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Sighting a scope in 3 shots.

7K views 23 replies 12 participants last post by  Tikka 
#1 ·
(yes, I know there is already a sticky. I have a long post & did not want to add to the current thread. Mods can merge it if they want)

If you want to skip the mounting/setting & go directly to zeroing. Skip to the part sectioned off by -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So I put a new scope on one of my rifles the other day & wanted to offer others my tips on how I get my scope sighted in, in a way that is (hopefully) very easy to understand & follow. This is more of a thread for people new to scopes but i hope everyone gains something useful from it, even if it's just a refresher or little tricks :)

I also zero my scopes on the cheap (yeah, 3 shots), I mcguyver lots of my stuff. Thus if you are pinching pennies to spend on other preps this might help you.

Tools needed:
Scope & rifle (obviously)
A level
Ruler or tape measure, tape measure preferred.
Sandbag or other form of stabilizing the rifle.
Mounting tools & adjustment tools if required.

First step is mounting the scope, Mount the bottom scope rings first but stop here

If you have a gun rest or something to work on that Is awesome. I don't thus I balance my gun on whatever I can to get a flat level surface. A wooden block under the magazine well (magazine removed) works really great since its normally a flat surface & is a good balance point for the rifle. A sandbag would work well too but you might have to do more adjustment

Anyways, balance the rifle & obtain a level reading. An average shop level works good but the best tool I have found for this is my smart phone & an app. There are a few to choose from through Itunes for Iphone users (I use Ihandy level) & there are several to choose from for the android. I could not recommend one over the other, grab a few free ones & play around with which one you like. If you do not have a smart phone, borrow one or use a shop level.

Reason I like the app route is it has a digital readout of the angle instead of an analog bubble measurement, allowing you to get closer to perfect zero.

Place the rifle on the rest, block, sandbag, or whatever you are using & balance your level either on the open scope ring or on the receiver of your rifle if you have enough room to get your level in(you should). You want your level balanced cross-section to the rifle, not with the rifle.

Like this


Once you get your rifle balanced, DO NOT MOVE IT. Be very careful not to bump or move it, especially if you are using a sandbag.

Next gently place your scope into the ring's where you want it & place the top ring's on, screw the screws down some but not all the way, you want your scope to move freely.

Now place your level onto the top turret of your scope, same direction as above & slowly turn your scope until you reach as close to perfect zero as you can get. I normally achieve a point 0.1-.02 variance positive or negative. I'm comfortable with that as its very hard to get a perfect 0.

This is to get your crosshairs perfectly level inside your scope, instead of guessing.

Once you get it leveled, begin tightening the screws down but keep the level on so you know it is remaining level throughout the entire process.

Screw the screws down untill they begin to tighten then rotate through the screws so they all tighten evenly.

For example, The top left screw on the top ring tighten it a quarter turn, then do the bottom right screw on the top ring. Next do the bottom left screw on the bottom ring followed by top right on bottom ring, ECT & so on until they are all tightened down snugly. You can remove the level now & finish tightening until your desired tightness level. You don't want to over tighten or you can damage your scope. The manufacture probably recommends a certain force poundage for tightening, Which would require the purchase of a tool that sets the correct poundage.

I simply tighten until I feel comfortable between "my scope is mounted & wont move during fire" and "I am approaching too tight & might damage my scope" your mileage may vary in this step.

Now to sight in the scope. First you want to set your scope to mechanical zero. To do this turn the turret fully one direction until it will not click anymore.

Now, you can count each individual click in the reverse direction then half it but there is a much more speedier process.

If your turret has numbers (such as this)

then that makes things much easier. Simply count how many times the starting number passed by. For example if after turning the turret untill it will not stop anymore & it lands on 1, then you turn it back the other way 4 full rotations & it stops on 1 again. Simply turn it back 2 full rotations the other way and set it on 1.

Simply do a ROUGH divide of half, doesn't need to be perfect.

If you do not have numbers you still have other markers. You can count how many times the UP or LEFT word made its rotation, place a temporary marker on the turret with tape or some removable mark such as washable markers.

Do this for both turrets & you will be close to mechanical zero, which gives your scope maximum adjustment for dialing in the scope.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, set up your target 25YRDS away. Get as close to 25YRDS as you can, a tape measure will be beneficial here & further along. I put a color coded label sticker on my paper to give a better bullseye. If you are shooting a man-sized target paper & no way to mark the paper because of its coloring (AKA black silhouette) Simply hang your target with the silhouette facing away. Odds are its white on the reverse side, Now take a highlighter & draw a dime sized circle in the (about)center of the paper.

This is highly simple when you understand how your scope is made to be sighted in. It is designed to be sighted in this way.



Fire 1 shot at your target from this distance & make your weapon safe. Stability is key here. The more movement you can eliminate the better so if you have a bench rest that's great. If not, it's all about your skill.

Go down range & check your paper. Measure from the bullseye to your impact.

Do not measure diagonally. Measure horizontally over & measure vertically over. Write down & remember these measurements.

Now to dial in your zero. This is a highly simple process. Most scopes are 1/4" MOA at 100yrds. A few are 1/8" MOA at 100yrds. More than likely yours is 1/4" this is fairly standard, It should be written somewhere on your turret or on the packaging from the manufacture. If you cannot find it, assume its 1/4"

I am not going to get into explaining Minute of Arc (MOA), we would be here all day & it's not necessary to know for zeroing. Just know what that means is 4 clicks of your scope means 1 inch change in impact at 100yrds (1/8" would be 8 clicks). This article will assume your scope is 1/4" MOA.


However, we are firing at 25yrds not 100. Thus you need to multiply that by 4 because we are 4 times closer

For every inch your point of impact was off the bulls-eye you need to turn the turret 16 clicks. Again if your turret has numbers, they come in handy here as each number equals 1 inch at 100yrds.

Lets assume your bullet struck 3 inches to the LEFT of your bullseye and 2 inches DOWN.


Your turret should have Left & up written on them(or left/right & up/down) with arrows pointing.

This part always confuses me, could be because I am dyslexic but you turn the turret in the opposite direction of where it struck.

Thus, if the bullet struck 3 inches left, you need to turn the turret 48 clicks to the RIGHT(3X16=48), or if there are numbers turn it 12 number marks to the right.(3X4=12)

If the bullet struck 2 inches down then you need to turn the turret to the UP arrow 32 clicks (2X16=32) or 8 number marks (2X4=8)

Again, ive been confused by this more than once so if you don't get it right you wont be the only one. Would have to explain MOA to explain why & that is a full article in itself.

Just remember simple math. If you are closer than 100yrds to the target, you multiply, if you are further away, you divide.

Now return to your rifle. You can fire a second shot at 25yrds to see if you did this correctly, While I do encourage it. It's not necessary IF you dialed your scope correctly

Now move out to your 100yrd mark and fire a second shot. Again, stability is key. The more factors of the human equation you can eliminate the better. A rest, bipod, even a sandbag. Going prone, everything you can possibly do to get the most accurate shot is key.

After your shot, make your rifle safe again then go back downrange & measure again. You should be very close to the bullseye but we will assume you are off by the same amount as before.

3 inches left & 2 inches down. Remember this is 100yrds now. Before that shot would have been 12inches left & 8 inches down if you had not re-adjusted the scope.

Anyways 3 inches left & 2 inches down. You need to turn the turrets 12 clicks to the right (3X4=12) & 8 clicks up (2X4=8) or 3 numbers & 2 numbers. These numbers are 1MOA each. Makes things easier.

Now for your 3rd shot, Pack it up for the day. You want to fire your final shot from a cold bore so come back tomorrow. Fire again from 100yrds out & go measure. With any luck you are right on the money.

Remember, even at 100yrd environmental conditions can affect your shot. If you have a strong cross wind, it can affect your POI. Don't shoot during a hurricane, blizzard or tornado :). Seriously, 10-15mph winds will affect your shot. Wait for the wind to die down or come back another day.

Lets assume your 1/2" off. Thats just 2 clicks. You are now completely zeroed on your scope at 100yrds.

Some people prefer to purposely make their zero mark a few inches higher at 100yrds so if they shoot out to 300 or 400yrds they will still land within a "kill zone" on animals. I personally don't & it's because doping a scope Is very easy(for me). If you want to shoot 2 inches high at 200yrds with a 100yrd zeroed scope. you simply turn your turret 4 clicks. (8 clicks = 1 inch @ 100yrds. divide by 2 because we are twice as far away)

In conclusion. Its simple math, your scope is made to be zeroed & used this way. Thats why it has those clicks or numbers. Each click means 1/4" movement at 100yrds & each number is 1" at 100yrds. If you are closer you multiply. If you are further away you divide.

Mahalo. I hope this helps folks who might have issues dialing in a scope.

If you have any issues, questions, comments. Please let me know :thumb:

edit: one final thing. Depending on your scope, but most good glass allows you to reset the numbers of your scope so that you can have the zero facing you. If you have one like in the picture, all you have to do is unscrew the allen screw ontop, lift the turret up & spin it until the zero is facing you, then screw it back down.

Your scope might vary but it should have some way to adjust this. This is so if you need to correct for windage or distance, you can reset it back to your zeroing. Very useful.
 
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#2 ·
I would recommend instead of cranking your scope all the way in one direction, possibly damaging it, that instead you simply read the manual to find out how many revolutions that turret is designed to have.

Besides what is the point in putting your turrets halfway? Seems like a waste of turret revolutions to me. I'm not gong to be adjusting my dope under 100m but I may be shooting out to 700m seems like I would want to zero as close to the bottom as possible to give myself the most top end adjustment for longer ranges?
 
#9 ·
I would recommend instead of cranking your scope all the way in one direction, possibly damaging it, that instead you simply read the manual to find out how many revolutions that turret is
how does that help ye! ....

Here is what ye do!
Place the mirror on a sturdy table then place the scope on top of the mirror*with the eyepiece up.* Then look through the eyepiece and observe the image.

You will see the crosshairs and you should also see a reflection of the crosshairs as well.* All you have to do is to turn each of the knobs until they match up perfectly!* It is that simple!* Very effective, fast and easy to explain and*to setup etc.

Use another Plate of glass to raise scope up higher for better separation of the images. Or use washers or coins but ye might wanna check em for thickness. A sun shade will give u all the height yell ever need
 
#6 ·
First off, good job Hick, I did learn some nifty tricks, Thanks.

Second, to those mocking him, read everything first. He never said that this is the best way, the cheapest way, or even the easiest way. He also never said that any other way is wrong. You can sight your scope in however you see fit. Don't wanna crank your scope around end to end, don't ****ing do it.

So I put a new scope on one of my rifles the other day & wanted to offer others my tips on how I get my scope sighted in, in a way that is (hopefully) very easy to understand & follow. This is more of a thread for people new to scopes but i hope everyone gains something useful from it, even if it's just a refresher or little tricks :)
Quite plain to me what he's saying......
 
#7 ·
Very nice write up, this is the method I use, except I use the center of a 3 shot group as reference to dial in.

It is possible to do a one-shot zero, but this requires an extremely steady rifle mount/vice. I won't go in depth, but basically you take your first shot from a stabilized rifle, then while looking down the scope, move the turrets until they match POI.
 
#13 ·
this ^^^^ is my preferred method when using a lead sled. place crosshairs on the targets center and fire one shot. if necessary move the sled a little to realign the crosshairs back to the center then just use your scope adjustments to move crosshairs to the bullet hole on the paper.
 
#10 ·
I use a bore sighter and a leupold bore scope reticule.
I also ground my mounts and then bedded the scope in "bedding compound" so as to have my windage as close to centre as possible and I adjusted the elevation turret such that I have extended range with the scope held up on target by bedding compound etc etc.

Use a fixed scope level tO hold your rifle dead level when shooting
Still though, one should check that groups are falling correctly when extreme turret adjustments are made. You just can't rely on two sprit levels to to do it! Chances are your action is not true-ed and you are trying to determin the yang\hang of a barrel by mearsing the tilt of the receiver and comparing that to the tilt of the scope!

Set uP a large target, old sheet of ply covered with xmas rapping paper. Scribe a vertical line on it and mark a target at the bottom or a few inches up. Then shoot a group at your zero range or at 100yards or similar.
Now adjust your turret to simulate extended range shooting, prob out to the max range of your scopes ability and reshoot the exact target, your group should be fall directly above the first point of aim and be on the vertical line.
 
#12 ·
if at all possible just remove the bolt and place the rifle in a rest (you can even use a cardboard box with some cutouts). set target at 25 yards and look through the bore and move rifle until the target is directly centered in the bore. look through the scope and make necessary adjustments. repeat as needed then move to 100 and fire. i have done this dozens upon dozens of times and am always within a few inches after mounting a new optic.
 
#16 ·
Lol obviously some sensitive people on here. I was asking an honest question to Hick as to what he was thinking when he said that in the OP. I still haven't gotten an answer, but it wasn't a hit at what he wrote. Obviously all of us can learn still and I wanted to know why he does it that way. It is different then the way I do it but that doesn't make it wrong.
 
#18 ·
Sry for the delay mate.

Besides what is the point in putting your turrets halfway? Seems like a waste of turret revolutions to me. I'm not gong to be adjusting my dope under 100m but I may be shooting out to 700m seems like I would want to zero as close to the bottom as possible to give myself the most top end adjustment for longer ranges?
Purpose is to place the scope at its mechanical zero to give you maximum adjustment either way, its also to hopefully place your first round close to bullseye. I have helped others sight in scopes before & I was literally off by over 22 inches at 25yrds due to not resetting scope to mechanical zero. I can fire from the hip at that range and get better accuracy XD

It also would not help you any to crank your turret all the way down to the bottom to give you more range for the 700yrd shots. The parallax of your scope is only so far. If it went from 1-10 clicks with a zero at 5, turning it all the way down to the 10th click & firing your shot would not help because you will simply be off by 5 clicks.

Scopes do not round robin. There is only 1 zero (for a given range/conditions) that you can achieve, turning the scope all the way down & leaving it so you can use that as your starting sight point will not benefit you. Thus that's why I do not do it.




Yes, there are various ways to sight in a scope. Bore sighters are awesome, you can also remove the bolt if you have the ability.

Or simply fire a shot then stabilize your firearm and adjust the scope to match your POI.

The original writing was to help newbies better understand how scopes work, what all the clicks meant & how to easily(yes, it is easy) sight in your scope in the field when you have nothing.

I welcome others comments. Also



Because I got to use the word parallax :rolleyes:
 
#19 ·
I think I might see where some of my confusion may have stemmed from. I learned how to make sight manipulations on an iron sighted M16. We would damn near bottom out the rear sight initially, and make zeroing adjustments utilizing the front sight for elevation adjustments under 100m. I use a scope with external, finger adjustable, resettable turrets on my precision gun. I left it at the factory center and adjusted from there, then re-set the zero on the turrets by "slipping" them.

So long explanation short. I had a brain fart lol
 
#21 ·
I've mounted a lot of scopes and I'm not a fan or squaring the scope off the turrets or turret caps. I've found enough that are off square to the reticle or not flat that I don't use that solution. I find a square spot on the action to place a level. Then attach a level on the barrel with a clamp (or use the Wheeler level) or on a rail etc. that clears the scope and mount. The clamped level gets aligned with the action level. On some actions this is easy and others takes more work. I use a cheap laser line with level (mine is Black and Decker from Lowes) and shine a vertical line on the wall and use that to square the scope as the gun stays square.

I then either visually bore sight (I'm getting old and this isn't working as well as days gone by) or more often now use a laser cartridge. Usually takes no more than two shots to zero. Which I do at 100 yards.
 
#23 ·
If you cant the gun then the crosshairs will not align with the vertical drop of the bullet and you will get errors when shooting long distances. How much is it canted? At longer distances each degree of cant gives you about 1" of error. (Rule of thumb for 400-500 yards. You can calculate the error for your load and distance.) If you mount the crosshair square to the gun your natural tendency is to adjust some or all of the cant out.
 
#24 ·
Just about anything works at 100. If all a person ever shoots is 100, they will never notice the los intersects the bullet's lof at 100 and the farther the distance, the greater the error. Accuracy requires los = lof. Obviously, the lof begins below the los and raises up, then drops down. As franklin said things start falling apart at 400-500, plus the cant is usually greater than a degree.

As I don't feel like a debate, no brand names, but if you surf some of the BR forums, you learn there are 600 scopes which when clicked up, move zero.
 
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