The hunter's zero: trade a few inches of midrange rise for a hold-center window that covers almost every shot you'll ever take at game.
A deer does not stand still while you dial a turret. The 200 yard zero is the maximum-point-blank-range answer: set the crossing far enough out that the bullet's whole arc stays inside a game animal's vital zone, then hold center fur from the muzzle to somewhere past 230 yards and press. No ranging, no math, no dialing with cold fingers.
The price is the midrange rise — with this load the bullet rides a few inches above your line of sight through the middle of its arc (the table below has the exact figures). Against an 8-inch deer vital zone that rise is invisible; against a prairie dog it is a miss. This zero is a big-game tool, and it is honest about it.
Pair the table with your realistic maximum shot. Inside your hold-center window, hunt with a clear head; past it, you need a rangefinder and holds like anyone else. Our point blank range guide in the Learning Center walks the full MPBR logic if you want to tune the zero distance to your cartridge and vital zone.
Bullet path relative to line of sight, .308 Win, 168gr at 2650 fps, 200 yard zero, standard atmosphere. Plus is above your aim point.
| DISTANCE | BULLET PATH | HOLD (MOA) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 yds | +1.8″ | 3.5 DOWN |
| 100 yds | +3.5″ | 3.4 DOWN |
| 150 yds | +3.1″ | 2.0 DOWN |
| 200 yds | 0″ | — zero |
| 250 yds | −6.7″ | 2.6 UP |
| 300 yds | −18.2″ | 5.8 UP |
| 350 yds | −35.9″ | 9.8 UP |
Midrange rise is real: do not use this zero for precise small targets at 100–150 yards without holding under (see the table). And confirm at an actual 200 yard lane when possible — a 200 yard zero verified only at 100 inherits any velocity error twice over.
For this 168gr load the table above gives the exact 100 yard rise. That number is also your shortcut: if you only have a 100 yard lane, zero to print that high at 100 and you have effectively set your 200 yard zero — or print a custom generator target that does the offset for you.
Depends on the vital zone you accept. Against a generous 8-inch zone this load holds center well past the zero distance — trace the table until the drop exceeds 4 inches and that is your window's far edge. The Learning Center's Point Blank Range guide covers computing it exactly for your cartridge.
The concept transfers; the numbers do not. A 150gr at ~2,820 fps arcs flatter, moving both the rise and the window. This page's figures are for 168gr at 2,650. Use the custom generator with your load's box velocity for a matched target.