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Achieving Zero

Rossignol

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I'm a total nOOb at sighting something in. Dont know if there are any others out there, but we can pretend this is just for me!

I dont have a fancy rest of any sort, just my back pack.

What advice would those of you more knowledgable than my self offer for someone in my position to accomplish the zeroing process. I wanna use my sight for slug shooting through my 12 ga. I just dont know enough to understand how to begin.
 
Well seeing your stands or bench rests are limited I would go prone using the backpack as my rest, making a snug spot for the shotty to lay in.

If you know your gun can find paper at say 25 yards, then start there, if you don't hit paper move closer. Once you find where your gun is shooting you can start making appropriate adjustments to the scope. Now you can start moving back until you get to the distance you want the gun zeroed at. Sometimes the hard part is finding paper, if I have to get 10 feet from the target to do it that's where I start until I work my way back to 50 yards..

Hope that's some help..
 
Yup, I always start @ 25yds. It's definitely not necessary, but I usually use a laser bore sighter to get as close as possible before I ever fire a shot. Once you're on paper, never moving the gun, move your dot/crosshairs to cover the bullet strike. Fire another shot and you should be pretty close to zero. You can make your fine adjustment from there. I was clueless when I first began shooting, but now I can zero my rifles with no more than three shots.
 
Thanks!

In my case, not moving the gun will be difficult. I would be happy with zero at 50 yards.

I appreciate your insight fellas!
 
Rossignol said:
Thanks!

In my case, not moving the gun will be difficult. I would be happy with zero at 50 yards.

I appreciate your insight fellas!

The gun can move between shots but be consistent where you lay it for your follow up shots.

I bench zero my guns but by no means is the gun clamped down, I use a padded leather rest I bought and lay the forend of the gun on it just to keep it steady. When my scope needs adjustment I pick it up, make my adjustments and back to the padded rest with it.
 
Ahh, I gotcha! I could even make adjustments before moving it to chamber another round.
 
Sorry, I should have been more specific.

I don't move the rifle as I make my initial adjustments because I'm looking down the scope as I'm adjusting the dot/crosshairs over the bullet impact. Any subsequent adjustments can be made off target.
 
I always have the gun laser bore sighted as it save money in the long run with throwing lead down range. I now have http://laserlyte.com/Laser_Bore_Sighter ... MBS-1.html (the Laserlyte MBS-1 system) which works great to get you close to zero. Then I start at 25 yards taking 3 shots at a time and then adjusting the scope. Once I am dead on at 25 yards I move to 50 yards and then 100 yards.
 
DHonovich said:
I always have the gun laser bore sighted as it save money in the long run with throwing lead down range. I now have http://laserlyte.com/Laser_Bore_Sighter ... MBS-1.html (the Laserlyte MBS-1 system) which works great to get you close to zero. Then I start at 25 yards taking 3 shots at a time and then adjusting the scope. Once I am dead on at 25 yards I move to 50 yards and then 100 yards.

I always bore sight all my rifles before taking them out especially the .308's, I have the same bore sighter as yours!!! Can't afford to play around with those .308's finding the target. As well as the rest of your technique, I do it the same way..

The store I buy from has about a 30 yards from corner to corner so by the time I leave the store I'm pretty much dead on with a good bore sight. The one gyuy that works ther, former Marine knows his AR's like no else I've met and has bore sighted that AR10 for 3 times in my scope changes and when I get to the range I'm right on..

For our purpose, Brad they make a 12ga shell that has a Lazer on it and you chamber it and it will point where the slug will go relatively. Then you adjust your ACOG accordingly and it wil save you some slugs. I don't think there terribly expensive either..
 
Uhh, I forgot, I actually have a 12 ga bore sight.

See, nOOb. I told ya! I'll have to play around with that some!
 
Rossignol said:
Uhh, I forgot, I actually have a 12 ga bore sight.

See, nOOb. I told ya! I'll have to play around with that some!

Try bore sighting it around 15 yards. These slugs are gonna take a little work and alot of adjustment to get you to say 50 yards even if bore sighted, the drop is pretty heavy..
 
Knowing what the moa adjustment is on your scope/sight and having a known yardage will save you some shells. A 1/4 moa optic will move point of impact 1/4 inch at 100 yards with one click or line on the turret....so 1/8 inch for one click at 50. Math will get you precise adjustments at all known yards. Those targets you use with the inch squares are great for this and once you get on paper it should only take you about three rounds to zero. You will easily be getting groups of touching holes at 50 yards.

What is the moa on your scope ? Most scopes are 1/4 moa but not all.
 
oli, I wanna say the Bushnell is 1 moa increments, I'll have to look again, I had figured it out before and I believe I was figuring 1/4" @ 25 yards.

Dave, my 590A1 shoots slugs very similarly. If I aim for the bulls eye, I'm generally a few inches low and left slightly. So I either anticipate a hold over high and right, or get my red dot set up properly!
 
Rossignol said:
oli, I wanna say the Bushnell is 1 moa increments, I'll have to look again, I had figured it out before and I believe I was figuring 1/4" @ 25 yards.

Dave, my 590A1 shoots slugs very similarly. If I aim for the bulls eye, I'm generally a few inches low and left slightly. So I either anticipate a hold over high and right, or get my red dot set up properly!

I would brass punch that front sight to the left slightly and get your windage straight with your irons. Always move your front sight to where the gun is shooting. I'm pretty sure that's how you adjust the front sight for wndage on the 590, the rear gives elevation adjustment only. Then get that Acog dialed in and you'll love it.

EDIT: I just checked my 590 and you can brass punch the front sight and raise that rear adjustment up a bit your irons may be dead on @50. I just readjusted mine and gonna see what I get. We are going out tomorrow but didn't plan on bringing the 12GA, may have to now..
 
That would be cool to brass punch the front for windage, but I've only just got the bead on it! :D
 
Rossignol said:
That would be cool to brass punch the front for windage, but I've only just got the bead on it! :D

Ahhh, thought you had ghost rings :oops:

I love beads, leaves your only choice as to what you've been doing, compensate.
 
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