I’ve known Ron Spomer for nearly 35 years, and in my opinion, his reputation for being one of the most knowledgeable gun writers on the planet is well deserved. Spomer is a master at breaking down complicated topics in the gun, ammo, optics and ballistics world into language that most hunters/shooters can understand.
In the YouTube video below, Spomer demonstrates whether a deer hunter can really zero his or her rifle at 30 yards and be “hunt ready” at longer ranges such as 100, 200 and 300 yards. As he explains, there are times when a hunter doesn’t have access to a 100- or 200-yard rifle range, but can shoot safely at close range, say 25 to 35 yards.
I’ve been in this situation a few times during my hunting career. I live outside a small town but don’t have a rifle range within easy driving distance. However, a good friend lives on a hobby farm a mile away, and it’s legal and safe to shoot firearms on his property. His land doesn’t set up well for 100-yard shots, but we can shoot at up to 60 yards.
I learned many years ago that it is possible to zero a deer rifle at close range — 30 or 35 yards — and be “hunt ready” at longer distances. Of course, you should verify bullet impact at longer ranges as soon as possible. By “hunt ready” I mean that your bullets are impacting a 100-yard target either 1.5, 2 or 2.5 inches high. Depending on your rifle/ammo choice, this equates to being dead-on at 200 to 250 yards.
Spomer explains that to effectively zero your rifle at 30 or 35 yards, you MUST know four data points: bullet weight (grains), initial bullet speed (fps), your bullet’s ballistic coefficient, and the height of your scope over the barrel. You probably don’t own a chronograph to measure the initial speed of your bullet out of your rifle (muzzle velocity), but you can get general info off the ammo box. The bullet’s ballistic coefficient info can be found on the ammo company’s website; simply go to the page for your specific load and it should be listed in the specification chart. Finally, you’ll need to measure the height of your scope over the barrel; Spomer demonstrates in the video that this is easy to do.
Click here for the ballistic trajectory calculator from the website ShootersCalculator.com, which is the one Spomer uses in his video.
I’ve learned from experience that it works well to zero a deer rifle at 30 or 35 yards. The key is using a ballistic trajectory calculator, inputting the required information for your setup, and then checking the calculator’s results.
Here’s how it works: First plug in a zero distance of 30 yards into the calculator and then see where your bullets will hit at 100 and 200 yards. Then plug in a zero distance of 35 yards and check the numbers. Every gun/ammo/optic combo is slightly different. You wouldn’t think that a 5 yard zero difference — 30 vs. 35 yards — would make a meaningful difference, but it does.
The video is 23 minutes long, but well worth your time. Spomer posted the video in September 2023, and since then it has nearly 575,000 views. Watch and learn!
