How do you zero your rifle? let’s discuss approaches

[Alan]

I’ve seen a wide range of zeroing methods across the community, and it’s always interesting how each shooter develops their own routine. To help newer members learn and compare techniques, I’d like to hear how each of you approaches zeroing?

 

[LDB]

I'm about to need to do this for the first, second and third time ever. (3 new rifles) Following with definite interest.

 

[Drycreek]

First, the scope, if it wears one, has to be level, and the mounts torqued properly. Then you can bore sight it if you wish, I usually don’t. I find that most guns will be on the targets I use at 25 yards.

I fire one shot, find it on paper and adjust the crosshairs as needed. I fire again and make more adjustments. By now, I’m usually pretty close to the bull, but if not I adjust until I’m in the bull.

I will then fire a three shot group and if it’s in the center I’ll move out to 50 yards with a handgun or 100 with a rifle. I sight rifles in according to their uses. My pistol caliber lever guns are sighted in about an inch high at 50 yards, my rifle calibers an inch or so high at 100 yards. I hunt in East Texas where 150 yards is about as far as I can see.

This has always worked well for me. I sighted in my great grandson’s AR Sunday in 9 shots and 5 of those were grouped in the bull at 25 yards. I didn’t stretch it out because the trigger sucked and I ordered him a CMC to drop into it before we embarrass ourselves at long yardages. It’s a red dot, not a scope, so we need all the help we can get.

 

[Mike s]

Like Drycreek said above, make sure the scope is level, then I like to apply just a bit of Blue Locktite & torque to whatever specs are indicated by the manufacturer, or based on the type of rings (aluminum vs steel).

Usually I'll boresight by removing the bolt & 'eyeballing' the center of the bore on some distinct point on a target (like the 90* corner of a target stand) & adjusting the reticle or dot on the same point. This is usually good enough to make sure the first round is on paper at 25-50 yds.

If its a 5.56 AR-style rifle, I'll use a 36yd zero.

Any other scoped rifle I'll use 100yds to zero, & collect muzzle velocity (MV) data while zeroing.

After getting a solid zero, remember to 'slip the rings' on the scope elevation/windage knobs to 'zero', so you can return to zero if making any adjustments later.

With a solid 100yd zero & MV (plus temperature / barometric pressure of when MV was collected, & ballistic coefficient / projectile weight), I can then run it thru a ballistic calculator to get a generic Drop Chart for whatever distances I plan to shoot.

Works good enough for me

 

[Josh06]

I like to move scopes around a lot so have this down to a science. I first bore sight at about 80 yards (I have a light that far away that I can easily use). Set up a large piece of blank paper with 1 target dot in the center at 100 yards and fire one shot. Keeping your rifle steady and eyes in the scope, move the reticle to your point of impact, fire another shot and fine tune. If you have a reticle that you can measure, even better as you don't have to watch the reticle move to point of impact. I can usually get a good zero in 3 shots and then 2 more to make sure and be done in 5 rounds.