stupid question about sighting in a scope

[FlyinGN]

I know. It is dumb.. but here goes.. While sighting in a red dot BSA scope on my 22 Colt handgun.. I do not have a vice to lock it in and make it an easy job.. so I am gonn have to squeeze off a shot and see where the shot lands and then adjust the scope until I hit the dot heres the q..

when the adjuster on the scope says to move it in a direction(up or left) and I moving the bullet hole OR the red dot?? in other words.. say that the hit is below and right of the dot in the scope. Do I move the adjustments to the left and up ORRRRRR do i move the scope adjustments down and to the right?? does that make sense??

 

[Delmar]

GN-it would help if you could take it to a range which had sandbags for you to use, and shoot it off the bench. Not quite as good as a vise, but close enough. Get a decent target, preferably something divided up into 1 inch squares-Find out how many clicks to the inch at the distance you're shooting, then fire at least 3 shots. The adjustment screws should tell you which way is up or left or whatever. If not, call the company who made it.

 

[FlyinGN]

I know this.. I don't think you understand my question. When I DO adjust the scope screws am I moving the red dot towards the hole OR the hole towards the red dot???

 

[hksw]

Generally, the overwhelming majority of scope, red dot, and holo manufacturers have it so that the direction indicated on the dial moves the impact (the holes) in that direction.

Just in case to be sure, read the manual if you have one or shoot a few rounds, make a small adjustment, shoot a few rounds, see which way they rounds are going adjustment-wise.

 

[Delmar]

You certainly aren't moving the hole, so you must be moving the red dot!

This is not like open sights, where to adjust windage, you move the rear sight to the right in order to move your shot group to the left.

Think of it as a single plane-if your shots are going down and right, you will want to move your red dot down and right.

This is assuming you are not using some type of adjustable base to mount your red dot on. If the base is adjustable, you can make coarse adjustments, then use the red dot elevation and windage knobs to make final adjustments.

 

[Ex-MA Hole]

READ THE DIRECTIONS!!!

Recently, being a know it all, noticed that my Dad had scoped my .22 Winchester with the scope being held by only the back clamps, the front were floating.

Let me first tell you that this was sighted in PERFECTLY.

I removed the scope, put it on "correctly" and started to sight it in. I turned, and turned, and turned the sight screws. I am now off the paper. I was turning it the wrong way.

Now, turning them back, I am STILL off the paper. No matter what I do, I can not get back on the paper.

Did I mention that this was sighted in PERFECTLY.

Last time at the range, I was next to a chap while trying to site it in. He got nervouse at my inability to hit paper. I explained the situation, and he asked why I didn't leave it alone to begin with.

No duh.
I showed him previous targets with a nice tight ring, and he again asked why I didn't leave it alone to begin with? I left, angry at myself.

Read the directions to answer your question. I THINK that you turn the scope so that it goes towards your hole. I.E. if you are shooting to the right, move the scope to the right.

M

 

[FlyinGN]

HKSW and Delmar said opposite answers! hmmm. Now it looks like its gona be trial by error. The instructions don't tell me that came with the scope..

Thanks !

 

[hksw]

Certainly technically speaking you aren't moving the 'holes', you're moving the lens that optically moves the holes in the direction the dials are indicating. If you have a red dot as Delmar is saying, you are actually moving the dot to the direction of the 'holes' but when you look through the scope, the dot is still centered but the 'holes' have 'moved' towards the dot. What Delmar is not addressing is what the dial does when it says 'UP' or 'DOWN' or 'R' or 'L' with an arrow direction.

If the top turret dial says 'UP' and has an arrow pointing counterclockwise, when you turn the dial counterclockwise, the hole image will move up. On the side dial, 'R' - counterclockwise, turn counterclockwise, 'holes' move right. Internally in the scope you are actually moving the crosshairs or dot in the opposite direction as what the dials are indicating, i.e. turn counterclockwise crosshairs/dot moves down or left, respectively. But the directions on the dials themselves are for the 'holes' position.

 

[Graystar]

I know this.. I don't think you understand my question. When I DO adjust the scope screws am I moving the red dot towards the hole OR the hole towards the red dot???

LOL!!

Haven't you realized by now that the answer depends on which way you turn the screw? Turned in one direction, the two converge. Turned in the other, the two move further apart!

The answer you’re looking depends heavily on your point of view. For example, you could say that when sighting, the dot is always placed in the target center. Therefore, the hole (or more accurately, the point of impact) moves toward the dot.

By the same token, you could lock your pistol in a vise, fire until the POI is in the center of the target, and then simply adjust the dot till it too is in the center. In this case, the dot moved towards the hole.

Physically speaking, the only thing that really moves is the lens inside the sight. The body of the sight remains fixed to its mounting.

Finally, don’t forget the ultimate truth...there is no dot.

 

[NavajoNPaleFace]

Simply, if you have scope adjustments with arrows and the words up, down, left and right you turn the screws in the direction you want the bullet impact to go.

For example, in the question above where the bullet was hitting, hypothetically, low and to the right, you're goning to want to turn the adjustments that say 'up' (in the direction of the arrow) until it shoots horizontally where you want it and then turn the other to the left (in the direction of the arrow, again) until the bullet impacts vertically where you want it.

Then it's a matter of fine tuning to sdjustments from there.

But, in reality you are moving the mechanisms that control the movement of the cross-hairs or the dot and not the scope itself.

 

[Delmar]

isn't this fun:banghead:

GN-you have to let us know how this comes out!

 

[FlyinGN]

lol I follow now.. Thanks guys. Ill let yas know how it turns out. Im going out monday night I think

 

[FlyinGN]

went to the range last night and had it dialed in 30 rounds Easy to do.. After that I was tack driving every shot Red dots work fantastic!

Frank

 

[Delmar]

GN-glad you had a good time! To be truthful, the only bad time I have at the range is if something breaks

I've only fired one pistol with a red dot-a roomie of mine years ago put one on a Colt King Cobra, and it was a lot of fun to shoot, especially indoors. Hope you like yours for years to come.