Best settings for sighting in

From Pac NW, 1 post

I have been sighting in my air rifle at 20 and 30 yards. It is a 4 to 12 X 40.

Is it best to sight in at low (4X) magnification at 20yds or (6X) at 30 yards. Or 4X at 30 yards?

Is there a rule of thumb?

And does changing magnification in the field affect the accuracy?

From Ipswich, 3298 posts

It doesn't really matter what magnification you have.



my scope has a 16X magnification which is crazy but hear me out because there is a method to my madness.



When you have your scope on a high magnification it wobbles a lot more than on a low mag right?



So training yourself to use your scope at a high magnification will help to smooth out all those little bumps and jerks that we all get. When you put your mag down a little you will see how improved your aim is.



If I were you I'd sight my gun at 25 yards. Then you will be much less of when changing from 20 - 30 metre ranges. This is most important when using a .22.



Deadeyedick

From Isle Of Wight, 33 posts

You need to select a zeroing distance and stick to it. By varying it, you will never shoot consistently. 30 yards is a good compromise for most 12 ft lb air rifles. With experience you will learn hold over and under at other distances.

6X magnification is ideal for most situations at air rifle distances, whether target shooting or hunting. Changing the magnification does not alter zero on quality scopes.

From South Yorkshire, 64 posts

I have always felt compelled to make my own comments on magnification and wobble. I am a big fan of high mag scopes though before I continue.

I've always thought we have the same amount of wobble regardless of the magnification we choose to shoot with, just that it is easier to see when it is magnified (optically). I also think it's as much to do with confidence as anything else.

Anyway, if you zero at 20-30 yds you should also have a secondary (closer) zero. I'm refering to it as a "secondary" zero because we (figuratively speaking "we") are usually primarily intending to shoot the further range, it can be which ever way round you like.

The close and far zero's occur because the imaginary centre line of the scope is above the barrel and so when the pellet is getting to the farther zero it (likely) has to go up and start coming back down again to intersect with the crosshairs, the near zero is where the flight of the pellet intersects with the lines of the cross hairs when it is going up (to be coming down later at the farther zero)

The trajectory looks a bit like this; -- > ------''''''''''''''----_


As to what range to zero at, it's a matter of choice, I think some people choose something a little after the middle of the effective range of their gun / the maximum range their comfortable shooting at to keep the hold over / under reasonably near to their zero.

From Ipswich, 3298 posts

I keep my scope on a 6x magnification, this seems to be the best for me where I am shooting.

I zero my scope at a 25 yard range, I then memorize how much hold over / under to give at ranges from 20 - 45 yards. The problem is my range is only 25m long so to do this I need some time in a longer range,

From Mankato, MN, 4129 posts

At 10 yards it my AR shot within 1/2 inch from crosshairs. Just point and shoot. With a little adjustment I can hit nearly dead center all the time.....but sometimes the prey moves and getting too accurate (beyond neccessity) doesn't always give you the time to do so.

From USA, 828 posts

I've been told that it does'nt matter, but I get the best results when I leave my scope on 5 or 6 power. (either 3x9 or 4x12)
but I use my rifle 20-30 yards only.
Def be sure to check your parallax adjustment, though. It is the most important aspect of the whole show.(if your scope has an adjustable objective.)

From Ipswich, 3298 posts

Parralex adjustments have always been a strange thing to me, they're not very accurate at range finding but if they're off then the shots aren't always where you want them. For instance I have set up my ruger 10/22T for 40-50 yards, with the parrelex on just under the 50 setting, now I shoot rabbits ranging from 10 all the way to 100 yards so it is a hard thing to get right really so I have changed my scopes over to a side mount parralex wheel to make things faster. Also the scope is of a better quality in my opinion than the one on the rifle when I got it so we'll see.

7 posts

when setting up a scope you need to parallax (set the clarity at a known distance) 35yds is the general as this gives you clarity out to about 45 yds with the crosshairs still in focus.

As for zeroing 30-35 yds is common enough but it's down to the ability of the shooter.
When setting up you want to be as solid as possible so don't be scared to get a table and chair and an old cushion of=]r jacket for supporting the rifle.
You want to set the magnification onto the highest setting, the excuse with the wobbles isn't entirely true, at lower mag the shakes are the same it's just you magnify it when you turn it up, so it doesnt go away at lower magnification it's just it's not as noticable.

The reason you have it set to the highest magnififcation is so that you can shoot propely at an aimpoint and try and achieve a tight grouping.

best of luck
kenny

From USA, 828 posts

level ground(from you to target)
no wind!
no rain or fog!
magnification SHOULD not effect the shot placement, but can depending on how high up you turn it and how far away you are.(those crosshairs go from REALLY small to Really BIG when you turn up the magnification). I usually sight in at 5X on my 3-9X32 scope(middle)
ALWAYS use the same ammo
always shoot from a bech rest(use the same shooting position when sighting in)
CLEAN YOUR RIFLE. there is a myth that since we shoot air rifles, they dont need the care that other firearms do. WRONG! they need more cleaning because they are more effected by less dirt that a normal rifle.
EVEN .22's. Cleainig the barrel can have a major effect on accuracy and pellet speed.