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Thread: Best zero for 45 acp carbine

  1. #1
    Boolit Master brstevns's Avatar
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    Best zero for 45 acp carbine

    What range would you consider best for a scope to be sighted on a 45acp carbine?
    It would be for a 230 gr bullet load.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    That would depend on what you consider to be the maximum accurate and effective range of the weapon.

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    Boolit Master Jedman's Avatar
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    What Tasman says is absolutly right. For me if I were using it for a maximum distance of 100 yards I would sight it at 75 yards zero and should be able to figure where to hold.

    Jedman

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jedman View Post
    What Tasman says is absolutly right. For me if I were using it for a maximum distance of 100 yards I would sight it at 75 yards zero and should be able to figure where to hold.

    Jedman
    I agree with your estimate of 100 yards. I used the Hornady ballistics calculator and the coefficient of their 230fmj. I assumed a velocity of around 950fps which falls in the middle range of the velocity charts for carbine barrels.
    It still shows 386 ft pounds of energy at 100 yards and drops 4.8 inches from a 75 yard zero. About 2 " high at 50 yards.
    Very useful with that setup.
    Easily deer accuracy with little hold over for drop at 100. More than enough for a man shaped target at that distance from a dead center hold.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    This may help, based upon WW2 zero for Thompson SMG, vel. adjusted for 16" barrel:

    .45 Auto (.45 ACP), Carbine 16”, 230gr Ball M1911
    Yds__Drop(ins)_Vel__Ft.Lbs
    0__-0.9695___1050_563_ Iron sights one inch above bore
    10_0.6972____1035_547
    20_2.0393____1021_532
    30_3.0476____1007_518
    40_3.7134_____995_506
    50_4.0277_____983_493_4 inch max. bullet rise
    60_3.9821_____971_481
    70_3.5679_____960_471
    80_2.7767_____950_461
    90_1.6001_____940_451
    100_0.0298____930_442_Battlesight zero 100 yards
    110_-1.9426___921_433
    120_-4.3251___911_424
    130_-7.1262___903_416
    140_-10.3540__894_408
    150_-14.0167__886_ 401
    160_-18.1226__878_ 394
    170_-22.6800__870_386
    180_-27.6971__862_379
    190_-33.1822__854_372
    200_-39.1436__847_366_Approx 1 metre drop at 200 yds/metres, remaining energy approximates M1911 pistol near muzzle.
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    Boolit Master Randy Bohannon's Avatar
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    This ^^^^^^^ all day ,every day. Mr. Outpost provides us with all the details you need,again.

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    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    What Jedman said is exactly what I did. And once zero'd at 75 I shot a few at 100 and at 25 just so I would know what to expect.

    Outpost75, that is quite handy, once again you prove you are "Da Man with da stuff"

  9. #9
    Boolit Master brstevns's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GhostHawk View Post
    What Jedman said is exactly what I did. And once zero'd at 75 I shot a few at 100 and at 25 just so I would know what to expect.

    Outpost75, that is quite handy, once again you prove you are "Da Man with da stuff"
    Outpost75 information is great. for you, where was the bullet hitting at 25 yards. Going to start at 25 yards so that would be a great help to know how low I should be hitting.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by brstevns View Post
    Outpost75 information is great. for you, where was the bullet hitting at 25 yards. Going to start at 25 yards so that would be a great help to know how low I should be hitting.
    With iron sights 1 inch above bore using a 6:00 hold on B15 repair center it should strike in the ten and X rings, about 2-1/2" above front sight.
    The ENEMY is listening.
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    POI using fixed aperture of the Thompson M1A1 rear sight was (approximately) 100 yds with ball ammo and the notch at the top of the aperture tab was supposed to be for 250. Of course, in the words of a KoreanWar vet of my acquaintance, Thompsons were "about as accurate as a big league fast ball but hit just a hard when they connected". Oddly enough, I'd heard almost the same comparison in Viet Nam from a Sgt. Major who'd packed one as a corporal during WWII; and my own with experiences with one in '68-'69 definitely supported their opinions. For a 'modern' .45 ACP carbine, firing from a closed bolt, I'd keep it simple and go with a 50-yd zero and holding over a few inches at 100.

    Bill
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    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    I was using a Hipoint carbine with a Truglo 2x red dot sight. 2" stick on bullseye on slow pistol orange target.

    At 75 all were in the 2 inch stick on bull, mostly centered. 100 dropped a couple of inches, 25 raised an inch or so.

    I would have no problem putting 5 in a 2" circle at 100 if I just aimed an inch above the circle.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master brstevns's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GhostHawk View Post
    I was using a Hipoint carbine with a Truglo 2x red dot sight. 2" stick on bullseye on slow pistol orange target.

    At 75 all were in the 2 inch stick on bull, mostly centered. 100 dropped a couple of inches, 25 raised an inch or so.

    I would have no problem putting 5 in a 2" circle at 100 if I just aimed an inch above the circle.
    Thanks, I have a red dot on my 45acp Mauser conversion and I am glad to hear what you are getting. Going to start at 25 yards like always, so will try about 1 inch high and see how it works. Will not be shooting more then 100 yards

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    I zero my sub sonic 200gr swc load at 25 yards for head shooting rabbits. My super hot 165gr jacket hollow point gets zeroed at 100 for shooting pdogs from the truck.
    Doug
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    I had a H&R Reising .45acp semi-auto carbine with 15-shot mag, and a low-power fixed magnification 'scope atop it. For me, I recall best performance was zeroing (battle hold) in seventy-five yards. The difference closer was negligible, and out to 100 yard I'd aim for top target ring to (when I was lucky ) get the bullet close to the black. My bullets weighed in at 225 grains.
    geo

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    Larry Gibson's Avatar
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    Timely thread as I just got my suppressor for my M98 Rhineland conversion 45 ACP a couple days ago.....took 9 months 4 days to get the transfer stamp...…..

    Any way I zeroed it yesterday with the Lee TL-430-TC loaded over 5 gr Bullseye. That runs 1050 fps out of the 16 1/4" barrel. I zero it 1.7" high at 50 yards which puts it on zero at 75 yards.

    The rest of the trajectory (I round off to the nearest inch past 100 yds);
    Yards Traj/inches
    25 1.13
    50 1.7
    75 0
    100 -4
    125 -11
    150 -20
    175 -31
    200 -46
    225 -63
    250 -83
    275 -107
    300 -134

    …...and yes I do really shoot 300 yards with it as there is a "sheep" dinger hanging at 300 yards on the range here. It's lots of fun dinging it repeatedly much to the amazement of the AR zombie shooters. BTW; the Silencerco suppressor is excellent as this 45 ACP load is a bit quieter than my .22 caliber RWS springer air rifle.

    Attachment 252515
    Last edited by Larry Gibson; 12-08-2019 at 10:08 AM.
    Larry Gibson

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  17. #17
    Boolit Master brstevns's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Gibson View Post
    Timely thread as I just got my suppressor for my M98 Rhineland conversion 45 ACP a couple days ago.....took 9 months 4 days to get the transfer stamp...…..

    Any way I zeroed it yesterday with the Lee TL-430-TC loaded over 5 gr Bullseye. That runs 1050 fps out of the 16 1/4" barrel. I zero it 1.7" high at 50 yards which puts it on zero at 75 yards.

    The rest of the trajectory (I round off to the nearest inch past 100 yds);
    Yards Traj/inces
    25 1.13
    50 1.7
    75 0
    100 -4
    125 -11
    150 -20
    175 -31
    200 -46
    225 -63
    250 -83
    275 -107
    300 -134

    …...and yes I do really shoot 300 yards with it as there is a "sheep" dinger hanging at 300 yards on the range here. It's lots of fun dinging it repeatedly much to the amazement of the AR zombie shooters. BTW; the Silencerco suppressor is excellent as this 45 ACP load is a bit quieter than my .22 caliber RWS springer air rifle.

    Attachment 252515
    Right on time, Thanks

  18. #18
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    I don't worry about the math. Typical range for playing with a pistol caliber rifle for me is 50 yards so I sight them in dead on at 50. What you really need to factor in is the height of your scope over the bore because without that factored in you can throw out all the drop charts. My 9mm ar15 with its higher scope mount height sighted in dead on at 50 is dead on at a 100 or close enough that you couldn't argue it. Ive also seen two identical guns shooting the same load sighted in at a set range vary as much as 6 inches in poi 50 yards farther out. So best thing is to try it at 25 50 and 75 and see which is closest to poi at a 100. Or sight in to the longest range your going to shoot and learn where it hits closer. Me? mine are used for home protection and truck guns and I know I wont shoot past 50 yards in a situation like that and a 50 yard zero is good enough from 0-75 yards without thinking.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master brstevns's Avatar
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    Went to the range and the Red Dot gave me problems so back to the starting board. Installing a low power scope on it and give it another try.

  20. #20
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    Good luck, waiting for the report
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