So, I want to shoot multi gun and much to my surprise they have stages at 175, 200 and 300 yards. I have never shot at distance tho my rifle is very accurate, dime sized groups at 100 yards. So, twice I have been to the 300 yard range and am having trouble zeroing my rifle. What seems to happen is I make an adjustment, like two clicks (1 click is 1/4 at 100), to the right at 300 yards, but there does not seem to be any change in POI. Then suddenly there is a change, and I am chasing adjustments!

This is very frustrating to me because at 100 I am used to seeing an 1/4 change in POI for a 1 click movement.

I spent some time today at the range, fired many rounds and still did not get a zero, POI is about 1" to the left of center. I finally lost the light and got tired, packed up went home and am analyzing my targets. Also, odd is that I moved to the 200 and the POI was 5" but centered, just where I would want it to be.

69SMK, 24.5 grains of H4895, an DPMS very heavy bull barrel 1-9 twist.

No wind that I noticed, cool day, 55 degrees F.

So, can anyone offer a suggestion?

Thank you

Steve R

Gotta tap some sights a little after moving to get them to settle in otherwise people end up chasing them as you've said you're doing. 

What optic and mount?

The only scopes I have that truly track accurately are S&B and a Swarovski. The rest, to one degree or another, sometimes get sticky.

My procedure is to go one click past where I want to go and tap the turret firmly, then back one and tap firmly again. That usually makes clicks track to the manufacturer's spec.

JPK

This is a older Bushnell elite 3200 4x12, I actually don't remember the mount, it is of course on a ar15, the mount does seem secure, no play that I can see.

I intended to zero for 300, hold low for 175 and 200. At 200 it is 5" high, at 100 4" high. Since this is a known distance and the targets are a known size I should be ok, if I can get a zero I want.

You should always zero at 100, and dial/hold up.  Makes life much easier.

Nikon BDC scope will do the deed for you.

I have a standard reticle, not a Mil dot or hash mark, so holding over or under would be difficult.

The above advice with a click or two past and back and a few firm taps has helped me .

 If it were me ,  I would get my 100 yd zero.  That is a zero with minimal wind effect.

 Now dial in about 3.5 inches high at 100 , shoot to confirm at 100 yds.

 That would put me on paper at 300 with no wind. Give or take a few inches.

 Shoot at 300 paying attention to the wind and where your group falls.  Take notes on wind and how much drift your particular bullet gets pushed.

 To confirm your reticle is moving would be easier to see at 100 yds.

   I have a 24 in Dpms 1/8 heavy barrel that I zeroed at 100 and then shot 200,300,400 with the 100 yd zero on a tall target to see actual drop.

Only if a person doesn't understand sighting in for MPBR. 100 yard zeros suck and if you look at a ballistic chart it explains why a lot of people who hunt and zero at 100 yards miss. 

For what the OP is doing, 25-28 yard zero/ 300 yard zeros are fine. Why hold up, especially a significant amount, if a person doesn't have to? 

Right, Duplex Reticle, forgot the term.

I do have a red dot on a 45 degree mount for the closer stuff. I am older, 61, and my eyes are just not that great any more, I really need the magnification at distance. I see the guys using 1x6 and 2x8 and one guy uses a red dot for all of it. I can't even see the metal plate at 300 yards without magnification.

Thank you

My trainer tought us to always turn the knob like a full (or half--a lot anyways, never just a few clicks) rotation and then back it down to where you wanted it so it doesn't get "sticky" or slip. Sounds like your problem exactly. He said all sights can have this problem, even Aimpoints, etc.

It actually makes sense because we do the same thing when tuning a guitar.

I recommend a box drill.  At 100 yards, adjust 12 clicks up and 12 clicks left.  Let off 3 rounds, aiming at bull.  Then move 24 right, same 3 rds. Then down 24.  Then left 24.  Then up 12/left 12.  This should make you a nice 6" box and show you how your scope tracks.  If anything is suspect up and down, you know.

Betcha your rings are too tight. If you get sudden jumps in setting change, that's often a cause. The scope you have should track reasonably well for 300m shooting. Sight in at 200yrds should let you hold top of target at 300 and bottom of target at 100. 300m just isn't very far.

I suggest that you lower your powder charge .5 grains.

As far as zero is concerned I zero every AR I own at 200 yards.

I use 24.5 grains of Varget w/69 grain SMK's. I have used 24.0 grains of H4895 w/69 grain SMK's.

My 200 yard zero prints 1.5" to 1.75" high at 100. I need 10 one quarter minute clicks of elevation to be zeroed at 300 or Five 1/2 moa clicks.

You can simply aim 7.5" high on the 300 yard target and never touch your scope adjustments.

I have quality scopes, Leupold, Trijicon, Night Force, Sightron, etc. I trust my scopes and have never had to tap them in order to get them to move.

Was going to suggest a MPBR as well. I gave it a try a while back with a standard 16” AR and have been very pleased.

I’d always been an advocate for either a 50 or 200 yard zero. Still am to a certain degree. But, the MPBR approach has really gained my attention. Why pick a “generic” zero, when one can better dictate the specific performance they’d like to see?

For OP’s application, it sounds like the target sizes are both known and consistent. Which, IMHO, makes a MPBR zero an even better option.

Check it out OP.

OP, run a box test and even a tall target test on your optic and see how it performs....You use one aim point low on a target..tthen mark up X number of MOA(or mil) for each new "mark"... this is a tall target test...In my case 5 Moa per mark.. so you always aim at the same lower mark, then adjust up "5moa" in my case and again aim at the same lower mark..ttthen adult up another "5moa" and repeat until you reach max Moa you ewant to test.. then do the same thing for a box test except you will go "5moa" left, then "5moa" up, then "10moa" right, then "5moa" down, and finally "5moa" left to get back to the original aim point...

I went 5moa per up except for on the box, I went 20moa up...
Attached File

I don't recall dialing more than 2 MOA at 300yds. Hold Kentucky windage.

3 choices for elevation. MPBR with what you have, remount to try correcting tracking, get something with a BDC - effect may be determined by target height.

ooops, just realized this was 3 years old.

Hope he upgraded broke cheap scope. LOL