sighting in a new scope

[scott law]

What power should I start with on a 5x20 by 50 .?? What range 100?? 200??

[Deezil]

power doesnt matter, start at shortest distance you can. I set my upper on a table looked through the barrel at something way out there (500yds) then turned the cross hairs onto that object, got me super close at the range.

[LRRPF52]

I always bore-sight my optics first, before wasting any ammo on paper. I use the method Deezil explains above. I take out the BCG, mount the upper in a vice, and use an offset paper with a dot for the bore, and a cross for the crosshairs placed just slightly lower than my optic above bore height, which is 2.7" usually. With the bore aligned to the bore dot on the paper, I then dial the crosshairs into their offset mark on the paper above the bore dot. The farther out you place the offset paper, the closer you'll be.

[slowmethinks]

You guys are so damn smart! I shoulda read this before I put 20+ rounds down range zeroing at 100 yards! :-/

[bwaites]

You guys are so damn smart! I shoulda read this before I put 20+ rounds down range zeroing at 100 yards! :-/

Hah....How many rounds do you think they wasted before they figured it out?

[Deezil]

haha, weve all been there!

[txgunner00]

Hah....How many rounds do you think they wasted before they figured it out?

I'll never admit it...

[LRRPF52]

Hah....How many rounds do you think they wasted before they figured it out?

Roger that. When I was maybe 14, I realized that I needed to zero our .270 Winchester (Pre-'64 Model 70). I went out with my dad and hunkered down to zero the thing with a few boxes of ammo. I got a great POA=POI zero at 100yds, then took it out to 200. All of a sudden, I had a shotgun, and couldn't figure out why, until I noticed the scope was loose. That was my lesson in loc-tite, after taking it to our local gun store.

We actually started bore-sighting a lot when I was in the Army with bore light kits, and they worked really well. When I got out, I worked in a gun store and used to bore-sight a lot of hunting rifles for guys, by

1) measuring the bore-optic center height,
2) pulling the bolt,
3) making a paper offset,
4) placing it at the far end of the store,
5) setting their rifle up on a cleaning station,
6) having someone move the paper until the bore was lined up with the bore spot on the paper,
7) and then dialed the crosshairs onto the optic offest marked on the paper.

It will have you on paper at 100yds if you do it real well, with minimal corrections needed to get that perfect zero. If I can't use this method, I start at 25-50yds with a sighter, then dial the turrets until I'm on the sighter, then repeat until zeroed. You should be able to do that within 3 rounds at close range, then take it out to 100yds for fine-tuning.

[txgunner00]

I'll have to remember that method. I usually just look down the bore at a distant object but I don't always have the space for it.

[LR1955]

Roger that. When I was maybe 14, I realized that I needed to zero our .270 Winchester (Pre-'64 Model 70). I went out with my dad and hunkered down to zero the thing with a few boxes of ammo. I got a great POA=POI zero at 100yds, then took it out to 200. All of a sudden, I had a shotgun, and couldn't figure out why, until I noticed the scope was loose. That was my lesson in loc-tite, after taking it to our local gun store.

We actually started bore-sighting a lot when I was in the Army with bore light kits, and they worked really well. When I got out, I worked in a gun store and used to bore-sight a lot of hunting rifles for guys, by

1) measuring the bore-optic center height,
2) pulling the bolt,
3) making a paper offset,
4) placing it at the far end of the store,
5) setting their rifle up on a cleaning station,
6) having someone move the paper until the bore was lined up with the bore spot on the paper,
7) and then dialed the crosshairs onto the optic offest marked on the paper.

It will have you on paper at 100yds if you do it real well, with minimal corrections needed to get that perfect zero. If I can't use this method, I start at 25-50yds with a sighter, then dial the turrets until I'm on the sighter, then repeat until zeroed. You should be able to do that within 3 rounds at close range, then take it out to 100yds for fine-tuning.

LRRPF52:

You got that from Rube Goldberg? He, he, he.

Here is a foolproof technique that takes about five minutes and doesn't need two people.

Put a two by two foot square paper target at 25 and 100 yards. Put a black pastie in the middle of each. Fire a shot at 25 yards and adjust. Fire one more at 25 just to ensure you turned the dials in the right direction -- correct one more time then shoot at 100 yards.

LR1955