| You've just got yourself a new rifle scope, fitted it | | | | 2. - The distance between your eye and the rear |
| and let me guess...for some reason your shots are | | | | scope lens is called Eye Relief. |
| landing nowhere near the crosshairs? | | | | 3. - Unlike cartoons you do not use a scope by |
| Sadly there's more to rifle scope sharp shooting than | | | | pressing your eye up against the scope lens! |
| just plonking the scope on the rifle and forever after | | | | 4. Once comfortable complete the screwing down of |
| shooting like an SAS sniper! You have to "zero" it. | | | | all mounts so that your set up is solid - |
| Think about it. It's like a bike wheel. If you tighten | | | | 5. - take care at this stage to keep the final turns |
| the bolts wrong, too much on one side for example, | | | | partial and one by one to ensure pressure is equal. |
| it spins wrong and rubs the brake pads. It's the same | | | | Now it's time to zero the scope for shooting: |
| with a Rifle scope. If it's not set up correctly it will be | | | | |
| offline and even at short air rifle, airsoft and paintball | | | | |
| ranges this is going to throw your accuracy right off. | | | | 1. Load the rifle |
| At longer ranges you'll miss by a mile (well figuratively | | | | 2. Adopt your standard prone/lie down shooting |
| anyway!) | | | | position. |
| What Does "Zero a scope" mean? | | | | 3. - Prone is the best way as if you test shoot from |
| Zeroing a sight or scope means getting the crosshair | | | | standing or kneeling positions you waver more and |
| in position so that when you shoot. Ground zero if | | | | it's harder to do a "true test". |
| you like. The point of impact.There's a lot of | | | | 4. Put some sort of target in place at say 20 yards - |
| discussion amongst shooters on the best way to | | | | or whatever you think your "standard" range will be. |
| zero a scope or sight. What I've written below is | | | | 5. Using cross hair on target centre - Take 2-3 shots |
| what I've been sending out to my ebay scope | | | | - Where do do they fall in relation to where you |
| buyers for the last year or so and received a lot of | | | | want them to? Right, left, up, down - dead on (lucky |
| good comments back about it so I know it's OK! | | | | you!) |
| How to Zero a Rifle Scope | | | | - 2-3 shots is best as it will average out shooter |
| First of all you need to set a firm foundation by | | | | inaccuracy and give you a more "significant" feel for |
| fitting the scope mounts well. | | | | how far or close you are from true zero. |
| | | | Now it's time to use the windage and elevation |
| 1. Put the scope mounts on the rifle first with the | | | | turrets to get it zeroed dead on. These are the 2 |
| top brackets removed. | | | | turrets on the top and right side of the scope. See |
| 2. Tighten them into place using 1/2 turns at the time | | | | my website for pictures. |
| so that they sit solid and level as best as is possible, | | | | |
| i.e., the downward pressure is as equal as possible. At | | | | 1. Models vary, you'll probably screw a cap off and |
| this stage don't tighten them fully as you might want | | | | expose either a coin twist or finger knurled type of |
| to slide them up and down a little. | | | | dial. |
| 3. Now take scope and place it on top of the open | | | | 2. The top turret adjusts up and down. The right one |
| rifle mounts. | | | | left and right. |
| 4. - Make sure the windage and elevation turrets are | | | | 3. If you have your scopes instructions they should |
| one up and one to the right (these are the "turrets" | | | | have a table with figures to tell you what each click |
| on the sight. You use them later to make micro | | | | adjustment means in terms of cross hair movement |
| adjustments and in the field adjustments for wind) | | | | at "x" distance, e.g., 1/8 inch at 100 metres. |
| 5. Then put the top mount brackets on and tighten - | | | | Use single click turns and each time take a new shot |
| Again use partial turns to tighten up. | | | | to gauge where the shot now falls - the dials basically |
| 6. - Don't tighten fully at this stage, you may yet | | | | adjust the cross hair position up-down and left-right. |
| need to adjust a little. | | | | It's trial and error basically but with testing you'll get |
| Zero the scope | | | | to where you need to be and be able to trust that |
| | | | your shots will go where it says they will! This may |
| 1. Lie in your normal shooting position and check that | | | | take some time and a lot of shots. Be patient! |
| you can see through the scope well... | | | | |