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New scope zero question?

It's always best to turn the scope objective side facing down and first shake the scope real good then turn the windage/election turrets both to squeeze all the moa or mils out. Mils are gonna be a little harder to milk out just because they are a little bigger.
Just squeeze the tube in a vice…..
 
I'm sure there's people on here more knowledgeable than me; however, here's my experience. Before I'd set the turrets I want to sight the rifle in, "then" zero it out and then check windage and elevation. I set a target up at 25 yards, center on the target and take a shot. With a solid rest I again center the target and hold the rifle steady (lead sled). While holding the rifle steady I have my shooting partner move the turrets until the crosshairs are now centered on my first shot on the paper. Now the crosshairs are pretty close to where they ought to be for the scope/mount/rifle. From this point I move out to 100 yards and finish zeroing in the rifle. Once zeroed in I will then check windage and elevation data. To me centering the scope by the windage and elevation adjustments will not work because the mounting system is going to be different for every rifle and scope combination. I have Ruger 77s with the integral scope base. I have swapped out scopes from one rifle to the other rifle. Even though it's the same mounting system, the scope has to be tweaked
 
We did bore sight the Trijicon at home first. Put a 2" dot on the back wall of bedroom. Set up on dining room table maybe 50 feet. Looking down bore and then dialed scope to match. Was way off when we started at 100 yards. Was shooting way high above even the backstop. Not sure what I did wrong? Then I dialed all the MOA down as far as I could. Which for that scope was 18" low dialed up 18 MOA which was the first 2 shots on the left. Adjusted and the next 5 were the group in the right. As I said the center dot covers the bulls eye. So we stopped and changed to the Meopta scope with target fine dot cross hairs. Couldn't get better than 4" pattern. Looking at the Mark5 scope now. Any other scope guys would recommend? She doesn't like a cluttered reticle. She would rather dial. We don't shoot competition now. And have no longer than 600 yards available.
 
We did bore sight the Trijicon at home first. Put a 2" dot on the back wall of bedroom. Set up on dining room table maybe 50 feet. Looking down bore and then dialed scope to match. Was way off when we started at 100 yards. Was shooting way high above even the backstop. Not sure what I did wrong? Then I dialed all the MOA down as far as I could. Which for that scope was 18" low dialed up 18 MOA which was the first 2 shots on the left. Adjusted and the next 5 were the group in the right. As I said the center dot covers the bulls eye. So we stopped and changed to the Meopta scope with target fine dot cross hairs. Couldn't get better than 4" pattern. Looking at the Mark5 scope now. Any other scope guys would recommend? She doesn't like a cluttered reticle. She would rather dial. We don't shoot competition now. And have no longer than 600 yards available.
Because 50 feet is about 16 yards. A 16 yard zero is about 9 moa high at 100 yards. If you take your zero yardage and input it in an app it will tell you the dial up/down for the yards at which you plan to shoot. This is also why you don't have to zero at 100/200/300. You can zero at any range you desire as long as the profile and scope over bore are input correctly. Old school method is to zero 100 for most target shooters and 200 for most hunters. 200 is common simply so you have point and shoot to 300 with most cartridges and minimal hold overs. You can easily zero at 50, for example, and run the numbers for your application and see how it pans out. 50 and 200 are dang near the same. Any way, the point I am making is that you can account for all the issues you encountered for a bore sight process if you use a ballistic app.
 
I use a Bushnell Bore sighter, I have had for over 25 Years, and shoot three shots at 25 Yards, adjust scope as needed, then three shots at 50 Yards, again make small adjustments, then three shots at 100 yards, again make adjustments. Shoot several rounds for fun, then go to the 200 Yard range to make sure I'm as LOW as I am supposed to be according to the math. Ex; Zero at 100 should be 3 inches Low at 200 yards, If it is , then I am set with a 100 yard zero, with that new scope. As an aside , I now the load and the bullet are doing what the math said they are supposed to be doing. As I change scopes on my Weatherby Ultralight, in 270 Win once in a while, I take off the 2.5X to 8 X Leupold, and put on the 4.5X to 14 X Leupold, depending on where I will be hunting. When I get home from that hunt , the 2.5 to 8 X goes back on. As this Rifle, Load , Scope combo will not be used if the range is expected to be beyond 300/350 yards, I have never had any concern about running out of Elevation adjustment, even to 400 yards , with those Leupold scopes. This simple process works Ok for me.
 
New scope..
Turn windage completely to one side to stops.
Turn completely to the other side, counting clicks.
Divide clicks by 2.
Turn windage back towards initial direction number of clicks in step above.
Repeat process for elevation.
Write results in your DOPE book.
Level action, mount rings, mount scope,
level scope to action, verify with plumb line, remove bolt, boresight at 25m, verify reticle with boresight
Doc.
 
We did bore sight the Trijicon at home first. Put a 2" dot on the back wall of bedroom. Set up on dining room table maybe 50 feet. Looking down bore and then dialed scope to match. Was way off when we started at 100 yards. Was shooting way high above even the backstop. Not sure what I did wrong? Then I dialed all the MOA down as far as I could. Which for that scope was 18" low dialed up 18 MOA which was the first 2 shots on the left. Adjusted and the next 5 were the group in the right. As I said the center dot covers the bulls eye. So we stopped and changed to the Meopta scope with target fine dot cross hairs. Couldn't get better than 4" pattern. Looking at the Mark5 scope now. Any other scope guys would recommend? She doesn't like a cluttered reticle. She would rather dial. We don't shoot competition now. And have no longer than 600 yards available.
Shoot at 25 yards after you boresight like this. Then move the reticle to the bullet strike. The reticle should be about 2" higher than the bullet strike at 25 yards. Then move out to 50, then 100 and repeat the same until your final zero distance. 4 rounds is about all it takes to get you going.
 
Shoot at 25 yards after you boresight like this. Then move the reticle to the bullet strike. The reticle should be about 2" higher than the bullet strike at 25 yards. Then move out to 50, then 100 and repeat the same until your final zero distance. 4 rounds is about all it takes to get you going.
The rest of the story!
 
On my bigger rifles I use 20moa base rails to give me more elevation adjustment for longer range shots (beyond 600 yds.). This is especially important beyond 1000 yds. 30moa base rails are available for extremely long shots.
 
Shoot at 25 yards after you boresight like this. Then move the reticle to the bullet strike. The reticle should be about 2" higher than the bullet strike at 25 yards. Then move out to 50, then 100 and repeat the same until your final zero distance. 4 rounds is about all it takes to get you going.
Why 2" low? Most zeros at 25 are somewhat close at 100 and 200 with -1.00. Also relatively close for paper at 0.00. Just curious.
 
Because the centerline of the bore is 1.5 to 2.0" lower than scope centerline. At 25 yards it should show that.
If you zero a scope at 25 with -2 you will be further off at 100 and 200 then a flat 25 zero, just in opposite directions. -2 will be low and 0 will be high, with 0 being less deviation. Bore height and 25 are not that closely related to be linear. Clearly whatever method works is fine but there is not a lot of reason to complicate it more than needed. Punch a hole at 25 zero and move to 100/200 and you'll be inside 4" of zero.

Now if a guy wants to be super precise on the over or under height at zero it can all be done in an app within a few seconds. Set your app zero to 100 and step size to 25. The app will tell you the correction for 25 yard zero based on your profile. For example playing with 2 of my rifles is showing -.8 inches at 25 is a 100 zero. For a 200 zero it is -.4" inches.
 
I'm only talking about getting it on paper so one can walk it out to 100 pretty easily. I can get "there" without resorting to Strelok by simply adjusting to the bullet strike from point of aim. It's easier for me, because the amount of adjustment and measuring targets to please my ballistic app at 25 yards isn't reality at 100, 200 etc. Beyond 100 or 200 yard zero, that's where I start to verify my ballistic app.
My experience....
 
I'm only talking about getting it on paper so one can walk it out to 100 pretty easily. I can get "there" without resorting to Strelok by simply adjusting to the bullet strike from point of aim. It's easier for me, because the amount of adjustment and measuring targets to please my ballistic app at 25 yards isn't reality at 100, 200 etc. Beyond 100 or 200 yard zero, that's where I start to verify my ballistic app.
My experience....
Yep, complicating process by setting the zero 2" low is what you mentioned should be done. So technically your suggestion tells a person to shoot 25 and measure 2" low for a starting zero. If I understood correctly. As far as the app, yep, do what it says and you'll be on. I think most of us have no problem pulling the bolt, lining the scope and bore to the target, sending a round. Adjust scope to the viewed MOA or MIL adjustment needed, send another. If we did it right, 3rd round is the confirmation of adjustment needed and 2 more for a group to confirm final zero. That's a perfect world. I'm usually not that perfect as seen here. 5 shots to dial that **** thing in after installing a new scope and adjusting wind a bit too far (Right side impact). I usually shoot MOA and this is MIL so my brain went too far. 4 shots in the middle to confirm zero.
10025C4F-3552-44ED-B8D7-8D31D6DEE365.jpeg
 
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