25 vs. 50 yd zero

How about a somewhat lighter topic? Having no military experience, I've been doing some reading on ballistics, so I could really use an experienced voice: We're zeroed at 25 yards, which, if I'm reading correctly, puts us almost 6" high at 100 yards (and still rising). When zeroed at 50 yards, I've been comfortable taking that shot. Not anymore...

Am I wrong, or does a 50 yard zero have the bullet topping out around 150 yards at about 1" high, only to come back down to dead-on at 200 yards? I could handle being an inch high at 100 yards. Six inches? Not so much. Any thoughts?

The 25-yd zero was developed for soldiers who were in the field and didn't have 50 or 100 yds to zero in their rifles. I have always had mine zeroed at 25 yds and I know that I need to concentrate on making sure I'm center mass if I'm outside that 25-yd range, which we should all be doing anyway. The rifle was invented to have a point of aim/point of impact at 200 yds (if memory serves) and, honestly, in a patrolman's capacity, you shouldn't be taking a 200 yd shot to begin with. There are too many factors to deal with, especially if you are working with iron sights and have taken under a couple of hundreds shots from that distance. Hope this helps.

The 25-yd zero was developed for soldiers who were in the field and didn't have 50 or 100 yds to zero in their rifles. I have always had mine zeroed at 25 yds and I know that I need to concentrate on making sure I'm center mass if I'm outside that 25-yd range, which we should all be doing anyway. The rifle was invented to have a point of aim/point of impact at 200 yds (if memory serves) and, honestly, in a patrolman's capacity, you shouldn't be taking a 200 yd shot to begin with. There are too many factors to deal with, especially if you are working with iron sights and have taken under a couple of hundreds shots from that distance. Hope this helps.
Oh no, I'm not planning on plinking anything outside of 100 yards. I completely agree with you: I'm no sniper, and won't be taking any sniper shots. (The only dope I'm familiar with is the 57 kind.) This is all just coming from the "worst-case-scenario" and "better to have & not need than need & not have" schools of thought. If I needed to take a shot at, say 75 yards, with my rifle sighted at 25 yards, POI will be about 4"-5" above POA. Turns that center mass shot into possibly a neck shot... and if I am at all off left or right, it's probably shoulder/miss. That's not taking into account if the target is turned to the side, etc.

If the 25 yard zero is solely for convenience on a short range, and I have access to a 100 yard range, I'm still not sold on keeping it zeroed in at 25. Plus, as you said, the rifle is designed to be zeroed at 200, which is about where the round comes back down when zeroed at 50. This also makes for a much flatter trajectory, correct?

I appreciate you discussing this with me, and thank you for your reply.

The rifle itself isn't designed to flatten trajectory, thus the barrel is actually aimed a few degrees up when you look at your sight picture. That is why your impact point is higher than your aim point at close range. My advice, and take it for what it's worth, is to zero at 25 yds and then go to a range where you can take a 100 yd shot. Start in close (7-10 yd range) and fire groups of 4 or 5 without re-adjusting your sight picture, not unlike you would do in a real-life situation. Do this at 10 or 15 yd intervals until you get to 100 yds and see if you are comfortable with the change in trajectory. The 200 yd zero is for soldiers who are going to take 400-500 meter shots. While it sounds cool and all, the 25-yd zero is far more practical in our line of work. If i were a betting man, which I am, I would put money on the fact that your shot is more than likely going to be inside 50 yds and, knowing that, I would configure my rifle in a way that there is little to nothing that I have to calculate in my head before pulling the trigger. If that means you have to consciously aim at the pelvis from 100 yds, so be it. But, again, that's worst case scenario unless you're in Kabul.

The 25-yd zero was developed for soldiers who were in the field and didn't have 50 or 100 yds to zero in their rifles. I have always had mine zeroed at 25 yds and I know that I need to concentrate on making sure I'm center mass if I'm outside that 25-yd range, which we should all be doing anyway. The rifle was invented to have a point of aim/point of impact at 200 yds (if memory serves) and, honestly, in a patrolman's capacity, you shouldn't be taking a 200 yd shot to begin with. There are too many factors to deal with, especially if you are working with iron sights and have taken under a couple of hundreds shots from that distance. Hope this helps.
Oh no, I'm not planning on plinking anything outside of 100 yards. I completely agree with you: I'm no sniper, and won't be taking any sniper shots. (The only dope I'm familiar with is the 57 kind.) This is all just coming from the "worst-case-scenario" and "better to have & not need than need & not have" schools of thought. If I needed to take a shot at, say 75 yards, with my rifle sighted at 25 yards, POI will be about 4"-5" above POA. Turns that center mass shot into possibly a neck shot... and if I am at all off left or right, it's probably shoulder/miss. That's not taking into account if the target is turned to the side, etc.

If the 25 yard zero is solely for convenience on a short range, and I have access to a 100 yard range, I'm still not sold on keeping it zeroed in at 25. Plus, as you said, the rifle is designed to be zeroed at 200, which is about where the round comes back down when zeroed at 50. This also makes for a much flatter trajectory, correct?

I appreciate you discussing this with me, and thank you for your reply.

Put a green lazer in the rifle's bore and you will see where it will hit out 500 yds.

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The 25-yd zero was developed for soldiers who were in the field and didn't have 50 or 100 yds to zero in their rifles. I have always had mine zeroed at 25 yds and I know that I need to concentrate on making sure I'm center mass if I'm outside that 25-yd range, which we should all be doing anyway. The rifle was invented to have a point of aim/point of impact at 200 yds (if memory serves) and, honestly, in a patrolman's capacity, you shouldn't be taking a 200 yd shot to begin with. There are too many factors to deal with, especially if you are working with iron sights and have taken under a couple of hundreds shots from that distance. Hope this helps.
Oh no, I'm not planning on plinking anything outside of 100 yards. I completely agree with you: I'm no sniper, and won't be taking any sniper shots. (The only dope I'm familiar with is the 57 kind.) This is all just coming from the "worst-case-scenario" and "better to have & not need than need & not have" schools of thought. If I needed to take a shot at, say 75 yards, with my rifle sighted at 25 yards, POI will be about 4"-5" above POA. Turns that center mass shot into possibly a neck shot... and if I am at all off left or right, it's probably shoulder/miss. That's not taking into account if the target is turned to the side, etc.

If the 25 yard zero is solely for convenience on a short range, and I have access to a 100 yard range, I'm still not sold on keeping it zeroed in at 25. Plus, as you said, the rifle is designed to be zeroed at 200, which is about where the round comes back down when zeroed at 50. This also makes for a much flatter trajectory, correct?

I appreciate you discussing this with me, and thank you for your reply.

Or, just think like a girl and aim for the balls, and your neck shot will now be a belly shot. hee hee hee.