From DOWN RANGE TV
Sighting In - Taking the Mystery Out of Zeroing Your Rifle
By J. Scott Moore
Nov 14, 2007 - 12:58:11 AM
Opening Day of Dove season has come and gone and Waterfowl season is still down the road . . . so it’s time to get ready for Big Game season! For most of us Big Game season means Deer season and for many that means it’s time to sight in that rifle they haven’t touched since last year. That also means trying not to spend a box of shells to zero the scope. To many, sighting in remains a mystery wrapped in an enigma, but to those who know the secret, it can take only one or two rounds to get back in the black.
Sighting in, or zeroing, as it is also called, requires three simple steps and if followed usually puts you in the X-ring quickly and without the angst typically associated with the process. With more than twenty years in the Firearms Industry, between retail and promotions, I’ve sighted in more than 2,000 rifles and the following formula has never failed me.
Step One – Correct Mounting: While this seems obvious, you’d be surprised how many rifles I’ve worked on had the scope improperly mounted, or the mounts were loose. First, if the gun is already scoped, completely remove the scope and mounts and clean all parts including the rifle receiver with a good quality gun solvent and apply a light coat of lubricant. After installing the bases and rings, it’s time to adjust the eye relief, that’s the distance from the rear of the scope and your eye. Too close and you’ll get “bit by the scope” which generally leaves a nice cut, too far and you’ll lose full view in the scope. When holding the rifle to adjust the distance, remember to lean your head and neck forward into the gun and not leave your head straight up. When shooting a high-power rifle, the recoil moves both the gun and your head. With your head and neck leaned into the gun they will naturally whip back with the recoil, with your head off the gun it tends not to move as much and that will lead to you getting “bit”. Once you’re holding the rifle correctly, slide the scope back and forth in the rings until you see a full picture with no black around the edges. To far in or out and you’ll see a portion of your view blacked out. Now check the distance between the scope and your eye. I usually do this by placing my fingers in the space, for most calibers I like to have around three fingers in distance. If you don’t have at least that much especially in large calibers, you might want to change scopes. You might have more space because many of today’s standard scopes have a much longer eye relief.
Step Two – Focusing and bore sighting: Most people have never focused their scope; many don’t even know this can be done. Focusing your scope is done by screwing the eye piece in or out until you are in focus. Most scopes have a lock ring, so be sure to loosen it before focusing and to tighten it back down when you’re through. The best way to do this is to place a white sheet of paper about 25 yards away and adjust your eye piece until the crosshairs are crisp.
Bore sighting is a method of aligning the crosshairs with the center of the rifle’s bore. This can be done by several methods; one is to use an optical boresighter called a collimator. These devices look like a half of a scope with an insert that sticks into the muzzle of the rifle. As you look through your scope into the boresighter you’ll see a grid then you adjust your windage and elevation knobs to move the crosshairs to the center of the grid. Many scope manufacturers produce them and a quality one will set you back, in some cases, the cost of a new scope. But they are handy to have around especially if you travel with your rifle; it’s a good way to check your scope after traveling. The second method of boresighting is to place your gun in a rifle rest or on sandbags and remove the bolt so you can look through the barrel. Place a target at 25 yards, with the rifle in its rest, look through the bore and align the bore with the center of the target. Being sure not to bump the gun from its rest as you look through the scope, now adjust windage and elevation knobs until you bring the crosshairs to the X-ring of the target. Go back and look through the bore to ensure you’re still in the center of the target. Of course this method only works on rifles that you can remove the bolt to look through the bore. Many people believe that boresighting is zeroing, of course it’s not, but it will save you a lot of time and ammo once you get to the range.
Step Three – Shooting: It’s best to shoot from a solid bench rest to insure a quick and accurate sight in. I shoot from a bench using sand bags to cradle the rifle (this insures repeat holds). After your first shot place the rifle back on its sand bag cradle and place the crosshairs back in the X-ring of the target. While keeping the rifle in place adjust the windage and elevation knobs to bring the crosshairs from the X-ring to the bullet hole on the target (if you have a friend to turn the knobs it makes it a little easier). Now fire the next round at the X-ring, the bullet hole should be dead center, if not and you’re a little off, repeat the procedure. After I have completed the sighting in process I like to fire an additional two rounds to get an idea of the group size. Keep in mind most Deer rifles are not tack-driving competition guns capable of sub minute-of-angle groups, but most should keep three shoots in a two-three inch circle. Also remember the kill zone of an adult deer is the size of a pie plate.
As I mentioned, I’ve used this method over a couple of thousand times and it always works. Sometimes, when using a collimator I’ve used many times, I’ve actually had the first round cut the X-ring! Now that’s really saving ammo! Good luck in the coming Season.
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