??


----------



## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

I'd pull the bolt and set up a target at 25yds ( can use anything ), looking through the bore centered on the target and without touching the rifle look through the scope, crosshair 1 1/2 inch above center, if all is good there( take a shot if you want ), repeat the process, if the scope doesn't lineup than you have scope problems. this is quick and easy and not much shooting required, also a great thing to do if you suspect your scope may have gotten bumped. Nothing worse than hiking into the back country and missing on that critical shot. Hope this is not too confusing.


----------



## Jackpine47 (Feb 2, 2013)

nope makes perfect sense ill give it a go but im just curious why it would do it to 2 different guns and 2 different scopes??


----------



## Dang Dawg (Jan 14, 2013)

I'll bet your cross hairs are thick. Do you use a "Grid " target? Can you see the hash marks?

It sounds to me to be a "person" shooting problem. Do you use a solid bench and rest?

The difference between a 100 yard and 200 yards with a normal 243 should only be an inch or two. Your just not SEEING the true picture... SORRY


----------



## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Without knowing relevant details, if you were 1-inch high at 100, you should have been close to zero at 200 yards.

When you say it's zeroed at 200 yards, what size group(s) did you shoot at that range? Did you make any scope adjustments going from 100 to 200 yards?

I'd take the 200-yard zero setup and go back to the 100-yard target and shoot it again.


----------



## Jackpine47 (Feb 2, 2013)

the scope i got on there now is a busnell elite 4200 its not a shooter problem I can tell you that right off the bat I used a bipod in prone position with a sand bag under the stock.. at 100 yards I was grouping 4 shots within 1/2'' and when I moved to 200 yards I also again had 1/2'' groups but they were way apart!! I had 2 others shoot the gun an it was the same! awesome groupling but way off that's what I don't understand!!


----------



## Jackpine47 (Feb 2, 2013)

by the way im not "new" to rifles or guns I don't get excited when shooting them I can get rock solid I just don't understand why its way off


----------



## Jackpine47 (Feb 2, 2013)

weather was around 30 degrees snow on the ground but we were laying on my plowed off driveway on a big area rug like a 5 mph cross wind but my driveway is heavily wooded and narrow.. narrow enough that my mirrors on my truck hit branches (needs to be trimmed I know lol) loads were factory ammo Winchester varmint x and hornady superformance sst all my guns are cleaned before putting away in safe and get cleaned as they get taken out for the season again everything seems tight I checked that as I was out shooting and my buddys rifle I know nothing about his care of it but everything was tight.... there is a bipod on mine and I popped that off and it didn't make a difference I shot over 80 rounds trying about everything and my pocket book started crying haha.. it shot consistent at both 100 and 200 but just when I moved back it was way off from 100 and I had to adjust my scope to where it is now shooting about 3/8" to the right at 200 but I never tried going back to 100 to see if it was any different not sure if any of this makes any sense... lol


----------



## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

only thing I can think of is that it has to do with the time/velocity of the bullet in the barrel. The faster the bullet the less time it spends in the barrel and the lower the point of impact can be. I have seen it happen with long range handgun shooting and when the velocity of the bullet was faster sometimes, not always the point of impact would be lower than before. With the heavier bullet the lower the velocity and more recoil at the same time and it is putting the point of impact different. It may be uncommon for two rifles to shoot that much off but it could happen. IMO.


----------



## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Have you checked for parallax? Do you know what parallax is?

Is your scope one of these models? 1-4x24mm, 2.5-10x40mm, 2.5-10x50mm

If so, I suspect the issue to be in fact shooter-based: parallax.

It certainly is not wind, because it would not cause such drastic trajectory changes.

And, *since your groups remain tight* at different ranges, the issue is undoubtedly parallax, which is your eye position relative to the scope's reticle. *The above-cited model Bushnells have no parallax adjustment*, and therefore, a fixed parallax setting at a given unknown range is the only answer I can come up with without personally shooting the firearm.


----------



## Jackpine47 (Feb 2, 2013)

It's a 6-24x50 off hand does that apply to that scope as well do you know?


----------



## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

With those scope specs, it is listed as a side-focus parallax adjustment, so it should be obvious. So, the answer to your question is "no", because it has parallax adjustability, right?

The next thing I like to do is determine if the marks coinciding with the range actually are accurate. I do this with a good rangefinder and will make new reference points on the scope, if necessary.

That Bushnell model is a good scope, by the way - Bausch and Lomb quality.


----------



## Jackpine47 (Feb 2, 2013)

its all starting to make sense now! had to do a little research but I understand why its doing that yes that would be my error I guess I just didn't know it! ill test it out some more this weekend thanks for the help guys!!!


----------



## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Ah,ha. The scope has parallax adjustment!

Make sure not to rely on it without checking it first. To check it, set it up at 50 yards and focus it on a target of any kind with the adjustment set on 50. Then, without touching anything, look through the scope at the target and move your eye around - up and down, side to side. If the reticle (crosshairs) appear to move, you have parallax.

If so, make parallax adjustments until you can move your eye without the reticle moving on the target and check the reference marks. Repeat for other ranges.

It may be right on, because it's a good scope, but some scope's reference points don't equal the actual distances they indicate. It's a common mistake some shooters make by assuming the scope does what it is supposed to be doing.

Good luck and let us know what you learn from this exercise.


----------



## Jackpine47 (Feb 2, 2013)

Well went out shot it yesterday checked parallax on the markings they are right on the money that was what my issue was thanks again for the help guys!! Only question is after the 300 marking there's an figure 8 shape is that for infinity? I never went past 300 with it to try it...When I got it it was a display model an got a heck of a deal on it so there was no manuals or anything...


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Yes that is Infinity....and beyond !


----------



## Jackpine47 (Feb 2, 2013)

haha sounds good thanks man!


----------



## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

I see that the scope is *not *a side-focus model but an adjustable objective (AO) type. Nonetheless, it does the same thing. You shouldn't need a manual now that you have an understanding of how that Bushnell works.

Much like any variable power scope, it can become a liability if you forget about the adjustments altogether, so it's best to set it at 100 yards as a default. That way, really close shots can be off a bit, but not enough to matter in a hunting situation. It's just kind of a compromise in case you forget about it.

Best of luck.


----------



## Jackpine47 (Feb 2, 2013)

thanks for all the help glenway! I was thinking that's what I would end up doing until a shot is needed longer and ill adjust to it!


----------



## Jackpine47 (Feb 2, 2013)

Short said:


> You can adjust the scope......but it won't help your Ray Charles style of shooting.....


Bahaha!! That's how I was feeling when I shooting it the other day!!


----------

