Question about adjusting a scope

[RunninLate]

When adjusting a scope to zero, do you adjust the shot to the cross hairs or bring your cross hairs to your shot?

It seemed that when I tried to adjust the shot to the cross hairs, the adjustment were going in the opposite directions.

 

[rcmodel]

Look at the <L or R>, or Up> or <Down marks on the dials.

Turning the dials that direction moves the bullet that direction on the target.

Rc

 

[MEHavey]

If you want the bullet to go right, turn the side scope knob in the direction that says 'R'
Likewise for Up/Down... turn the top knob toward the 'U' or 'D'

 

[RunninLate]

"If you want the bullet to go right, turn the side scope knob in the direction that says 'R'
Likewise for Up/Down... turn the top knob toward the 'U' or 'D'"

If I do that, the distance from the bullseye gets greater. I had to adjust the cross hairs to where the bullet hit. Doing this way, I got to within 1.5" of the bullseye at 60ish yards. Was shooting in 45 temps and 15+knot winds.

I do not have really any experience zeroing in a scope but do you can walk the cross hairs to the shot or walk the bullet impact to the bullseye.

 

[rcmodel]

Your scope dials have little marks in them.
Each mark represents 1/4" or 1/2" or whatever POI change at 100 yards.

So take a ruler with you.

Shoot 3 shots.

Measure the center of the group to the center of the bullseye, both low or high, and right or left.

Say your group is 2" Low, and 1" Right of the aiming point., At 100 yards,

Say your scope has 1/4" clicks.

Move the elevation dial Up 8 clicks. = 2".
Move the windage dial Left 4 clicks. = 1".

Shoot another group, and it should be dead center this time!

rc

 

[allaroundhunter]

What kind of scope is it?

 

[primalmu]

You'd have to have a rifle strapped to a lead sled or similar rest to reliably adjust the scope to put the crosshairs on the shot/center of group. It is far easier to do the math and figure out how many clicks up/down/left/right you need to adjust.

 

[RunninLate]

Allaround, it is a cheap AimSport. Bought it because it is a fixed 4 power, right size, open sights on top and has a option for a red, green or blue cross hair light.

I think that i was trying to bring the POI to the bullseye (cross hairs) instead of bringing the cross hairs to the POI.

 

[urbaneruralite]

I wouldn't expect an inexpensive scope to have accurate adjustments. Shoot a group. Strap it down solidly with the crosshairs on the bullseye. Adjust the scope without moving the rifle such that the crosshairs move to the center of the group.

Usually, it won't be exactly right after that, but it will get you closer faster than trying to walk it in with inaccurate turrets.

 

[dmurdach]

I did have a cheap scope years ago that the windage and elevation markings were opposite what they should be. Dont remember the brand, but it confused me everytime I had to zero it, which was often (cheap scope)

 

[bobg67]

I have a Universal scope on my 22 that the adjustments are backward. Been on there 45 years an has never needed adjusted. About drove me crazy when i put it on and tried to zero it.

 

[taliv]

believe the bullet, as they say

seriously though, there's only 2 directions you can turn it, so if it gets farther away when you turned it one way, then turning it the other way would be a pretty dang good guess for corrective action

assuming that works, i'd assume that blunder is indicative of overall quality and i'd be looking for a new scope

 

[dagger dog]

Make sure it mounted with the elevation knob on top and windage to the right.

If you have a bolt rifle, get a cardboard box cut two v notches to set the rifle in, set your target at 25 yards, remove the bolt set the rifle in the box look down the bore and center the bore on the target cross hairs by moving the box, then adjust the scope making sure not to disturb the alignment until the scope crosshair matches the target.

Shoot 3 rounds and you should be "on the paper", reset at 50 yds and you should only have to make minor scope adjustments, ditto @100.

 

[Offfhand]

Quoted from above post:

"You'd have to have a rifle strapped to a lead sled or similar rest to reliably adjust the scope to put the crosshairs on the shot/center of group. It is far easier to do the math and figure out how many clicks up/down/left/right you need to adjust."

Easier? No way! Why make it complicated? Resting rifle over sandbags I routinely sight-in by moving crosshairs to bullet hole. Usually after just one shot I'm sighted-in this way, and after a confirmation shot I'm good to go. It's just a matter of knowing how to do it.

 

[ford8nr]

Why make it complicated?

??

What's complicated about distance from center x4 (at 100yds) equals clicks to center. When I'm doing range duty or spotting for someone I can give the corrections and have them close to center first adjustment. Second adjustment for fine tuning if it's a CHEAP scope. I've seen the mid range Tasco's track well enough for this.

 

[Doc7]

I have to believe scope adjustment is the most over-thought problem in firearms. Strapping down rifles and looking through scope and moving crosshairs to the hole? How do you possibly make sure the rifle didn't move at all given that it only takes thousandths of inches of movement at the muzzle to change POI by quite a bit down range?

Aim at the bullseye. adjust scope based on where bullet impacted relative to POA (call a bad shot). Repeat. It should not take more than 3 shots.

 

[Offfhand]

Why make it complicated? It's already complicated if it takes two people to do it, that's why. One person can do it by himself without bothering with measuring, counting clicks, guessing etc. And never getting up from bench. It's just a matter of knowing how.

 

[ford8nr]

It doesn't take two. When I'm at the range sighting in a gun I can fire two shots estimate distance from center make a click adjustment and fire another shot, usually close enough to center before you can start chasing the hole with your scope. Heck, we had a guy at a sight in clinic that had a new 'bore sighted' rifle off by approx 12" high, 8" right. Did a 48 / 32 click adjustment and he was within an inch or so. Guess you have to be able to estimate distances and do simple math to make it work though.

 

[MEHavey]

^^^This ^^^

- Fire one round at 25
- Adjust to desired dead-center impact = miss distance (in) X 4 Minutes (as marked on dial)
- Fire one more round to check, then one final adjust to desired dead-center
- Take it to 100, fine-tune adjustment over next two rounds.

 

[dagger dog]

It doesn't take two. When I'm at the range sighting in a gun I can fire two shots estimate distance from center make a click adjustment and fire another shot, usually close enough to center before you can start chasing the hole with your scope. Heck, we had a guy at a sight in clinic that had a new 'bore sighted' rifle off by approx 12" high, 8" right. Did a 48 / 32 click adjustment and he was within an inch or so. Guess you have to be able to estimate distances and do simple math to make it work though.

What if your not on the paper with your first shot and you are the only one shooting (no spotter) and it's a hard kicking rifle so you can't spot your misses through the scope.

 

[bearcreek]

What if your not on the paper with your first shot and you are the only one shooting (no spotter) and it's a hard kicking rifle so you can't spot your misses through the scope.

Then you need to either get a bigger paper or move it in closer so you can see where it's hitting.

 

[ford8nr]

Whiskey/tango?
If you're not paper and don't know we're you hit then you're not adjusting the scope no matter what system you use.

Roger that, on what bearcreek said

 

[dagger dog]

ford8nr,
Re-read post 13.

 

[RunninLate]

After a couple of people looking at the scope during the last range visit, we found the problem. The gun has a low rail so I put a spacer on it to raise the scope, then put the scope on the spacer. I had 2 sets of screws to tighten down the setup. After getting them as tight as possible I still had some play in the scope. Took it apart and between the scope and mounting base of the scope was 2 allen head screws that were not tight.

After snugging them up, I was able to group 3 to 5 shot groups about 1.5" at 50 yards. That was different reloads I were some of my first loads. When I got home I put some Blue Locktight on the threads and now to see if the scope is still zeroed in.