Scope Sight In Process

8

'88Scrat

New member
So I can't believe I'm asking this question but how do you all sight in a scope? I ask because I just watched a video where the guy gives directions that are the EXACT opposite of how I've always done it.

The way I've done it in the past is to bore sight my rifle, take 5 shots, and see where I group. Let's say that at 100 yards my group was right 2 MOA and up 3 MOA from the bullseye. To adjust my scope I would move my knobs right 2 and up 3. Basically, I try to move the Point of Aim to Point of Impact.

In the video the guy does the opposite. Shoots a group at 100 yards with the same results, right 2 up 3 from the bullseye. He adjusts by moving his Point of Aim left 2 and down 3, and seems to completely ignore the Point of Impact. I can't argue with his results, he was shooting bullseye with only two adjustments.

What am I missing here?
 
I don't really understand what you're saying, but my guess is you both are doing the same thing but describing it differently. Can you post a link to the video?

Tim
 
You didn't post the video but I suspect he is using a fixed position (vise) to move the point of aim to match point of impact. That is when the "opposite movement" comes in. In that method, you shoot one round. Then, clamp the rifle in a vise and adjust the vise so that the crosshairs are centered on the target. Then, without moving the rifle, you adjust the scope to move the crosshairs to match the actual impact hole of the first shot. Doing that, means moving the dials in the opposite direction that you would normally move them.
 
I bore sight at 50 yards and fire 1 shot. At this point I'm thinking inches and clicks, not MOA. At 50 yards most of my scopes move POI 1/8" per click. Some are 1/4" per click. If I'm 2" right and 3" low then I move the scope left 16 clicks and 24 clicks up with most of my scopes. 8 clicks left and 12 clicks up with the others.

I don't waste ammo at 50 yards. I just want to hit paper at 100. Shot #2 is at 100 yards and I repeat the adjustment process. But at 100 yards my scopes move POI 1/4" per click or 1/2" per click. I also have a few scopes that are in Milquads which are about 1/3" per click.

99% of the time shot #3 will be where I want the rifle zeroed. I'll let the barrel cool for a few minutes before firing a 3 or 5 shot group. If I need to fine tune the zero I will.

Once zeroed at 100 yards then I'll start thinking in terms of MOA or MILS in order to calculate drops at longer ranges.

It is possible to fire a group and adjust the sights so that they line up with the POI. BUT ONLY if the rifle is locked down so it cannot move at all during this process.


But, if your group is already 2MOA, or 2" off to the right at 100 yards you MUST turn the scope adjustments to the left in order to get the POA and POI to be the same. Adjusting to the right will move your POI even further to the right.

Perhaps your scope is mislabeled or mounted 90 degrees off. That happens. When we twist the dials on a scope in the direction that says up, the internal crosshair actually moves down to bring POI up. When we twist the dials in the direction that says right, the internal crosshairs actually move left in order to move POI to the right.
 
Doyle---IMhO that was a very clear and concise explanation of what's going on.

JMR40---that's how I try to do it.

If your into movie minutia I believe the change-the-sights-to-the-point-of-impact method was used by Robocop in the original movie.
 
I can't post the video, it was on a loop at Acadamy Sports in the hunting section. I'll try to find it though.

I think I'm over thinking this...
 
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Bore sight. Then I typically start at 25 yards and adjust and move to 100 from there. So long as I'm one paper at 100, I adjust from there looking to be about 1" at 100 yards depending on gun.

Simple process typically.
 
You are basically doing the same thing as the guy in the video you describe. You shoot then move the crosshairs to adjust POI to coincide with POA. From your description, the person in the video is shooting then adjusting POA to coincide with POI. Same thing, just different description. it's not rocket science.

I sight in a lot of rifles for customers (don't ask me why they won't sight them in themselves). They are always amazed that I can sight in a rifle with just a few rounds of ammo so that it makes sense for them to pay me to do it (some of my customers shoot the expensive stuff). I laser bore sight the rifle before going to the range. I use 1" gridded sight-in targets. I shoot 2 rounds, then adjust the scope by number of clicks needed to move the crosshairs to POI. Repeat, fine adjust as needed. Typically 5 or 6 rounds, not 30 or 40 like some people do. I have sighted in 8 rifles in a day, and with some of the big boomers that's about all I want to sight in.
 
They are always amazed that I can sight in a rifle with just a few rounds of ammo
Click to expand...

It's sad but I see a lot of people amazed when they encounter someone who is doing something and KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

There's a cartoon I really like that shows a workperson telling a customer, "There's a right way and a wrong way to do this. I won't know which way I've done it until I'm finished."

I think this used to be much more common, that people doing a job were actually proficient in it, but that just might be the old curmudgeon coming out it me. (and get off my lawn!)
 
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