Sighting in rifle

i start like 10 yards from the target, aim at the bull.....see where the bullet hits. do my best to move the reticle to the bullet hole. repeat until bullet hits the bull. step back another ten yards.....repeat first step. step back farther and you get the point. after a solid 25 yards zero you can start using the standard 1/4MOA clicks or whatever your scope has. like I am 2" high and 2" left at 25 yards. so I will turn my top turret 16 clicks clock-wise and side turret 16 clicks counter-clockwise. I rarely count clicks until I get to 50 yards. I can sight in a new scope from crooked as heck in under ten rounds generally. it's very easy, I did two of them today. an 18x on an AR(sucks that I had to do it twice since I didn't realize that the knurled magnification wheel was hitting the p mount, oh well, now I have backwards mounts) and some dude's 15$ red-dot on a Mossberg plinkster, the red-dot took a little extra time since it sucked.

I never knew I needed a class or anyone's advice from a forum. my first scope had an instruction manual and maybe some of my others did as well. but common-sense got the best of me and a minute look at a scope and you'll figure out quickly how simple it works. But, I didn't have "professional" training, so even though my end result is the same, my way must be completely wrong.
 
With the bolt out, I've used stacked books on a dining room table for support while bore-sighting via "good eye". Or, sandbags on a bench rest. The gun doesn't care. :)

Dead on at 25 yards is generally about three inches high at 100 yards, and within an inch or two of horizontal center.

When adjusting the cross hairs during the sight-in, I shoot three-shot groups and adjust the imaginary group center until it's where I want it to be.

Two inches high at 100 yards is right at dead on at 200 yards; about six inches low at 300. That holds true for most "deer hunting" cartridges. The accepted guess is that maybe 90% of all deer are shot within 200 yards.
 
Never saw the point of a bore sighter with a bolt action rifle, I just take out the bolt and look down the barrel. Pretty easy to get on paper that way. I normally start at 50 yards, then move to 100 or 200 depending on the rifle.
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I'm with you. This ain't rocket surgery. You need to hold the rifle steady by some means; sandbags or a cleaning stand will do. As you say, remove the bolt and sight down the barrel to an easily recognized target, street light, or what-have-you. Then look through the scope (or iron sights) and adjust the cross hairs to the same target. Double check as necessary to be sure the rifle bore and scope match. You can do this at home or at the range. For an AR style rifle, you can remove the upper portion and do the same thing.

Then take the rifle to the range and shoot a target at 50 yards. Some people prefer 25 yards, but I like 50. You need to have a grid or a bull of a known size on the target, usually one inch or two inches. This target need not be larger than a letter sized page for an experienced shooter, but larger might be better for a beginner.

Then, using your eyeball, determine how many inches from the aim point your first two or three shots are impacting. Make a scope adjustment based on that, being SURE to turn the knobs the right way and you must know how many clicks equal one inch of movement. Often that's 4 (or 8) at 100 yards (depending on the scope type), which works out to be 8 (or16) clicks at 50 yards to move the POI one inch.

Which way to turn the knobs? Typically the scope knobs are designed to move the point of impact, so if your group is low, move the elevation knob in the "UP" direction.

Simply verify your aim point vs point of impact with a few more shots and then move to 100 yards to find tune the scope a few clicks at a time to refine the POI vs the POA. Don't forget to refocus the scope if you have an adjustable objective.

You don't need any fancy equipment and it takes only a few minutes. Sighting-in is a simple and quick (but quite satisfying) exercise.
 
Well, this is just my method. First, get everything properly mounted. Next, what type of action do you have? If it's a bolt, AR platform, or anything else you can look through the bore with the scope mounted...set the barreled action and scope on some sand bags and look through the bore to get it pointed at a target at 50 yards. Now, move your scopes cross-hairs to zero on your sighting target. Now, shoot group and adjust as needed. With a rifle you cant look through the bore, such as a lever action and some single shots, I place rosin paper on a pallet, mount a target in the middle, and shoot a group to see where it's impacting. As with both scenarios, once you know where it hits, you can adjust for zero.
 
What kind of sighting device do you have on the rifle (scope, red-dot, iron sight) and what is the rifle's caliber? Short-range sighting-in will vary from longer-range centerfire rifles.

When sighting-in a scoped rifle, I prefer to clamp the rifle in a padded vise, visually bore-sighted at a target about 25 yards to 100 yards away. Turn the scope adjustment knobs to center the target image in the scope.

Assuming the rifle is properly bore-sighted: At the range, use a solid, padded front rest and rear rest that will hold the rifle steady as you aim and fire. Shoot at least two shots a target 25 yards away and adjust the scope, remembering that the arrows on the adjustments point to the direction that subsequent bullet holes can be expected to strike.

If the scope has 1/4" clicks at 100 yards, they will only move point of impact 1/16" with the target at 25 yards.

If shooting a rimfire, I like to sight-in "plinking rifles" for zero at 50 yards. Refer to sighting-in charts for your centerfire rifles. (Ballistic Tables can be found on-line.)
 
For example, a 165 grain bullet out of a .308 or .30-06 should be sighted in about 3.5 to 4 inches high at 100 with most brands to put you 'on target' out to about 300.
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This is a poor choice of sight-in for the '06 for the majority of shooters. This makes all shots in the area where most animals are shot all over the place just to make it supposedly better for 300 yards, a distance most hunters can't make off-hand anyway. I can, you may be able to, but the majority of hunters probably can't, and depending on where you hunt, east coast or west coast, even in Canada. Where I hunted in Alberta or Colorado is much different in shooting range than on the east coast of thick woods, and mostly private property. Odds are better sighted in at 100 yards, 200 max if they are a good shooter, and adjust for drop in the rare instance of 300 yard shots. Plus, some hunters take pride in hunting to the point they don't have take long shots all the time. If you are going to play the long game, get a .300 weatherby, and keep the '06 at home.
 
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"1. Either boresight the rifle or get yourself a huge piece of paper.
2. Put the paper at 100 yards.
3. Fire a shot.
4. Put rifle in gun vise with cross hairs on the point of aim.
5. Move the cross hairs to the bullet hole."

Ding ... Ding ... Ding ... Ding ... We have a winner.
 
I have a bit different take.

Get rifle, support on bench, line up bore with a target 100 yds away.

the bench numbers on top of a berm are good, any target at that range you can see through the bore works fine.

Adjust the scope or sights to match.

Setup target at 25 yds, shoot first 3 round (cheap ammm0o)

If its spot on take it to 75, otherwise adjust and when on move to 50 or 75.

Get back on at 50 or 75 and then move to 100. You should be pretty close and can fine tune.

Move to whatever ammot you are going to use to (hunt) and or start shooting target groups.

I don't worry about target groups as long as they are close enough not to get over into other areas of target I want to use.
 
I don't know if this has been mentioned, but as was said earlier, start out at 25 yards. Keep in mind that at 25 yards, it takes 16 clicks to move an inch. If you find yourself 4 up and five left, you have an enormous amount of adjustment to make.

Another tip is to calculate your trajectory, and your chosen point of impact. If you want your rifle to impact on target at 150 yards, calculate where the round should strike at 25, and target there, rather than wasting the effort zeroing in at 25 and then adjusting to the new point of zero. By setting yourself to the point of zero initially, you can then just fine tune your point of impact when you move out.
 
Actually, it is rocket science. A bullet in flight is a falling object, as is the International Space Station, or the Earth for that matter.
Newtonian Mechanics. And since it is rocket science why not make it the simplest possible rocket science?
Adjust your sights to hit a target dead center at 25 yards. Done.
 
I will add, because I was reminded of this over the weekend that...when getting ready to shoot groups try adjusting your hold to see what performs best. I usually like to rest the fore end on the front bad, stock ahead of the swivel stud on the rear bag, and lay my left hand on the table while I squeeze with the right. Some of my rifles like a little left had pressure on the fore end. My light weight I discovered, likes a very tight hold into my shoulder, and both left and right hands gripping the rifle tightly. Almost every rifle shoots a lot better than we do...do dont get depressed when your groups are larger than you want...just when you think it's not you...it's you! :D
 
OP,I hope you are not thoroughly confused by now.There is more than one way to skin a cat.

IMO,you cannot go wrong listening to kraigwy.

There are ways to study the downrange trajectory of your rifle and cartridge.You can then use that data to maximize the range that you can confidently hold dead on and shoot your deer or whatever,assuming your trajectory will stay within an acceptable high or low zone .This may be called a "Max Point Blank Range".

At this point,don't worry about it.I do suggest you begin by putting your group center about 2 inches high at 100 yds for a 30-06 class cartridge.That will put you near dead on at 200 yds,and about 8 or 9 in low at 300 yds.
At this point,that is probably enough to think about.

With a scope,I like the orange sight in targets with the grid.You can see crosshairs well against the orange.

On boresighting devices..one piece of advice...Don't let anyone use the kind where they push a spud into the muzzle of your rifle.
I bought one of those,an old Redfield.The spuds MAY be too tight,and are subject to damaging the bore at the muzzle.

I do not use one.At home,I can first REMOVE the BOLT from an unloaded rifle.A rifle with no bolt in it is quite safe.

In this condition,you can set up on sandbags on a table inside your house looking out a window at some distant point.Please use discretion to not alarm anyone and get arrested.And,when you re-intall the bolt,go back to treating your firearm as if it is loaded.

Carefully look through the bore,then the scope.Get the scope and the bore pointed at the same point.It helps to have one person looking while the other adjusts.

If you do this ahead of time,it will avoid wasting range time,and you can relax.


The 25 yd verification is good if the range allows a 25 yd target.

Realize the adjustments are(probably) in terms of Minute of Angle,or some fraction of a MOA.like 1/2 or 1/4 MOA.Know that value before you go to the range.
A MOA is very close to 1 inch at 100 yds.Or 1/4 inch at 25 yds.Or 2 in at 200 yds.
Adjust accordingly.

Wear ear protection.

This next part is important.Be aware that if your eye is too close to the scope when you shoot,or your position is bad,the scope will recoil into your eyebrow and cut you.
Don't let that happen.

Recoil on a bench can be very punishing.That will lead to poor shooting.

Cheat. If you can find one,aPAST brand recoils shield works well.Or sew a cutoff pant leg into a sandbag for your shoulder..Maybe scrounge something.
Painful is not fun.

Focus totally on seeing the crosshairs on the target as the rifle recoils.Knowwhat that image looked like.Be able to point at a target and say "here" .This is one way to know your eyes were open at the shot.You really need your eyes open.That focus will help.

I make my initial adjustments based on two round "groups".If I can get two rounds to go pretty much to the same spot,I will twist knobs.It saves ammo,and you will only absorb so many rounds of 30-06 recoil before your shooting suffers.

If I get a good three round group for my final adjustment on the bench,and it is where I want it,say 2 in high at 100,I call it good....to a point.

You do not have that bench hunting.

Now practice and verify off the bench.

How will you shoot in the field? Sitting? Prone? Over a backpack?

Do you have access to 200 yds? 300? How well can you nail an 8 in paper plate?Out to what range?

You will both verify your sights,and,more important,know your own limits,and be confident in what you and your rifle can do.

Then go get a clean,quick,one shot kill.
 
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