Sighting in a rifle

[Kev]

I’m glad I asked.

Yes, me too. Very good question.

 

[Lukikus2]

.308 Tc Encore / 168 GR Superformance sst..100 yard cold bore shot on a 2 inch green dot. In my mind when shooting for 0-50 I know I'm low likely 2-3 inches. Just shoot high shoulder at less that 100... If the deer is @ 200 I have a better chance of hitting it with a GoldTip...

View attachment 1273552

Got any pics of where it shot after the barrel warmed up?

 

[Core Lokt]

Someone mentioned cleaning the barrel after every shot. Never cleaned mine in 25 yrs. I gues I’m lucky that it still shoots true.

 

[bfriendly]

Have any of y’all used the laser shell. U put it in the chamber turned on and gives the dot. Then click the scope to it then shoot to finish sight in.
Just wondering if they worked ok.

A good one may work, but I had a cheap one and the lazer didn’t shoot out the barrel even when the cartridge was seated. If I mount a scope I bore sight it with my eyes after removing the carrier. Using an orange dot at about 20, I set my barrel in line with it, then adjust the scope….vertically, it’s off a touch, but horizontally it will be real close.
Shooting a 165gr out of my .308, i sight in at 40, puts me just over an inch high at 100 and back to zero at 200. The 180gr at 40 is an inch low at 100 and drops like a rock from there!

 

[175rltw]

Go to range. Set out target at 100 yards / meters user preference but must be the unit of measure always utilized. No switching. Putt in ear plugs and some
Muffs shut out the world while Relax for a little and set the rifle
Up on bags.

Bore sight procedure for bolt action rifle:

Remove bolt and look through barrel and move rifle until target is centered in the small circle of light seen out through the muzzle. Do not move the rifle. Look through scope and Dial reticle to center of target. Look through barrel and insure target is centered in muzzle. Look through scope and insure reticle is centered in bullseye or “point of aim”

Zeroing procedure for any rifle.
Insert bolt. Load a round. Insure that the rifle is resting in the center of the 1” dot that is the point of aim. If you are closer than 100 use a smaller dot. If you are using more than 9 or 10x use a smaller dot. If the rifle requires you to adjust it or “aim
It” at the target it means your body is not aiming at your target and you must adjust your body and position yourself so that witha natural cheek wild the rifle is on target without manipulation. Once you have achieved a natural point of aim squeeze the trigger and do not release it until you have come out of recoil and are back on target. Follow through.

Measure the distance of the bullet strike from the point of aim and make the necessary adjustment. Load 3 rounds. Once again mount the rifle assume a natural
Point of aim and fire the 3 rounds without ever trying to identify the bullet strikes- maintain sole focus on the point of aim. Practice good follow through. Measure from the center of that group to the point of aim and make the necessary correction. Load 1 round shoot that round into the point of aim.


This zeroing procedure works regardless of the range at which you choose to zero. This boresigjting procedure works with any bolt action rifle

With most modern cartridges a 25 meter zero will result in another zero somewhere between 175-250 typically. It is quick and it is dirty and it can hide significant margins of error- but… it is how the ballistics work for most relevant cartridges.

 

[huntfish]

Depends on caliber…but 243 & similar rounds…At 300,I hold on Spine (2” from top of deer). At 350 I hold 4” over Deer..and at 400 I hold a foot over(2nd line on my Leupold B&C reticle). With these holdovers..I have 3-4” of error..but still hit center mass on a deer. I have only shot 2 Deer in GA over 400 yds & honestly try not to. Too many things can go wrong & I don’t practice very much at those ranges. 350 & in..and I’m deadly.

Yes but ff you zero at 200 yards, most common calibers are within 22" of drop at 400 yards. With that, you can hold at spine at 400 yards and still be in the kill zone for a whitetail. Even more true on larger animals mule deer and up. Allows for a quick reflex shot without having to figure out exact distances etc.

 

[huntfish]

No way I'm zeroing my rifle at 25yds.

If you're off a little at 25 then you'll be way off at 100 and a mile off at 200.

Those of you who say dead on at 25 puts you an inch high at 100, have you actually checked it on paper at 100? I would think you'd be several inches high and like I said if you're just a little left at 25 you'll be way left at longer distances.

That's the reason to paper it at 25 since the angles are small. But yes, DEFNITELY shoot and perform final sight in at longer distances

 

[175rltw]

Yes but ff you zero at 200 yards, most common calibers are within 22" of drop at 400 yards. With that, you can hold at spine at 400 yards and still be in the kill zone for a whitetail. Even more true on larger animals mule deer and up. Allows for a quick reflex shot without having to figure out exact distances etc.

Quick reflex shot at 400? Cool story

 

[TurkeyBluff]

100 yard 0 on all of my rifles. Even my western big boomer.

 

[rugerfan]

I personally always like to check it at a 100 yards, it just gives me the confidence in my rifle and my chosen ammo.

However the last several years my longest shot has been 130 yards, shortest has been 20 yards.

 

[bfriendly]

Go to range. Set out target at 100 yards / meters user preference but must be the unit of measure always utilized. No switching. Putt in ear plugs and some
Muffs shut out the world while Relax for a little and set the rifle
Up on bags. Remove bolt and look through barrel and move rifle until target is centered in the small circle of light seen out through the muzzle. Do not move the rifle. Look through scope and Dial reticle to center of target. Look through barrel and insure target is centered in muzzle. Look through scope and insure reticle is centered in bullseye or “point of aim”

Insert bolt. Load a round. Insure that the rifle is resting in the center of the 1” dot that is the point of aim. If the rifle requires you to adjust it or “aim
It” at the target it means your body is not aiming at your target and you must adjust your body and position yourself so that witha natural cheek wild the rifle is on target without manipulation. Once you have achieved a natural point of aim squeeze the trigger and do not release it until you have come out of recoil and are back on target. Follow through.

Measure the distance of the bullet strike from the point of aim and make the necessary adjustment. Load 3 rounds. Once again mount the rifle assume a natural
Point of aim and fire the 3 rounds without ever trying to identify the bullet strikes- maintain sole focus on the point of aim. Practice good follow through. Measure from the center of that group to the point of aim and make the necessary correction. Load 1 round shoot that round into the point of aim.


This procedure works regardless of the range at which you choose to zero.

With most modern cartridges a 25 meter zero will result in another zero somewhere between 175-250 typically. It is quick and it is dirty and it can hide significant margins of error- but… it is how the ballistics work for most relevant cartridges.

Good stuff and I’m trying to hold my trigger through the shot after reading similar shooting tips. I like the thought of holding until you come out of recoil! I have never heard it described this way, but gonna let that one sink in For sure!
As far as your bore sighting, I just find it easier to do the initial setup at closer ranges…..I can’t see jack at 100 anywho! Understanding how a bullet rises and falls is pretty simple, and your general analytics are spot on.…..cept it goes for ALL firearms. Nothing can defy gravity and if a round sent didn’t rise to the occasion, it would just fall down out the barrel……just poking, lol. I also don’t have any gun sled or vise type mount to lock in my rifles. I always shoot prone, but am certainly susceptible to shooter errors. Again close range to start is easier.

 

[175rltw]

Good stuff and I’m trying to hold my trigger through the shot after reading similar shooting tips. I like the thought of holding until you come out of recoil! I have never heard it described this way, but gonna let that one sink in For sure!
As far as your bore sighting, I just find it easier to do the initial setup at closer ranges…..I can’t see jack at 100 anywho! Understanding how a bullet rises and falls is pretty simple, and your general analytics are spot on.…..cept it goes for ALL firearms. Nothing can defy gravity and if a round sent didn’t rise to the occasion, it would just fall down out the barrel……just poking, lol. I also don’t have any gun sled or vise type mount to lock in my rifles. I always shoot prone, but am certainly susceptible to shooter errors. Again close range to start is easier.

I broke the post down into bore sight procedure and zero procedure realizing that AR users like yourself and all lever fun pump gun guys can’t utilize boresigjt procedure. But the zero procedure is “The Zero Procedure “ if this zero procedure doesn’t work - it means a failure point or weak link in the system has been identified. Rifle / ammo don’t shoot well together, scope doesn’t move the way it’s supposed to, shooter has fundamental issues that result in lack of repeatable performance.

It doesn’t utilize any vice type set up. Realistically any thing done at the range from a zeroing standpoint should be done from a supportied position and I’m not going to try to figure out what field expedient rests like a backpack for instance you could / should be using. It can be performed from the prone but it should be the prone supported and can not disregard the point about NATURAL POINT OF AIM. If you are pointing th rifle instead of the rifle being pointed at the bullseye you are introducing error. and as mentioned in the post can be performed at any range- tho any range other than 100 is a compromise

 

[kmckinnie]

Our clear cuts have grown up. 200yd shots are possible but very few places now. Some 150. Most under 100. I find that a 1” high at a 100 works the best for us around here. If that. 1/2 high ain’t bad either. I carry my old marlin 30 30 most the time now. My 270 has taken a back seat for a bit. Those are my 2 I use.
I use the 25 yds to get on paper with a new scope. Can’t look down the barrel on those 2 rifles. Ones a auto loader the other a lever. On my 30 30 I can use my iron sights to get it close I have found.

 

[furtaker]

That's the reason to paper it at 25 since the angles are small. But yes, DEFNITELY shoot and perform final sight in at longer distances

Apparently some people don't "paper it" at 25, they zero it at 25.

I guess that's ok if you never shoot over 50 yards.

 

[175rltw]

Yes but ff you zero at 200 yards, most common calibers are within 22" of drop at 400 yards. With that, you can hold at spine at 400 yards and still be in the kill zone for a whitetail. Even more true on larger animals mule deer and up. Allows for a quick reflex shot without having to figure out exact distances etc.

Here’s the problem with the 25-150 or 50-250 or whatever scaled zero you utilize- it’s “The engineered Miss”

Whereupon knowing he’s 22 low at 400 with his longer than 100 or 25-175 or whater zero..

Whereupon knowing he’s 22 low at 400 our hero throws up holds on the spine and casually shoots over the animal that’s an unknown distance away.

 

[Tight Lines]

Here’s the problem with the 25-150 or 50-250 or whatever scaled zero you utilize- it’s “The engineered Miss”

Whereupon knowing he’s 22 low at 400 with his longer than 100 or 25-175 or whater zero..

Whereupon knowing he’s 22 low at 400 our hero throws up holds on the spine and casually shoots over the animal that’s an unknown distance away.

We have a guy in our hunt club that decided to shoot a buck at 400 yards this year. Except he has no idea what his rifle is capable of or apparently what a range finder or ballistic calculations are either.

He cleanly hit the deer...and in the process shot one of it's front legs off.

So now we have a nice 8 pt. tripod running around, assuming he survived.

Separately does anyone know how to age a buck hoof vs. on the hoof?

True story...

 

[notnksnemor]

The one constant you can count on here is the bullet will cross the scopes line of aim twice in it's flight path.
If you know your equipment and at what distance the 2 intersect, you are good to go.

 

[B. White]

Here’s the problem with the 25-150 or 50-250 or whatever scaled zero you utilize- it’s “The engineered Miss”

Whereupon knowing he’s 22 low at 400 with his longer than 100 or 25-175 or whater zero..

Whereupon knowing he’s 22 low at 400 our hero throws up holds on the spine and casually shoots over the animal that’s an unknown distance away.

Even if you know it is 400 and you are 22" low, I think you'd shoot about 4" below without cutting hair on most whitetails I've ever seen, if holding on the spine.

 

[NCMTNHunter]

I like knowing what my rifles do down range. I decide how high above the line of sight I'm good with the bullet getting for each round. Usually around 2.5". I just keep getting it close as I move the target farther down range. For most rifles 300 yards is all I'm worried about. If the chart says the round should be 2.5" high at 150 yards and 6" low at 300 yards, I will zero 6" low at 300. Then I'll shoot at 150 to confirm. That way there is no guess work and you get plenty of good practice.

 

[NCMTNHunter]

Even if you know it is 400 and you are 22" low, I think you'd shoot about 4" below without cutting hair on most whitetails I've ever seen, if holding on the spine.

I've put a tape on a few bucks just for this reason. They are around 15" from back to chest. I figure holding at the top of back will compensate for about a 10" drop.