Re: Danger Space Info Needed
bjax, you understand the problem well...
IMO, 12" vital zone for a whitetail is too large, I would pick 10".
Remember you have to add all the possible errors if you want a first shot hit all the time:
- your real world accuracy with a given rifle/load under certain stress and time limitations, that's a certain spread at a given distance.
- your POI also may change a little in the real world, at least for the first shot, due to environmental conditions (wind, temp., pressure, not ideal shooting position, shooting angle, etc.). The most important factor at mid range (< 600 yds) is horizontal error due to wind, but you can have a vertical wind component too.
- your range estimation
A practical test would be to position 10" targets at random distances in the field (not recording the exact range), walk back (perhaps even do a couple pushups), and then within a time limit put a first shot (accounting for wind for the first time) on it.