Best Sight in distance?

[Oakenhawk]

What is the optimum sight in distance for hunting with my .22 CAYDEN? Right now I have it sighted in at 35 yards, but was wonder should I go to 50 for sight in? What will be the impact spot if I shoot at 25 if sighted in at 50? I know on my powder burners but the pcp is all new to me. 

 

[JohnnyPDX]

I sight three of my guns at 13 yards because that's where the rat bait station is in the backyard. With my Taipan Vet .25, zeroed for 13 yards as well, I lower the POI by 20 clicks and I am ready to hunt ground squirrel from 15 to 50ish yards with predictable holdovers. What works and makes easy sense for you? It's what works for you.

Get ChairGun and figure out the POI and see the drop and holdover requirements for your Cayden.

ChairGun download page... https://www.hawkeoptics.com/chairgun-and-x-act-end-of-life.html

 

[elh0102]

I have come to prefer using the method of many FT shooters, by using the top of the trajectory curve as my POI, so there is never a need to hold under, always hold over, which I find easier. I start at around 15 yards, move out at 5 yard increments, and adjust my POI down each time I hit above my POA. Depending on the rifle, this usually results in a virtually flat trajectory in the 25 to 35 yard range (my most used), so a dead-on hold. For all ranges shorter or longer, it will be holdover by different amounts, but never hold under. With an air rifle's relatively loopy trajectory, a traditional zero procedure usually results in the need to hold under the target, sometimes by quite a lot, and often right in the rifle's most-used range. It's just my preference, but holding under has always been counter-intuitive for me, and more difficult to do consistently. 

 

[JamesD.]

If just mounted a scope, 10 yards is a great place to start. One hole should be the norm and the close distance removes a lot of variables or alerts you to any problems.

As far as your desired near, far, and Zenith/Apex I follow what ELH stated above. 
I'll provide a Chairgun photo to explain 

 

[JohnnyPDX]

elh0102,

Nice. Hold under blows for sure.

 

[B]

I have come to prefer using the method of many FT shooters, by using the top of the trajectory curve as my POI, so there is never a need to hold under, always hold over, which I find easier. I start at around 15 yards, move out at 5 yard increments, and adjust my POI down each time I hit above my POA. Depending on the rifle, this usually results in a virtually flat trajectory in the 25 to 35 yard range (my most used), so a dead-on hold. For all ranges shorter or longer, it will be holdover by different amounts, but never hold under. With an air rifle's relatively loopy trajectory, a traditional zero procedure usually results in the need to hold under the target, sometimes by quite a lot, and often right in the rifle's most-used range. It's just my preference, but holding under has always been counter-intuitive for me, and more difficult to do consistently.

Couldn't say any better.

B

 

[igolfat8]

What is PBR in the example above? And no I am not referring to Pabst Blue Ribbon 

 

[Khornet]

Point Blank Range, the ranges within you can just aim dead on and have POI within acceptable range. You see in the example above that size of kill zone is specified, and so PBR will be the distances within which you can just aim dead on and be sure of a killing hit. I prefer head shots on squirrels, and I think a 1/2" kill zone is what I need, so given the high arc of .22 slugs at 900 fps my PBR is somewhat short.

 

[JamesD.]

Some Acronyms that apply to our sport.

PBR as stated, point blank range

POA: point of aim. Hopefully matches your POI: point of impact

LOP: distance from trigger to butt pad. Length of pull

If you aren't aware where I got that shooting app.

Chairgun or Chairgun Pro may still be available free.

Strelok or Strelok Pro is definitely available. Regular is free, Pro might be $12
Strelok is much more advanced and perfect for slugs. You need to know twist rates, BC, length and diameter of projectiles to the thousandths. A micrometer is your friend and if you need one I'll give you a Omega. My Starretts are mine though lol. 
These programs can be run on Apple, IPhone, Android, etc. 

I found that when run on a IPhone there seems to be more features.

 

[JamesD.]

What is the optimum sight in distance for hunting with my .22 CAYDEN? Right now I have it sighted in at 35 yards, but was wonder should I go to 50 for sight in? What will be the impact spot if I shoot at 25 if sighted in at 50? I know on my powder burners but the pcp is all new to me.

Well worth the download and free. You would tailor your info for your pellets, speed, environment, barrel twist. I can run 4 different set ups. Just swipe left or right & you get a blue, purple, red, or green screen.

I typically have one for .177, .22, .25, .257. Or may 2-3 of my favorite .22's. It's all quickly changed if need be. StrelokPro isn't as simple but allows way more combos than I personally need. It's more compact and quicker than a Dope Chart, but they're nice to have on opposite side of butt stock in a laminated chart, POI for 5, 10, 20 yard increments, your choice. Chairgun supports distances out to 599 yards. 
StrelokPro will go out to 1000 I believe. I'm not bothering sending .257's past 600 ever but it's nice to put a 150-180grain .308/.30-06 to compare the drop of slugs for learning 

 

[Redick]

25yds is the best

 

[bandg]

There is no single "best" distance. It depends on velocity, pellet (or slug) weight, target size, and scope height above bore. Unlike several above, I zero to allow the projectile to rise above LOS but not enough to need to "hold under". Keeping that rise at just less than 1/2 of target diameter works well. That maximizes PBR. Competitive FT shooters might not do as well with this method but it seems many (if not most) of them click to a given distance. Many (if not most) casual shooters may not do that and may benefit from allowing a little rise above LOS. I also prefer a bit higher mounted scope, both for comfort and to allow a bit more efficient use of the rise above LOS.

 

[JohnnyPDX]

25yds is the best

Yup!

 

[triggertreat]

There is no single "best" distance. It depends on velocity, pellet (or slug) weight, target size, and scope height above bore. Unlike several above, I zero to allow the projectile to rise above LOS but not enough to need to "hold under". Keeping that rise at just less than 1/2 of target diameter works well. That maximizes PBR. Competitive FT shooters might not do as well with this method but it seems many (if not most) of them click to a given distance. Many (if not most) casual shooters may not do that and may benefit from allowing a little rise above LOS. I also prefer a bit higher mounted scope, both for comfort and to allow a bit more efficient use of the rise above LOS.

Well said and the way I go about it. I like getting the most PBR range that I can without any gaps using a 1" PBR setting. My crosshair is zeroed at 25 and 50 yards, my most common ranges. Of course I have already sorted out my pellet weight and velocity from a particular airgun needed to make this work at those two zeros, which was determined also prior with tuning the airgun and seeing what velocities with a particular projectile works best.. So, a little homework from working with both the airgun and Chairgun makes it all come together and completes the decision as to which way I should be focused for what I wish to achieve with a particular gun and projectile at a particular velocity tune when considering my zero(s). Any distances between those two is a very minor change from the zero stop if wanting a pin point shot within the 1" PBR range. Of course I also take note of other ranges I use farther out while doing this to see if they may land on a whole or half mil mark instead of some odd holdover between those mil marks.

 

[bandg]

There is no single "best" distance. It depends on velocity, pellet (or slug) weight, target size, and scope height above bore. Unlike several above, I zero to allow the projectile to rise above LOS but not enough to need to "hold under". Keeping that rise at just less than 1/2 of target diameter works well. That maximizes PBR. Competitive FT shooters might not do as well with this method but it seems many (if not most) of them click to a given distance. Many (if not most) casual shooters may not do that and may benefit from allowing a little rise above LOS. I also prefer a bit higher mounted scope, both for comfort and to allow a bit more efficient use of the rise above LOS.

Well said and the way I go about it. I like getting the most PBR range that I can without any gaps using a 1" PBR setting. My crosshair is zeroed at 25 and 50 yards, my most common ranges. Of course I have already sorted out my pellet weight and velocity from a particular airgun needed to make this work at those two zeros, which was determined also prior with tuning the airgun and seeing what velocities with a particular projectile works best.. So, a little homework from working with both the airgun and Chairgun makes it all come together and completes the decision as to which way I should be focused for what I wish to achieve with a particular gun and projectile at a particular velocity tune when considering my zero(s). Any distances between those two is a very minor change from the zero stop if wanting a pin point shot within the 1" PBR range. Of course I also take note of other ranges I use farther out while doing this to see if they may land on a whole or half mil mark instead of some odd holdover between those mil marks.

Similar process here. I have a Condor with a pretty high mounted scope. It's more comfortable to shoot with the scope mounted higher but zeroed at 25 yards it would be impacting several inches high at most common ranges that I use it for. I have to hold over for very near targets but that isn't it's primary use-it is my "longer range" airgun and shoots dead on out to 65 yards (my longest common shooting distance) where I can hold dead on and hit squirrel head size targets using 12.5 NSA slugs. Holdover isn't needed until beyond that 65 yard distance with that combination. On the other hand, my Walther LGU with a lower mounted scope shooting lighter pellets at a lower velocity has near zero at a much closer range (inside the 25 yards mentioned above) due to it's lower power and more "loopy" trajectory. But it needs holdover starting at about 45 yards and to hit the same target at 65 yards requires 2 dots holdover. The Walther is impressively accurate and consistent and will hit that size target at that range (assuming little to no wind) but only if the distance is known to within just a very few yards and as noted it varies from no holdover at 40 yards to 2 dots at 65. Different results gun to gun dependent on setup and use.