MPBR zero on an African hunt

I have a Namibia hunt coming up that I want plan for. I am going to take a flat shooter, my 22 Creedmoor as it has become my favorite light hunting rifle and the only buck we are shooting are springbuck, and many of them, at ranges probably between 100 and 350 yards.

I have never done this maximum point blank range zero thing, but have been reading a lot about it lately and it seems to be the easy method for me, and makes sense.

According to the point blank range calculator, my zero range for this rifle is around 300 yards and then I just aim dead on the vital zone from zero to just over 300 yards:



My question is, have any of you tried this method practically and physically in the field on open plains, and how has it worked for you?

I’m not familiar with the particular cartridge but I’ve never done anything else. I sight in up to 3” high at 100 to get the impacts where I want at 200 and 300 and know any holdovers if I need to. A springbok is relatively small though. 3” on a kudu is nothing. 3” on a springbok could be a problem.

i am a great believer in this method. the important thing is to KNOW the drops at the various ranges. if your gun is zero'ed at 225 yards and at 300 it is 2.1" low (just an example) then know how low it hits out to the ranges you will be shooting. it is very fast to simply hold over (or under) at the known range and send it.

most africa shooting is done at 200 yards and less, so a 200 yard zero and knowing the drops out to 300 yards would be easy and effective.

For 2 trips in Namibia I sighted in my 30-06 shooting 168gr TTSX at like 2830 fps.

I sighted in 1.5-2 inches height at 100 yards and just aimed high shoulder for everything past 200 yards. Worked well for me.

Let’s will tell you shots are not far in Africa, but that is only their experience. Places like Khomas region have ridges and valleys. Idk about you, but I’m not passing on a mature animal just because it’s a 350 yards. “When in Rome”

I think that will work great for you.

Where are you hunting in Namibia and with whom?

PeteSnipe said:

I have a Namibia hunt coming up that I want plan for. I am going to take a flat shooter, my 22 Creedmoor as it has become my favorite light hunting rifle and the only buck we are shooting are springbuck, and many of them, at ranges probably between 100 and 350 yards.

I have never done this maximum point blank range zero thing, but have been reading a lot about it lately and it seems to be the easy method for me, and makes sense.

According to the point blank range calculator, my zero range for this rifle is around 300 yards and then I just aim dead on the vital zone from zero to just over 300 yards:

View attachment 794995

My question is, have any of you tried this method practically and physically in the field on open plains, and how has it worked for you?

Click to expand...

Yep, that's what I'd do. I usually depend on MPBR

1dirthawker said:

most africa shooting is done at 200 yards and less, so a 200 yard zero and knowing the drops out to 300 yards would be easy and effective.

Click to expand...

I agree with this, as I believe that 300yds/300m is arguably the max sporting range on unwounded game. (Yes, skill and technology allow for much longer shots, but the ethics/wisdom of such are debatable.) If the conditions were ideal and I had a very solid rest, felt 95% confident, I could stretch that a bit, but I wouldn't make a habit of it.

A MPBR of 367yds implies a farther sporting range than 300yds, hence I wouldn't sight in for that.

My Win 70 .30-06 has a Shepherd 310-P2 scope with subtending 18" circles for 300-1000yds.
My M98 Scout .308 has a 1-4x duplex, sighted in for 200yds.
My .450 Dakota 76 has a 1.5-6x Zeiss Victory heavy duplex, sighted in for 100yds.

My farthest kill in Africa (maybe anywhere, now that I ponder it) was a lasered 300yds, on an Ostrich hen.
The 300yd Shepherd circle was dead-on. For hunting, I think a good BDC is the way to go.

I do use MPBR on my iron-sighted battle rifles and carbines.

If the area you are hunting is wide open plains, expect ranges longer than 300 yards, even longer if herds have been previously culled by helicopter. Whatever one's comfortable with but I zero at 100m and after that if necessary, dial. Your chart shows ballistics for the ELD-M. Are you using the ELD-X, same weight?

1dirthawker said:

if your gun is zero'ed at 225 yards and at 300 it is 2.1" low (just an example) then know how low it hits out to the ranges you will be shooting. it is very fast to simply hold over (or under) at the known range and send it

Click to expand...

I do the same, on my deer rifle.

I've changed my tune on zero range over the years. For slow movers like my 45-70, MPBR all the way. For a white tail or similar, MPBR gets me to about 165 without adjusting for holdover.

For modern cartridges designed to used smokeless powders, a 200 yard zero gets me as far as I'm willing to shoot off of sticks.

Shooter's Calculator helps determining both MPBR and drop beyond it.

A +/- 4" impact is a lot on a springbok.

PeteSnipe said:

I have a Namibia hunt coming up that I want plan for. I am going to take a flat shooter, my 22 Creedmoor as it has become my favorite light hunting rifle and the only buck we are shooting are springbuck, and many of them, at ranges probably between 100 and 350 yards.

I have never done this maximum point blank range zero thing, but have been reading a lot about it lately and it seems to be the easy method for me, and makes sense.

According to the point blank range calculator, my zero range for this rifle is around 300 yards and then I just aim dead on the vital zone from zero to just over 300 yards:

View attachment 794995

My question is, have any of you tried this method practically and physically in the field on open plains, and how has it worked for you?

Click to expand...

Done this zero many times. It’s quite literally how the military zeros the M4/M16. Just remember the data you put in is for an 8” Vital Zone (Deer Size) +4” above and -4” below, and that’s also IF you shoot exactly where you aim.

Personally, if I expect anything past 250-300yds I dial with a known and practiced dope chart. If I expect anything past 500yds my kestrel is along for the ride. 200-300 I’m practiced enough on known holdovers.

1dirthawker said:

i am a great believer in this method. the important thing is to KNOW the drops at the various ranges. if your gun is zero'ed at 225 yards and at 300 it is 2.1" low (just an example) then know how low it hits out to the ranges you will be shooting. it is very fast to simply hold over (or under) at the known range and send it.
most Africa shooting is done at 200 yards and less, so a 200 yard zero and knowing the drops out to 300 yards would be easy and effective.

Click to expand...

I also use a MPBR zero.

So for my 350 Rem Mag, firing a 250grn Spitzer @ 2450fps and zeroing it to hit 2.5" high @ 100yds, that yields an approximate dead-on zero of 180yds, with only a -3" drop at 215 yards.

So 215-yds, for this load, is the MPBR zero without hold-over/-under. That's sufficient for any large PG critters.

My .338WM is zeroed at 200m.

PeteSnipe said:

I have a Namibia hunt coming up that I want plan for. I am going to take a flat shooter, my 22 Creedmoor as it has become my favorite light hunting rifle and the only buck we are shooting are springbuck, and many of them, at ranges probably between 100 and 350 yards.

I have never done this maximum point blank range zero thing, but have been reading a lot about it lately and it seems to be the easy method for me, and makes sense.

According to the point blank range calculator, my zero range for this rifle is around 300 yards and then I just aim dead on the vital zone from zero to just over 300 yards:

View attachment 794995

My question is, have any of you tried this method practically and physically in the field on open plains, and how has it worked for you?

Click to expand...

@PeteSnipe
I use the MPBR to sight all my rifles.
For small game I sight so the bullet doesn't rise or fall more than 1.5" at any point.

For medium game it's 2.5". With that setting and my 25 I'm 2" at 100, 2.5" at 200 zero at 300 and 8" low at 400. That's with a 100gn TTSX at 3,600+fps.
Big game 3-4" max rise or fall.
Bob