HELP SIGHTING IN A SCOPE

[Jliggo]

Hello Forum,
I was hoping you could provide me with the name of a local gunshop that could help me sight in a new scope. I am in the Baltimore county area but willing to travel in MD..
Thanks in advance.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

Howdy,

The only way to really sight in a scope is to take the rifle and scope to the range and shoot it. Center your elevation and windage knobs first.

Put a 24 inch target 10 yards away from you, aim for the bulls eye and pull the trigger. You'll be on paper at that distance.

Adjust the scope until you're centered. Then move the target to 50 yards and zero your elevation.

Then fine tune at 100 yards if need be.

 

[Jliggo]

Thanks for the info and I will give that a try..

 

[sgt23preston]

So here is how I do it...

It's simple & it works...

#1. Mount your scope & adjust your Windage & Elevation knobs to the center of their total travel...

#2. Remove the bolt from your rifle & make damn sure that it's empty...

#3. Find a sand bag or a towel to put under your rifle to support it, make sure it doesn't move...

#4. Move a small table near one of your windows & look thru the rifle bore for something "about" 100 yards away & the size of a Red Stop Sign...

#5. Look thru the back of the barrel & Move your rifle until the barrel is lined up with the Stop Sign...

#6. Make sure the rifle stays lined up with the Stop Sign...

#7. Now move the Windage & Elevation Knobs on your scope until the cross hairs are in the center of the Stop Sign...

#8. You are done for now...

#9. Take your rifle to a rifle range & set up a 24" x 24" target on the stand at 25 Yards...

#10. Put a 3" round dot in the center of the 24" square target...

#11. With your scope set where you positioned it on the Stop Sign, DO NOT TOUCH THE CROSSHAIRS, support your rifle & line line up your CROSSHAIRS with the 3" round dot...Fire 3 - 5 rounds & then adjust your crosshairs until your bullets move to the center of the 3" dot...

#12. Move your target to 50 Yards & fire 3 - 5 rounds & see where they hit...Adjust your crosshairs until all your bullets find the center of the 3" dot. Then move to 75 yards & then move to 100 yards. At that point it is done...

 

[Jliggo]

Thank you for the instructions preston and simple and easy is what I need..LOL

 

[traveller]

Find someone here who owns a boresight laser for the caliber of your rifle. Meet him at the range. Align the scope to the laser at 50yd. Index the laser 180deg and check whether it is true. Shoot a 5 shot group 50yrd from a rest. Calculate how far you have to adjust the scope And adjust. Shoot another group. If you are right on, move target to 100 or 150 yards. It should take you less than a box of 20 if you can use the laser to get 'on paper' on the first try.

 

[5.56blaster]

Any shop should be able to bore sight it for you. It will get you on target for final adjustments.

 

[Doug33w]

So here is how I do it...

It's simple & it works...

#1. Mount your scope & adjust your Windage & Elevation knobs to the center of their total travel...

#2. Remove the bolt from your rifle & make damn sure that it's empty...

#3. Find a sand bag or a towel to put under your rifle to support it, make sure it doesn't move...

#4. Move a small table near one of your windows & look thru the rifle bore for something "about" 100 yards away & the size of a Red Stop Sign...

#5. Look thru the back of the barrel & Move your rifle until the barrel is lined up with the Stop Sign...

#6. Make sure the rifle stays lined up with the Stop Sign...

#7. Now move the Windage & Elevation Knobs on your scope until the cross hairs are in the center of the Stop Sign...

#8. You are done for now...

#9. Take your rifle to a rifle range & set up a 24" x 24" target on the stand at 25 Yards...

#10. Put a 3" round dot in the center of the 24" square target...

#11. With your scope set where you positioned it on the Stop Sign, DO NOT TOUCH THE CROSSHAIRS, support your rifle & line line up your CROSSHAIRS with the 3" round dot...Fire 3 - 5 rounds & then adjust your crosshairs until your bullets move to the center of the 3" dot...

#12. Move your target to 50 Yards & fire 3 - 5 rounds & see where they hit...Adjust your crosshairs until all your bullets find the center of the 3" dot. Then move to 75 yards & then move to 100 yards. At that point it is done...

Pretty much this. I mount and level the scope at home and then set the rifle up on the bench at the range. I usually do this at 100 yard and I'm usually on paper at 100.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Or hybred aproach. Initial boresight as described above. Shoot cpl rds at 50yd to verify more or less middle of paper, then sight in normally at 100 . If I'm confident or lazy, I'll go straight to 100, but the 50yd step will catch gross errors.

The above "chase the bullet hole method IS a real thing, but has several prerequisites. A very stable and secure rest, gun with modest recoil, and excellent trigger control and bench skills. The hybred method requires less equipment, and is more forgiving of shooter technique.

 

[Pinecone]

So here is how I do it...

It's simple & it works...

#1. Mount your scope & adjust your Windage & Elevation knobs to the center of their total travel...

#2. Remove the bolt from your rifle & make damn sure that it's empty...

#3. Find a sand bag or a towel to put under your rifle to support it, make sure it doesn't move...

#4. Move a small table near one of your windows & look thru the rifle bore for something "about" 100 yards away & the size of a Red Stop Sign...

#5. Look thru the back of the barrel & Move your rifle until the barrel is lined up with the Stop Sign...

#6. Make sure the rifle stays lined up with the Stop Sign...

#7. Now move the Windage & Elevation Knobs on your scope until the cross hairs are in the center of the Stop Sign...

#8. You are done for now...

#9. Take your rifle to a rifle range & set up a 24" x 24" target on the stand at 25 Yards...

#10. Put a 3" round dot in the center of the 24" square target...

Easier way at the range.

#11. Fire ONE round. See where is hits.
#12. Using sandbags again, set rifle so it is aimed at the bulleye and does not move.
#13. Adjust cope knobs (WITHOUT MOVING THE RIFLE) until the cross hairs are centered on the bullet hole.
#14. Fire ONE round to confirm you are just about on center.

#15. Move back to 100 yards (or your desired zero range) and repeat.

You can cheat a bit, and actually set your 25 yard setup for the bullet to strike about 1" above the aim point at 25. You will be VERY close at 100.

Using this method, you can sight in a rifle with 5 rounds max. And if you trust it, 3 rounds.

 

[gorgeman]

all good info make sure the scopes mounts are tight
watched a guy shoot a half box before someone told him scope was loosejust sayin

 

[Pinecone]

all good info make sure the scopes mounts are tight
watched a guy shoot a half box before someone told him scope was loosejust sayin

BT, DT

Still feel like an idiot for doing it.

 

[Speed3]

I don't think sighting in a rifle is that hard at all assuming your scope is level and your rings/base are tight.

Shoot at 25 yards, try to get centered and 1-2" high at 25 yards. Remember, if you need to move it an inch at 25 yards its really 16 clicks (assuming you are 1/4" MOA = 4x clicks at 25 yards and 2x clicks at 50 yards).

Move back to 100 yards and shoot...adjust from there. Most targets have 1" gridlines...adjust accordingly. Usually no more than 5 shots to sight in a rifle.

 

[outrider58]

all good info make sure the scopes mounts are tight
watched a guy shoot a half box before someone told him scope was loosejust sayin

Tight, but not 'farm' tight.

 

[Pinecone]

I don't think sighting in a rifle is that hard at all assuming your scope is level and your rings/base are tight.

Shoot at 25 yards, try to get centered and 1-2" high at 25 yards. Remember, if you need to move it an inch at 25 yards its really 16 clicks (assuming you are 1/4" MOA = 4x clicks at 25 yards and 2x clicks at 50 yards).

Move back to 100 yards and shoot...adjust from there. Most targets have 1" gridlines...adjust accordingly. Usually no more than 5 shots to sight in a rifle.

Until you turn the knobs the wrong way. Or lose count of the clicks.

That is why the way I posted is fast and failure proof.

 

[Melnic]

Lots of ways to do it and you can read all the suggestions and then come up with your own path.

What do you have ?
Rifle ?
Rings?
Scope?

I don't like the "hold gun still and adjust scope till cross hairs align with point of impact " method cause newbies don't seem to ever get it right .

I put paper at 50 the shoot at dirt at 100 and have someone tell me where I'm hitting till I hit what I'm aiming at adjusting scope
Then I go to 50 and adjust till 1" high

Have fun and find your own path

Scope dials move where it hits
If you hit left and want to move right then turn dials in the direction for right

 

[outrider58]

One thing to keep in mind for those who follow, MOST scopes you buy come neutrally centered. Don't play with your scope til you get it mounted. If when you're 'bore sighting', things kinda line up, you can rest assured, the mount is good. Now zero that sucker.

 

[Nobody]

Hello Forum,
I was hoping you could provide me with the name of a local gunshop that could help me sight in a new scope. I am in the Baltimore county area but willing to travel in MD..
Thanks in advance.

I have a bore laser that will help you . I work in towson every Thursday if you want to meet and pick it up

NOBODY

 

[Jliggo]

Thank You

Thank you all for the sage advice and I knew I came to the right place for help. I guess getting started this weekend is a "no go"....

 

[Pinecone]

Lots of ways to do it and you can read all the suggestions and then come up with your own path.

What do you have ?
Rifle ?
Rings?
Scope?

I don't like the "hold gun still and adjust scope till cross hairs align with point of impact " method cause newbies don't seem to ever get it right .

I put paper at 50 the shoot at dirt at 100 and have someone tell me where I'm hitting till I hit what I'm aiming at adjusting scope
Then I go to 50 and adjust till 1" high

Have fun and find your own path

Scope dials move where it hits
If you hit left and want to move right then turn dials in the direction for right

I see more people screwing up which way to turn the dials and how much. Newbies AND experienced shooters.

Support the rifle and turn the knobs to move the cross hairs to the bullet hole takes all that out. Turn the wrong way and it is IMMEDIATELY obvious. How many clicks? Turn until the cross hair is aligned.

I have shown this to newbies and experienced shooters, and ALL find it much easier.