Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Default Stupid question: zeroing with heavier vs lighter rounds

    Working on zeroing out a scope and a red dot. Scope is on 5.56 and will shoot primarily 55gr ball and m855. Currently zero’d with that Occasionally will be shooting 35gr hornady. If i understand correctly, the 35gr will hit high?

    Same with the red dot in 300blk pistol (8”). Currently zero’d with 147gr fmj-bt. Will use 110gr barnes vortex or gorilla/lehigh controlled chaos for hunting/carry purpose.

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    Default Re: Stupid question: zeroing with heavier vs lighter rounds

    Only one way to know for sure.

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    Default Re: Stupid question: zeroing with heavier vs lighter rounds

    Quote Originally Posted by DukeConnor View Post
    Only one way to know for sure.
    Trying to avoid shooting up all the lehigh defense ammo theoretically the lighter ammo will shoot flatter at a higher velocity, which is why im curious if it’ll hit high

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    Default Re: Stupid question: zeroing with heavier vs lighter rounds

    Try an online ballistics calculator.
    Power always thinks...that it is doing God's service when it is violating all his laws.

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    Default Re: Stupid question: zeroing with heavier vs lighter rounds

    Quote Originally Posted by DukeConnor View Post
    Only one way to know for sure.
    Yup. But I will vote for it shooting lower at most ranges. The 35 grain bullet is faster and spends less time in the barrel so the rifle recoils up less before exiting the barrel. It might shoot higher at some point but at longer distances it will shoot much lower. A light bullet like a 35 grain has a terrible Ballistics coefficient so even though it starts out much faster the bullet slows down fast and will have more drop.

    This effect will be more pronounced with the pistol.

    Of course this is just my guess so let us know what really happens.

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    Default Re: Stupid question: zeroing with heavier vs lighter rounds

    Quote Originally Posted by ROCK-IT3 View Post
    Try an online ballistics calculator.
    Any suggestions? I’ve tried the barnes one but it only covers their bullets. Switching between pmc bronze/xtac to hornady 35gr varmint throws a wrench in things (dont know the coefficient of the pmc ammo

    I did notice when sighting in the 300blk red dot after zeroing it on the 5.56 rifle i was hitting 6” low. That was with the heavier bullet/barrel at half the length. Which is what had me leaning towards lighter bullets hitting higher 🤷🏼*♂️

    I guess range day is in order lol, easier than a calculator

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    Default Re: Stupid question: zeroing with heavier vs lighter rounds

    Quote Originally Posted by Woodwanderer View Post
    I did notice when sighting in the 300blk red dot after zeroing it on the 5.56 rifle i was hitting 6* low.
    Not sure if this means anything and you can't expect to swap a scope between rifles /barrels and have it give the same zero. If you were only 6 inches away consider yourself lucky!

    All 35 grain bullets should have similar ballistic coefficients so for playing with a ballistic calculator you should get the general idea of its trajectory vs a 55 gr BTHP. For shooting at less than 100 yards there shouldn't be much of a difference but at longer ranges it will get worse. If you are looking for better performance at long ranges (200+) you want to use a heavier bullet even though most people think a faster bullet shoots flatter. This is only true comparing a bullet with the same BC.

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    Default Re: Stupid question: zeroing with heavier vs lighter rounds

    Quote Originally Posted by Delkal View Post
    Yup. But I will vote for it shooting lower at most ranges. The 35 grain bullet is faster and spends less time in the barrel so the rifle recoils up less before exiting the barrel. It might shoot higher at some point but at longer distances it will shoot much lower. A light bullet like a 35 grain has a terrible Ballistics coefficient so even though it starts out much faster the bullet slows down fast and will have more drop.

    This effect will be more pronounced with the pistol.

    Of course this is just my guess so let us know what really happens.

    Yeah* at like 800-900 yards! Well, 500 anyway. At any hunting distance 223 is used for, the lighter faster bullet will ALWAYS have less drop. Meaning it will hit HIGHER on the target using the zero for the heavier, slower bullet. It*s Physics. Try any Ballistics Calculator, you*ll see. I use JBM. Ballistics Coefficient doesn*t make much difference inside of really 500yds or so.
    Last edited by DavidH; August 28th, 2022 at 02:42 PM.
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    Default Re: Stupid question: zeroing with heavier vs lighter rounds

    Thanks DavidH. Im shooting inside 150yds, so anything much more than that shouldnt really matter…longest distance lane at the club is 150 and with 6x scope i have enough trouble seeing and hitting paper at 50-100yds.

    I’ll run it at the range and see what happens. The 35gr 5.56 wont get used often, its just what the LGS had in stock. Id much rather buy the 53gr Hornady varminter instead.

    Fwiw, both barrels are 1:8 and from same manufacturer…between 2 calibers with a cheap 4moa dot i’ll take 6” low lol

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    Default Re: Stupid question: zeroing with heavier vs lighter rounds

    I have used the Winchester Ballistics Calculator, it seems easier than many others.

    https://ballisticscalculator.winchester.com/#!/
    Power always thinks...that it is doing God's service when it is violating all his laws.

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