Things You'll Need:
- Rifle
- Scope
- Mounting brackets (if the rifle does not already have them)
- Vise
- Shooting range
- Small screwdriver and/or Allen wrenches
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Step 1
Secure the rifle in the vise, using the iron open sights to aim at the target. For most hunting rifles, you will want the scope to be zeroed with the barrel at about 25 yards.
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Step 2
Fire one round, making sure that the gun is not dislodged and that the bullet strikes the target.
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Step 3
Mount the scope's brackets on the top of the barrel. Most rifles come with the brackets already attached, but if not, use the small screws in the top of the barrel to fix the brackets. Some brackets allow the shooter to look beneath the scope for close-range shots.
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Step 4
Open the rings of the scope holder, attach the bottom half to the brackets, the top around the scope, and tighten to secure the scope in place.
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Step 5
Look through the scope to make sure that the cross hairs are oriented directly vertically and horizontally, and adjust the alignment of the scope so that it points at the bullet hole left in the target by the round you fired.
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Step 6
For most hunting rifles, standard alignment zeroes the scope at about 25 yards (as the bullet is on its way up) and 200 to 300 yards (as the bullet is on its way down), but you can adjust these measurements to your preference.
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Step 7
To finish sighting in your gun, you'll need to fire more shots at the range, checking different distances and making adjustments with the knobs at the top and right of your scope as necessary.
