3 rounds to zero a scope

Hi,

I plan to change scopes on a rifle soon and am having a 'senior moment' with respect to quickly zeroing the new one. You know, the fire one shot, then move the crosshairs to 'match' the shot technique. IIRC, I think you move the crosshairs to the point of impact, but I might be getting dyslexic!

Can someone please refresh my memory?

Thanks,

Put it this way. Your 'X' hair was on the target when you fired. But the bullet went elsewhere. You really want the scope pointed where the bullet strikes. So point the scope at the target and hold the rifle so it can't move. Then adjust the 'X' hair over to the bullet hole. When you point the 'X' hair back at the target again, the next bullet hole will follow it. Bill Van Houten (USA Ret)

Thermopylae had it's messenger of defeat, COME AND GET THEM ! The Alamo had none.

Thanks! That's what I thought

I always thought the rule was: 'Follow the bullet...' or 'Follow the arrow...' to zero in your sights..

You are right. The barrel was pointing at the place the bullet impacted so just move the crosshairs to the bulet hole. This lines your scope with the barrel. Just be sure you have a method for holding the gun from moving while doing this. Test the results by firing a shot at your target. Final adjustments can be made with the scope adjusting knobs.

Been there and done that a hundred times, so daddy knows.

Bob Gourley .

Well you certainly can clamp the rifle in a vise or other device to keep it from moving and then try to see the bullet hole at 100 yards through the scope and adjust it to the bullet hole or use a much better method of checking the target and seeing how far off the bullet hole is from the point of aim and then use the scope click adjustments which should be 1/8,1/4,or 1/2 inch at 100 yards and do it this way which is much more

Sure.

Put the rifle on bags. Put the target at 25 yards. Pick out an aiming point and fire one round at it. Put the rifle back on the bags and line it up with the aiming point. Move the crosshairs so they quarter the bullet hole. Fire one more round at the original aiming point. The bullet should hit right under the crosshairs. If it doesn't and you didn't call the shot, look for something loose in, on, or around the 'scope.

Now, move the target out to 100 yards and fire a 3-round group. Adjust for your preferred point of impact at this range. You should be in business.

I think it is best to do all of the above. Clamp the gun to minimize 'repeatability' problems with aiming and firing at the target bullseye. Plus walk to the target examine and measure the up and down adjustments needed, rather than try to peer through the scope trying to click the reticles over there. If the gun remained stationary the new crosshair position will now be on the bullet hole anyway, if you turned the right number of clicks.

If you are confident enough that the gun does not move and that the gun will produce a small enough shot group, then 3 shots could be enough to show you the average point about which the shots will be centered. Measure and move the crosshairs from the sighted bullseye to this point and you are finished.

Again, highly dependent on your confidence in the gun and how controlled the conditions are.

Rick, it's not a 'senior moment', its the male version of menapause- momentpause! . But seriously, you have it correctly. The technique in brief is: 1-secure the weapon in a sight vise or on a bench rest so it remains unmovable, 2- fire a round and adjust the crosshairs to center on the hole in the target, and 3- move the crosshairs to a fresh part of the target and repeat. The technique is useful when you don't have a bore sight kit or much ammo to spare for sighting in, BUT it requires the weapon to be securely mounted AND you must be able to see the shot hole in your scope. Sometimes it just doesn't work out as easily as other times- weapon moves, scope is way off to begin with, ammo is inconsistent, scope and/or mount moves with the recoil due to faulty installation, etc. Me, I can't use it because I generally can't find the hole in the sight picture when I'm trying to zero in at 100yrds, that's why my son got a spotting scope for Christmas several years ago. Hey Junior, Dad's got a new rifle and scope! Want to sight it in?

Yep, you move the crosshairs to the point of impact.

What you are getting confused with is moving a FRONT iron sight in the reverse of where you want it to go, i.e. when adjusting for windage.

On Wed, 25 Jun 2003 06:56:13 -0400, Rick Courtright

Or you can *move the target in so you are not only assured of hitting* *the paper you are assured of being able to see the bullet holes* and using the procedure Bill VH posted.

I've seen new scope/new rifle combos shoot as far as 8' off at 25 yards. How easy is it to see where the bullets hit the paper when they are a foot and a half off the edge?