Zeroing 25 and 100yds-Disaster

[Delkal]

Usually a heavier bullet is a tad slower and in the barrel longer. Effect of recoil will make it hit higher.
As suggested start with the basics and rule out one factor at a time.
I'd use some decent ammo (same bullet, brand and if possible same lot#) to take that out of the equation.
Even the same weight bullet from brand x may hit different than brand y's.
Hang a full piece of newspaper or cardboard behind your target. If you miss the target you'll see where you're at.

Heavier bullets usually shoot higher for the reason stated even though most people think they should not drop as much since they are going faster. But the difference between the two should not be a bullseye for 150's to off the page with a 180. I would think more like an inch or two, 3 max. Sounds like your problem was your mounts.

I also agree when you are sighting in and go from 25 to 100 use a few sheets of newspaper to totally cover the backstop. Saves some headaches and $10-20 of ammo. Might not have helped this time though. I have a feeling your groups at 100 on the newspaper would have been all over the place.

[Gunowner99]

Agreed. Consistency will be my key next time and newspaper so I can see better. The boards to mount targets to were pretty shot up so of no use.

[USMC3531]

That Malaysian ammo most likely has bi metal jacket as well, no need to worry about it unless you have some ultra precise barrel you wont shoot enough from a bolt action to wear it out. You may be able to adjust your firing pin or buy a new onl with more protrusion which will help set off hard primers.

[Gunowner99]

Rested on the stock so that was not the issue. The Malaysian I just may sell. Cheap:-)

[Yoder]

Take a roll of old wrapping paper and use the white side for a target. You can make it as big as you want. Shoot 3x. If they group, aim at the center of the group and adjust your crosshairs to the point of aim. Should be real close at that point.

[unclejumbo]

Anytime during sighting in, if I'm not on paper with the first shot, I shoot at a rock, clay bird, pine cone on the backing hill. It's a quick visual to tell me which way to crank the dials. Ammo is too expensive to be repeatedly missing. You should be able to punch the bullseye in no more than 5 rounds. Obviously, if you don't want to waste ammo, do a pre-range check on the rings and base so that doesn't devil you while sighting in.

[Gunowner99]

Yeah. I rushed it. Bad day. Will have another go when I can. Did everything that I could do wrong unfortunately.

[McSull]

Yeah. I rushed it. Bad day. Will have another go when I can. Did everything that I could do wrong unfortunately.

Dont beat yourself up. We've all been there. Probably be there again.

[Yoder]

Sometimes I will remove the bolt, put the crosshairs on target and look through the barrel to see if it's in the ballpark. Redneck bore sighting.

[Holeshot121]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned this, unless I missed something (edit - looks like jthrelf was thinking the along the same lines), but zeroing point of aim to point of impact at 25 yards will make you shoot high at 100 with just about anything other than a 22lr.

I don't know how high your scope centerline is over your bore centerline, but the higher it is, the worse the effect. You're shooting up on an angle to get your rounds to meet your POA in only 25 yards, which is relatively short. The rounds are going to continue climbing on that same steep upwards trajectory until gravity and air resistance do their thing.

Try to measure your scope height over bore, even just in the ballpark, and then zero again at 25. This time, instead of trying to hit dead nuts on, make your rounds hit lower than your POA but still closer than your height over bore. Example: height over bore = 1.5". Zero at 25 so your rounds are hitting 1" low. That should get you on paper at 100.

Hope this helps! Please report back.