Top 28 How To Zero A Scope Without Firing Quick Answer

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Can you zero a red dot without shooting?

With a high quality bore sight and a little patience, you can get your red dot reasonably close to being sighted in without having to fire a single round. However, having a sighted optic is only part of what brings a shooter accurate and consistent results; you also have to practice with your optic.

Why do Scopes lose their zero?

Make sure the scope rings are properly tightened and there is no play in the scope to rings or rings to rail connections. This is the most likely problem when a scope won’t hold zero, either because the parts fit poorly, were never tightened, or the scope rings worked loose as the rifle was shot repeatedly.

Can you bore sight at 100 yards?

Most shooters agree that 1 inch low at 25 yards is the magic number for most rifles with a sight height above bore of 1.5” – 2”. At this point, you are ready to sight-in at 100 yards.

What distance do you zero a red dot?

15 or 25 Yard Zero

For handgun users with red dot sights the 15 yard and 25 yard zeroes are most popular because the chances of people engaging targets at distances much further than this doesn’t happen very often, if ever.

How accurate is bore sighting?

First, they are a far more precise method than using your eye. While visually bore sighting a firearm may get you on paper at 100 yards, laser bore sighting will put you much closer to center and will require less ammo in the long run when zeroing the rifle.

How many inches is .1 mil at 100 yards?

One mil equals 3.6 inches at 100 yards; therefore, 1/10th of that, 0.1 mil, or one click, equals 0.36” – roughly a third of an inch – at 100 yards. That’s pretty close to the common ¼ inch increment we find on most riflescopes.

What does one click on a scope mean?

Most rifle scopes have 1/4 MOA adjustments. This means that one click will move the bullet impact a quarter of an inch at 100 yards. However, this means that you need to make four times the number of clicks (16 clicks = 1 inch) to move the bullet impact the same distance at 25 yards.

How often should you sight in a rifle?

“Sighting-in” is a process of adjusting the sights to hit a target at a specific range. Deer hunters, for example, often sight-in their rifles to hit the bull’s-eye at 100 yards. All rifles should be sighted-in before every hunt using the ammunition you plan to use, especially rifles with peep or telescopic sights.

What does hold zero mean?

A gunsight that remains true to its designated zero after repeated usage is known as to “hold zero”, while one that fails to do so is known as to “lose zero”.

Does Vortex Crossfire hold zero?

Even after all that, I know it will holds its zero. Its not Vortex’s best or brightest scope, but for the money spent its the perfect fit for what I do with it. Plus no matter what, Vortex will stand behind it if something were to happen.

How do rifle scopes work?

The objective lens is positioned forward in the tube away from the user. This lens transmits light to the erector lens, which then flips the image and sends it to the magnifying lens, which as the name implies, magnifies the image. From there, light travels to the ocular lens, which is nearest the user’s eye.

How accurate is a laser bore sighter?

But one may ask, “Isn’t a laser tool going to be more accurate than by using the naked eye?” Not necessarily. Laser bore sight tools are not truly ‘precision’ tools. There are many out there, but they all have inherent inaccuracies due to variances in bores, rifling, and variances in the machining of the tool.

Does laser bore sight work?

Not only does it do a great job when it comes time to start sighting in a new optic, but it’s also small enough to keep in your range bag to make quick adjustments. You know that we’re big proponents of dry-firing — and laser bore sights can be useful tools for that kind of practice — but avoid doing so with this one.

How far should you laser bore sight?

Laser Boresighter

Some laser boresighters are inserted into the muzzle end of the barrel, others are placed in the rifle’s chamber like a dummy round. These devices emit a laser, which should be pointed at a target about 25 yards down range (always in a safe direction).

Can you zero a red dot with iron sights?

The dot will line up with both absolute co-witness and lower 1/3rd depending on your cheekweld. The one that won’t line up is 1.93, which is often used with NODS and atpials. If you have your iron sights zeroed – and your red dot is a height to absolute co-witness, then you can zero the red dot by lining it up.

Do you have to sight in a red dot?

After buying a quality red dot and mounting it correctly, sighting in your optic is a critical step to shoot accurately. And, doing it quickly will save you money on ammo and leave more time to practice shooting. Once you learn how, it will be useful whether you’re turkey hunting or are into competitive shooting.

How far is a red dot accurate?

Typically, if you use a red dot sight without any magnification, you can easily aim at a target as far as 100 yards away, if not more.


Setting A Scope Without A Bore Sight (AR15)
Setting A Scope Without A Bore Sight (AR15)


how to zero a scope without firing

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about how to zero a scope without firing Using a rifle rest is best when zeroing in a scope. Without a rifle rest, there is a risk of the impact point being off-center. Relying solely … …
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How to Sight in a Red Dot Scope Without Shooting- Complete Guide – Optics Mag

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  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to Sight in a Red Dot Scope Without Shooting- Complete Guide – Optics Mag Updating Sometimes you won’t have time to get to the range before taking out your new red dot scope. Our article helps you sight it in without firing a shot.
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What Is Possible

The Tools You’ll Need

The Process

What’s Missing

Other Types of Bore Sighting

When You’re Ready to Shoot

Final Thoughts

How to Sight in a Red Dot Scope Without Shooting- Complete Guide - Optics Mag
How to Sight in a Red Dot Scope Without Shooting- Complete Guide – Optics Mag

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How To Zero your Riflescope in 3 Shots – YouTube

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  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How To Zero your Riflescope in 3 Shots – YouTube Updating For more information on the Nexus and other models, visit https://element-optics.comFor more information on our Platinum Lifetime Warranty, visit https://ele…optics, riflescopes, long range, element, element optics, nexus, titan, helix, matt dubber, AirArmsHuntingSA, ted’s holdover, nightforce, vortex, krale, air hunters, airarmshuntingsa, precision, prs, nrl, hunting, riflescope, leupold, kahles, Element Helix, Element Nexus, Element Titan
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How To Zero your Riflescope in 3 Shots - YouTube
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Rifle Not Holding Zero – How to Troubleshoot Rifle and Scope – Gear Report

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How to Properly Bore Sight a Rifle Scope — Outdoorsmans

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  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to Properly Bore Sight a Rifle Scope — Outdoorsmans Updating Sighting in a rifle is a pretty easy process, or, rather, it should be. The process of bore sighting your scope aligns the center of your barrel to the sights on your scope. It’s a process that is simple to complete and one that all shooters should know how to do.
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How to Properly Bore Sight a Rifle Scope — Outdoorsmans
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How to Zero a Scope Without Firing – Hold Right Edge

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about How to Zero a Scope Without Firing – Hold Right Edge Visual boresighting is one of the oldest and most conventional methods for zeroing your scope without shooting. Basically, it involves aligning the sights with … …
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How to Zero a Scope Without Firing

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How to Zero Your Rifle Scope: 15 Steps (with Pictures) – wikiHow

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  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to Zero Your Rifle Scope: 15 Steps (with Pictures) – wikiHow Updating Learning to properly mount, sight and adjust a rifle scope will result in accurate shots and saved ammunition. If you want to learn how to do it yourself, you can learn to install and adjust your scope safely and efficiently. Mount the…
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How to Zero Your Rifle Scope: 15 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow
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  • Summary of article content: Articles about Error 403 (Forbidden) You can use a laser bore sight to get it pretty close, but to zero it you really need to shoot it. Bore sights vary in quality and accuracy, … …
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How To Zero A Scope Without Firing? [ Updated In 2022 ]

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about How To Zero A Scope Without Firing? [ Updated In 2022 ] How to Zero a Scope Without Firing · Stable Your Rifle · Mount Your Scope · Pick a Target Location · Create a Dot in Your Target · Make Accurate Adjustments · Make a … …
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Types of Scope Mount

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How to Zero a Scope Without Firing

Importance of Zeroing Your Scope

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How To Zero A Scope Without Firing? [ Updated In 2022 ]
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How to Sight in a Gun Without Shooting it | Gone Outdoors | Your Adventure Awaits

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about How to Sight in a Gun Without Shooting it | Gone Outdoors | Your Adventure Awaits Sighting in a gun without firing the weapon is a relatively simple procedure. By using a boresighter (a device that indicates the rifle’s … …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to Sight in a Gun Without Shooting it | Gone Outdoors | Your Adventure Awaits Sighting in a gun without firing the weapon is a relatively simple procedure. By using a boresighter (a device that indicates the rifle’s … Sighting in a gun without firing the weapon is a relatively simple procedure. By using a boresighter (a device that indicates the rifle’s projected point of impact), or by visually determining the point of impact by looking through the barrel at a predetermined spot, your rifle can be sighted in within minutes.
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Explore America’s Campgrounds

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How to Sight in a Gun Without Shooting it | Gone Outdoors | Your Adventure Awaits
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How to Sight in a Red Dot Scope Without Shooting- Complete Guide

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Strictly speaking, you can’t “sight in” your scope properly without doing at least a little bit of shooting. There are ways you can get it fairly close, but if you want to be accurate within an MOA (1 inch at 100 yards), you simply will not be able to do it without actually firing rounds and seeing where they hit, unless you get really lucky.

All that being said, you can do a process called “bore sighting” to get your red dot fairly close. In fact, many experienced shooters will bore sight their rifle first before fully sighting it in to save them some time and money firing a bunch of rounds just to get on paper. As long as your expectations are in line with what’s possible when bore sighting, then you can be good to go.

What Is Possible

Bore sighting does not give you results that are as precise as the actual process of sighting in your rifle. We’ll go through the full process down below, but first, we’ll talk about how to bore sight. It may seem like bore sighting should be highly accurate, and if you were only shooting a yard or so away from the barrel it would be incredibly precise.

You’re not just shooting a yard away, though. You are likely wanting to shoot between 50 and 100 yards away, and a minor imperfection in the way the laser fits into the barrel (or chamber) will still make a big difference over that much distance. Not only that, the inside of a rifle barrel is somewhat unique and can send the bullet off at a slightly different trajectory than the laser would predict.

Long story short, bore sighting is a relatively quick and dirty method of getting more accuracy than you have when you first mount the scope. It is not a replacement for sighting in your scope properly, but it can be a good temporary measure until you’re able to get to a range.

You’ll obviously need your gun and your red dot already mounted on it, but you’ll also need a bore sight. This is just a laser pointer (albeit a powerful one) that either goes into the end of your barrel or into the chamber and shoots a laser out.

The bore sight will be the same diameter as the round the rifle is chambered for, so the fit should be fairly snug and give a reasonable approximation of where the point of impact will be.

You will also need a target between 25 and 50 yards out. Any further than that and there’s no way you’ll be able to see the laser through just a red dot. If you are sighting in a scope with magnification it would be a different story.

The Process

Insert the bore sight into the rifle based on what kind of bore sight it is. The cheaper the bore sight, the less snugly and precisely it will fit, so if you’re relying on this to get your rifle sighted in without any shooting, you would do well to pony up the big bucks for a high quality bore sight. If you just want to get on paper, a cheap one will get you started.

Decide if you’re zeroing at 25 or 50 yards and set up your target accordingly. This is important because your red dot will only be accurate at the distance you zero and you’ll have to compensate when aiming at something closer or further away. Once you’ve got everything set up and mounted, you can insert the bore sight into either the end of the barrel or the chamber.

Once in, you may not have a lot of battery life since the laser has to be quite powerful to be visible at those distances in daylight. Get your rifle on target using the laser while ignoring the red dot sight at first. Once you’ve got the laser on the center of the target, it’s easiest if you can find a way to secure the rifle without you having to hold it. Sandbags, clamps, even a stack of books can help with that.

Whether you’re holding the rifle with one hand or have it secured, the next step is to use the windage and elevation adjustments on the red dot to move the reticle over to lay on top of where the laser is hitting. Most red dots require some kind of tool to adjust like a coin or flat head screwdriver and you may need to adjust it quite a bit to get it to line up.

Once you’re there you’re good to go. If you want to zero at 50 yards, it can be helpful to first bore sight the rifle at 25 yards to get closer, then move out to 50. This makes it easier to get on paper at a longer distance.

What’s Missing

With a high quality bore sight and a little patience, you can get your red dot reasonably close to being sighted in without having to fire a single round. However, having a sighted optic is only part of what brings a shooter accurate and consistent results; you also have to practice with your optic.

If you don’t have any practice shooting with your optic, you won’t be able to get the performance out of it that you want when it matters the most. Getting within a couple of MOA of center on your zero is all well and good, but if you aren’t familiar enough with your sight to quickly acquire your target and do small compensations on the fly then it may not matter.

As mentioned before, you also simply cannot get a proper zero with just a bore sight. Bore sights don’t fit perfectly, and there’s no way to account for all the variables that can affect a bullet’s trajectory without actually shooting the gun.

Bore sighting is certainly better than no sighting at all, and you can get your sight to a solid level of functionality through the process of bore sighting.

Other Types of Bore Sighting

All we’ve discussed in this article is laser bore sighting because if you want to get as close as possible to zero without actually shooting the rifle, your only bet is to use a laser. That said, if you are using a bolt action rifle, you can remove the bolt and look with your eye down the barrel and then adjust the red dot so the dot is showing where the barrel is pointing.

You can do the same thing with a semi-auto, but it’s a lot more involved. There are also bore sights that can be mounted on the end of your gun that you can line your dot up with so that your dot is at least pointed in the same basic direction as the barrel.

When You’re Ready to Shoot

As soon as you’re able, you can take your bore-sighted rifle and sight to the range and finish the zeroing process. At this point, all you have to do is take shots at a target that is the right distance away and see where your grouping is hitting when you’re lining up your reticle on the center of the target. Start with at least three shots, and maybe five if your grouping isn’t very tight.

Figure out where the groupings are centered around and measure the distance from that center point to where you were aiming and adjust the red dot enough to where it should be on center. Then simply repeat the process, shooting three to five shots in a group and adjusting the red dot until your groupings are on the center of the target.

Bore sighting prior to shooting can make this process much faster, and save you money on ammunition and time at the range that you can then use to do some more interesting things instead.

Final Thoughts

There’s a little bit of investment involved with bore sighting your new sight unless you already have a bore sight, but the investment can be well worth it. If you need to get your sight to a certain level of accuracy and you’re not able to take it out to a range and shoot it, then bore sighting can be a way to get closer than you otherwise could.

Even if you are planning on fully sighting in your scope, bore sighting is a great first step and a way to get much closer without having to expend a bunch of rounds just getting your shots on paper with your new scope. Red dots are faster and easier to sight in than scopes with magnification since you’ll be shooting at targets that are much closer than 100 yards.

The idea here is to show the picture through a red dot sight and show the laser hitting in a different spot than the dot reticle.

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Featured Image Credit: Santipong Srikhamta, Shutterstock

How to Troubleshoot Rifle and Scope

Rifle Scope Not Holding Zero – How to Troubleshoot Rifle Scope *The following rifle and scope troubleshooting applies to most rifles. If you have a really odd-ball rifle or scope not covered by these steps, then tell us about it in the comments. I read a post in a FB group for Mosin Nagant Modifications that described issues with the rifle scope not holding zero. While this relates to a modified Mosin Nagant rifle, the basics of how to troubleshoot a scoped rifle that won’t hold zero are applicable for all rifles. Here is the initial post:

“… I shoot from a bipod and when I’m shooting my shots are all over the place. (my scope works perfectly, had it on my .223 and was shooting 2-3″ groups at 200 yards).

I was trying to zero my scope at 100 yards and it was 4″ low so I made the adjustment to come up 4″ and the next two shots I was 5″ high and then adjusted back down and was low again. Then my shots started going way off to the sides when I hadn’t made any adjustment to the windage on the scope.

He later said it is a Barska scope and he was shooting milsurp ammo (didn’t say what type).

Check these things so your rifle scope will hold zero:

a) Movement in the scope to scope mount connection. Make sure the scope rings are properly tightened and there is no play in the scope to rings or rings to rail connections. This is the most likely problem when a scope won’t hold zero, either because the parts fit poorly, were never tightened, or the scope rings worked loose as the rifle was shot repeatedly. I have had good luck with the very budget friendly Weaver Quad Lock scope rings for rail mounted scopes. A heavier duty budget option are the UTG Max Strength LE Grade Quick Detach Picatinny Scope Rings. You might also consider aligning and lapping the scope rings to be sure your scope is aligned perfectly within the mounts.

b) Shooter inconsistencies. You might have a tiny pre-recoil flinch throwing off your point of aim in the last milliseconds before the shot. You could have a heavy, rough trigger causing a bit of POA deflection as you squeeze it. You could be not pre-loading the bipod properly and that is throwing off shots. Who knows what else it could be? I prefer to blame the equipment any time the performance doesn’t match expectations. Heck, I won’t buy golf clubs without throwing the driver just to be sure it feels right when tossing it in the water hazard… to join all the balls that I’ve put there. However, sometimes the shooter really is causing the problems, not the scope. Be honest in evaluating what you are doing before you rule out “operator error”. Most folks have never had detailed shooting instruction and, consequently, base their shooting methods on a combination of habit, observation of other shooters (who may be doing it wrong), and whatever their grandpa told them to do when they were 6. Consider getting high quality shooting instruction to make it more likely that you are doing it right.

Scope failing under heavy recoil. I had an old Center Point scope that I used a LOT on .223 rifles for testing and it was fantastic for that purpose. Things changed when I put it on my c). I had an old Center Point scope that I used a LOT on .223 rifles for testing and it was fantastic for that purpose. Things changed when I put it on my Mosin “Sniper” build and it won’t hold zero. Period. Some scopes simply aren’t built with strong enough parts to handle the energy imparted on them when the rifle is fired. This is why some scopes are only rated for the very low recoil .22 lr ammunition… anything more powerful is likely to break something within the scope. Be sure your scope is rated for the cartridge that you will shoot.

Barrel harmonics and the Tensioning Block. If the barrel touches the stock or not will vary by rifle make and model. In the example above, the d). If the barrel touches the stock or not will vary by rifle make and model. In the example above, the ProMag Archangel Opfor 9130 stock free floats the barrel by default, but also comes with a small “tensioning block”. If installation of the barreled action in the stock throws off your shots, try installing the tensioning block and playing with amount of tension it puts on the barrel. This process can be tedious, but can really help if your harmonics are out of whack. This is less likely on a rifle in it’s factory stock, more likely after a rifle stock replacement. Most stocks don’t have a “tensioning block”, but you can create pressure, or tension, on the barrel by inserting cork between the stock and barrel, wrapping the barrel in something that will deaden the harmonics, etc.

Ammo inconsistencies. Before you put a lot of time and $ into troubleshooting the rifle, buy or trade a friend for 20 rounds of a different type or brand and see if you get the same results. Wouldn’t you feel silly if you spent time and money working on your rifle and scope, but eventually figured out that it was a bad batch of ammo? For a real life example, see how I struggled with the new e). Before you put a lot of time and $ into troubleshooting the rifle, buy or trade a friend for 20 rounds of a different type or brand and see if you get the same results. Wouldn’t you feel silly if you spent time and money working on your rifle and scope, but eventually figured out that it was a bad batch of ammo? For a real life example, see how I struggled with the new T/C Compass hunting rifle with surplus Greek HXP .30-06 ammo (review)

How to Properly Bore Sight a Rifle Scope

Sighting in a rifle is a pretty easy process, or, rather, it should be. The best way to eliminate any unwanted frustration throughout the sight in process is to properly bore sight your rifle scope prior to running live ammunition through your barrel.

The process of bore sighting your scope aligns the center of your barrel to the sights on your scope. It’s a process that is simple to complete and one that all shooters should know how to do.

The main reason to bore sight your rifle is to get you hitting paper after you’ve mounted your new rifle scope and go to sight-in at 100 yards. It’s also a great tool to utilize each time you break your rifle out after the off season prior to hitting the range.

I will typically hit the range to check zero each season prior to my first rifle hunt of the year. When I do, I will use my bore sighter to check to see if my scope is still on the money from last year. If you’ve properly mounted your rifle scope, you should maintain zero from year to year.

To begin, you will need a stable work space, i.e a gun vice, 25 yards, and either a laser or standard bore sighter kit. The standard kits are great because they come with multiple rods that can fit most standard calibers. The laser bore sighters are a great tool as they are quick and painless to use. There are a couple of options for the laser kits, there are some that will be used in the chamber of your rifle, and others that will be used at the muzzle.

If your rifle is equipped with a muzzle break, I would use a laser boresighter that runs in the chamber of your rifle so you can bore sight without having to remove your break. I have found that muzzle breaks have some extra space and can cause some inaccuracies when bore sighting via the muzzle.

The standard kit includes rods that connect to the bore sighter and run in the end of your muzzle, thus placing the bore sighter in front of your scope.

The first thing you will need to do is set a target out 25 yards from you and your rifle. I prefer to use a target that has a very visible bullseye. Next, you set your rifle in the vice and remove the turret caps from your scope.

If you are using a scope with a ballistic turret, you will want to expose the zero stop and adjustment mechanisms of that particular scope. Please refer to the owner’s manual for your scope when doing this. Learn more about Turreted Rifle Scopes vs Drop Reticles.

From here, remove the bolt of your rifle and look down the bore. Align the target in the barrel and try your best to center the bull with the center of your bore. Once aligned, look through your scope to see where your reticle is on your target. If your reticle is right of center, adjust your windage turret to the right to move your reticle to the left.

Keep in mind that this process is opposite of adjusting your bullet’s point of impact, however you will see the reticle move so it shouldn’t be too confusing. Next, adjust similarly for your elevation. If your reticle is below center, move your elevation turret down to move your reticle up. You have now successfully bore sighted your rifle scope.

Next, you will want to attach the boresighter to your rifle and aim at your target. When using the standard kit, you will see a grid with your reticle over layed when you look through your scope. Simply make the necessary adjustments to put your reticle in the center of the grid. The laser bore sighter will beam a dot onto your target. From here, adjust your turrets so the laser is centered in your reticle.

This process at 25 yards will, at the very least, get you hitting paper with live rounds at 100 yards. You can see how much frustration and wasted ammo you will save by simply bore sighting your rifle.

Now, let’s take it a step further. You will want to take a shot at your 25 yard target and see where your point of impact lies. You are looking for your round to impact 1 inch low at 25 yards. Most shooters agree that 1 inch low at 25 yards is the magic number for most rifles with a sight height above bore of 1.5” – 2”.

At this point, you are ready to sight-in at 100 yards. If you’ve followed the steps above you should definitely be on paper, if not damn close to being on target at 100 yards and you’ve only spent 1 or 2 rounds. As you can surely tell, boresighting can save you time and money that you can use when looking for a new rifle scope.

So you have finished reading the how to zero a scope without firing topic article, if you find this article useful, please share it. Thank you very much. See more: boresight, how to zero a scope with a mirror, how to zero a scope with a laser, zeroing a leupold scope, how to zero a scope at 100 yards, how to sight in a red dot scope without shooting, how to zero a rifle, how to zero a burris scope

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