Boy do I need help with using my scope

[71ragtopgoat 23]

Went to CR today with my new to me stag arms 2 AR. Ive owned it a couple of years and never fired it.

It has a Nikon 223 scope. So I put on a shoot n see target and put it out on the 100 yard range.

set the scope to 100 yards and using my bench rest fired 20 rounds. I hit the target not one time.LOL

I did manage to hit the target frame knocking off one of the wing nuts that help lock the legs down.

After 20 rounds I was so embarrassed I tucked my tail between my legs and slinked off

Anyone have a good link on zeroing a scope.Or just a plain intro to shooting with a scope.

[Bully 749]

Look in rifle/AR forum.  Links posted.

 

C

[71ragtopgoat 23]

Thanks

[bhunted 887]

Ya started too far out.... Should have started it out at the 50....

 

 

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[RUTGERS95 890]

I throw a can out at 50 yards and within 2-4 shots, you are almost there.  Then take it to paper at 100 for dialing it in.  I do this with all new scopes and works for me inside of 10 shots each time.

[High Exposure 5,674]

Or the 25... set up at 25 yards and zero it so you are hitting about 1.5" below your aiming point. Then set your target at 100 yards and confirm zero.

 

Out of curiosity, why did you choose a 100 yard zero?

[71ragtopgoat 23]

Or the 25... set up at 25 yards and zero it so you are hitting about 1.5" below your aiming point. Then set your target at 100 yards and confirm zero.

 

Out of curiosity, why did you choose a 100 yard zero?

Being new to the rifle range. I really did not know I could set up at 25 yards at CR. Plus everyone else was at a 100 so the thought of moving closer never occered to me.

[High Exposure 5,674]

Maybe you can't there, I am not a member there and have never shot there. But a 100yd only restriction may make it hard to zero.

[ChrisJM981 924]

I feel your pain. I blew the nut off my stand as well. You can use the 50 yard on the rifle range. I don't think there is a 25 yd setup for rifle. If you have a front sight/ front folding sight, I would use that to figure out how far off you are.

[bhunted 887]

Ya can't.... 50 yards, 50 meters or 100 yards....

 

Being new to the rifle range. I really did not know I could set up at 25 yards at CR. Plus everyone else was at a 100 so the thought of moving closer never occered to me.

 

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[bhunted 887]

Or stop at the Woodland Park Range... Automated to 50 yards...

 

 

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[High Exposure 5,674]

Ah, so.

 

Unless you have a need for 100 yard zero (competition, SOP, range restriction) a 50yard zero is more practical with the AR platform for most people anyway.

 

ETA Ballsitic Chart:

Edited July 19, 2013 by High Exposure

[checko 180]

Is there any targets to use for a 50yd zero in a 100yd range. My range only has a 100yd tube.

[Hare Trigger 0]

Start out at 25yds and place a large sheet of paper or cardboard (about 3' x 3') on your backstop and put a bullseye target in the middle, that will give you plenty of space around the bullseye to see where the shot went. Sandbag you rifle if possible. Fire one shot, now aiming at the bullseye, adjust the scope (without moving the gun) to the hole the bullet made. If you do it this way your next shot should be almost center. Now move the target to 50yds and repeat the process, your elevation will change but your windage should remain about the same. Then move to 100yds and this time you adjust for your zero.

 

I personally like zeroing targets with the one inch squares so I know how many clicks to make at 100yds.

[JimmyAGR 54]

I have a laser bore sighter you can use, just take the upper off align the bore and scope on the red dot at the furthest distance you can. Then take the gun to the range and place the closest target you can, 50 yds. or so and a few shoots later you are set.

[High Exposure 5,674]

Is there any targets to use for a 50yd zero in a 100yd range. My range only has a 100yd tube.

Turning a 25 yard 100 yard zero target upside down will get you pretty close. You should be about 2" high (above your aiming point) at 100yards with a 50 yard zero.

[siderman 1,140]

Take the upper off , remove the bolt and bore sight it somewhere at home.The trick is to keep it fixed while you look thru the bore at a target about 25 or50  yrds,  pick a stop sign or whatever, and adjust the scope to see whats thru the bore. That should get on paper and tune it from there.

 

wtf with the small print! lol   btw I have the Nikon P223 too, nice scope for the money

Edited July 19, 2013 by djg0770
fixed font size

[when_shtf 4]

The trick to zero-in a scope is to move the reticle to where the shots are going. For example, if you shoot at the center but hit in the 6 ring at 2 o'clock, you need to move the reticle up and to the right. The hardest part is to keep rifle still as you move the reticle. The other mistake many make is trying to fix it in one shot. Small corrections are the way to go.

[djg0770 481]

 

buy one of these targets - shoot at it at 50 yds with your scope reticle aimed in the center of this target.  The numbers (1,2,3,4) are inches from the center.  For instance if your point of impact is in the upper left quadrant at 3,3 you need to set your scope 3" to the right and 3" down - if your scope is 1/4 per click you need to turn your reticle knobs 24 clicks to the right and 24 clicks down at 50 yards (3"x1/4" per click, times 2 for 50 yds)  if you place your target and zero at 100 yds, it would be 12 clicks right and 12 clicks down (3"*1/4" times 1 for 50 yds).  If you were to zero at 200 yards it would be 6 clicks right and 6 clicks down... etc etc

[Hare Trigger 0]

The trick to zero-in a scope is to move the reticle to where the shots are going. For example, if you shoot at the center but hit in the 6 ring at 2 o'clock, you need to move the reticle up and to the right. The hardest part is to keep rifle still as you move the reticle. The other mistake many make is trying to fix it in one shot. Small corrections are the way to go.

 

I agree, I usually adjust for windage first, take a shot, re-adjust if necessary, take a shot, then adjust for elevation, take a shot, adjust if necessary, shoot again and Bingo!

[Sht 3]

Move closer & get a bigger target!

[maintenanceguy 510]

I've sighted in by starting at 100 yds lots of times.  Usually, you start out at least on the paper.  If you don't, you should be able to tell if you're left, right, high, or low and within a couple of shots adjust enough to be on the paper.

 

If you know which nut you hit on your target stand, you know what way you need to move to get to your bulls eye.

 

Remember that if your scope is a 1/2 MOA per click, that's 2 clicks for every inch you need to move your impact point at 100 yds.  If it's 1/4 MOA, that's 4 clicks for every inch you need to move your point of aim at 100 yds.

 

For example, lets say you have a scope that's 1/4 MOA per click.  That's 1/4" per click at 100 yds or 4 clicks per inch.  So if you start out hitting 15" left, you need to do 15 x 4 = 60 clicks to the right to get where you want to be. 

 

And I never sight in with single shots, always 3 shot groups.  It's too easy to have one bad shot and think you're hitting somewhere that you aren't and mess up all the progress you've made.

 

If you do decide to sight in at a distance closer than 100 yds, you can sight in at 25 or 50 yds and still be pretty darn close at 100 yds by adjusting a couple of inches for bullet drop.  Several websites let you calculate bullet drop at different distances based on all sorts of different parameters.  While you're doing that, also get some figures for wind drift.   Sighting in on a windy day can really mess things up too.

[High Exposure 5,674]

And I never sight in with single shots, always 3 shot groups. It's too easy to have one bad shot and think you're hitting somewhere that you aren't and mess up all the progress you've made.

Good Advice. I like 5 shot groups, with a ten shot group for confirmation of zero.

 

Also make corrections for one direction - vertical or horizontal - at a time. Don't shoot a group and try to make elevation AND windage adjustments at the same time. Get your elevation set correctly, then adjust your windage, or Vice-Versa - just not elevation and windage together.

 

If you do the math and make your proper correction to your optic based on MOA and see no change, don't be afraid to make bold adjustments to help you see the effects of your adjustments. You can always correct the other way once you see what is going on.

 

Finally, know that a zero is a "living" thing. Don't spend all day chasing it.

 

Your perfect zero today may be off quite a bit during the next range session.

 

If you do decide to sight in at a distance closer than 100 yds, you can sight in at 25 or 50 yds and still be pretty darn close at 100 yds by adjusting a couple of inches for bullet drop.

Just a quick point of order, if you sight in at a distance closer than 100 yards, you will need to adjust for bullet rise, not bullet drop, at 100 yards. The bullet is still climbing in its ballistic trajectory dictated by the alignment of your sights, as you zero the rifle, at 100 yards.

 

With a 25 yard zero you will need to aim about 5 1/2" under what you want to hit at 100 yards. The projectile will continue to rise and reach its highest elevation at about 205 yards with ~9" of elevation.

 

With a 50 yard zero you will need to aim about 1 1/5" under what you want to hit at 100 yards. The projectile will continue to rise and reach its highest elevation at about 135 yards with ~2" of elevation.

[oneshot 45]

one word "YOUTUBE"

[mintbore 15]

Nothing to be embarrassed about...getting a new scope on paper is a bitch sometimes! +1 on sighting down the breach...best way to rough in sighting. Sometimes you still can't get it dialed in and you will have to shim the scope in the rings. I use  strips of soda can to raise or lower, or change windage. Get it close then dial in.

Good Luck!

[71ragtopgoat 23]

Wow sort of like cooking soup!! Everyone has a different style. Being a newbie to rifles I did not stand a snowballs chance in heck of getting it in the first 20 rounds.

That makes me feel better. I had the scope set to 100 yards with a windage of zero. The wind was blowing at around 3-5 mph at times from left to right.

I was off the paper at the 7 o"clock position by about five inches but I could not tell at the time cause my cardboard backing has a billion holes in it from my pistols.

I have a nice bench. The barrel rests in a padded v, the back (stock ) is free so elevation is tricky. But each trigger pull I put  the scope crocross-hairsght on the bullseye.

[maintenanceguy 510]

One more note:  I'd expect a scope out of the box to hit the paper or at least be pretty close to it.  If you're way way off, I'd look at the scope and it's mounts before doing anything else.  I have a .22 varmint gun that I use a lot out here in the country.  I spend about an hour sighting in the scope every spring.  I sighted it in a couple of years ago and was missing everything I shot at when I actually needed it.  I sighted it in again and the next time I got it out, I had the same problem.  So I sighted it in again.  After the third time trying, I noticed that the screw on the rear scope mount was loose and the tube could wiggle.   Duh moment.

[Hare Trigger 0]

Also, do not rest the barrel in the "V"! Rest the fore end in the "V", resting the barrel can also cause your rifle to shoot off zero. You might want to make a couple of sand bags to rest the butt on to help steady the rifle, we made a few out of pant legs from old jeans, they hold up very well. If you were closer to Easton I would suggest for you to meet me some day and I would help you sight in, I have a lead sled which helps steady the rifle especially when adjusting the scope. 

[Sigman 41]

I usually laser bore sight about 2 inches low at 25 yds while at the house.  This will give me close to a 50 yd zero.  I then do a 50 yd zero at the range.

[Old School 611]

I haven't read all these posts.  If you need help I'm 8 miles from CR and will get you on at 50 by laser then zeroed at a 100 in six rounds.

 

I'm here if you need me, it's not a black art.