The first thing you have to consider when figuring number of "clicks" to compensate for drop is MOA vs. Inches in drop. Your scope is listed as 1/4" clicks at 100yds but in reality each click is 1/4 MOA (4 cliks = 1 MOA) 1 MOA at 300 yards is 3".( 19.5" divided by 3) 6.5 minutes is the correct elevation adjustment (6.5 x 4 clicks per minute = 26 clicks to put you dead on at 300 from a 100yd zero) Hope that isn't too confusing. (it would work the same for as far away as you want to shoot. If you know you'll be 50" low at 500 for instance, divide 50 by 5 and you know you need 10 MOA or 40 clicks) I make my drop chart in MOA not inches that way I can just dial to the proper moa marker on my scope. (my scope has 15 MOA of adjustment in one turn marked in 1/4 moa increments with the whole numbers marked as 1,2,3,etc) Therefore if I need 30 MOA to reach a deer at 1100 yards, I know I need 2 complete turns from zero. This also allows me to not have to "return to zero" from every shot. I don't have to remember that I came up 36 clicks for the last shot now I need to be up 54 so subtract 36 from 54...or wait was I up 40 clicks...where is zero anyway??? (Trust me, that sucks I know from experience)
As far as distance for zero, that's pretty much personal preference. I know people that use tapered bases and there "zero" is 300 yards. They do that so they can use all of their scope vertical elevation to shoot targets to 2000 yards. My personal "zero" is 100. I can reach 1200 yards with my scope and gun combination from that without the tapered base. That's pretty much all the further I'll shoot a deer with that gun because my energy peters out.
The other thing is that just because your gun shoots 1" at 100 doesn't mean it's going to shoot 3" at 300. It could be tighter or larger....you need to shoot to find out. We've been taught that that theory makes perfect sence but for example: I have had guns that shot 1/4" at 100 but shot 4.5" at 300. My longrange gun now shoots under 1/2" at 100 but still shoots 3/4" at 300. Shoot your gun, it's cheaper in the long run to shoot a lot before season! Good luck and Happy Hunting this season.
