Zeroing New Simmons 3-9,32 AO Scope (Bore Sight Necessary?)

F

frjeff

New member
Since I have this new sight on a "new" (to me) Marlin 60, and being this is my first rifle ever, some questions on zeroing this rig in:

Some are telling me that I ought to use a bore sight to do the first work and then to begin the range work for final sighting in. The claim is that it would be faster and save lots of ammo.

Or, do I just go to the range and do it there by test shots, adjusting, shooting again, adjusting, etc.

I do not own a bore sight and hate to buy one in case I never use it again, what say you folks??

Thanks and hope this is in the correct forum......
 
I don't own a boresight device either, but I boresight every rifle I mount a scope on. There's nothing to it, if you can look down the barrel. On that Marlin 60, that's a problem. However, .22LR ammo is the most inexpensive ammo readily available. Start close, shoot and adjust, then move out farther.
 
If you dont own a bore sight....and it is a bolt action rifle

remove the bolt
put the rifle on a sturdy rest
put up a target
look through the bore and center the rifle bore on the target
then center the scope on the target
it will get you on paper...
 
Well mo only other suggestion is if you can put the gun in a very secure rest and get it to hit the target. Then adjust the scope to the bullet hole in the target.
 
I wouldn't worry about it. Go shoot the darned thing. .22LR ammo is cheap. Have fun, learn your rifle. It'll get sighted in.
 
I second that. Don't waste your money on a bore sight if you don't think you will use it again. It will cost you less than a dollar's worth of ammo to zero a 22 at the range.
 
Just set up a target close, adjust your scope until you are hitting where you aim, then move it out to 50 yards and fine tune it.
 
What kind of mount does it have?

I just got a new Mossberg .22 last week and zeroed it in a couple days ago. Put a 4x32 rimfire scope on it, aimed at 25 yard target, and hit about 4 inches from bullseye first try. Zeroed it in at 25yd with 3 groups of 3. Shot one group of three at 50, then moved straight up to 100 yards. Didn't take more than a few shots from there to zero.

Did this with dovetail mount. Might be different with Weaver-mounts or something else.
 
Range Report

Took the "new" Marlin 60 with the new Simmons 3-9,32 AO to the range today for the first time. I'm not any good, but pretty happy with the first zeroing results. At 50 yards, Federal Bulk Pac, 36gr.

Maybe a bit more tweaking necessary, but mostly all "operator error".

Sweet, sweet scope though, I was grinning all the way home. I had never zeroed a scope in before, but this went pretty well. In the first three shots, however, I did not even hit paper.

Much fun !!!! :)

5741366212_68ac321af4.jpg
 
Bore sighting?

Well, yes and no depending on your case. I recently installed four of these scopes on customer rifles with varying outcomes. One was way off the mark and could have benefitted from boresighting. In that case the rings were out of whack and needed to be reversed. Boresighting would have revealed that. In my case, taking pot shots at a large cardboard to see where the holes are is not out of line. Begin with a large cardboard or paper at 10 yards, then move back to 20. I use surplus assorted ammo of mixed brands just to get it rough. Once close to the mark, I then switch to the customers ammo and desired range. The Simmons 3-9 AO is capable of being a very good lost cost scope. In cold weather, it is also capable of producing poorer-than-expected tracking results using the knobs. For this particular application, my customers wanted to shoot Ruger 10-22's at paper silhouettes starting at 20 yards, then 30, 40 and 50. This scope, during warm weather, does seem to provide the fun and accuracy they were seeking.
 
range report

As a followup to the question about bore sights, I'd like to say this:
Today I zeroed a 20ga slug gun as well as a Marlin 30-30. I do have multiple bore sighters in the shop, and if I had used them, I figure they would have saved me only one shot each. The Marlin took two shots, the shotgun took three. However, I can tell you where a bore sight really shines. When installing new bases, rings, or scopes on some rifles, it sometimes happens that bore sighting will reveal a huge error particularly with windage. You begin with your scope set to optical zero and then you compare the crosshairs to the dot. If way off left or right that tells you that you need to make corrections with the base and or rings first. The same is true for elevation, but I typically see windage error instead of elevation error. Using good quality alignment tools is a great asset. I am fortunate I work in a place that can custom make scope alignment tools for me at no cost. Most others will have to buy them. Once your crosshairs are found to be in much compliance with where they are expected to be, at that point you can go to the range. Your buddy might be thinking of a worst case scenario where scope adjustments are being made instead of getting the hardware in alignment. If that is the case you can chase your tail and never have good results across the entire range of distances you may need to shoot.
 
A bore sighting tool will save you exacty 1 shot with a non bolt action rifle per sight in session. Zero shots with a bolt action.
 
Clifford L. Hughes

Frjeff:

Take a lagre blank paper of about 24 inches by 24 inches and put a black circle the size of a quater or half dollar in its center. Place this trget at fifteen yards. Take your first shot and make a sight chance. Repeat until you hit the black dot. Now move your target to twenty five yards.

Semper Fi.

Gunnery sergeant
Clifford L. Hughes
USMC Retired
 
Clifford L. Hughes

Frjeff:

Place a black dot the size of a quater or a half dollar in the center of a large, 24' by 24' piece of blank paper and place it at fifteen yards. Take you first shot and make a sight move. Repeat until you hit the black dot and then move your target to twenty five yards.

Semper Fi.

Gunnery sergeant
Clifford L. Hughes
USMC Retired
 
Zeroing the easy way

;) Turn adjusting knobs all the way in one direction , then turn them all the way in the other direction counting the turns as you go . Then put half the turns back . This centers the Reticle ! 99.9% of the time this will put you well onto the paper at 25 Yds. , if you zero at 25Yds. you will be about 3-4" high at 100 Yds. Don't need no stinking boresighter ! I find it comical that a gun guy would try to find a way to shoot the least number of shots possible . Especially with a new Rifle , Scope or both ! Familiarity breeds compitance . Shoot those Guns people . Show me a guy that misses Game and I'll show you a guy that doesn't shoot enough !
 
The couple of extra 22 rounds needed during sighting in will be much cheaoer than getting the rifle boresighted. As others have said just start close, adjust, and shoot again.
 
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