How do you sight in a rifle/scope?
- Thread starter achancesw
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I would start with bore sighting if possible. If you are not familiar with the process. Something along the lines of this (just pulled from YouTube based on the largest number of views, not affiliated in any way) This will save you time and ammo at the range.
Then the advice I try to remember is (this sounds oddly simple, but when you are at the range and trying to remember and not chase bullets all over the place) follow your turret:
- remove the bolt from the gun (confirm the gun is unloaded and all safety procedures are followed)
- place the rifle into a vise or other brace
- look down the barrel at a fixed point in the distance
- adjust the scope to match the fixed point in the distance
- re-confirm the barrel is still pointed at said object (things can move in the process)
Then the advice I try to remember is (this sounds oddly simple, but when you are at the range and trying to remember and not chase bullets all over the place) follow your turret:
- Dial up if you want the bullet (impact) to go up
- Dial down if you want the impact to go down
Good call. I should have linked that one. His book has been super helpful in learning the basics.
I have observed folks adjusting a scope after each shot in order to save ammo. A better practice is to fire at least 3 shot groups to be sure you are not chasing flyers.
Do you really want a rest? Most here just use a bipod and a rear bag.
If you do the best value IMO is the bald eagle lines, better than the Caldwell without being several hundred dollars more expensive.
https://www.grizzly.com/products/Bald-Eagle-Triangle-Rest-Cast-Iron/BE1152
If you do the best value IMO is the bald eagle lines, better than the Caldwell without being several hundred dollars more expensive.
https://www.grizzly.com/products/Bald-Eagle-Triangle-Rest-Cast-Iron/BE1152
Depends how close I'm getting. If I punch a hole 3 mils off-center while sighting in a precision rifle, you better be I'm making a sight adjustment instead of wasting two more rounds to confirm that I'm nowhere close. Finding that last click or two is a different story.
Obviously, one's tolerances have to match the rifle/ammo/optic combo. Granddaddy's .30-30 that wears a disco-era scope and launches white-box hunting ammo might need different criteria. But if we're talking a 1 MOA system, I don't need to pepper a magazine's worth of rounds at the edge of the target sheet to understand where to go with my next adjustment.
I can't believe how many times I've showed people at the range... but it's still a question I never expect because it's so simple.
Pull the bolt, look through the barrel and put it on paper at 25 yards. Adjust scope to match where the bore is pointed. (Lasers are never to be found or are dead when you need them. It's called bore sighting for a reason).
Super simple and quick if you hang a grid target with known measurements and can dial in close in 5 shots or less.
Go to 100. Shoot a few groups while adjusting.
Less than a box of ammo and you're set.
Pull the bolt, look through the barrel and put it on paper at 25 yards. Adjust scope to match where the bore is pointed. (Lasers are never to be found or are dead when you need them. It's called bore sighting for a reason).
Super simple and quick if you hang a grid target with known measurements and can dial in close in 5 shots or less.
Go to 100. Shoot a few groups while adjusting.
Less than a box of ammo and you're set.
1. Laser boresight or through bore visual.
2. Setup one of those big ass bullseye paper targets backwards with a small shoot-n-see in the middle.
3. Attempt the one shot sight in until I get within a few inches.
4. Fine tune with 3 shot groups.
If Im not on paper on the first shot then i'll shoot at the dirt backstop to see where initial impact is versus aiming point.
2. Setup one of those big ass bullseye paper targets backwards with a small shoot-n-see in the middle.
3. Attempt the one shot sight in until I get within a few inches.
4. Fine tune with 3 shot groups.
If Im not on paper on the first shot then i'll shoot at the dirt backstop to see where initial impact is versus aiming point.
Myself and the clowns I shoot with suck at boresighting rifles. We get a ballpark, then shoot 2-3 shots at a 10" plate @ 500 yards, always seems easy to get on it, then walk dope back to 100. Even if you're 100fps off on your expected velocity you are still close.
I use the first and second replies' method. I don't think I have ever not been on paper the first shot using this method, and the past few times I have mounted a scope, specifically in Spuhr mounts, I have not had to make any adjustments larger than 1 mRad, other than the initial adjustment to remove the mounts cant (9mRad mount, come up 9 mRad before boresighting).
I have seen more people not know how to adjust their scope and set their zero stop if equipped. So they get a zero then fuck it up, rinse, repeat.
Simple really. 1st- Understand how a rifle scope works, I.E. when you turn the knobs on the top or side of the scope, know how much it will move the bullet at a given yardage (what the owners manuals are for). 2nd- Center the reticle in the scope by going from topped out to bottomed out (clicks), for both elevation and windage knobs, then divide by 2. Once the reticle is centered in the scope, place a target at 50yds., shoot. Measure bullet hole distance from bullseye, adjust windage/elevation knobs, shoot again. Bullet hole should be in bullseye. Place a target at 100yds., shoot. Fine tune bullet hole to hit center of bullseye, mission complete. Zero your turrets according to manf. specs.
This bit of info. is for the person that doesn't want to spend the money on a "bore sighter" or take the time to look down the barrel or thru the scope and adjust accordingly.
This method will put you on paper at 50yds. and should not take any more than 3-5 rounds of ammo to get a good 100yd. "0".
No reason to shoot boxes of ammo to get a rifle and scope zeroed.
Hope this simple procedure helps. Mac
This bit of info. is for the person that doesn't want to spend the money on a "bore sighter" or take the time to look down the barrel or thru the scope and adjust accordingly.
This method will put you on paper at 50yds. and should not take any more than 3-5 rounds of ammo to get a good 100yd. "0".
No reason to shoot boxes of ammo to get a rifle and scope zeroed.
Hope this simple procedure helps. Mac
This is how I do it. Just sighted in my 6CM today in essentially 2 shots. Look through the bore to verify your crosshairs are on the same paper as your boreline, then use the reticle measurements to make adjustments after each single shot. That got me onto a 1” sticker target. After a few 5 shot groups to find my group center, I adjusted up and right 0.1mil each. Easy as pie.
Old thread but figured I'd bring it back to life. When sighting in at whatever distance. Do you prefer to use the minimum or maximum magnification?
I assume you me zeroing the scope, you will need to max mag to measure the offset to adjust your zero vs walking down and measuring. I like to be at a lower mag when shooting, keeps me from seeing the miss and mentally adjusting poa. Ideally you have solid npa and don't let your brain get in the way, unconsciously when you see things you naturally adjust.
Sorry, yes I meant when zeroing. I had a friend tell me to leave it on the Lowest magnification of the FFP scope when I was zeroing it, which I thought was strange. I would think that I should zero it using max magnification.
A lot of bad things come into play at max magnification, mirage, seeing your npa and movement from your natural breathing, and then seeing your misses. Your brain wants to adjust for all of these. You want a good 3-5 shot group with all the same point of aim. Then adjust the center of that group to zero. If you and your brain adjusts off the misses and and you center off of that you will be chasing the zero.
Thank you, I'm new to the rifle thing, I've been a pistol shooter for years but just recently got bit by the precision rifle bug.
Me, lowest power. Used to be highest power but have found I can shoot better with the lower power settings...same reasons as stated
The pull the bolt thing I started doing when I worked at a range back in the early 90's. Got in trouble cuz I'd do it for free when the range was charging...lol.
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