Zeroing Advice for Newbie

[tjmorales]

So I am trying to zero my Vortex 2.5-10x32 Viper PST 30mm. Since time is at a premium I can only do outdoors once in a while. So I tried it indoor maximum 40 yards it's perfect, hitting the bullseye all other consecutive shots is close (appx 1/2 inch or less)

Took it to Lytle, tried it at 100 yds and I can't hit the side of the barn, others said Im hitting high. Moved it to 50 and I'm shooting high. Any advice?

ar15 rifle length, American Eagle 223, all i had were sandbags and a tripod. will a rifle rest make a difference? I was using their standard stands they sell and stapled splatter targets.

[berg]

Try boresighting it first. Take the upper receiver off (or slide the rear pin out and pop the lower down from the back) and hold it steady on a sandbag while looking through the barrel from the chamber end. Find the target while looking through the barrel and then look through the scope to see where your crosshair is. Adjust as necessary until the two are aimed at the same point. This usually gets you on paper at whatever distance you intend to shoot.

[tjmorales]

Try boresighting it first. Take the upper receiver off (or slide the rear pin out and pop the lower down from the back) and hold it steady on a sandbag while looking through the barrel from the chamber end. Find the target while looking through the barrel and then look through the scope to see where your crosshair is. Adjust as necessary until the two are aimed at the same point. This usually gets you on paper at whatever distance you intend to shoot.

Do you recommend this at 50 or 100 yards

[SoldierLife7]

Do you recommend this at 50 or 100 yards

You should do this at the range/distance that you intend to be shooting.

[berg]

You should do this at the range/distance that you intend to be shooting.

Exactly. And I guess I should add you will need to remove the bolt carrier group first and it is important to not move the rifle at all between looking through the bore and looking through the scope.

[tjmorales]

Thanks for the advice I'll do that next go around

[Merc1138]

You don't need special targets, take the upper off, remove the BCG, and use your eyeball to look down the bore. All you need is to keep the upper still and that can be done with some sand bags or even just setting it on a flat surface.



You don't even need to be at the range to bore sight it. Once you're at the range, do this:


If for some reason you still need convincing(it's almost a weekly occurrence that someone posts a thread requiring one of those videos as a response), consider that the guy who runs one of the biggest shooting accessory retail businesses in the country isn't trying to sell you lasers, tools, mirrors, special targets, or anything of the sort.

[sjb269]

How much were you hitting high at 100? Sounds like a possible scope mounting issue. Did the turrets get bumped Between your 40 yard session and your 100 session? Something happened to your scope / rifle relationship.
Did you use the same ammo for both sessions? Aggressive cleaning between sessions? Gotta know how high you were hitting compared to the first time.

[tjmorales]

How much were you hitting high at 100? Sounds like a possible scope mounting issue. Did the turrets get bumped Between your 40 yard session and your 100 session? Something happened to your scope / rifle relationship.
Did you use the same ammo for both sessions? Aggressive cleaning between sessions? Gotta know how high you were hitting compared to the first time.

Tried it first at 40 yards indoor, no problem, It's mounted on cantilever quick release, a friend helped me and he is a professional gunsmith with all the proper equipment. I have not taken it off, I mount it carefully on a vice when i clean it. (gunzilla and and tetra oil) down I don't think turrets got bumped (to my knowledge) tried it outdoors 100 yards for the first time not even close to the paper.(don't know by how much) same ammo american eagle 223, took it back indoor just to check and its hitting red at 40, maybe its technique or not able to brace it properly....
I have a Site Lite 100 I used on my other Colt M4 and Eotech 512, (I had no problems with that )...I should do that as well for this?

[sjb269]

You should have been about .7 inches high at 100 with a 40 yard zero and windage should not have changed at all. Beats me what happened. How are your fundamentals of shooting?
When you went to 50 at Lytle how high were your impacts? What power mag are you shooting at?
I have no idea what a Site Lite 100 is.

[mjmagee67]

There is something else going on here. According to my ballistics software if you are shooting 55gr FMJ's sighted in at 40 yards at a target at 100 yards your POI should 1.11 inches above your POA! At 200 yard you should be .51 inch low. You might want to make sure everything on your gun is tight. Or your optic isn't holding zero.

I sight my 3 gun rifle in at 50 yards and I can bang a standard 8 inch diameter steel plate from 50 to 250 years with ease.

[lewdogg21]

Either the scope or the mount is wonky. Being a 223 and your claim of great accuracy at 40 yards its probably not your form. Do keep in mind that if your using some rifle holding stand and the rifle isn't locked in (ie. Buttstock can slide back and forth) the poi will vary.

[fonzy]

He shouldn't need to bore sight if hes already on at 40 yrds.

[Merc1138]

He shouldn't need to bore sight if hes already on at 40 yrds.

He can do it at 100. Really sounds like something is up with his mount if he's not even hitting the target, and the 40 yards is pretty irrelevant considering the problem.

[tjmorales]

You should have been about .7 inches high at 100 with a 40 yard zero and windage should not have changed at all. Beats me what happened. How are your fundamentals of shooting?
When you went to 50 at Lytle how high were your impacts? What power mag are you shooting at?
I have no idea what a Site Lite 100 is.

The calculations is really greek to me at this point. Maybe as I get deeper I will understand it. I had 4 splatter targets on the stand they sell at Lytle. (I don't know exact measurement on how far apart they are) When I was having problems with 100 yards I moved it to 50 yards and tried again aiming at the bottom splatter target, all the shots were hitting the splatter target above it. (please don't ask the math I did not measure anything) all I know is if I use the top part of the crosshair to hit the bullseye.
SiteLite is a laser bore sight I used it on my Eotech 512 and ColtM4 and it worked well.