Zeroing a scope by yourself

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Duckster

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Yesturday I went to the range to rezero my Tasco scope on my New England .270 (Single Shot Breach). I have not shot it in awhile and have moved twice since I last zeroed it (Still in the Army). Two weeks ago I went shooting and it was way off. So Yesturday with about 30 rounds I went to zero it. Let me tell you, it is hard to zero a scope by yourself. I bore sighted it the day before, but that only gets you in the ball park.
I got it close at 50 yards then. Tried hitting the first steel target. I could tell I was close, but not where. I asked for some help from some others shooting on the same lanes. They had spotter scopes and just shootong .22 at 50 feet. They were nice enough to guide me in onto the steel, but could tell me exactly where. I decided to go to the next target, which I found later was 400 yards and hit it twice in a row. I packed it up after that. I know I can shoot a pig at 400 yards now (That is what the target reseambled0, but not where on the pig.
Next time I'll take a friend to spot for me and black spray paint (respray the steel targets). I wasted too many rounds and time.
The good news is that my totally replaced steel shoulder worked great:D . Who said all Army surgeons are all bad:neener: .
 
There is a regimen to zeroing a scope and I have it down. You don;t need a second person if you have a quality spotting scope that allows you to see the holes of your caliber at the yardage you zero to. It just takes a little longer but this is good for technique as well shoot three, look thru spotting scope, swab barerel, move turrets, repaet..simple description, but basically it. I allways boresight with shims with the scope set at zero and zero on the turrets before going to the range to dope it in. Then at the range I do the ritual. I zero at 100, then again at 200 with my PSS and with the M24 at 300. So, it is different for use of weapon. My scoped hunting rifle (308) is zeroed at 100. My iron sight hunting rifles are all also at 100 and so are my .22s if they have scopes.
 
First

IMHO, you should always Zero at 100. Closer than that rifle bullets may not be sorted out, farther and too many other factors may affect the bullet, not giving you repeatable info. Also, since most scopes used in the US are MOA, 1 will always = 1, so 1MOA at 100 yards is always 1" (or so close that it dosent matter in most cases)

Start by geting a target that is a 1" grid. Fire 3 shots. If you have a "group" find the center. Example: The center of your 1" group is 2" right an 3" low. Your scope has 1/4 MOA adjustments, so 8 clicks right and 12 clicks up and then test with 3 more shots. You should be on target and can fine tune from there.

At least thats how I do it.

Hope this helps
 
Dog Bonz, zeroing is relavent to weapon, and average yardage that particular system is to be shot. Say you are going to zero a .50BMG and your average shot is going to be 700M you do not want to zero at 100m because there would be to many comeups at 500 and longer ranges needed. So, you would want to zero at 300m or more. I zero my M24 at 300 because my average shot is out to 800M. I zero my PSS at 200 because my average shot is out to a shorter 600m, I zero hunting rifles at 100 beacause my average shot is that or 100M longer, or shoter than 100m.

Standard military snipers usually zero at 200~300M. fo 7.63mm Nato, and longer for .338Lapua Mag, and .50BMG based sniper rifle systems.
 
If you have a scope seeing the bullet holes at 100 yds should be no trouble. I would sight in on paper at this distance before going out farther. I use a 3x9 B/L 4200 on my 270 and can see hole in paper with no trouble at this range with it set as low as 3X unless they are in the black. Then I need more Xs although at my normal 9X I see them easily anywhere on target.
One tip, sight in at 35yd to hit dead on and you will be very close if not spot on at 100 with most cartridges running 27-3000fps. It works well when you don`t have a bore sighter to get you going and limited ammo.
 
Start by geting a target that is a 1" grid. Fire 3 shots. If you have a "group" find the center. Example: The center of your 1" group is 2" right an 3" low. Your scope has 1/4 MOA adjustments, so 8 clicks right and 12 clicks up and then test with 3 more shots. You should be on target and can fine tune from there.

At least thats how I do it.
Click to expand...


I agree with everything EXCEPT that you should go 8 clicks LEFT on the scope adjustment, in your example.

Everything else is spot on.
 
byf43

You are absolutely correct.

You see kids, thats why you should never attempt to zero your scope BEFORE coffee. :D

Sorry,

Dog
 
You're making it way too complicated....

take a good sized sheet of paper, and tack it up at 25 yards. Get a VERY solid rest (I use a Black & Decker Workmate with sandbags and a plywood top)

use some type of definite aim point (some like a small orange aiming dot)

make sure you're very steady and take a shot, then take off the scope caps

mount the rifle in the sandbags so that the cross hairs are on the aimpoint

without touching the rifle, CAREFULLY move the crosshair from the aim point to the bullet hole using the adjustment knobs

depending on the height of the scope above the bore, you'll be sighted in at about 125 yards

I've sighted in dozens of shotguns and rifles using "one shot" sight-in
 
you do not want to zero at 100m because there would be to many comeups at 500 and longer ranges needed. So, you would want to zero at 300m or more. I zero my M24 at 300 because my average shot is out to 800M. I zero my PSS at 200 because my average shot is out to a shorter 600m,
Click to expand...
You still have to dial from 200 to 300, 400, 600 anyway.

Besides the other good reasons for a 100-yard zero already mentioned, a 100-yard zero will not change due to atmospheric density changes due to altitude changes, while a 300-yard or further one will. I can travel from Denver to TX with the same zero, and just grab the dope sheet for the new altitude.

Also, a good reason for a 100-yard zero is that dialing under your primary zero for closer-range shots is confusing and problematic. And you can't do it on high-end scopes like the S&B PMII (new USMC scope) or the USO's, which have zero stops.

Dialing the 300-yard dope as your normal setting is a much better idea than actually setting 300-yards as your zero.
 
shims are necessary.


here you go.
rifle winchester model 94 angle eject

mounted winchester front and rear scope mounts. there is no adjustment on them.

Got a bushnell sportsman and winchester rings. put it all together

got a bushnell laser bore sighter. put it in looked through the scope. the scope at about 25 feet is almost 6 inches to the right. read through all instructions and manual. if you do not have any adjustments on your mounting you need to use shims. on my scope the front mounting needs a shim. Currently i just took a piece of foil and folded it up. took a while but after about 20 minutes i had it to where the scope and the laser were pointing true on center line. Now both the bushnell mounting paperwork and other sources have said to use shims. But what shims.


Only other thing i thought to do was to file the left rear mounting to offset the front. or have a front mount machined for me that was approx .15 thousands to the right.

i have a copy of this from bushnell that is in adobe. im not too sure how or if you can copy it. if you would like a copy pm me with your email address and i will send you a copy of it.
 
those are only for final adjustments which need to be done at a range. most of them are done 1/4 of an inch at 100 yards. a boresighter needs to be used for initial set up. and it is recomended to use shims or adjustable mountings. however in my case i cant find any adjustable mounts for 30-30 win. if i could. it would be awesome. send me your email and i will forward you the adobe file
 
Zak... Thank you

you so elegantly put what I was trying to say about why you should 100yd (or m) zero.
 
:what: :what: :what: :what: :what: :what:


Holly bjesus. i was looking for that thing for over 3 months.


its mine im ordering now. looks like i need new rings that set up is totally different than what i have.

well worth it though.
 
I know it sounds unimpressive but putting a couple of sporting clays on a dirt bank allows easy shot identification. Try dialing the scope power back and shooting with two eyes. I find that I can call my shots out to 100yds FAR better this way. After my first shot, I adjust strickly for elevation (I don't bore sight). I typically guess the amount of vertical adjustment and give the turret more adjustment than it stickly calls for. My second shot is usually then within 1/2 a foot. I give it another tweak and adjust my windage based on the two previous shots. After shot three I've usually broken the clay. At this point I aim at the other clay which should break no problem. So far 4 shots fired. My fifth shot is usually on some kind of paper target. Since most bolt actions hold 5 shots I go down and place another paper target along with some more clays. I'm way more concerned with practical shooting accuracy so I tend to focus on sitting, kneeling, prone and offhand shooting on the clays.

The "Benchresting" nonsense has proven exactly no advantage for sighting in for me. The imaginary "mechanical limit" of your rifle is really only a factor when the gun is literally bolted to the deck! Therefore just laying the rifle over the hood of a truck, or shooting from the prone will render plenty enough stability to properly sight in the rifle. Consider that if you find the center of a five shot group (of whatever size) the scope turrets are only adjusting where that center intersects the crosshair. So as far as zero is concerned, shooting small groups actually has very, very, little to do with it. Plus I find the ergonomics of the bench are so different from field positions that a stock that's well fitted for field rarely feels so good at the bench. Please don't take my perspective as an attack on the sport of benchrest rifle competition. Those folks have taken things to an entirely different level and I respect their commitment. It's just that hunting is not at all a benchrest equivalent.
 
Redneck2, that's how I learned to do it and if you have a bolt action rifle clamp that sucker down (or real steady bags) pull the bolt out and use the rifle bore as a peepsight, the orange dot centered, now pop up to the scope & put it on the orange dot. Using the same orange dot as the bore is pointing at helps a bunch, trust me on this... :uhoh: :banghead: Recheck alignment, fire one shot. I then go to 100 & do the three group to fine tune to 1" 12 o'clock @ 100.

I also like to foul the bore with a few shots before I expect consistancy. Maybe one of the bench guys will chime in but none of my rifles seem to like a pristine bore. Then again, that might be me settling in, not the weapon. :scrutiny:
 
intune

YESSSSSS

I also like to foul the bore with a few shots before I expect consistancy.
Click to expand...

I always fire 1 "fouling shot" before starting a dial in. but that said, I do wait till the bbl is "cold" to start sighting in.
 
I always bring a roll of freezer paper to the range. a pack of stick-on bulls eye's and the spotting scope.
I also do a little rap on the turrents after an adjustment. just kind of settles the internal tube. Have seen many times working sight in days when adjustments are made and the zero didn't move. then after a couple of times its off the paper.
We also use colored magnets made out of a refrigerator door magnet. just take a empty case and use it as a hole punch and put your bench target on a light piece of sheet metal. I have used push pins, but the magnets are better.
 
Once I boresight and get on the paper. I aim on the bulls and get a hole on paper @ 100 yds or so. Then I'll rest my rifle back where the X is on the bulls and make sure it's rested good and stable (not gonna move).

Then I click the scope over from the bulls to the hole and get the X lined up on the hole.

This usually gets me dead on pretty quick and within a few shots.
 
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