What is your technique for zeroing

[misskimo]

I have a # of rifles that I need to zero in scope ,
Big question RANGE!!!??
suggesting ????
Ruger SS 243 -test shot twice and checked out with a bore site, hit 6 in from mark at 80 yards on Christmas Day, Wifes new gun
Marlin 30-30 with new scope installed . bore sited , shot 3" from Mark 2 " groups 3 times with 55 grain accelerator. That made me happy .
Rem. 30-06 55g eccelerators
338 wm ???


Thanks T

 

[NWCP]

Bore sighting a scope is a good way to go and you should at least be on paper. Something to consider are the scope and scope rings. If the rings aren't evenly tightened all the way around you can bore sight your rifle and still be quite a bit off.

 

[plainsman456]

I try to find out what the owner plans to hunt and sight for that.I like mine at 1.5 to 2inches at 100 yards.

 

[misskimo]

well, the range, huh? could be 20 feet to as far as the eye can see! Alaska, Tundra, few bushes and not many trees here above the arctic .
yeh! I snugged my rings, dont want to damage the scope.
I was thinking of 1 1/2" high at 100 for the all.

 

[Flatbush Harry]

My local range is a 100-yd one. I like to sight my .30 cal rifles to zero at 200 yds. I'm virtually there sighting my .308 and .30-06 in 1.6" high (w/ 168gr HPBTs) at 100yds and fine tuning as necessary when I get out to my long-range range that has a 1000yd range. It gives me the good opp'ty to carefully measure performance of my loads and my Z600 reticle on my Zeiss's.

FH

 

[misskimo]

my Z600 reticle on my Zeiss's.

lost me there???
Field scope???

T

 

[Flatbush Harry]

The Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40 scope has the Rapid Z600 reticle that, when zeroed at 200 yds, has approximate bullet drop compensating markings and windage adjustment markings in the reticle. Such marks are always approximate (for any scope), depending on the load used, save, perhaps, for a custom BDC reticle for a known load, altitude, temperature, etc (such as made by Leupold's custom shop... my next scope will be one of these).

Accordingly, I like to zero my rifles at 200 yds and then test the BDC markings at known ranges out to 600 yds so I know how much to hold over or under the BDC markings. If I have a chance, I always test at the altitude I am planning to shoot at (in CO, this varies from 4,500' to 11,000' depending on where I am.

Since I'm an old fart, I prefer to shoot rifles of .30-06 or less (.308, .25-06, .223) so knowing my rifle and ammo's ballistics and scope's performance are important to me.

FH

 

[Deaf Smith]

My technique is real easy and low on ammo cost.

1. Take the bolt out and bore sight it at 25 yards so the scope and bore more-or-less look at the same place.

2. Using a good rest, take the scope caps off and fire just one shot at the bullseye.

3. Put the rifle back in the rest real solid and, if possible, have someone else turn the scope adjustments as you look at the target through the scope with, at first, the cross hairs on the bull you were aiming at. Have them turn first the vertical cross hair till it's on where the bullet actually hit. Then do the same for the horizonal cross hair.

4. Now verify by firing one more shot. It should now shoot dead on the bullseye at 25.

5. Now go do 100 yards are repeat (if the magnification allows that.) You might want it to shoot a few inches high at 100 yards, so keep that in mind.

I sighted in my .270 WSM Winchester that way this deer season with 5 rounds of ammo all the way out to 200 yards (I just shot at 25 and 200, skipping the 100 yard range.)

 

[misskimo]

thanks abunch , great info Harry and Deaf! now I just need some warm weather.

T

 

[ZeSpectre]

My technique is very similar to that posted by Deaf Smith
EXCEPT
After boresighting I take at least three shots with the scope dead center in the bullseye to see if the rifle groups. It doesn't really matter -where- it groups (DS's step three takes care of that later) the important thing is that the rifle does, in fact, group.

If it doesn't group I don't go any further with "sighting in" until I find an ammo that works well with the rifle. Once in a blue moon I've had to simply give up on a rifle that just plain wouldn't group.

I know some folks swear by this thingie.

 

[qwman68]

+1 on deaf smith's technique..

 

[Buzzcook]

Bore sight and start at 100yds. If you're not on paper back up to 75yds.

2inches high at 100yds, then start on the 200yd zero.

 

[Win73]

I sight in at 25 yards. Once I have them dead on at 25, I will then try them at 100. I may need to tweak the windage a little at 100 but I leave the elevation alone. I do this both with my .50 caliber muzzleloader and my .30-06. Both will then be a little high at 100. As an example, my .30-06 shooting a 150 grain Remington Corelokt is about an inch and a half high at 100 yards. This will give me the ability to hold dead on out to about 200 yards which is the furtherest I am going to get a shot at the places I have to hunt.

In the last three years I have killed six deer, two with the muzzleloader and four with the 06. The shots ranged from about forty yards to about 110. All were one shot kills. I did miss a deer last when my muzzleloader hang fired. I did not pop a cap before I loaded it. I won't make that mistake again.

 

[warbirdlover]

My technique is real easy and low on ammo cost.

1. Take the bolt out and bore sight it at 25 yards so the scope and bore more-or-less look at the same place.

2. Using a good rest, take the scope caps off and fire just one shot at the bullseye.

3. Put the rifle back in the rest real solid and, if possible, have someone else turn the scope adjustments as you look at the target through the scope with, at first, the cross hairs on the bull you were aiming at. Have them turn first the vertical cross hair till it's on where the bullet actually hit. Then do the same for the horizonal cross hair.

4. Now verify by firing one more shot. It should now shoot dead on the bullseye at 25.

5. Now go do 100 yards are repeat (if the magnification allows that.) You might want it to shoot a few inches high at 100 yards, so keep that in mind.

I sighted in my .270 WSM Winchester that way this deer season with 5 rounds of ammo all the way out to 200 yards (I just shot at 25 and 200, skipping the 100 yard range.)

Deaf Smith

This works and have used it for years. I did step number one above this year (mounted a new scope) and bought one of those laser shells that fit in the bore and double checked it. I was almost dead on already without the laser..

 

[Deaf Smith]

This works and have used it for years. I did step number one above this year (mounted a new scope) and bought one of those laser shells that fit in the bore and double checked it. I was almost dead on already without the laser..

And warbirdlover, with the cost of .270 WSM being almost $40 a box (I will start reloading this year) to me it's the ONLY way to sight in a gun for the season! Just cost way to much to mess around shooting up 20 rounds at TWO BUCKS A POP!

I love to shoot, but sighting in the gun isn't shooting to me!

 

[Cremon]

The way I PREFER to sight in a rifle is by locking it in a vice on a heavy gun sled and firing and making adjustments at an outdoor range about 45 miles from the house. But my friends that own those sleds aren't always around when I need to sight in a new rifle, hehe.

What I'll USUALLY do though, is fill a sock half way with sand, tie a knot on the open end and put it on the bench. Then put the bottom of the rifle butt on that sock and relax, letting the break surprise me. I don't have a spotting scope either so I end up doing the long walk of shame when someone yells "range cold". But it works well for me.

I just sighted in my Remington Model seven .300 Short Action Ultra Mag (darned hard to find ammo for sometimes, but it's powerful enough to hunt moose with). I had to sight it in for this years hunting season, which sadly, ends this weekend here in Georgia.

 

[kraigwy]

Bore Sight

Zero at 25 yards

Re-zero at 200 yards

Then confirm zero by shooting in the position I plan on shooting the rifle (I.E. Prone, sitting, standing etc)

Hunting rifles I leave zeroed at 200 yards, High Power I get a zero for 200, 300, & 600 yards.

1000 yard rifles I zero at 1000 yards.

 

[bcarver]

less shooting

one shot at 25 yards aimed at one inch circle off sand bags.
Measure with calipers and do math. 4 clicks per 1/4 inch.
one shot at 100 yards.
measure and do math. 4 clicks per inch.
I make the adjustments to shoot 1.75 inches high at 100.
one shot at 200.
If impact is more than 2 inches from aim point I shoot a three round group.
This is not needed often.

This allows for three cold bore shots.
You must be able to make three unflinching shots for this to work.

 

[misskimo]

little confused here carver, at 25 yards, 1 click is 1/4" then you state 100 yards, and do the math 1/4 per click, huh? does that sound correct???

 

[HiBC]

You are correct,at 25 yds,1/4 MOA clicks are good for 1/16 in on target.You get it!!

Good info already,to be tweaked by preference.Seems like it is all new,and you can be overwhelmed by too much.

Later,as you learn your rifles and perhaps study the ballistic tables in a reloading manual,you can optimize a little more.

Things vary some with sight height,what load you use(velocity and bullet flight characteristics)


You will get very good results with approximately 2 in high at 100 with all of them.Likely,the 30-30 will be on at 150,the 338 and 243 at 200,and the 243 and 338 will be about 7 to 8 inches low at 300.I suggest you dial it in at the 200 target,and check a couple rounds for elevation at 300,350,and 400,write down what you find.you can write it on a leather sling or a taped on card or? whatever.

ranges past 300 yds,it is usually best to get closer.


Now,as you do understand the geometry of the click values,measure your reticle at 100 yds,if you have a duplex.They vary,scope to scope,and measure it at highest power.Suppose it is 12 inches.Does a caribou measure about 24" brisket to whithers?Would it make sense that if it just fits your duplex,the range is 200 yds? Center to post would make it 400?

Now,for a certain range,say maybe out to 250 yds(know what a critter looks like in your reticle at 250 yds)You will know your trajectory is flat enough to justput it on and shoot.Maybe at 300 you hold 8 in high,know what that looks like,too.

With just that much,you can be confident and deadly.