I use 35 yards for both my .177 Air Arms that I use for HFT as well as for my .22 Cricket. I use my cricket for hunting squirrel and 35 yards is pretty much gives me a close enough poi to the cross at the ranges that I will typically shoot a squirrel.
Depends on my gun and distance. Some guys use clicks, I use mildots and zero where the pellet is traveling at its highest point. Both my airguns this is 30 yards. This way I have no hold under, I find having to remember just hold over (bottom half of the scope) easier and less confusing. My long distance 30 cal I use height adjustable rings. Zero is 65 - 75 yards(still making adjustments) so the scope isnt maxed out when shooting 100+ yards.
Chairgun has a function that you can set your kill zone. For example with my 22 cal shooting 18gr pellets at 900 fps I set mines to 1". What that means is that when I set my short zero to 18 yards my long zero will be 55-56 yards. So between these two distances I can aim zero on the the POI will be no more than 1/2 inch high or 1/2 low. Of course you can still figure out holdover outside these distances but it remove the need to figure out POI for your set kill zone.
I'm with "blackdiesel." For those not into ChairGun, the same ballistic math is implemented in this online animated demo by Perry Babin (I helped a little)...
37 yards to be precise. I have found this to be the best yardage that works for me. Using a Vulcan and an MTC Viper Connect 3-12 with an SCB 2 reticle, I can take targets ranging from 30 to 160 yards which is the point at which I run out of Mil Dots. This is at 10 power which is what the scope is true at. I can also using the 37 yard zero take targets from 10-30 yards as well just by holding over. No need to hold under. Makes it easy to remember since I don't need to memorize both.
Does it ever bother you that all those dots above the crossbar (and their potential to help make possible even longer range compensation) are going to waste?
for me , its according to what you use the particular gun for. my only bobcat is a 30, its for long range. with no limits rings, its zeroed at 100 yd. thats long for me , short for some.
Like Sam63, I find my bullets trajectory peak and make that my zero. Everything from there either further out or closer in are clicks back up on my elevation turret. I use the turrets for windage/elevation and put cross hairs directly on target, but one could hold over for everything as well.
BTW, the elevation turret label is marked out 7-68 yards in 1 yard increments and 0 - 120 clicks for use with Strelok Pro.