Sportsman Rifle Scope
Sportsman Rifle Scope
What is the best method for sighting in a scope on a rifle?
I have an old Marlin .22 rifle. It is a semi-automatic. I recently bought a scope for the rifle. I have always used open sights when I went shooting with my dad as a kid and have never used a scope. I want to start going to the range and shoot again but I would like to know how to sight in my scope before going. I have seen new laser products on the market that fit into the barrel and shines on the target so you can adjusts your scope accordingly. However, when I have talked to a few sportsmen, they indicated not to use these products. What is your recommendation?
How To Sight In Your Rifle Scope
Rifles are like people and have individual characteristics. Two identical rifles made by the same manufacturer, although alike may shoot differently. Every rifle will fire different ammunition brands and different ammunition grains with varying degrees of accuracy. The following procedure takes these factors into account as you should if you wish to be accurate in your shooting.
Tools You Will Need
• The rifle and scope you will be shooting
• No less than two different types of ammo from different manufacturers and with different loads. (We suggest you try at least three.)
• Several paper or cardboard targets.
• A bore sighter. (Available at gun shops and sporting goods stores, an inexpensive item.)
• A pair of good binoculars or viewing scope.
See Link For Choices Binoculars or Spotting Scopes
• Tools for adjusting your scope. (See the instructions that came with your scope.)
• A felt marker to identify groupings on the target.
• Appropriate safety equipment such as ear plugs or other hearing protection, and safety glasses or other eye protection
****PLEASE FOLLOW ALL SAFETY RULES WHILE HANDLING YOUR FIREARM. REMEMBER TO CARRY YOUR FIREARM UNLOADED, BREECH OPEN, AND NEVER POINTED IN THE DIRECTION OF ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL.
STEP 1
Having located an appropriate location to fire your rifle, you need to set up a target at a distance of 100 yards* from your shooting location . You should use a comfortable gun rest to eliminate as much human error as possible.
Making certain the rifle is empty with no cartridge in the chamber and the breech open , follow the instructions that came with your bore sighter and install the bore sighter in the muzzle of your rifle lining it up with the scope as close as possible.
Now, sighting through the scope as though you were going to shoot you should see two sets of cross hairs. One set is a plain cross hair (this is the one in the scope itself) and another set which is graduated or on a grid (this is the one in the bore sighter). These cross hairs should line up with each other vertically, horizontally and in complete alignment. If the vertical and horizontal cross hairs are not parallel with each other, adjust the bore sighter whatever direction it needs to turn in order to achieve this.
Next you need to get the cross hairs to cross or meet at precisely the same location. If they do not do that you will need to adjust your scope so they do. There are two adjustments on any scope. One for elevation (usually on top) and another for windage (usually on the side). Follow the directions that came with your scope for how to access these adjustments and what tool to use (i.e.. screwdriver, etc.) to make this adjustment. Proceed to adjust your scope right, left, up, or down until the cross hairs match. Remove the bore sighter from the muzzle! Make sure you have removed the bore sighter from the end of the muzzle!! Load one cartridge into the chamber and close the breech. Take aim at the target bulls eye and squeeze off one round. Open the breech and be certain the rifle is not loaded then go check your target close up. If the one round you fired hit anywhere on the target you have done well. Don't be concerned that it was not on the bulls eye. That will come later. You have now completed the first step.
*If you are not hitting the paper target at all in step one, move the target closer in 25 yard increments until you do consistently hit somewhere on the target. You cannot make any scope adjustments if you do not know which direction to make it. Once you initially hit the target sheet you can make adjustments and then gradually move the target back out to the 100 yard mark.
STEP 2
The next step is to test ammunition . As was mentioned in the introduction, no two ammunitions will behave in the same manner when fired from the same rifle. This may be one of the most important steps in sighting in any firearm and is the one that is most frequently omitted. Do not bypass this step.
Select one type of ammo and fire three separate shots at the target with that ammo. Using your binoculars or spotting scope, locate the pattern for those three shots. (If you do not have field glasses or prefer to walk out to the target to check close up, always leave your rifle empty with the breech open and carry it with you to insure against accidental discharge.) Hopefully, there will be a tight pattern of bullet holes in one particular area of the target. Use the marker to label this grouping. Again, it is not terribly important if the pattern is in the bulls eye or not, but keep in mind the bulls eye is what you are aiming for.
Repeat this procedure with the other brands of ammo you are testing. Always fire three shots or more to get an accurate grouping. Two shots are simply not enough to determine anything. When you have finished with all the ammo you care to test, you will have marked and identified each grouping and its relationship to the center of the bulls eye.
Now you can select the type of ammunition which produced the tightest grouping closest to the center bulls eye. This is the ammunition you should use with this rifle. This does not indicate that the other brands and grains of ammunition are not any good, they simply are not the ammunition best suited for this particular rifle. You have now completed step two.
STEP 3
In step three you will use the ammunition you have selected as the best for that rifle and make adjustments in the elevation and windage of your scope based upon the pattern you are shooting. The elevation needs to be adjusted to provide the most accurate shot possible even though the distance from you to your target in the field can range any where from 50 to 500 yards, depending on your scope and rifle. To accomplish this set your elevation so the pattern hits the target about three inches above the bulls eye. This will not alter closer shots significantly and will compensate for the longer shots. The windage adjustment should remain dead on center. Continue to fire no less than three shots to locate your pattern then make the necessary adjustments to your scope to achieve the three inch high dead on center pattern. When you are confident you have accomplished this you have completed step three.
STEP 4
The final step in the procedure is to be sure the rifle is not loaded, no cartridge in the chamber, and the breech open. Reinsert the bore sighter lining it up by eye just like in the first step. Now, get in the shooting position and record on a piece of paper exactly where the scope's cross hairs are in relation to the bore sight cross hairs. This is a little insurance in case you should bump or drop your rifle while in the field. This kind of jarring can throw off the accuracy of the scope. You can use the bore sighter to check the accuracy of the scope. By referring to this record you made when sighting in your rifle, you will be able to readjust the scope and be reasonably comfortable that it is somewhat accurate. This completes step four and the complete procedure.
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