How to Zero a Rifle Scope

Just because you bought yourself a fine new rifle scope doesn't mean that you are guaranteed to take down that white-tailed deer come hunting season. There's more to shooting with a scope than just mounting it on a rifle and firing. You have to zero a scope properly. Making the correct adjustments to your scope can make the difference between harvesting your deer and missing it by a mile. Adjustments are key to having a successful hunting season.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Target
• Ammunition
• Scope
• Sandbags
• Rifle

1. Put the scope mounts on the rifle with the top brackets removed. Tighten the mounts into place.

2. Mount the scope on top of the rifle mounts, and then put on the top mount brackets.

3. Check your mounting system. Make sure that you can zero the point of impact and point of aim without using a huge amount of windage and elevation adjustment.

4. Find a safe place to test fire your rifle. For safety reasons, it's a good idea to zero your rifle scope at a firing range.

5. Fire your rifle from a stable surface. A jiggling firearm will not zero in correctly. Try using sandbags for stabilization.

6. Set the target at 100 yards and fire off a round. Be sure to hold the cross hairs steady on the target. Repeat this twice to get a 3-shot group.

7. Check your target and triangulate the shots to get an average point of impact. Measure from the point of impact to the bulls eye. Make the necessary adjustments to the windage and the elevation.

8. Fire off another 3-shot group. Repeat firing 3-shot groups until you get the desired results.

Tips & Warnings

• There is a lot of trial and error involved when you zero a scope, especially if you are a novice. Expect to use up a fair amount of time and ammunition. Have patience.
• Give the barrel time to cool down in between your 3-shot groups. A hot barrel can cause deviations in the flight of the bullet.
• Never force the windage and elevation screws past their natural stops. You can damage the scope and make it inoperable.
• Don't make the same mistake many hunters do and "over scope" your rifle. Adding too much magnification and power is not only an unnecessary expense, but it can also cause problems that will undo all the work you did when you zeroed your scope.

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