I was today years old, when I realized... (scope zeroing).

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Don.Chipmunk-slayer

Don.Chipmunk-slayer

Member
Aug 17, 2020
192
77
Ohio, United States
I recently had to rezero my scope, so I YouTube'd it.

Prior to this last time, I would shoot, click the turret a bit, shoot again, adjust the turret more and so on.

When I looked at YouTube, several videos demonstrated a "3 shot zero," and it caught my interest. What's more, several people on the forums suggested that as well.

I tried to do it, but got it wrong and my shots were even farther from my POA, so I clicked back a bunch and did it my old way (it still didn't sink in). UNTIL ... I watched a different video on the subject. Then I went out and tried it again.

This time, I was within a click or two of having a perfect group. I finished and went about my way.

Later, I was thinking about the technique. The first time, I had done it BACKWARDS! I'd held the scope on the POI and adjusted until the crosshairs were on the POINT OF AIM .... WRONG!!!! After watching the the second video, I'd held the crosshairs on the point of aim, and adjusted the turrets until the POINT OF IMPACT had moved to under the crosshairs!

Then it did hit me. You're NOT moving the crosshairs over the field of view, you're moving the field of view UNDER the crosshairs!!! NOW, it all made sense, and wow, do I feel dumb!

I'm sure I'm late to this party, but on the off chance there's someone else who is as confused as I was, maybe this will help.
 
  • Like
Reactions: blackdog899, BriarpatchMtn, Deerstalker and 1 other person
Don.Chipmunk-slayer said:
I recently had to rezero my scope, so I YouTube'd it.

Prior to this last time, I would shoot, click the turret a bit, shoot again, adjust the turret more and so on.

When I looked at YouTube, several videos demonstrated a "3 shot zero," and it caught my interest. What's more, several people on the forums suggested that as well.

I tried to do it, but got it wrong and my shots were even farther from my POA, so I clicked back a bunch and did it my old way (it still didn't sink in). UNTIL ... I watched a different video on the subject. Then I went out and tried it again.

This time, I was within a click or two of having a perfect group. I finished and went about my way.

Later, I was thinking about the technique. The first time, I had done it BACKWARDS! I'd held the scope on the POI and adjusted until the crosshairs were on the POINT OF AIM .... WRONG!!!! After watching the the second video, I'd held the crosshairs on the point of aim, and adjusted the turrets until the POINT OF IMPACT had moved to under the crosshairs!

Then it did hit me. You're NOT moving the crosshairs over the field of view, you're moving the field of view UNDER the crosshairs!!! NOW, it all made sense, and wow, do I feel dumb!

I'm sure I'm late to this party, but on the off chance there's someone else who is as confused as I was, maybe this will help.
Click to expand...
This site has a lot of excellent scope info & may help some folks.
https://www.rimfirecentral.com/thre...ounts-super-sticky-questions-try-here.496141/
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6gun
Upvote 0
Don.Chipmunk-slayer said:
I recently had to rezero my scope, so I YouTube'd it.

Prior to this last time, I would shoot, click the turret a bit, shoot again, adjust the turret more and so on.

When I looked at YouTube, several videos demonstrated a "3 shot zero," and it caught my interest. What's more, several people on the forums suggested that as well.

I tried to do it, but got it wrong and my shots were even farther from my POA, so I clicked back a bunch and did it my old way (it still didn't sink in). UNTIL ... I watched a different video on the subject. Then I went out and tried it again.

This time, I was within a click or two of having a perfect group. I finished and went about my way.

Later, I was thinking about the technique. The first time, I had done it BACKWARDS! I'd held the scope on the POI and adjusted until the crosshairs were on the POINT OF AIM .... WRONG!!!! After watching the the second video, I'd held the crosshairs on the point of aim, and adjusted the turrets until the POINT OF IMPACT had moved to under the crosshairs!

Then it did hit me. You're NOT moving the crosshairs over the field of view, you're moving the field of view UNDER the crosshairs!!! NOW, it all made sense, and wow, do I feel dumb!

I'm sure I'm late to this party, but on the off chance there's someone else who is as confused as I was, maybe this will help.
Click to expand...
I DO NOT want to distract you from your understanding of it.

This is just how I understand it and zeroing guns can be a 4 day a week thing depending on how bored I got and changed my guns without upsetting me. Sandbag the gun or just consider it stationary. The gun shoots where it shoots on the target, move your aiming system to where the gun shot to show you where the gun hits, so when you point the sights at something you are pointing the gun where it hits in its current configuration. Irons to video sights this is how I tend to do it if you have adjustable rings it gets more interesting when you move the scope and not the turrets to bring elevation where you hit on initial zero.

My grasp on it all is why I will never mess with 2nd focal plane optics ever again. Zoom changes everything for 2fp scopes, i like to take an ititial shot and read the reticle for the change needed. I see 10 moa of windage correction needed, I dial ten and don't waste too much ammo.

The dnt zulus is even more hilarious. Take a shot, aim as you did for the shot and take a screencap, if the screencap was accurate you just move the reticle to where it shows the hit in the screencap and more often than not you get a 2 or 3 shot perfect zero. That concept changed it all for my brain.

I sincerely hope this doesn't mess you up, and just adds some context to future readers or a different way to grasp what is happening. Also if you ever ruin a scope with a springer, cut it apart and see how all the guts work.
 
  • Like
Reactions: blackdog899 and Deerstalker
Upvote 0
6gun said:
I DO NOT want to distract you from your understanding of it.

This is just how I understand it and zeroing guns can be a 4 day a week thing depending on how bored I got and changed my guns without upsetting me. Sandbag the gun or just consider it stationary. The gun shoots where it shoots on the target, move your aiming system to where the gun shot to show you where the gun hits, so when you point the sights at something you are pointing the gun where it hits in its current configuration. Irons to video sights this is how I tend to do it if you have adjustable rings it gets more interesting when you move the scope and not the turrets to bring elevation where you hit on initial zero.

My grasp on it all is why I will never mess with 2nd focal plane optics ever again. Zoom changes everything for 2fp scopes, i like to take an ititial shot and read the reticle for the change needed. I see 10 moa of windage correction needed, I dial ten and don't waste too much ammo.

The dnt zulus is even more hilarious. Take a shot, aim as you did for the shot and take a screencap, if the screencap was accurate you just move the reticle to where it shows the hit in the screencap and more often than not you get a 2 or 3 shot perfect zero. That concept changed it all for my brain.

I sincerely hope this doesn't mess you up, and just adds some context to future readers or a different way to grasp what is happening. Also if you ever ruin a scope with a springer, cut it apart and see how all the guts work.
Click to expand...
Don't worry, you didn't mess up my understanding ... because I don't understand what you said 🤣🤣🤣
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6gun
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Resources
Menu