Pistol RDS zero distance?

[Grayman]

I'll be doing a comprehensive test of zero distances in the near future and want to see what everyone is running.

Doc GKR used 25yds in his long term testing
Those at my agency running them use 15yds
I have heard everything from 7-25...

So what do you guys use?

 

[Keld]

I work in meters, so I have zeroed my IPSC Racegun at 25 meters and will zero my RMR for my G17 at 25 meters, when I get it.

 

[Longeye]

Further is better than closer. I used a 50 meter zero on mine. That puts me just over LOS at 25 meters. I would not zero a defensive pistol any closer than 25 meters under any circumstance I can think of.

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[Haldermand]

Further is better than closer. I used a 50 meter zero on mine. That puts me just over LOS at 25 meters. I would not zero a defensive pistol any closer than 25 meters under any circumstance I can think of.

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Why is that?

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[Longeye]

Simple geometry and basic ballistics. The shorter the distant you zero the pistol at the further the bullet deviates from LOS. Pistols shoot flat enough that a 25 or 50 meter zero is reasonable. But a 7 yard zero will put you over the target or high in the head at 50 assuming a COM hold. An RDS maximizes the shooters ability to engage at greater distance, so the zero should reflect that. At the same time a 50m zero is still pretty close to LOS at any closer range.
This is the same kind of thinking that dictates a 50-200 zero being much more useful on a patrol rifle than a 7m zero.

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[Default.mp3]

I zero for 25 yards, mainly out of convenience, as that's how far back my range goes.

 

[SCSU74]

I zero at 10 because the amount of deviation from LOS is less overall than zeroing at 15 or 25.

10 yd zero:
25 yds: +0.7
50 yds: +0.4
75 yds: -1.9
100 yds: -6.4

15 yd zero
25 yds: +0.2
50 yds: -0.6
75 yds: -3.4
100 yds: -8.3

25 yd zero
25 yds: +0.0
50 yds: -1.0
75 yds: -4.0
100 yds: -9.1

 

[Longeye]

I zero at 10 because the amount of deviation from LOS is less overall than zeroing at 15 or 25.

Just for the sake of education could you run the numbers for a 50 meter zero and post them?

 

[tact]

I use 10 as well.

 

[SCSU74]

Just for the sake of education could you run the numbers for a 50 meter zero and post them?

Sure thing, I'll throw the info up when I get back to a computer, not fun on a phone ha

 

[DocGKR]

A center hold with the dot right in the middle of the black produced this 94-4x 10 round slow-fire off hand group fired in the wind (blowing hard R to L) and rain at 50 yards using Fed 147 gr AE9FP FMJ from an RMR06 equipped G19 which was zero'd at 25 yds:

 

[Grayman]

As I mentioned I'll be running a test of various zero distances and the resulting trends of shots fired at various distances with that zero.

I don't have a set test date as of yet but I'll post the results when I have them