When you have a new scope and you are trying to zero, by yourself, no spotter, what if you are not on the paper? Tricks to finding where you are....after trying to shoot low on the target, hi on the target left and right. Still no print...
Getting on paper when zeroing?
- Thread starter stradibarrius
- Start date
Along what ^^^ he said, boresight at 25 yds and line the reticle up with the bore. Then go to 100 and shoot. You should be on paper and u can adjust from there.
Literally look through your bore. Try to get the rifle as steady as possible and align the bore to the center of the target. Then look through your scope and do the same. Keep looking back and forth between both adjusting your scope as needed until they are close to the center of the target. THis will save you bullets, money, time and frustration.
With a bolt rifle just remove the bolt. With an AR once I used a small mirror, but that sucked. For me I have always been on paper at 100, I have not needed to start at 25.
Depending your mechanical off set, take a piece of cardboard approx 16" square an place a 1/2" dot in the crt of it. Shoot one rd if the hole is 3" to the left an 5" down it's a 4/1 deal for every 1moa of dialing you will move the bullet strike approx a 1/4" on the target at 25yds. Your windage should be perfect an your should be approx 1.25" low of your aiming point this will put your almost right on at 100 yds depending your off set an chambering. Once you know where your data is you can zero at 25 yds an be on at most any target distance you want to shoot at.
As others have said, just look down your bore and line it up with your target and then make adjustments on your scope to get your reticle as close as you can before you start firing.
After bore sighting when at the range I use a steel 12 inch plate at 200 yards to get an idea of were the round is going. I can usually get a hit after 3 to 4 rounds then move to paper at 100 yards to get my zero. It works for me.
Use a bigger piece of paper and if you can see the bullet strike, use your reticle to adjust.
If you are asking this question, I'll assume you are fairly new to getting a rifle on target. The other problem here is that you may not have made a good shot to begin with. You can get the basis setup down in your living room.
Bore sight first at a piece of copy paper taped to the wall. You don't even need a dot on it. Paralax might screw you up a bit but we are just trying to get on paper. Set your scope up to be aiming high on the center of the paper by your scope's offset from the bore.
Go to the range and use your reticle to refine your aiming till your POI matches POA.
If you are asking this question, I'll assume you are fairly new to getting a rifle on target. The other problem here is that you may not have made a good shot to begin with. You can get the basis setup down in your living room.
Bore sight first at a piece of copy paper taped to the wall. You don't even need a dot on it. Paralax might screw you up a bit but we are just trying to get on paper. Set your scope up to be aiming high on the center of the paper by your scope's offset from the bore.
Go to the range and use your reticle to refine your aiming till your POI matches POA.
Yeah the range is a public WMA range and looking for spots in the berm is tough. This gun had a new temporary cheek weld built up with foam and tape to get the height of the cheek weld. This blocked my bolt from me being able to remove it. So bore sighting would have meant I would have to tear down my cheek weld.
I understand what each of you are saying, thanks. This particular visit to the range had me trying to zero and work out ergonomic issues at the same time. I didn't think you would be able to help but you never know when some genius has a solution.
Thanks for your help.
I understand what each of you are saying, thanks. This particular visit to the range had me trying to zero and work out ergonomic issues at the same time. I didn't think you would be able to help but you never know when some genius has a solution.
Thanks for your help.
This is exactly how I do it. It'll take you 2-3 rounds to get a 100% zero if you're using a ffp scope.
It helps if you lock your rifle in place, I use a sight n see, can zero in few shots. No need to know the reticle math.
Get close, even 10 yards if you need.
Shoot 1 round.
Set scope back to bullseye (after recoil)
Move reticle to your poi.
I always use a berm. First I remove the bolt and look down the barrel to line it up with the target. Then steady the rifle so i'm not moving it at all using bipod and bag on the rear. Put the crosshairs on the intended target, and lift my head from the scope so I can visualize where the round impacts on the berm. Send it and observe for the impact point with both eyes. Then re-align the crosshairs to the intended target and adjust them till they get really close to the actual impact point. Typically I'm on paper then.
If you want to cart around the apparatus to lock a rifle down, go for it. I'd rather just shoot it. If you're using a ffp reticle, there's no math; just measure your POI to POA, adjust, and shoot again.
Honestly, I don't even bore sight mine. I just always start out at 25 yards with a good size paper target. I've never not hit the paper at 25. Once I get a round on paper there, I make my adjustments then move out to 100 and shoot a group to zero off of since it should be pretty close after the 25 yard adjustment.
Edited to add: However, if I did find myself not on paper at 25 yards, after first checking to make sure everything is mounted properly, I'd definitely bore sight it. And if your new scope is actually a used scope which might not be centered, definitely bore sight it too.
Edited to add: However, if I did find myself not on paper at 25 yards, after first checking to make sure everything is mounted properly, I'd definitely bore sight it. And if your new scope is actually a used scope which might not be centered, definitely bore sight it too.
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+1 Tactical Dillhole's first post
25 yards with a large white paper & a small orange dot sticker or markered on for me
move back to 100 and use FFP adjustments to fine tune
the process gets shorter every time you do it
25 yards with a large white paper & a small orange dot sticker or markered on for me
move back to 100 and use FFP adjustments to fine tune
the process gets shorter every time you do it
Another method of bore sighting uses a mirror.. take steady aim into a mirror and twist the windage untill your crosshairs line up with the muzzle.. not a good way for elevation but between looking through the bore, and using a mirror , elevation and windage should be close ..
Here is a pro tip*... look up Bushnell Professional boresighter, it is the best system I have ever used and once zeroed you can keep a chart of where zero is so if you travel and want to confirm or take your scope off it makes getting back to that super easy. its about 80-90 bucks
* disclaimer: the tip is pro, the shooter is not so YMMV
* disclaimer: the tip is pro, the shooter is not so YMMV
I usually look through the bore and line up the reticle. If I'm in a hurry I'll just shoot something on the berm behind the target, and adjust POI to POA. Only takes a couple shots and you should be close.
I've shot the berm before and it works to get pretty close
Mirror trick... I have to try it now!!!
Mirror trick... I have to try it now!!!
Looking through the bore has worked great for me. I’m usually within a few inches on the first shot at 100 yards.
Pulling out the bolt and looking through the bore at a dot on target at 100 yards has always worked easily for me. Will at least get you on a sheet of notebook paper then you can adjust from there.
For a while there I thought I was the only one who actually went out and bought a bore sighter to accomplish this task. I went with the Site-Lite SL150, it lets me sight in at home so I’ll be in paper when I get to the range. I don’t get to the range often enough to be wasting any time trying to get on paper.
I’ve never used a boresighter or had to. I pull the bolt, rest the gun on bags, look down and through the bore at a 50yd target, center it and then look up and into your scope without touching the rifle. Make corrective movements on the turrets and repeat the process. This will get you on paper at 100yds. Same can be done with a gas gun by separating upper from lower and removing the bolt.
I have several bore sighters, both laser and collimators, all were gifts and rarely get used. I have far better luck with pulling the bolt and looking down the tube at 50 yards.
Look down the bore (through one venue or another) and having the rifle in a cradle is always a great steady start. If you do happen to use a 'laser boresighter' type of thing,,,, always ALWAYS take it out and put it away before shooting.
There are too many pictures on the innerwebz of people "banana-peeling" their barrels. I don't own one, never have, and don't aim to.
(see what I did there?)
There are too many pictures on the innerwebz of people "banana-peeling" their barrels. I don't own one, never have, and don't aim to.
(see what I did there?)
