Point blank range

What is your point-blank range for your rifle?

Some consider point-blank range the range when the bullet enters the target there is no arc or trajectory or arc from when the bullet left the end of the rifle. There is always an arc as there is always gravity, regardless of the distance travelled. So I guess what the question is, “What is  the maximum distance that I can put my sights on a target and hit it with a +/- factor. That all depends what your +/- factor is; for varmint shooting, we may want a +/- of an inch, or two centimetres. For big game, the +/- will be different.

There was an article written in 1987 by John Wootters that made so much sense that I have kept it all these years and have shared it with my hunting buddies as well as my students in the Canadian Firearm Safety Courses that I teach.

Basically, what we are looking at is to determine the maximum range for our calibre with a +/- of four inches, and at what height do we need to punch the paper at sight in time.  The  concept of a 8 inch tube being our point-blank range makes perfect sense when we are big game hunting. When we put  the cross hairs on the boiler room (heart/lung) area of our  target, a +/- of four inches ensures a kill shot. This 8 inch pie plate, if you will, is good for game as small as antelope to as large as moose and elk.

By determining your point-blank range using this criteria will ensure  that you are using your  rifle to its maximum potential.

An example:

For example, a 7mm Remington Magnum using 150 grain pointed bullets out of a 26 inch barrel, has a point-blank range maximum of 330 yards. This means that I can hold my crosshairs on my target  and be no more than four inches high, or four inches low right out  to 330 yards. This would be using the big game rifle to its maximum potential. This is using factory loads with a muzzle velocity of 3100 feet/second. Not bad!

The thing is, very similar point-blank range ballistics are achieved with factory loads of 243 Win – 100 grain, 25-06 Win – 120 grain, 270 Win – 130 grain, and  300 Win Mag – 180 and 200 grain. So, as an example, all these calibers have similar muzzle velocity and point-blank range of around 330 yards.

The next question is, “What do I sight my rifle in at 100 yards?” For the 7mm Remington Magnum, the sight in at 100 yards is 3.1 inches high. That means, when sighting in at 100 yards with the crosshairs on the bullseye, I want my bullet to be 3.1 inches high. This will mean my bullet will be no more  than 4 inches high and no more than 4 inches low right out to 330 yards.

Students wanting this sight-in chart may request it when they take the course.

Get the most out of your big game rifle and know your Point-Blank Range!

Jim Lazzari