What do you use to sight in your rifle?

I generally use a sandbag plopped on top of a wooden shooting box. The benches on our range are uncomfortably low relative to the seat for some reason. After confirming zero, I immediately switch to field positions and improvised rests similar to those which I would find while hunting.

I will never fire an optically sighted rifle above .223 caliber from a sled or any similar static rest with screw tension pinch points.

First off, its OFFhand, not FREEhand. Freehand is for drawing, scrolling or sawing things. Offhand is standing on your hind legs and shooting a rifle. (Go ahead, ask me how I feel when somebody calls the aperture sights on an AR-15 "open sights". I double-dog dare you! )

Anyway, my range usually has some sandbags around, and I'll use one of those and the tall, narrow little wood stands they have. Yes, the whole set-up ends up being rather rickity, so I don't expect bug-hole groups. Sometimes I find it just as convenient to grab a wood block and my rifle case to use for a rest when zeroing a new scope set-up or "testing" ammo. My preference would be to shoot prone with some kind of support, but I don't normally think to bring my shooting mat.

Depends on the rifle- if it has a bipod, then bipod and rear bean bag, if no bipod, then rabbit ears in the front and bean bag in the rear.

I set down a bag of seed, a hoodie or whatever has the right height on the open tailgate of a pickup and shoot prone from there. Gets me above the weeds and grass so I can actually see.

lg&m said:

I have a "sand" bag I made from jeans leg filled with kitty litter.

Click to expand...

Watch the litter though because it absorbs moisture; I filled old 25# lead shot bags with spent 209 primers - nice bulk without the weight, they also make good doorstops in the shop

I use pods........feed bags....... four-wheeler seats....... Since my rifles go out year round, they get zeroed with the same stuff I'm likely to shoot from.

Bag of shot was the thing back in the day, til lead got expensive LOL.

My dads impala got some paint mod on the roof from varminting back in the day. Even w a blanket ( sometimes not situated the best in the heat of the moment ).

I have shot of BR pedestals and while nice, they are too big/ bulky and expensive for my application.

Bipod and a bag.....the latter usually just laying on the back seat of my jeep ( no added weight to the shooting bag ).

Pops has a sled now due to retina issue. But he aint hunting, hes just shooting.
Also has Ransom rest w windage base for testing handguns.

375supermag said:

Hi...
I have ways used ammunition to sight in my rifles.

Click to expand...

Hi...
Despite my rather flippant previous post, I do shoot rifles quite a bit.
Generally, I sight in rifles using a Caldwell Lead Sled. Once I have it zeroed, I switch over to a Caldwell bag for a front rest for practice sessions.

I've tended to try about everything that comes along, as seen here, but use the Farley "stick shift" in BR competitions. But for general testing and sighting-in prefer the John Loh or Ransom rests with rear bags that best fit whichever rifle I'm testing or sighting-in.

I use sandbags, but, I rest the forearm of the rifle in my hand since that is the support it will have in the field.
My superstition or belief is that the barrel resonance off the palm of my hand is different from the resonance off a sandbag.

I first use a cheap San Angelo shooting cradle to boresight rifles from my bedroom, sighting through a window on an inconspicuous target mounted to my fence 25 yards away.


At the range I have a basic Lyman front rest and Caldwell bags front and back.

This is a prototype of a rifle rest I built for my bench before I got my sled.
Basically a 4x4, a 2x4 a wood block to slide forward or back to adjust the height. big hinge and a little padding.
Not as good as a sled, but a stable, adjustable rest.

Howdy

I use what ever I have handy.

I have a set of cross sticks from Black Powder Long Range shooting. I used them for quite a while.

Sand bags or what ever else I have handy.

If you try to sight in any firearm, rifle or pistol, free hand, you are testing your ability to hold it steady, not how accurate the firearm is.

If you want to find out how accurate the firearm is, remove the human element.

Are the lil laser cartridges any good, I know they aren't perfect but I mean just for getting in the zone quickly and fine tune from there?

I have the Caldwell bags but I generally only use the rear eared bag and my day pack or hoodie or whatever for the front.

I also hve a very cheap sled of sorts, dont even know the brand, shooters choice or some no name thing like that. It's too much to fidget with, not a very efficient way.

Cornhusker77 said:

This is a prototype of a rifle rest I built for my bench before I got my sled.
Basically a 4x4, a 2x4 a wood block to slide forward or back to adjust the height. big hinge and a little padding.
Not as good as a sled, but a stable, adjustable rest.
View attachment 934216

Click to expand...

Innovative. Nice idea.

Usually just the bipod but for those rifles that don’t use bipod Just a backpack for the front as rest and a sock with rise/beans for the rear.

Hookeye said:

Bag of shot was the thing back in the day, til lead got expensive LOL.

My dads impala got some paint mod on the roof from varminting back in the day. Even w a blanket ( sometimes not situated the best in the heat of the moment ).

Click to expand...

I've done that to my own car sadly

A simple set of bags would be easiest and give great results. Ive used a sled before when sighting in larger rifle calibers. Shoulder takes a beating without it. Freehand sounds like madness when trying to sight in a rifle.

I use them all. Last one was “freehand” because I didn’t have the time to get anything out but a stable bench and good rest makes it super easy.

Bags. I find that I shoot better and more consistently than I do with a sled. Also, for me, the point of impact from bags is different than from a sled (different enough to matter in the field).

I use sandbags - one in front and two in the rear. In front, something solid for base with the bag on top to get close. The rear bags get pushed and squeezed for final sight/scope alignment. And then, BRASS. For me, that is the best way to do BRASS - breathe, relax, aim, slack, squeeze. Sometimes it can take four to six reps before the rifle goes off.

Front rest and rear bag on the most solid base I have available. Often it's a car or truck hood if I make my own impromptu range.