My question is to the guys who have 6.5-284 Norma, at what distance do you have your gun zeroed and why ? I have just finished building one and am in the process of doing the break in on it and would like some suggestions on zero 100 or 200yds.
Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.

not a cartridge that is in my cabinet. but I would be thinking if you are using it as a deer rifle use pointblank to work out the FURTHEREST you can zero it for keeping the HIGHEST point of impact at no more than 3-3.5" above your line of sight. that probably works out at 200 or maybe?even a little more depending on the load/speed etc. that will allow you to hold dead on to a distance further than sight in range maybe 50 yrds more and still ensure a hit into the 8" kill zone at any range from muzzle to say....300???
back in the simple days when most rifles were .303 or .308,.270,30/06,243 etc it was 3" high at 100 giving point blank of 275ish assuming velocity was around the 3000fps mark and your scope is mounted 1.5"ish high. I have my own rifles .223 and .270 somewhere around 2"high at 100 and just go with that. my .270 prints heavy loads close to aim at 100 and lighter loads 2-3" high at the same range. the .223 puts all loads in the same area so it just stays the same and scope never gets shifted at all.

If you don't already have it done, download and install "Point Blank" Menu option at left. Use the ballistics for your round to derive the trajectory. Now comes decision time.

If you are hunting use the maximum point blank range, which is calculated by the program, as your zero, just as Elvis has indicated above. If you are punching paper use your normal target range.

If you are using a scope with graduations you can zero so the graduation above your crosshair is at your paper target range and then you will know, again using "Point Blank", where a crosshair hold will give you your next "Zero".

If you are using several loads then plot the trajectory of each and choose a zero that minimizes the difference over the range of loads over the distances you normally shoot. Again "Point Blank" allows you to plot each trajectory and diisplay the plots in one graph. Choosing the best zero becomes much easier than crunching numbers yourself.

I don't have "Point Blank" installed on my tablet or I would post an example of the graph for a selection of commercial loadings in your caliber.

Wikipedia on Trajectory
en.m.wikipedia.org/wik...ballistics

I keep my long-range rifles sighted in at 600 yds. and build a drop chart in 50 yd. increments. I can shoot as close as 150 yds., or as far as 1,300 yds. You only have to fire "1" shot at each distance and if your measurements are correct, and your scope will track properly, you will be on target at all distances...

I just finished a 7mm STW for a customer and sighted it in to strike point of aim at 600 yds.. I also did the drop table and when Bruce came to pick his rifle up, we were able to connect on all targets. We shot in this order - 800 yds., 250 yds., 600 yds., 1,000 yds., 300 yds. and 900 yds.. We just dialed the scope in for each known distance, held the cross hair in the center of each target, and the rest as they say, is history....

DAVID

The other option to using the turrets to dial in a yardage is to use a ballistic drop compensation reticle. Sight in at 100 yards. Adjust your magnification so first dot is 300 yards, 2nd is 400 yards, 3rd is 500 yards, 4th is 600 yards, and the post is 700 yards. It allows for quick shots at and range when you are hunting. I also can do head shots in close without having to worry about offset. See topic below for a .xls to calculate your scope settings. If you want to shoot beyond 700 yards, then do what Deer Sniper suggests.

www.huntingnut.com/ind...w=previous