How to sight a gun

S

Steelers252006

New member
Practiced today with my Smith 686P, four inch, and Ruger Mark III Hunter. Used very small targets only hung up on the top on a windy day, so I did not use my shooting as a barometer today. However, how exactly do you get your sights zeroed in? I guess if you're shooting high, you raise the adjustable sights; and if you're shooting right, you click them to the left a bit? Is there a method to this starting out to really get it zeroed in? How does everybody else do theirs?
 
Move the rear sight in the same direction you want the bullet to move. If you're hitting to the right of where you are aiming, move the rear sight to the left, if high, lower the rear sight.
 
I suggest first checking to see if your form is affecting the POI. One way to so is to have a good bullseye shooter or an instructor watch you shoot and also have them shoot your firearm. If your form is affecting the POI, work on your form before adjusting the sights. Also make sure the weather condition (wind) are good for shooting and try to shoot from a bench when adjusting the sights.

If you do adjust the sights, you move the rear sight in the direction you want to move the POI. If POI is high. lower the rear sight. If the POI is right, adjust the rear sight to the left.
 
Also, adjust to a group, not an individual shot. Shoot 5-6 rounds, find the middle of them, and adjust the middle of the group to be centered on the target.

Can't get a group reliable enough to adjust the sights by? Seek instruction and practice until you can...
 
Sounds good. I plan on practicing plenty, just joined an outdoor range I heard about, about 80 members, about 2 and a half miles from the house, 80 bucks for a year, box of reloaded .38s for 10 bucks.

Today was a bad barometer. Again, very windy outside, and there are two strings hung across a few posts, and the target was small and only hung up from the top. It was blowing in the wind, very difficult day to shoot. I would guess from using common sense to line up at about 10 feet or so, maybe a little more, and practice until I get very accurate and then move back. If sights need mildy adjusted I can do that, too. I have my stance down and how to hold the gun. Any other tips recommended? I look forward to getting very proficient, esp with my carry gun that I am yet to purchase.
 
Here is a link of Jerry Miculek on revolver grip. Most shooters have never been taught proper alignment of the handgun to the strong hand/arm. Proper alignment makes for a much more pleasant shooting experience - Recoil does not go directly into the thumb knuckle of the strong (shooting) hand, recoil is easier to control (less muzzle flip), and there is potential for better accuracy. Since the muzzle flip is reduced due to better recoil control, follow up shots have the potential to be quicker. Personally, I would not recommend his grip on a short revolver grip for inexperienced shooters for the following reason. If an inexperienced shooter tries the grip Jerry Miculek uses on a short revolver grip on a semi-auto, the slide is likely to injure the support hand when the slide is cycled from a fired shot. IMO, one of the several reasons why I do not like the idea of new or inexperienced shooters firing a snub nose revolver.
http://www.myoutdoortv.com/shooting/shooting-usa/jerry-miculek-revolver-grip

If you cock the hammer for a SA shot, use the thumb of the support (non-shooting) hand to cock the hammer. This allows you to not move (change the grip) of the strong (shooting) hand. You will find this is more accurate. It is also quicker to cock with the support hand vs. the strong hand.

Here is an earlier post of mine on the Tactics and Training section of TFL. The OP had a question how to increase accuracy with a rifle. I suggest also watching at the video of the rifle as many of the shooting concepts are the same (trigger control, breath control, natural point of aim, etc.) The link of Todd Jarrett is also good. It is a semi-auto (not revolver) but many of the concepts are the same.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4788551&postcount=7
 
If you are trying to determine where any gun is shooting. You probably should start from a rest of some sort.

Don't shoot at long distances (as appropriate for the type of weapon you are shooting) and stay with the same ammo through out the sight in. (also use a load that is pleasant to shoot - hunter killer ammo isn't the place to start)

Like what was mentioned above, site the group not the individual shots.

If it is still shooting all over the place or you can't get the sights adjusted to point of aim at the range you want - then bring in another shooter.

The best thing you can do is get out and shoot. This will teach you how things work. Good luck.
 
People over think the sighting in bit. Its really simple whether you are a good shooter or not, you can still zero your rifle, pistol, revolver or what ever.

Simple determine the range you want to sight in for.

Now set up your target. For get the 3 or 5 round groups. Take a whole box of ammo. The more you fire on the target, the more accurate your zero will be.

Now shoot your target. 20 - 30 rounds. Don't change nothing at first.

Now take your target. Draw a line from 12 to 6, and from 3 to 9 o'clock.

You now have 4 quarters. Count the number of hits in each quarter. Adjust your sights as needed. Shoot again. The goal is to get an equal number of shots in each quarter.

It dosn't matter if you have a 12 inch group or a 3 inch group, as long as you have an equal number of shots per quarter, your sighted in.

Remember the more shots you get on each target, the more accurate your zero will be.
 
You know, I don't think I've ever thought of sighting-in quite that way before. But it makes perfect sense when I think about it.
Thanks! :)
 
So aim for the DEAD CENTER of the target, 20-30 shots, and then draw a line straight down the middle and horizontally and count each quandrant to see how many shots are in each?
 
So aim for the DEAD CENTER of the target, 20-30 shots, and then draw a line straight down the middle and horizontally and count each quandrant to see how many shots are in each?
Click to expand...

Yeap, then adjust your sights until you have an equal number in each quarter.

If there is a concern about "cold bore shots" do the same thing, only shoot one shot a day for two to three weeks. Recording everything about the conditions and enviorment.
 
When sighting in any pistol or rifle I use a sand bag on a bench. I mold the bag to fit the weapon. I then obtain a good sight picture and shot. i do not look at the strike of the bullet. I concentrate on the sights and alignment with the target.

Personally, I prefer a 6 o'clock hold rather than center of the bulls eye. The bull eye sets on top of the sight. For a target I like the military sighting targets with the one inch grids. Since I retired and no longer have access to these targets. (I have used up the case which was left over from my units qualification) I use 50 ft indoor bullseye targets.

I shoot 5 round groups and then adjust.

Bullseye shooting is no longer in vogue but it teaches outstanding technique. finally breathing and the little finger can really mess up your groups.

If you are a new shooter. shoot a couple hundred rounds before you mess with the sights. When you can maintain good tight groups then and only then should you mess with the sights.
 
In my own handgun shooting, I have found the strong hand thumb to be a major culprit of inconsistency. I always get best results by hyper-extending the strong hand thumb, so that only the base of the thumb is squeezing the stocks/grip against the base knuckle of the first finger on the other side of the grip.

Any bend in the thumb will put inconsistent and uneven pressure on the grip, spoiling accuracy.

For sighting in, I place the forward part of the frame (not the barrel) on sandbags or padded rifle forearm rest, and another sandbag under the butt, taking my standard strong hand only grip at arms length. I start at 25 yds, using a 6 o'clock hold on a 4" bull. Sighting to the center of the bull puts me 2" high at 25 yds. For most handgun cartridges this is about dead on at 75 yds and only 5-6" low at 100. Magnums are even flatter shooting.

Once zeroed, I shoot at 50, 75 and 100 yds to confirm POI, using field positions such as two-hand hold, leaning against a pole or tree, off shooting sticks, etc.
 
Use a rest of some kind,,,

Eliminate the variables of stance and grip,,,
Steady the gun as well as possible on something stable.

Aarond
 
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