best distance to zero for steel plates

[jimbullet]

Getting some opinion/ thoughts please. I have a 40 s&w 2011 STI standard division gun. Where do you usually zero your sights and what is the optimum point of aim on an IPSC plate. i.e. front sight at the centre of the plate or front sight at the based of the plate so that you can see the plate fully? What distances have these worked for you?

 

I feel sometimes my point of impact is inconsistent with the various distances and trying to work this out. 

 

My pistol is zeroed at 15. This means that  point if impact is on top of the front sight blade.

 

For some reason in certain distances I feel that the hits are exactly where the fiber optic is on my front sight and on certain distances is just on the top of the front sight and sometimes is like I have to aim at the base of the steel target to hit it, otherwise the shots are too high.

 

I need to do some experiment on different distances but with limited range time, I thought to pose this question to see what you all are experiencing and help me to fine tune what is the optimum way.

[dapribek]

I sighted my STI at 50 feet, my indoor range. I aimed at the middle of the plate and this worked for me. Hope this helps. 

[Hi-Power Jack]

58 minutes ago, jimbullet said:

 

My pistol is zeroed at 15. This means that  point if impact is on top of the front sight blade.

 

I need to do some experimention at different distances

 

Since I started shooting OPEN, with a dot, I like my FO sight to act like a dot - bullet goes in the

middle of the dot.  Use a thin FO (0.08") and it is very similar to shooting a C-More.

[raz-0]

I like to set mine up so the dot is where it hits. There is no best, it's personal preference. 

 

I zero my sights at 7 yards then refine it at 15. I then sanity check it for hitting a plate sized target at 20. If I got time and the set up I'll sanity check with a full sized ipsc at 40. 

[jimbullet]

5 hours ago, raz-0 said:

I like to set mine up so the dot is where it hits. There is no best, it's personal preference. 

 

I zero my sights at 7 yards then refine it at 15. I then sanity check it for hitting a plate sized target at 20. If I got time and the set up I'll sanity check with a full sized ipsc at 40. 

With yours zero at 7 yards and acting like a red dot (as the hits are where the fiber optic is), how does your point of impact look like compared to sights when shooting out at 20-25 yards? Is it still like where the fiber optic is or do you now hold down at 6 oclock?

 

[jcc7x7]

Get a package of 6" paper plates and use them as your practice and sight in "targets"

Figure out what your mind see's, what sight picture you are actually using when you shoot steel.

 

Mine is sighted at the top of the blade at 20 yds, I tend to hold in the bottom 1/3 of the plate when I'm shooting a match speed.

that works for me based on using the paper plates while doing drills

[dansedgli]

I zero at 25 yards and aim at the centre for everything.

 

 

Edited August 4, 2019 by dansedgli

[Hi-Power Jack]

3 minutes ago, dansedgli said:

I zero at 25 yards and aim at the centre for everything.

 

 

Sounds awfully simple ….   

[zzt]

1 hour ago, dansedgli said:

I zero at 25 yards and aim at the centre for everything.

 

 

+1

[Lastcat]

3 hours ago, dansedgli said:

I zero at 25 yards and aim at the centre for everything.

 

 

 

 

[GOF]

3 hours ago, dansedgli said:

I zero at 25 yards and aim at the centre for everything.

 

 

+1. I zero irons at 25 yards to shoot to the center of the FO dot. There's not enough rise/fall from that to bother you for standard USPSA/Steel Challenge/IDPA targets/ranges. IDPA SSP Master, when I shot that game regularly.

Edited August 4, 2019 by GOF

[andrewtac]

Using ballistics from a Hornady 180 grain xtp box load, a zero at 25 yds will result in one inch low at 5 yards, and one inch low at 50 yds; check your aim or flinch if your rounds are low.

[Lastcat]

1 hour ago, andrewtac said:

Using ballistics from a Hornady 180 grain xtp box load, a zero at 25 yds will result in one inch low at 5 yards, and one inch low at 50 yds; check your aim or flinch if your rounds are low.

 

Ballistics Calculator for 124gr at 1375 fps, same.

[jimbullet]

20 hours ago, jcc7x7 said:

Get a package of 6" paper plates and use them as your practice and sight in "targets"

Figure out what your mind see's, what sight picture you are actually using when you shoot steel.

 

Mine is sighted at the top of the blade at 20 yds, I tend to hold in the bottom 1/3 of the plate when I'm shooting a match speed.

that works for me based on using the paper plates while doing drills

That is a fantastic idea about paper plates. I will use that....

 

11 hours ago, Lastcat said:

12 hours ago, andrewtac said:

Using ballistics from a Hornady 180 grain xtp box load, a zero at 25 yds will result in one inch low at 5 yards, and one inch low at 50 yds; check your aim or flinch if your rounds are low.

 

This is interesting - as its low at 50 yards, thanks for that.

 

[waktasz]

Zeroing distance is 18 and a half yards. NO MORE NO LESS

 

On 8/4/2019 at 2:22 PM, andrewtac said:

Using ballistics from a Hornady 180 grain xtp box load, a zero at 25 yds will result in one inch low at 5 yards, and one inch low at 50 yds; check your aim or flinch if your rounds are low.

 

Won't be one inch low unless your sights are one inch tall. 

[andrewtac]

11 minutes ago, waktasz said:

Zeroing distance is 18 and a half yards. NO MORE NO LESS

 

 

Won't be one inch low unless your sights are one inch tall. 

Good catch, I had rifle sight height of 1.5".  Reran at 0.5" sight height; 5yds .21" low and at 50 2" low; one inch low at 41 yards.  Still all well within the diameter of a steel plate out to 50 yards.

[cheers623]

I zero both irons and red dots at 25 yards for 3-4” groups. Then shoot at my plate rack at 40 yards. Always hold for center of plates and never miss. Seems to consistently work on all my pistols.

[Amerflyer48]

My G34 in Production Division is sighted for FO dot on at 25 yds.  I can hold a 5 1/2” group or so. 

125 coated at 134 PF 

if I miss it’s me.