Can someone give me a step by step account of how to sight in a new scope? I can do it, but it seems to take me a while and there does not seem to be any organization to my madness. I get it done, but I am sure some of you have a better way than the way that I do it. Thanks.

Try this method.

1. Put up a large sheet of paper (maybe 3ft by 3ft). A 100yd. sight in generally works best for my style of hunting.

2. Fire your first shot from a steady rest.

3. Leaving your rifle on the rest adjust the cross hairs on your scope to line up with the point of impact on the paper.

4. Fire your second shot, it should be dead on.

And the best part is you only use 2 rounds of ammo. Very efficient.

That works real well if you can strap the gun in place on a lead sled or something. Have to keep the gun in the same place.

If you don't have a way to do that, borrow a bore sight and you should at least be on paper at 100 yards. Shoot 3 shots aiming at the X on the target and then adjust. You will go through a lot more ammo than the way txhunter24 suggested this way... but it's always fun to shoot and get more time behind the gun.

Heres the right way to do it and it will save you both frustration and ammo.

1. As greg mentioned get it boresited, should cost you $5-$10 but well worth it. Any good gun store or shop should be able to do this for you.

2. Start shooting at 25YARDS!!!! you will save alot of ammo and frustration, shoot 3 shot group this way if you pull one off center then you know it and your not blindly adjusting your scope.

3. at 25yds every click of the scope adjustment will move the bullet 1/16th inch, at 100yds its 1/4" per click and 200yds is 1/2" per click

4. once your on at 25 yds then back it off to 100yds and then you will be starting off on paper. shoot a 3 shot group then adjust your sights to the center of bullseye and shoot another 3 to make sure

Your gun is sighted in and you got some good practice in while doing it.

After all if your gun is shooting 3 feet to the left at 100yds you will not be hitting paper and you will waste alot of ammo trying to get it on paper.

Sighting in this way lets you practice at the same time after all if you shoot a 1" group thats 2feet to the left you are shooting good....you just need to adjust the sights


NEVER ADJUST YOUR SCOPE OFF OF ONE SHOT!!!!!- you could have pulled it or especially if the barrel has been freshly cleaned it will throw the first shot off a little.

PM me if you have any questions

Does it matter what power you use to sight it in on? I usually sight in on 6 power. Funny thing is I forgot how to shoot a few years ago. (Actually I was flinching from the kick. 30-06) I bought a .22-250, a fixed 6 power scope, and learned how to shoot again. My eyesight is getting worse, so I need some magnification, so I need to get a new scope and sight it in on the 270 I have been using.

There are several different things you can do. It depends on what you have to work with.

1. Start off with using the closest target available.

2. Put up a big sheet of paper and put a target dot in the middle of it. If it is a bolt action, you can take out the bolt and look down the barrel to line it up with the target dot. Without moving the rifle, adjust the scope to the target dot.

3. Fire one shot at the target dot. Put the cross hairs back on the target dot and without moving the rifle adjust the scope to the point of impact.

The next round should be fairly close.

4. Move to the 100 yard range and put up another large sheet of paper with a target dot.
Put the cross hairs on the target. Repeat step 3.

5. Fire a three shot group just to make sure it is on.

It will probably take 5 or 6 shots.

http://www.larrywillis.com/tip003A.html

All good advice above.

Also note...depending on what caliber you are shooting, try to adjust the 25 yard shot to be a little low. I'd say 1/2" - 1" low. That is to compensate for LOS and POI resulting from the scope height, and bullet speed.
This should get you closer and save you a few shells at 100 yards.

deewayne2003 you must have missed the part where I said use a steady rest (lead slead). If you use a steady rest with a cool barrel one shot is all you need.

BTW the point of using a 3ft sheet of paper is so you dont have to pay to have it bore sighted. Nothing wrong with your way either, my way is just easier and i have zeroed many rifles doing this. just sayin...

That will be $29.50. Will that be cash or credit. Good luck

Run a tab. Thanks.

I just want to add, buy 2 boxes (alike) of ammo, that way if it takes a whole box or almost a box you still have a box left.
If everything goes right you'll have ammo next year that your gun is already sighted for.(Sitll go check it again next year)

And most likely both boxes will be from the same LOT so they should be loaded pretty consistant.

DCS, thanks for this tip. Never in a hundred years would I have thought to remove the bolt and site down the barrel.

TB

TXhunter24 i didnt miss the part about the steady rest I have seen people who dont know how to sight in a rifle pull shot when their gun is locked in a lead sled.

The only way to take the human element out of the situation is to use a hydraulic trigger puller along with a leadsled.

If you are sighting in at Elm Fork and you don't get on paper at 50 yards, the rangemaster will yell at you to "take that gun back to wal-mart". I guess the funny thing is, that is where I got my gun (couldn't pass up a Rem 700 on clearance for $299). He ended up giving me another chance and I hit bullseye on the 2nd try. Was the first time I'd shot a rifle in 10 years, so I guess I flinched a bit.

I ticked off that guy at Elm Fork too. I was hitting the first Birm and didn't realize it. Good ole wolf ammo and a bushnell scope.

I'd take this a step further and suggest you buy two boxes (at least) at a time, and shoot the ones left over after sighting in, preferably under non-range conditions. I like to shoot at least 50 rounds a month with my .30-30 at armadillos, squirrels, rabbits, hogs, tin cans, etc., just to keep myself really familiar with my gun. Seen too many hunters who only break out their rifle for sighting in the week before deer season, and wonder why they don't have better luck. "Luck" is at least 50% practice... unless all your deer are considerate enough to stand broadside at exactly 100 yds.. Not raining on anybody's parade here, but I think we owe it to the deer - and the long-term well being of hunting in general - to do everything we can to improve our competence as hunters.

This is how I do it also, but I just use the target I am going to shoot at and do it at 100 yrds. My first shot is usually inside the orange of a 100yrd target. Fortunately, I have good eye sight that allows me to do this. If I could not do this I would just pay the $5-$10 bucks and have it bore sighted.

Good luck.

Buy one of the laser bore sighters. I got mine at Cabellas. I personally like the one where it fits into the chamber. You can use it on different calibers. It really saves not only money but time too. Especially with the price of premium ammo. Good luck and let us know how you come out! Troy

This will get you close to bulls eye on paper before heading to the range.Pull bolt out,mount in vice or something similar.Find a target within 50 yards or so(i use a stop sign).Pick out a piece of the stop sign;top left hand piece of the T.Look thru the barrel and adjust it to where you can see the left hand piece of the T,now move the cross hairs to the same spot.I guarantee you will be close to bulls eye.Saves a lot of bullets.