Help With Handgun Zero

[Gene1986]

I did a search and see a million different results.

I want to zero a 9mm 115 grains handgun. Would it be best to zero at 7, 10,15 or 25 yards. I will not be shooting past 50 yards with this set up

What would be the approximate bullet trajectory at those different yards depending on the different set up.

I believe mine is zeroed at 25 yards now, but shooting anything close like 7 yards its almost 2 inches high. Which I dont like.

[Fishslayer]

You have adjustable sights? Then zero any way you like. Most shooters like the 6 o'clock hold, which it seems you don't. Just adjust for what you like.

The pistols I have with adjustable sights are range toys so they are set up for 25 yards with a 6 o'clock hold.

[Gene1986]

Yeah sight image 3 is what I want. I have 1. But image 3 on 25 yards or 15 yard zero?

[CK_32]

I usually sight in my gun around the 10ft/7 yard mark more of the real range I expect to use my pistols.


As for sighting it in, get a "battlefield zero". My cousin has adjustable sights on his gun which are nice, but unless your a competition shooter just get the thing on target and hit in a 4" circle and call it good. Again my cousin sits at every range trip and wastes half of his ammo tweaking and chasing every shot as if his sights must be dead on, but the guy can't shoot a 2" group at 15 yards to save his life. So there is more human error input than zero.


Again for my self I get it on paper and call it good. Most of my guns usually Glocks tend to shoot low left. But again shooter error mostly so I don't change my guns every time I screw up I just adapt and work in my trigger squeeze and on one gun just hold over cause the sights are just that far off.


YMMV, FWIW.

[voiceofreason]

sight image 2

25 yards. most handguns will hold roughly the same point out to 50

just because you expect to shoot at 10 doesn't mean you might not need to shoot at 75 someday

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I believe in sighting rifles to 100, not 25 for a reason

[enzo357]

15 yards and image 2.

[ja308]

Before changing sights, have someone load a couple mags for you, which contain a couple or more snap caps.

[Gene1986]

15 yards image 2. Thats what I will go with.

[Leethe4th]

Sight picture # 2, poinit of aim, point of impact. Start at 10 yards, then check for zero at 40 yards. If it shoots 1-2" high at 40 yards, it won't matter for competition closer in.

[9mmepiphany]

The old standard was sight image #2 at 25 yards. Before that, it was the same sight alignment at 50 yards.

If you are zeroed at 25 yards using image #2, shooting a factory 115gr bullet, you should still be at the top of the front blade at 7-10 yards.

Bear in mind that when zeroing at 25 yards, you should be shooting off a rest (sandbags) to eliminate technique error

[billrd]

Consider -Point of aim means you will be shooting away your aiming point (competition) and seeing black sights against a black bull is harder for good alignment.
6 o'clock hold will make you 2" high at combat point of aim shooting (depending on the load) but most folks under stress shoot low anyway - looking over the sights to see the target - so that's OK. When I took 6 hold at 25yds on a bullseye I had to use point of aim at 50 . For defense purposes almost any hold within a 6" circle at any distance up to 50 yards will git er done. Under stress your eyes will not allow you to focus on sights anyway and seeing as more shootings occur in low light you can't see them anyway . Better become a good point shooter - can't hurt (NPI).