I'm not asking you guys to show and tell me thru the forum, I actually am asking you to adjust it or show me how to adjust it "USING MY OWN AMMO, AR and EFGA RANGE" unless you want to guest me in at your range.

 

I have tried to do this myself believe me, I have basically wasted around 120 or more rounds of pmc bronze .223 and only hit the target placed at 25 yards maybe around 8 times and at 50 yards 6 times. It is probably me, shooters error, but I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

 

I was at the range the last 2 Saturdays and the results are pretty bad. I even tried a friends Ar same Adams arms piston system with almost the same red dot his vortex Strikefire. The results for me are the same, maybe it is me that don't know how to use a red dot.

 

So my failure for not knowing how to use or adjust this red dot lead me to ask this on the forum. If YOU honestly think/know how to teach me how to use and adjust my red dot please let me know. I can even go to your range if you want, I just don't want to sell both of my red dots just yet. So if I can't figure out how to use these red dots you will be seeing them on the WTS section, hahaha.

I'm not an expert on this but my buddy and I just sighted in our rifles (2 ARs and 1 AK) at EFGA. It takes a bit of time and having a buddy with a spotting scope will help.

 

I tried doing this by myself and I was not doing a good job making adjustments each time. My mistake was not shooting for a consistent position so each time I went up to look at my target, come back and shoot, my postion may be different. He had a bi-pod on his but I used the wooden rest to provide a stable platform so I could make my shots repeatable. The person with the spotting scope will call out where the shot hit and you can then adjust your red dot. You just repeat this process until you are hitting the same spot over and over. After each rifle was sighted, we switched shooters to confirm that the rifle was correctly sighted.

 

You can then sight it in for 100 yds. From our experience, the bullet will hit high at 100 yds after you sight in at 25 yds.

 

When we next go out to EFGA, we can definitely reach out to you and help you out.

even though you did not get sighted in you should still have a group somewhere on the paper, if you have no group something may be moving..

 

When we next go out to EFGA, we can definitely reach out to you and help you out.

Yeah let me know, I did have a spotter but that was my wife(she wasn't helping much) and last Saturday it was my other friends but I was more focused on having him sight in his AR.

 

even though you did not get sighted in you should still have a group somewhere on the paper, if you have no group something may be moving..

 

I do have a grouping here and there but not consistent enough.

Just a quick tip. When I sighted in my ar I put a flashlight down the bore and pointed it at my wall while my buddy held it I set the scope to the center of the light... I was 3 inches off but on the paper first time I took her out. She still shoots a tad low I'm to lazy to adjust her but it groups well.

 

Just a quick tip. When I sighted in my ar I put a flashlight down the bore and pointed it at my wall while my buddy held it I set the scope to the center of the light... I was 3 inches off but on the paper first time I took her out. She still shoots a tad low I'm to lazy to adjust her but it groups well.

 

 

I would love to try anything really but how far was the wall to shine the flashlight on? And how far were you shooting at?

Wall was 15 feet away. Shot at 25 yard

go back and recheck that everything is tight the get a good solid rest. I wasted 20 rds of 30/06 only to have one mount screw come loose a little and screw everything up. make sure you put a dab of thread lock on the screws so the optic does not move under recoil. Also if you can maybed start out with target at 10 or 15 yards get a good solid group there before you move back. Last concetrate on a smooth trigger pull and basics if you are not being repeatable in your shots there is no way you can expect the gun to be

Get a bore sighting cartridge insert and use it to adjust your windage at home. Then go to the range and do a combat zero at 25yds.

is a vortex sparc parallax free?

 

as others stated... make sure the optic is tight in the mount and to the gun...

 

 

if 25 yards is not happening.. shoot 10 yards.. get a center mass group and back off... shoot again.. then adjust..

 

don't adjust the optic like crazy.... are you turning the adjustments in the correct direction? are you adjusting constantly...

 

the point others are making is this.. when you sight in an optic you shoot for group first...

 

set up the optic..

put several down range at CLOSE distance...

back target up.. shoot again...

adjust... get consistent group..

back target up more..

 

until you have the gun sighted in where you want it..

 

an AR should NOT be all over the place at 25 yards..

From thier website :

Parallax Free Allows for rapid shooting with both eyes open, without concern for parallax shooting error. Parallax free beyond 50 yards; less than one-inch error closer than 50 yards.

 

The red dot:

http://www.vortexoptics.com/product/vortex-sparc-red-dot-scope

 

I'm gonna definitely re-check all the screw on the mount and every little thing. Then I'm gonna go back to 25 yards and start all over again, I have no problem with that at all.

 

I'm gonna eliminate all possible errors on my part before I buy a bore sight unless somebody has one for me to borrow.

 

Thank you guys for your help, I'm gonna keep you guys posted and show my results here with a pic by this weekend.

 

you dont need a bore sight it is useless...

 

shoot at 15 or 10 if you need to...

verify tight group

walk group to center...

 

back out a little further...

verify tight group...

walk group to center...

 

repeat till you get your distance...

 

I am zeroed at 50...

 

patience...

First check that nothing is loose, like everyone has already mentioned... Do you already have your iron sights zeroed? If you are cowitnessing with your red dot, then set your dot to basically sit at the tip of your front sight post. I have my BUIS zeroed for 50/200 yards with a six o'clock hold, and set my red dot to sit on tippy-top of my front sight post and it's dead on.

First check that nothing is loose, like everyone has already mentioned... Do you already have your iron sights zeroed? If you are cowitnessing with your red dot, then set your dot to basically sit at the tip of your front sight post. I have my BUIS zeroed for 50/200 yards with a six o'clock hold, and set my red dot to sit on tippy-top of my front sight post and it's dead on.

 

Nope no iron sights just yet. Stop making me jealous with these facts of hitting at 200-300 yards hahaha I can't even hit 25 yards.

 

you dont need a bore sight it is useless...

 

shoot at 15 or 10 if you need to...

verify tight group

walk group to center...

 

back out a little further...

verify tight group...

walk group to center...

 

repeat till you get your distance...

 

I am zeroed at 50...

 

patience...

 

I will definetly try this out first because it sounds like its the easiest. Too bad we don't have a 10 -15 yard range at EFGA so I will have to settle for 25.

Do you have a benchrest bag? Even one of those cheap Caldwells will help if it's a motion/flinching problem. . As far as bore sighting, take out the bolt, look down the bore at the target and see where your dot is pointing, align if necessary. At twenty-five yards that will get you on the paper but you can't do it without a rest.

The Sparc does have a parallax up to 50yds, and if you don't know which eye is dominant, I can absolutely see the shots being all kinds of a mess. If you're just trying to zero it now, what were you using before? It's much easier to zero when using a rest or sandbag. Shoot 3 round groups and move your group to zero. Don't do single shots and try to move them. You may have problems with your grip and/or trigger pull. I'm not sure which day I'll be going up to EFGA, but I'll definitely let you know.

do you have a front iron sight?

you dont need a bore sight it is useless...

 

If your range time and ammo are very cheap, yeah, maybe it doesn't make sense. But for someone like me where going to the range means an hour of round trip driving and a minimum of $25/hour for range time, a boresighter definitely makes sense because it can eliminate 2 or 3 iterations of this:

 

shoot at 15 or 10 if you need to...

verify tight group

walk group to center...

 

back out a little further...

verify tight group...

walk group to center...

 

repeat till you get your distance...

 

Clintoon, once you get your sighting problems resolved here's a target you can use at 25 meters which will result in your AR being sighted in at 50 meters if you follow the directions:

 

http://www.mdtstraining.com/PFC_ZeroTarget.PDF

My trip to the range one way is an HOUR and ammo is not cheap enough for sure and Thank you digz for the link.

 

And nope no iron sights at all.

 

As far as a bench rest, I do have a cheapo one made by Caldwell.

 

I will try 3 rounds at a time and I will make sure I bring my PATIENCE with me and 2 packs of cigarettes hahaha

 

 

When zero'ing a red dot, besides the advice above (start as close as possible, 10yards is good, adjust, move back, check screws and loctite them, etc) there are two things that make life easier. First, set your dot to the lowest setting you can see without straining your eyes. This will create a smaller apparent dot and lets you focus a bit more on target, with red dots you really sorta want to focus on the target and let the dot hover over your aiming spot. The second "trick" comes in once you got an acceptable zero, get it finely adjusted buy aiming with top of the dot. Basically use the top edge of the dot on the center of target and zero to that. Combined with the lower intensity setting and using an edge instead of the whole dot you will get a better final zero.

 

Personally I don't like to zero from bags, as I never shoot from bags. I do the walk back thing offhand to get a rough zero, then get the final zero from prone or a bench with the magazine acting as a mono-pod. Obviously a neutered 15/30 mag is required for this. For the kind of shooting I do it is the most realistic approach.

 

The other thing you might want to look for is pressure on the handguard. I have no idea what handguard you have ("standard" or free floated) but if it isn't free floated make every effort to put zero pressure on the handguard. On non-freefloated barrels inconsistent pressure will result to inconsistent results.

 

If everything else fails, look around the range, find the guy shooting the smallest groups, and ask him to shoot a group with your gun. This should help figuring out if it is you or the gear.

First, set your dot to the lowest setting you can see without straining your eyes. This will create a smaller apparent dot and lets you focus a bit more on target, with red dots you really sorta want to focus on the target and let the dot hover over your aiming spot. The second "trick" comes in once you got an acceptable zero, get it finely adjusted buy aiming with top of the dot. Basically use the top edge of the dot on the center of target and zero to that. Combined with the lower intensity setting and using an edge instead of the whole dot you will get a better final zero.

 

Obviously a neutered 15/30 mag is required for this. For the kind of shooting I do it is the most realistic approach.

 

The other thing you might want to look for is pressure on the handguard.

 

If everything else fails, look around the range, find the guy shooting the smallest groups, and ask him to shoot a group with your gun. This should help figuring out if it is you or the gear.

 

Yup got it at the lowest setting since day one. I will try that also aiming the top of the red dot.

 

Yup got the 15/30 pmag also and a 10 rounder.

 

As for handguards I have a magpul moe hanguard with an MVG.

 

I will really do that if everything else fails. (I'm not ashamed to ask for help)

Yeah let me know, I did have a spotter but that was my wife(she wasn't helping much) and last Saturday it was my other friends but I was more focused on having him sight in his AR.

 

Soonest I would be able to go would be the 28th of October as the weekends are the only time I can go. That's probably a bit away so I'm not sure if you want to wait. It sounds like you have tons of help though.

you could just drive to PA and we could sort all this out... LOL

you could just drive to PA and we could sort all this out... LOL

 

I am driving to PA but just across the border not to your neck of the woods, it's too far.

 

Wait....let me call in a favor if I can borrow the helicopter this weekend then I will PM you. Do you have a heli-pad at your range by any chance?

available tues and wed.. lol

Do you have a heli-pad at your range by any chance?

 

Signature material

I am driving to PA but just across the border not to your neck of the woods, it's too far.

 

Wait....let me call in a favor if I can borrow the helicopter this weekend then I will PM you. Do you have a heli-pad at your range by any chance?

 

there is an small local airport about 10 minutes away.. LOL

for handguards I have a magpul moe hanguard with an MVG.

 

Then for sure do not zero from sandbags or any other method that touches the gun forward of the magwell, Including your hand. Zero it by monopoding on the 15/30 mag. Otherwise you can induce random pressure on the barrel as you push against the handguard and transfer that to the barrel.

Then for sure do not zero from sandbags or any other method that touches the gun forward of the magwell, Including your hand. Zero it by monopoding on the 15/30 mag. Otherwise you can induce random pressure on the barrel as you push against the handguard and transfer that to the barrel.

 

I understand your logic.. BUT..I have to say I did not experience any of this dramatic process and I run a MOE... I just propped the gun up on my backpack... and walked it in... the gun will shoot out a Q all day long..