Bolt action rifles are always more accurate. My 700BDL 300wmg 24” Barrel 1/2” groups at 100 yards Beretta semi auto 300wmg 20” barrel 1” groups at 100 yards!
Been doin' this for about tha last 40 years. Here's a suggestion, take it or leave it. Instead of starting at 25 yd, start somewhere between 35 and 40 yd. The reason you were ~5" high at 100 is because you shot, and corrected, at 25. The bullet was still on its upward trajectory toward 100 yd. Remember that the trajectory of the bullet goes from BELOW the line of sight, (LoS), of the scope, UPWARD, reaches an apex in height above LoS, then descends again toward impact at the target whatever that range may be. Therefore, the bullet crosses the LoS TWICE on its way to the target. For MOST modern rifle/scope setups, that first crossing occurs between 35 and 40 yd from the muzzle. If you set your close "get on paper" target at 35-40 yd, then do exactly as you describe for adjusting the scope, you should be MUCH closer to "bullseye" at 100 yd. Again, if you start at 25 yd with your "get on paper" shots, you're going to be HIGHER THAN 4 times your "error" at 25. The system described in this video WORKS. USE IT. You can refine it, by setting your "get on paper" target distance and 35-40 yd instead of 25.
Interesting methods… I’ll pull the bolt (on my bolt guns) and sand bag my rifle so that it won’t move. Whatever spot that centers in the bore as I look down it (from the breech), I adjust my crosshairs to that spot…. I’m always on paper then, and can easily dial in from then on.
Cold bore shot is the most important shot when hunting. After doing all this check the cold bore shot another day or after the rifle has completely cooled. Great job as usual Keep'em coming!
And a clean barrel vs. a fouled/dirty shot barrel. You need to see if your gun shoots differently on a cold bore shot. So if you are hunting with a cleaned/scrubbed barrel. You need to see if that 1st shot is the same as you were when sighting in when you were fouled up.
Better to make a note of what the diff is between a coldbore clean barrel shot and the fouled barrel shot. If you prefer to hunt with a fouled bore till deer seasons over, and I've got friends that do it, don't worry about it. I always hunt with a cleaned, dry barrel and chamber. Take note of the diff at the range between the two and log it into your range notebook and then you will know what to do IF that second shot is needed. My experience has taught me that different rifles behave differently. Some needing 3 shots of fouling before the gun settling down to group well again, some having no difference in a cleanbore shot and a fouled bore shot. Each gun is different.
@@RMM--uv7uk Absolutely. Even just 1 or 2 shots through your clean barrel then tape it up after will eliminate that first shot flyer and duplicate how the rifle.
Brother, you are an amazing human being. I’m emotional after watching this after an hour and 100 rounds trying to find zero. Thank you so much. You have demystified my entire range time.
@@brentwinkelman1990 Man GTFO. We all started somewhere. Some people had teachers, others didn't. Yeah, maybe not the best to keep shooting if nothing is happening, but lessons learned.
Been there partner, but I can one up you in frustration. Was trying to zero a scout scope on my 1895, got through 30rds of .45-70 with no result. Angrily I go to just take the scope off and throw into the woods, it damn near came off at a touch. Damn gun rattled it loose probably 2 shots in and I was just clueless to it
I bought my Remington 700 about 4 years ago and was so excited to zero it- I really wish this video existed back then!! This is like watching Bob Ross teaching me how to zero a long range precision rifle and I mean that in the best way possible lol. Thank you so much for this thorough explanation. Your enthusiasm and sincerity made this so much more enjoyable to watch!!
This method is one I’ve seen before and I like it because it uses a minimal amount of ammo, important to consider nowadays! This video was filled with solid advice but the greatest idea was allowing the barrel to cool between shots. And, finally, check your zero a few more times on future range trips so you’re getting honest results with cold barrel shots. Ron, this was a winner of a video!
*I can't wrap my head around this sighting technique. lol. if my rifle is shooting high and right , i move it down and left.* by literal clicks down and literal clicks left. SO HOW COULD MOVING THE SCOPE UP CLICKS UP IN HIS TECHNIQUE NOT MAKE THE BULLET HIT EVEN HIGHER THAN BEFORE ? HE HIT HIGH AND THEN CLICKS EVEN HIGHER SO THAT EQUALS EVEN HIGHER OFF TARGET? HIS AIMING POINT BEFORE ANY ADJUSTMENTS WAS THE CENTER BULLSEYE, AND SO IS MINE..... NOTHING IS CHANGED HE IS STILL USING THE CENTER BULLSEYE AND CLICKING EVEN MORE HIGH. AND I AM CLICKING DOWN ON MY SCOPE TURRETS ... SO THESE ARE OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS OF CLICKS?????/ I'M ASKING FOR SOMEONE TO PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS TECHNIQUE LOL.....PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE BORE SIGHTING PART. THAT IS A NO BRAINER TO MOVE THE INITIAL RIFLE SCOPE CROSSHAIRS TO MATCH THE BORE HOLE... IM TALING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CLICKS UP WHEN HE ALREADY WAS HITTING HIGH, AS OPPOSED TO MY TECHNIQUES THAT HAVE WORKED ALL MY LIFE TO CLICK DOWN WHEN HITTING HIGH
@@mossymaple You are confusing what the up, down, left and right means here. When you move the clicks to the direction said in the scope, for example "up" the crosshair actually goes down. So in the video when he is moving the crosshairs up and left, the directions on the scopes clicks are going to down and right directions. Those words are not indicating the movement of the crosshair, but the movement of the impact point. So if you want your shot to go higher, you turn it to "up" direction (but the crosshair actually goes down). The technique showed here is quite simple; shoot and then move you crosshair just there where the actual bullet hole is. Now they are just in the same spot and the rest is just finetuning it.
GOOD stuff MATE 👏👏👏👏 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 I have been Pro Shooting for 47"years Now and this is EXACTLY HOW YOU SHOULD ZERO YOUR RIFLE! WELL DONE MATE! WELL DONE. cheers from South Australia...👌👌👌👍👍👍🦘🦘🦘👏
This is by far one of the best videos I've ever seen for sighting a rifle and scope in. No "tacticool" bro shit (don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good gun humor video), no talking down to the viewer, no narcissistic "I'm a super expert because...", just a simple teaching video with great techniques learned from experience and a certain fatherly enthusiasm to it. Great vid.
You did a really good job at explaining this technique which is the proper way of doing it. I was a tier two operator in the Army and we called it a two shot zero, as long as you’re on paper it only takes two shots to sight in. Good job sir!
Allow me to ask: That is very rough though, isnt it? First shot 25y. Second shot at 100y, then dial until crosshair over bullet hole. But wouldnt you want to take a third shot aiming for the bullseye (like Jon did) to make a final adjustement? Otherwise the precision requirements for "not moving the rifle" and "dialing the crosshair exactly on the bullet hole" are extremely high.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors *I can't wrap my head around this sighting technique. lol. if my rifle is shooting high and right , i move it down and left.* by literal clicks down and literal clicks left. SO HOW COULD MOVING THE SCOPE UP CLICKS UP IN HIS TECHNIQUE NOT MAKE THE BULLET HIT EVEN HIGHER THAN BEFORE ? HE HIT HIGH AND THEN CLICKS EVEN HIGHER SO THAT EQUALS EVEN HIGHER OFF TARGET? HIS AIMING POINT BEFORE ANY ADJUSTMENTS WAS THE CENTER BULLSEYE, AND SO IS MINE..... NOTHING IS CHANGED HE IS STILL USING THE CENTER BULLSEYE AND CLICKING EVEN MORE HIGH. AND I AM CLICKING DOWN ON MY SCOPE TURRETS ... SO THESE ARE OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS OF CLICKS?????/ I'M ASKING FOR SOMEONE TO PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS TECHNIQUE LOL.....PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE BORE SIGHTING PART. THAT IS A NO BRAINER TO MOVE THE INITIAL RIFLE SCOPE CROSSHAIRS TO MATCH THE BORE HOLE... IM TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CLICKS UP WHEN HE ALREADY WAS HITTING HIGH, AS OPPOSED TO MY TECHNIQUES THAT HAVE WORKED ALL MY LIFE TO CLICK DOWN WHEN HITTING HIGH. IF I HIT HIGH AND SIMPLY CLICK LOWER THAT IS COMMON SENSE TO ME,,, WHETHER I DO IT WITH OR WITH OUT LOOKING IN THE SCOPE , THE ADJUSTMENT NEEDS CLICKS LOWERED, NEVER HIGHER....I CAN SHUT MY EYES AND STILL KNOW I NEED TO CLICK DOWN..WHAT AM I MISSING, CAN SOMEONE HELP ME GET MY HEAD AROUND THIS....LOL....
@@mossymaple Always follow the bullet hole with a scope, this makes the crosshairs hit where the hole was, thus bringing it all back to the bullseye when you shoot next.
Great advice! I'm new to hunting at 40years old. Never grew up hunting but have two boys and girls and want to get them outdoors in nature. I'm learning with help from you all. Have been struggling dialing in rifle. I need to be confident and sure I can ethically dispatch game at distance. Thanks again. Now going to range to put into practice.
The best advice I received when teaching my kids to shoot: A quality 22LR, 3-9x optic and landscape timbers setup at 20, 40 and 60 yds with 5 dimples per timber drilled from a spade bit to hold an egg upright. Get a ton of identical ammo, a great set of bags and zero that 22 dead on. Kids love to see eggs pop, but don’t care about putting holes in paper. When you can give them 15 rounds and they can pop 15 eggs, they are ready to go out to 100-125yds with a .243, 7-08, 20ga rifled slug , etc. When they can pop them at 80 & 100 yds, they are ready for any reasonable distance. They must make adjustments for the wind and drop. “I’m aiming at the upper right edge of the egg.” or “The wind is blowing hard across the range. I’m going to aim off of the egg and high.” Started mine both at 4 y/o with a used Browning T-bolt and a Leuopold 3-9x. Both now shoot PRC at 1k yds…and bow hunt. I personally go to the .22LR & eggs when I’m in a rut. Try it!!
Got my first deer last season at 34. A big bodied 6 point, he’ll forever be my favorite deer. One part of me was psyched out of my mind, another part was melancholic about having missed so many years
I'v used this method for a long time, but it's been a long time since I've actually done it. Thanks for the refresher, it never hurts to see if there is anything new or if I've forgotten something.
Great advice and a very good tutorial. Even as a kid sighting in our .22 bolt-action rifles, my dad taught me the benefits of bore-sighting with a new scope. On high-power rifles, once you achieve acceptable zero and know the trajectory of your ammo, get off the bench and practice shooting at various distances to get familiar with your rifle. I use plastic gallon milk jugs filled with water (frozen or not) to simulate the approximate size of a deer's vital area. Spaced at various distances for your anticipated hunting range, they provide a good reactive target for visual effect. If you can hit a milk jug at 200 yards under field conditions, you will get a clean kill on your deer-sized game. Keep up the good work!
Yes sir, I get off the bench and I’m all over the place, physically noticeable I may have to rear grip it differently I’m putting all the weight on my stock and I look like I’m purposely moving it in circles lol
For all you young folks watching this video the old guys know what they are doing. Not only does this work it saves time and money. Thanks Ron for another excellent video.
Ron, this is a great way to sight in a rifle (that you are able to sight directly through the bore) and is the method I’ve taught my kids. Some folks start shooting at 100 yards, and only shoot 1 shot instead of 3-shot groups (in the hopes of conserving ammo), and end up with a target full of holes and no idea where it’s really hitting. I can do some boresighting at 25 yards without firing a shot, then fire 2-3 shots at 25 yards, then fire 2 three shot groups at 100 yards and be good-enough-to-go-hunting *with only 8-9 shots.*. Truly the best way to go, and no sore shoulder!
If you fire one shot you know where your zero is, if you fire two, you are unsure, If you fire three you know how difficult it is to know where your zero is....
My neighbor just helped me sight in my deer rifle two days ago and showed me Your way of zeroing a new scope. I'm sold. Saved alot of ammo on finding zero! Thank you for showing this way to the masses!!! Great video!
This was right on. Thanks for talking about heat on the barrel . I shoot my 30:06 165 boat-tail 2 inches high at 100 yards. It gives me a range of more than 300 yards with out worrying. . Thanks so much. I am 66 years old and have done this all my life.
Excellent tutorial. I've used this method for over 40yrs. One thing to keep in mind is to verify your windage and elevation adjustments are centered before you start zeroing. That means if you have say 70 MOA adjustment range for Up & Down and Left & Right, that your starting in the middle at 35. That makes it even (centered) adjustments for either direction of adjustment. Optimal position of the Erector for sight in accuracy.
I get my scopes mounted by Ken Davis, a master stock maker and scope guru. His first step is to lay a solid metal bar in the scope mount trough to ensure coincidence with the centreline of the barrel. Before mounting and bore sighting the scope, he zeroes the scope "clicks" to their vertical and horizontal midpoint of travel, and then mount the scope. Minor adjustments of the mounts will ensure that the range of "click" movement is equal, thus ensuring a good (equal) vertical and horizontal range of "click" coverage for whatever load I develop for the rifle. 👍
Love the 260 Remington, I own 3, 2 bolt actions and an ar10 style with Wilson combat barrel, all great shooters. Nosler Partition Trophy Hunter, extremely accurate 125gr.
That is what MOST people that know what they are doing use! Also the modern laser cartridges are a good alternative. Watching this video tells me this FUDD doesn't know what he is even doing. Someone of his age has surely seen or heard of both of these before.
I use a good bore sighting system, they're not very expensive. It puts me on paper and reduces ammo consumption. Ron, your demonstrated, in the field, method is still useful today. Thanks for the video.
I bought one of the shot savers (bore sighter) long ago in the USA. A Leupold prism of sorts that magnetically clips to the end of your barrel. Works very well!
As an old shooter, both experience- and age-wise, I still really enjoyed this video. That is the method that I use, (well, I don't look through the barrel, but I do adjust the sighting to the hole in the paper, and go from there as necessary) although I don't get to shoot much anymore. Thank you for the fine video.
Great video, and yes, to help the reticle to seat I always tap the turrets with an empty casing after making an adjustment, reticles will definitely stick especially on cheap scopes.
The seasoning of a rifle is very real from what I've seen. Those little, microscopic cracks and machining marks in the bore get packed full of copper and smooth out. The "bullet jacket seal" is therefore tighter and more uniform causing very slight increases in accuracy and a slight plateau in velocity SD and ES. At least that is how I understand it after researching this topic and have seen from my own experience. Every rifle I have ever bought "commercial" and non-custom has had that seasoning point, usually around 50-100 rounds.
Actually, I like the 25 yard boresight. For hunting I deliberately set the rifle 3" high at 100 yards. Gives me a small balistic window out to 250 yards for no calculation (fast) shooting when targeting moving game at distance.
Watching this video as a UK citizen whilst planning to zero my scope on my sub 12ft lb AA S410 air rifle this weekend. Dribbling with jealousy at you US guys you don't know how lucky you are being able to enjoy such firearms. Thanks Ron!
fantastic. Thank you very much for this. I inherited my grandpas 30-06. probably hasn't been shot in over 40 maybe 50 years. Shot it the first time the other day and it was almost spot on. Just needs a little adjustment and I needed to know what to do. Thanks. It's tough not being able to ask him questions about this gun. He made it himself and I have no idea what parts are used. What kind of ammo he liked to use. All that stuff. I look at it as a challenge to figure out. I think he would be proud of that. Hope to get my first deer with it this season. maybe next.
As a gunsmith I have the need to remove scopes at times and then replace them back. No mater how well one can measure or mark the scope before removal, it still should be re-zeroed by bore sighting every time. Also, if you get a sudden consistent shot placement that is for no good reason way off after it has been hitting great, check the crown of the muzzle for damage, which is more common than a scope going suddenly bad. If you shoot the same gun a lot, you might eventually get odd flyers off in different inconstant shot placement, there is a possibility of the barrel being shot out. Yet , make sure the scope is not at fault before giving up on the gun itself.
It also never fails that you get that call after a job "You messed up my scope/barrel" or "It was shooting straight before you had it." Yes I removed your scope, and if I was slammed, no I didn't re-zero it, bet there was a sticky note telling you as much too... lol
I've had good luck with a bore laser. It will easily pay for itself in a single outing with ammunition costs these day. Usually can get you close very quickly. Put a dot on the target, then line up your crosshairs.
I don’t like the rubber feet on the bottom of the lead sled because it allows too much movement. I do like the boresighting method he’s using on bolt style guns. I do exactly like he does. I’ve had bad luck with bore sighting equipment.
I use this method, and it works for all my scoped rifles. Like Ron said, "It's free". Great method to get your bullets to hit right where you're aiming. Great video Ron! Keep 'em comin'!
It's also something you can do without running to Academy or Walmart first or worrying about whether or not you've brought the right batteries with you. Shooting is a very physical, analog thing. No programming involved with your bullets or trigger finger, just physics. So to me, until we are actually firing digital laser weapons or something the superior ability will generally be in doing as much analog as possible.
I'd Really Like to Thank You for ALL of your Experience and Calm way of explaining it to Us! This Tip is Priceless as a Brush up to the Experienced Hunter and Especially to the New Shooters.
Very good tutorial! Bare-eye bore-sighting has saved me a lot of ammo over the years. It's amazing to me how many rifle owners don't understand the basics of sighting in. Thanks!
I feel like the two of you are somehow related. I’m pretty new to shooting and it was such an obvious tactic that I’d never thought of it. I’d just throw on a scope and start blasting, so much money wasted
I said the same thing if you don’t have the equipment to keep that rifle completely still in mounted then you’re not gonna be able to really do what he’s doing there
Ive used one of those tripod doohickeys with the clamp on the end to a pretty alright effect, i guess if nothing else would work i could use my rifle's bipod and a ziplock bag of sand for the buttstock
Long time shooter and competitor . This is the method I use as well. Great that you are spreading the word. Once I have sighted in then I shoot Using the gun in my hands held where I always place them on the stock. I then rest my hand in the rest just to steady myself. I place the butt against my shoulder Then shoot with cold barrel and make final scope adjustment. I find this shoots to point of aim in the field when hunting. Try to hold with the same amount of pressure against your shoulder every time. Slower and heavier bullets are effected by the pressure more than lighter faster bullets. Love all your videos, great job! Thanks Craig
Good advice on locating the zero on paper. When sighting in a big magnum like a 338 Winchester, I always shoot with a substantial glove on the left hand and it resting on the bag. The idea is to have some pressure of the gun on the shoulder so it does not get a flying leap at you. Beware of sling swivels, etc., but it increases your tolerance to having to fire several shots to complete the sighting in, and when done right it really does not open the group up that much. Oh, and a high gun position of course for anything with heavy recoil, you do not want to be stock crawling with your elbows locking your body in against moving with recoil.
Also, an optical collimator has much to recommend it. I bought a Bushnell collimator 40 years ago along with a set of arbors, and it has paid for itself several times over my lifetime. GREAT video, Ron!
Great techniques and I've used them all with great success. One note when looking through the bore and then moving the crosshair to align with the bore. Take into account that the adjustments are counter to what you would think. In other words, Up is Down and Down is Up. Likewise, Left is Right and Right is Left. Thanks for sharing Ron. Good advice.
When I got myself a new rifle with scope and living in the heart of an overcrowded city I hadn't a rifle club within reach so I decided to bore sight it. Out hunting the rifle was accurate as I expected. Great fun and satisfaction!
There's some interesting folklore about sighting in. I tend to favour a simple boresighting by removing the bolt and placing the scoped rifle onto a stable rest. Adjust it so you can see your target bullseye, placed at 25m, then see where the scope is indicating by looking through it without touching. Do a gentle adjustment and dial those crosshairs onto the spot indicated by the bore sighting. Shoot three rounds to confirm placement. Adjust scope and fire to confirm. Back it out to 50m, then 100m, and adjust for your cartridge and conditions. Most modern sporting cartridges will give a maximum point blank range of 300m or more with a 3" high shot placement at 100m. If unsure then just use that figure and you'll likely be on target at 200m, a few inches low at 250 and around six inches low at 300-350 depending on cartridge. Of course if you're using a big old 45-70 you may want to sight to point of aim at 150 with a 4" low at 200 and 8" at 250... after which it falls of the proverbial cliff haha.
Just bought Ruger in 450 BM. Put scope on. Put a 2 foot sq. target at fifty yards. First shot 6 right 1 down. Adjusted scope, second shot 1 left 1 up. Adjusted scope & Moved target to 100 yards. Did 3 shot group, 2 & half high and centered. Adjusted scope, 2 shots dead center touching each other. Can’t beat that!!
Great Video....Good instructional video. I have followed these steps for zeroing my Browning BAR Safari 2506 with Lead Sled, works great. Only difference was I used a bore sighter with my automatic...Once Again, Thanks...Good Job Ron
That is one thing I like about the Leadsled. I only use mine when sighting in after new load development. They are great for that and the method you outlined is what I have used for years. It is amazing how many rounds I see guys at our range go through trying to sight their guns in.
I've used this method since the 80s, and works flawlessly once you know the ammo the rifle likes.... I also make sure I have a clean damp rag for running up a down the barrel, which cuts cooling time by 3 to 4 times. Good video.
One of the best tips is if you are using two different boxes, make sure the lot numbers are the same. Different lot numbers means likely a slight deviation in how the bullets from box to box shoot. Ive had the exact same caliber, brand, model of ammunition fly much different based on the different lot numbers (different primers used, different brand of powder from lot to lot, etc.)
I’ve learned my rifle hates one of the most popular ammos out there: Remington core lokt 150gr, .30-06. I was getting NOTHING to be called a group, shot a full box with no consistency at all. Rifle cools down, I throw in some reloads, 150gr SST hornady over 47gr of IMR3031, 3 shots in the bullseye.
I watched a different video you made on sighting a scope. I followed your advice, and it worked. I only wasted 2 rounds instead of 20 lol. good stuff thanks man.
Buddy and I went to the gun club recently to make sure deer rifles are dialed in and sight in a new scope on a new AR. Did it opposite and adjusted the scope from the shot to bullseye accordingly, we thought. Makes so much sense to zero scope from bullseye to your shot! I was never thought that way. You the man, instant like!
I did this for two of my dads 30-06. Got them zero at 25 and both shot 6" high at 100. Very good effective way to dial in with few shots. But keep in mind at 100 you will be high, bullet is still in upward arc.
with all the new gun owners over the last few years...this is a very helpful video...im going to share it on my social media pages. In the last 2 years Ive taken so many people to the range and taught them how to shoot and sight in a gun. But this will save me time and ammo. (always seems to be my ammo that gets used LOL). For the guys n gals who money may be an issue...sand bags or ones like your video are sold at walmart and are cheap. Or big socks full of rice or playbox sand are even cheaper and work fantastically.
I’m 63 yrs old and been very avid Hunter my entire life. As I young man I learned to sight my gun in using this method. I read a article in a Field & Stream magazine that was written by Harold Carmichael on guns. He was a master of guns and recommended this sight in method. I applied this in my sighting in and was amazed and have been sighting in my guns this way for 40yrs or maybe more. Harold Carmichael was a one of a kind in gun articles. This method works great as long as you are set up correctly to do it by not allowing the gun to move. Back in those days I didn’t have a gun visa as a young man. I would take a cardboard box shed notch it out at the correct locations for a tight fit in the box and that worked fine for those that don’t have a vise. Though I can’t see as good as when i was so young i can still drill pretty darn good. As you get older if the intent is to remain hunting. It’s even more critical that time is taken to assure proper sight in to offset human error. ( shakes, poor eyesight, etc. ) Where i hunt (Louisiana) I don’t shoot extremely long shots. Woods are thick in most areas and 50 to 70yrd shots are most common with occasional 150 yrd shots once in a while. So i sight in for 50yrds. And I’m still good out to 150. Rarely had to shoot any farther down here except for one time when sitting on a highline and that shot was a little over 300. Just be sure to sight in for the terrain and conditions you will be hunting under. If you are in need to sight in for long range shooting instead of chasing bullits out to 300 yrds find out what your trajectory height is for a 100yrds to be in a kill zone shot at 300yrds. If the trajectory is suppose to be 3 inches high at 100 set up a target for 100 yrds. Mark a dot 3” above the bullseye. Shot one shot at the bullseye and then move the crosshair to your dot that you made 3” high. If you do it correctly the next shot should go right in your dot that you made. Works every time !!!! Trick Make darn sure the gun is secure while moving the crosshair or it work.
Hey Ron, I love the video and I know what you mean about the scope settling in. Funny thing I always did was when I make an adjustment on my scope, whether it be elevation or windage, I always tap the scope on the side and top after I adjust the knobs. I do this with cheaper Scopes as well as expensive one. I always thought this would "lock" the reticles into place after making the adjustments. So to me it makes sense and it's something I always make sure I do. I don't think your to far off. Keep doing what you do. Thanks again
I was advised by my Marine corps there's a reason why that rifle has the sling and bipod tabs are in the VERY front of the stock. It's because that's the most stable place for precision shooting combined with the sandsock on as far backwards as you can get it comfortably. That's exactly how it works, so put that dam front rest all the way to the front unless your bipods on it. These deer rifles don't have beavertail forends, most are pretty slim, so they are more difficult to master, so put a towel of some sort between the bag and the forend. I dam well guarantee you that's how she's done. There's still some more fundamentals of marksmanship, but building a properly Supported shooting platform is job#1, job#2 is natural point of aim. Job#3 is proper grip and the relaxation of the trigger finger,with proper cheekweld and pocket of shoulder weld. Well, there's a whole damn checklist of abunch more things you have to pay close attention to before you can always make that shot, I ain't going to tell the rest of it tho, it's complicated.
If she shoots at game at 100 yards off that same rest, positioned where it is on the bench, the point of impact will be close. But if she holds the front of the stock, or rests it on a different medium, such as a bipod, tree branch, or shooting sticks, the point of impact will change.
What if your barrel is free floating? Too much pressure on the extreme forend can cause the barrel to deviate, now of course I realize that any AR/M- platform type doesn't have free floating barrels, that said nowadays many rifles, especially those with composite stocks feature free floating barrels. Not a sermon, just a thought.
@@theorangevestarmy4255 Free-float doesn’t matter. Watch the muzzle-jump in the video. If she shoots from that bench, with the same rests, point of impact will be close. But not if she’s holding on to the rifle in the field.
My step-grandfather, the hunter and outdoorsman in our family, died before he could teach. me how to hunt past an adolescent age. Thanks for helping me figure out how to sight my rifles. There's a lot of bad advice out there.
Nice video, that was a clean and simple explanation to how a scope works, essentially. And basically, explaining the main flaw of any hunting rifle - the wandering bore. Where I live, we have to fire 2x15 shots (2 different days, 15 shots each) with our rifles each year as practice, before we can get our big game hunting license with a final 5-shot series, where all shots must hit within a foot-wide circle. Most people go for the final test as soon as possible after that final training round of 15 shots. Most barrels must be begging for mercy at that point - I usually skip at least half an hour to let my gun cool down (and the hunter too, God knows he needs his coffee! ;) ) But yeah, this part is really important - hunting rifle barrels are so thin, they start to wander about after 3-5 shots. I can follow this development on digital screens shot by shot at my range, and it´s really opened my eyes to this effect. Before, I thought I was just getting tired and worked up, but the rifle actually plays a big part as well.
This was a fun video. From a professional that works in production you get high marks in my book. Great personality on camera, great camera work, great sound. I’m not a long range shooter but you made it fun and inspiring. Great work.
A month ago I used your video to re-sight in my rifle after adding a 20MOA rail & taller scope rings. I pulled the bolt & bore sighted @ 25 yards then again at 100 yards adjusting the scope to same point. By the 3rd shot I was dead on the bull!
Very good Mr. Spomer. There are lots of new people to our sport these past few years. I am sure they would find this useful if someone hasn't explained how to easily sight in a rifle yet.
Those lead sleds do help for the initial sight in but I've tried them and ended up with 2 completely different zeros... meaning shooting in the sled I had 1 zero and shooting off bags I had another. I have no clue how that happens my only guess is harmonics but it's happened with 2 different rifles so I quit using them. I've also seen guns beat themselves up to the point action screws loosened up when using the harder bucking cartridges like 300 Win Mag. But again they're definitely a good tool to have... Great video as always keepem coming brother!!!
PoI will change depending on how the rifle is held, and how it recoils. From a rest, from bags, seated, prone, unsupported, w/ sling, etc... Always zero your rifle in the same manner that you will shoot it for good results. Record DOPE at distance for best results.
That's how I was taught by my father.My father had shot out 2 22 long rifles by the age of eight.He was militarily trained right out of high school.He taught me military shooting techniques when I was 13,14 to 15.
Really enjoyed your technique that a friend taught me on the first scope I ever mounted to my .243. I never knew what a lead sled was then but the technique is solid and I have passed it on as well. Very good of you Sir to share this and may the good Lord always be with you!
Been using this little system since the mid 80s, because that's when I to figured it out while lining up scope's for myself and family and friends. It works!
Excellent way of explaining that! Thank you Ron. You clarified allot of things I was doing wrong within this video. Cant wait to get home and try this method.
Awesome! I learned the free.99 technique of boresighting as you've showcased here during a friendly hunting range (100-300yd) shooting competition when I was in high school. I'm not that much older now, but I've zeroed a smorgasbord of rifles since that time, and only one or two were boresighted from the gun store. I prefer to mount and boresight my own scopes, so all of my personal rifles have been boresighted using the method you showed us. I tend to stay away from lead-sleds and other "lock down", user-error-removal tools for any shooting, but I do understand the reason you're using it or why someone would, especially for beginner or low skill level shooters. But it's almost a double edged sword if someone does not remove the gun from the lead-sled (like you did) and shoots it "raw" for the first time in the woods at big game...that's how you flinch on the buck of a life time. Or the last legal deer of the season, haha. Because I don't use lead-sleds, I can't get my rifles quite as steady as you have and as such I can't get the cross hair to the bullet hole. I like your workaround, though, which is to have a buddy twist the turrets whilst I hold the gun in place. I've got a new gun (Mark V Hunter .30-06 & Conquest V4) to zero and I have some buddies who do, too. We will be using this method when we go out to the range! Thank you Mr. Ron for another great video.
I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation as it was delivered in a very entertaining way, even though I cannot apply the techniques described on my springer air rifle. Lol My underlever Weihrauch HW57 in .177 does not allow any bore sighting. Eventually though, when the scope's description about the click/distance ratio indicated in the factory specs are taken into account plus a little bit of math, sighting in the specific scope is quite easy. When I know that the crosshair moves 0,7 millimeters per click at a distance of 10 meters, sighting it in for my attic range of 15 meters is a walk in the park. 😁 Cheers from Germany! 🙂
You can use a laser bore sighter in your house on the wall to get your left and right then adjust your up and down where the crosshairs are about an inch above laser dot. This will save you a round or two. It depends on how tall your scope is above the barrel, but If you don't have a long range to sight in, I have found a 30 yard dead on zero works pretty well. 25 yard zero puts the 100 yard shot too high my experience.
@@kimberHD45 Not sure. It's red and appears to be made of aluminum and I most likely bought it at Walmart. It has black plastic sleeves for multiple calibers. Uses some kind of small watch batteries.
I like my old Bushnell bore sighter much better than any of the lasers I've tried, plus with the bushnell you can find any scope problems, tap scope see if it moves etc. I could watch the old Weavers jump a foot when you changed directions, was able to show a lot of guys what junk their weavers were
A laser bore sighter saves a lot of time because you can see the bore line and the reticle at the same time.... You can do this at home before going to the range... :-)
Yep, one can't look down the barrels of semi-autos or lever guns. I do bore sighting at our club's public deer sight-ins and have a good quality bore-sighting tool to get that first shot on paper and all new guns and new scopes get checked at 25 before moving to longer ranges. If I get a gun that's shooting all over the place, I check the screws first. It's surprising how many loose scopes I've seen in the last 20 years.
I started shooting airguns a few years ago. I have twice as many air rifles as I have scopes and change the scopes around frequently. This has made my skill at sighting in a 2 or 3 shot process. Perfection thru practice
New to rifles. Just got my first with a new scope and need to get it sighted, this was a very helpful video, this sport can be very intimidating and sometimes hard to open up and ask for help but I’m all in this year, I want to get my first deer 🦌 at 34 yrs old…
"better with a bolt" 😂. Humble, smooth, and hilarious. Spomer is still just like the rest of us.
Bolt action rifles are always more accurate. My 700BDL 300wmg 24” Barrel 1/2” groups at 100 yards Beretta semi auto 300wmg 20” barrel 1” groups at 100 yards!
Been doin' this for about tha last 40 years. Here's a suggestion, take it or leave it. Instead of starting at 25 yd, start somewhere between 35 and 40 yd. The reason you were ~5" high at 100 is because you shot, and corrected, at 25. The bullet was still on its upward trajectory toward 100 yd. Remember that the trajectory of the bullet goes from BELOW the line of sight, (LoS), of the scope, UPWARD, reaches an apex in height above LoS, then descends again toward impact at the target whatever that range may be. Therefore, the bullet crosses the LoS TWICE on its way to the target. For MOST modern rifle/scope setups, that first crossing occurs between 35 and 40 yd from the muzzle. If you set your close "get on paper" target at 35-40 yd, then do exactly as you describe for adjusting the scope, you should be MUCH closer to "bullseye" at 100 yd. Again, if you start at 25 yd with your "get on paper" shots, you're going to be HIGHER THAN 4 times your "error" at 25. The system described in this video WORKS. USE IT. You can refine it, by setting your "get on paper" target distance and 35-40 yd instead of 25.
100% correct! Most people start at 25 for a rule of quarter…. 35-40’ is ideal
Yard **
Interesting methods…
I’ll pull the bolt (on my bolt guns) and sand bag my rifle so that it won’t move.
Whatever spot that centers in the bore as I look down it (from the breech), I adjust my crosshairs to that spot…. I’m always on paper then, and can easily dial in from then on.
Love reading insight on this. This is awesome. Kotaboy32 made a video of using a 36 yard zero, and that has done WONDERS for me.
The fact that you typed "LoS" bothers me.
Cold bore shot is the most important shot when hunting. After doing all this check the cold bore shot another day or after the rifle has completely cooled.
Great job as usual
Keep'em coming!
Exactly. When you get to the range that first shot is the one you'd be taking at an animal if you were hunting.
Better to pre
And a clean barrel vs. a fouled/dirty shot barrel. You need to see if your gun shoots differently on a cold bore shot. So if you are hunting with a cleaned/scrubbed barrel. You need to see if that 1st shot is the same as you were when sighting in when you were fouled up.
Better to make a note of what the diff is between a coldbore clean barrel shot and the fouled barrel shot. If you prefer to hunt with a fouled bore till deer seasons over, and I've got friends that do it, don't worry about it. I always hunt with a cleaned, dry barrel and chamber. Take note of the diff at the range between the two and log it into your range notebook and then you will know what to do IF that second shot is needed. My experience has taught me that different rifles behave differently. Some needing 3 shots of fouling before the gun settling down to group well again, some having no difference in a cleanbore shot and a fouled bore shot. Each gun is different.
@@RMM--uv7uk Absolutely. Even just 1 or 2 shots through your clean barrel then tape it up after will eliminate that first shot flyer and duplicate how the rifle.
Brother, you are an amazing human being. I’m emotional after watching this after an hour and 100 rounds trying to find zero. Thank you so much. You have demystified my entire range time.
100 rds 😂😂
@@brentwinkelman1990 Man GTFO. We all started somewhere. Some people had teachers, others didn't. Yeah, maybe not the best to keep shooting if nothing is happening, but lessons learned.
Been there partner, but I can one up you in frustration. Was trying to zero a scout scope on my 1895, got through 30rds of .45-70 with no result. Angrily I go to just take the scope off and throw into the woods, it damn near came off at a touch. Damn gun rattled it loose probably 2 shots in and I was just clueless to it
Thank you from New Zealand much appreciated by someone just getting into rifle marksmanship
I bought my Remington 700 about 4 years ago and was so excited to zero it- I really wish this video existed back then!! This is like watching Bob Ross teaching me how to zero a long range precision rifle and I mean that in the best way possible lol. Thank you so much for this thorough explanation. Your enthusiasm and sincerity made this so much more enjoyable to watch!!
This method is one I’ve seen before and I like it because it uses a minimal amount of ammo, important to consider nowadays!
This video was filled with solid advice but the greatest idea was allowing the barrel to cool between shots. And, finally, check your zero a few more times on future range trips so you’re getting honest results with cold barrel shots.
Ron, this was a winner of a video!
*I can't wrap my head around this sighting technique. lol. if my rifle is shooting high and right , i move it down and left.* by literal clicks down and literal clicks left.
SO HOW COULD MOVING THE SCOPE UP CLICKS UP IN HIS TECHNIQUE NOT MAKE THE BULLET HIT EVEN HIGHER THAN BEFORE ?
HE HIT HIGH AND THEN CLICKS EVEN HIGHER SO THAT EQUALS EVEN HIGHER OFF TARGET?
HIS AIMING POINT BEFORE ANY ADJUSTMENTS WAS THE CENTER BULLSEYE, AND SO IS MINE..... NOTHING IS CHANGED
HE IS STILL USING THE CENTER BULLSEYE AND CLICKING EVEN MORE HIGH.
AND I AM CLICKING DOWN ON MY SCOPE TURRETS ... SO THESE ARE OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS OF CLICKS?????/
I'M ASKING FOR SOMEONE TO PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS TECHNIQUE LOL.....PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE BORE SIGHTING PART. THAT IS A NO BRAINER TO MOVE THE INITIAL RIFLE SCOPE CROSSHAIRS TO MATCH THE BORE HOLE... IM TALING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CLICKS UP WHEN HE ALREADY WAS HITTING HIGH, AS OPPOSED TO MY TECHNIQUES THAT HAVE WORKED ALL MY LIFE TO CLICK DOWN WHEN HITTING HIGH
@@mossymaple You are confusing what the up, down, left and right means here. When you move the clicks to the direction said in the scope, for example "up" the crosshair actually goes down. So in the video when he is moving the crosshairs up and left, the directions on the scopes clicks are going to down and right directions. Those words are not indicating the movement of the crosshair, but the movement of the impact point. So if you want your shot to go higher, you turn it to "up" direction (but the crosshair actually goes down). The technique showed here is quite simple; shoot and then move you crosshair just there where the actual bullet hole is. Now they are just in the same spot and the rest is just finetuning it.
This reminded me of sighting in my rifle every fall with my great uncle. You’re such a kind soul to learn with! Thank you!
GOOD stuff MATE 👏👏👏👏
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
I have been Pro Shooting for 47"years Now and this is EXACTLY HOW YOU SHOULD ZERO YOUR RIFLE! WELL DONE MATE! WELL DONE. cheers from South Australia...👌👌👌👍👍👍🦘🦘🦘👏
This is by far one of the best videos I've ever seen for sighting a rifle and scope in.
No "tacticool" bro shit (don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good gun humor video), no talking down to the viewer, no narcissistic "I'm a super expert because...", just a simple teaching video with great techniques learned from experience and a certain fatherly enthusiasm to it.
Great vid.
You did a really good job at explaining this technique which is the proper way of doing it. I was a tier two operator in the Army and we called it a two shot zero, as long as you’re on paper it only takes two shots to sight in. Good job sir!
Thanks Shaun.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors How many shots can you take before the barrel gets hot?thanks
Allow me to ask: That is very rough though, isnt it? First shot 25y. Second shot at 100y, then dial until crosshair over bullet hole. But wouldnt you want to take a third shot aiming for the bullseye (like Jon did) to make a final adjustement? Otherwise the precision requirements for "not moving the rifle" and "dialing the crosshair exactly on the bullet hole" are extremely high.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors *I can't wrap my head around this sighting technique. lol. if my rifle is shooting high and right , i move it down and left.* by literal clicks down and literal clicks left.
SO HOW COULD MOVING THE SCOPE UP CLICKS UP IN HIS TECHNIQUE NOT MAKE THE BULLET HIT EVEN HIGHER THAN BEFORE ?
HE HIT HIGH AND THEN CLICKS EVEN HIGHER SO THAT EQUALS EVEN HIGHER OFF TARGET?
HIS AIMING POINT BEFORE ANY ADJUSTMENTS WAS THE CENTER BULLSEYE, AND SO IS MINE..... NOTHING IS CHANGED
HE IS STILL USING THE CENTER BULLSEYE AND CLICKING EVEN MORE HIGH.
AND I AM CLICKING DOWN ON MY SCOPE TURRETS ... SO THESE ARE OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS OF CLICKS?????/
I'M ASKING FOR SOMEONE TO PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS TECHNIQUE LOL.....PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE BORE SIGHTING PART. THAT IS A NO BRAINER TO MOVE THE INITIAL RIFLE SCOPE CROSSHAIRS TO MATCH THE BORE HOLE... IM TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CLICKS UP WHEN HE ALREADY WAS HITTING HIGH, AS OPPOSED TO MY TECHNIQUES THAT HAVE WORKED ALL MY LIFE TO CLICK DOWN WHEN HITTING HIGH. IF I HIT HIGH AND SIMPLY CLICK LOWER THAT IS COMMON SENSE TO ME,,, WHETHER I DO IT WITH OR WITH OUT LOOKING IN THE SCOPE , THE ADJUSTMENT NEEDS CLICKS LOWERED, NEVER HIGHER....I CAN SHUT MY EYES AND STILL KNOW I NEED TO CLICK DOWN..WHAT AM I MISSING, CAN SOMEONE HELP ME GET MY HEAD AROUND THIS....LOL....
@@mossymaple Always follow the bullet hole with a scope, this makes the crosshairs hit where the hole was, thus bringing it all back to the bullseye when you shoot next.
Great advice! I'm new to hunting at 40years old. Never grew up hunting but have two boys and girls and want to get them outdoors in nature. I'm learning with help from you all. Have been struggling dialing in rifle. I need to be confident and sure I can ethically dispatch game at distance. Thanks again. Now going to range to put into practice.
The best advice I received when teaching my kids to shoot: A quality 22LR, 3-9x optic and landscape timbers setup at 20, 40 and 60 yds with 5 dimples per timber drilled from a spade bit to hold an egg upright. Get a ton of identical ammo, a great set of bags and zero that 22 dead on.
Kids love to see eggs pop, but don’t care about putting holes in paper. When you can give them 15 rounds and they can pop 15 eggs, they are ready to go out to 100-125yds with a .243, 7-08, 20ga rifled slug , etc.
When they can pop them at 80 & 100 yds, they are ready for any reasonable distance. They must make adjustments for the wind and drop. “I’m aiming at the upper right edge of the egg.” or “The wind is blowing hard across the range. I’m going to aim off of the egg and high.” Started mine both at 4 y/o with a used Browning T-bolt and a Leuopold 3-9x. Both now shoot PRC at 1k yds…and bow hunt.
I personally go to the .22LR & eggs when I’m in a rut. Try it!!
Got my first deer last season at 34. A big bodied 6 point, he’ll forever be my favorite deer. One part of me was psyched out of my mind, another part was melancholic about having missed so many years
Most effective and economical method of setting up a scope I have ever seen. You have used logic and planning instead of a hit and miss approach.
I'v used this method for a long time, but it's been a long time since I've actually done it. Thanks for the refresher, it never hurts to see if there is anything new or if I've forgotten something.
Great advice and a very good tutorial. Even as a kid sighting in our .22 bolt-action rifles, my dad taught me the benefits of bore-sighting with a new scope. On high-power rifles, once you achieve acceptable zero and know the trajectory of your ammo, get off the bench and practice shooting at various distances to get familiar with your rifle. I use plastic gallon milk jugs filled with water (frozen or not) to simulate the approximate size of a deer's vital area. Spaced at various distances for your anticipated hunting range, they provide a good reactive target for visual effect. If you can hit a milk jug at 200 yards under field conditions, you will get a clean kill on your deer-sized game. Keep up the good work!
Yes sir, I get off the bench and I’m all over the place, physically noticeable I may have to rear grip it differently I’m putting all the weight on my stock and I look like I’m purposely moving it in circles lol
For all you young folks watching this video the old guys know what they are doing. Not only does this work it saves time and money. Thanks Ron for another excellent video.
Ron, this is a great way to sight in a rifle (that you are able to sight directly through the bore) and is the method I’ve taught my kids. Some folks start shooting at 100 yards, and only shoot 1 shot instead of 3-shot groups (in the hopes of conserving ammo), and end up with a target full of holes and no idea where it’s really hitting. I can do some boresighting at 25 yards without firing a shot, then fire 2-3 shots at 25 yards, then fire 2 three shot groups at 100 yards and be good-enough-to-go-hunting *with only 8-9 shots.*. Truly the best way to go, and no sore shoulder!
If you fire one shot you know where your zero is, if you fire two, you are unsure, If you fire three you know how difficult it is to know where your zero is....
My neighbor just helped me sight in my deer rifle two days ago and showed me Your way of zeroing a new scope. I'm sold. Saved alot of ammo on finding zero! Thank you for showing this way to the masses!!! Great video!
This was right on. Thanks for talking about heat on the barrel . I shoot my 30:06 165 boat-tail 2 inches high at 100 yards. It gives me a range of more than 300 yards with out worrying. . Thanks so much. I am 66 years old and have done this all my life.
Excellent tutorial. I've used this method for over 40yrs. One thing to keep in mind is to verify your windage and elevation adjustments are centered before you start zeroing. That means if you have say 70 MOA adjustment range for Up & Down and Left & Right, that your starting in the middle at 35. That makes it even (centered) adjustments for either direction of adjustment. Optimal position of the Erector for sight in accuracy.
I get my scopes mounted by Ken Davis, a master stock maker and scope guru. His first step is to lay a solid metal bar in the scope mount trough to ensure coincidence with the centreline of the barrel. Before mounting and bore sighting the scope, he zeroes the scope "clicks" to their vertical and horizontal midpoint of travel, and then mount the scope. Minor adjustments of the mounts will ensure that the range of "click" movement is equal, thus ensuring a good (equal) vertical and horizontal range of "click" coverage for whatever load I develop for the rifle. 👍
Ron I love the way you carry on. I could listen to you talk all day long.
Love the 260 Remington, I own 3, 2 bolt actions and an ar10 style with Wilson combat barrel, all great shooters. Nosler Partition Trophy Hunter, extremely accurate 125gr.
I use the old Bushnell bore sighter, which does good for getting me on paper
That is what MOST people that know what they are doing use! Also the modern laser cartridges are a good alternative. Watching this video tells me this FUDD doesn't know what he is even doing. Someone of his age has surely seen or heard of both of these before.
I use a good bore sighting system, they're not very expensive. It puts me on paper and reduces ammo consumption. Ron, your demonstrated, in the field, method is still useful today. Thanks for the video.
Great Stuff Ron 🇺🇸🗽🇺🇸👍 🦌
The Vermonter
I bought one of the shot savers (bore sighter) long ago in the USA. A Leupold prism of sorts that magnetically clips to the end of your barrel. Works very well!
I’ve got the same thing. Too bad Leupold doesn’t make them anymore.
I never heard of them.
@@jonathanechols9985 It’s called the Leupold Scopesmith.
As an old shooter, both experience- and age-wise, I still really enjoyed this video. That is the method that I use, (well, I don't look through the barrel, but I do adjust the sighting to the hole in the paper, and go from there as necessary) although I don't get to shoot much anymore. Thank you for the fine video.
Great video, and yes, to help the reticle to seat I always tap the turrets with an empty casing after making an adjustment, reticles will definitely stick especially on cheap scopes.
Very smart, thanks for the tip!
The seasoning of a rifle is very real from what I've seen. Those little, microscopic cracks and machining marks in the bore get packed full of copper and smooth out. The "bullet jacket seal" is therefore tighter and more uniform causing very slight increases in accuracy and a slight plateau in velocity SD and ES. At least that is how I understand it after researching this topic and have seen from my own experience. Every rifle I have ever bought "commercial" and non-custom has had that seasoning point, usually around 50-100 rounds.
Actually, I like the 25 yard boresight. For hunting I deliberately set the rifle 3" high at 100 yards. Gives me a small balistic window out to 250 yards for no calculation (fast) shooting when targeting moving game at distance.
Been doing that for years. 7mm magnum 3 inches high at 100yds. Only 5 inches low 350 yds.
I don’t have my first rifle yet, but I’ve been watching all of these videos. I’m super excited.
What did you get?
Thank you Ron. Simple and clear, right to the point, as always.
Watching this video as a UK citizen whilst planning to zero my scope on my sub 12ft lb AA S410 air rifle this weekend. Dribbling with jealousy at you US guys you don't know how lucky you are being able to enjoy such firearms. Thanks Ron!
fantastic. Thank you very much for this. I inherited my grandpas 30-06. probably hasn't been shot in over 40 maybe 50 years. Shot it the first time the other day and it was almost spot on. Just needs a little adjustment and I needed to know what to do. Thanks. It's tough not being able to ask him questions about this gun. He made it himself and I have no idea what parts are used. What kind of ammo he liked to use. All that stuff. I look at it as a challenge to figure out. I think he would be proud of that. Hope to get my first deer with it this season. maybe next.
As a gunsmith I have the need to remove scopes at times and then replace them back. No mater how well one can measure or mark the scope before removal, it still should be re-zeroed by bore sighting every time.
Also, if you get a sudden consistent shot placement that is for no good reason way off after it has been hitting great, check the crown of the muzzle for damage, which is more common than a scope going suddenly bad. If you shoot the same gun a lot, you might eventually get odd flyers off in different inconstant shot placement, there is a possibility of the barrel being shot out. Yet , make sure the scope is not at fault before giving up on the gun itself.
Is it the end of the world if a barrel crown is damaged or can that be fixed by practically any gunsmith such as yourself?
One day I hope to burn out a barrel, my 100yr old enfield still hitting center tells me I’ll be buried first.
It also never fails that you get that call after a job "You messed up my scope/barrel" or "It was shooting straight before you had it." Yes I removed your scope, and if I was slammed, no I didn't re-zero it, bet there was a sticky note telling you as much too... lol
I've had good luck with a bore laser. It will easily pay for itself in a single outing with ammunition costs these day. Usually can get you close very quickly. Put a dot on the target, then line up your crosshairs.
I don’t like the rubber feet on the bottom of the lead sled because it allows too much movement. I do like the boresighting method he’s using on bolt style guns. I do exactly like he does. I’ve had bad luck with bore sighting equipment.
I use this method, and it works for all my scoped rifles. Like Ron said, "It's free". Great method to get your bullets to hit right where you're aiming. Great video Ron! Keep 'em comin'!
It's also something you can do without running to Academy or Walmart first or worrying about whether or not you've brought the right batteries with you. Shooting is a very physical, analog thing. No programming involved with your bullets or trigger finger, just physics. So to me, until we are actually firing digital laser weapons or something the superior ability will generally be in doing as much analog as possible.
I'd Really Like to Thank You for ALL of your Experience and Calm way of explaining it to Us! This Tip is Priceless as a Brush up to the Experienced Hunter and Especially to the New Shooters.
Very good tutorial! Bare-eye bore-sighting has saved me a lot of ammo over the years. It's amazing to me how many rifle owners don't understand the basics of sighting in. Thanks!
50 years and bare eye bore sighting has always put me on paper at 100yds for the first shot
I feel like the two of you are somehow related.
I’m pretty new to shooting and it was such an obvious tactic that I’d never thought of it. I’d just throw on a scope and start blasting, so much money wasted
Excellent and Outstanding!!!
I've tried this without a solid lock in . You MUST have the equipment seen here. Great video!
I said the same thing if you don’t have the equipment to keep that rifle completely still in mounted then you’re not gonna be able to really do what he’s doing there
Ive used one of those tripod doohickeys with the clamp on the end to a pretty alright effect, i guess if nothing else would work i could use my rifle's bipod and a ziplock bag of sand for the buttstock
Long time shooter and competitor .
This is the method I use as well.
Great that you are spreading the word.
Once I have sighted in then I shoot
Using the gun in my hands held where
I always place them on the stock.
I then rest my hand in the rest just to
steady myself. I place the butt against my shoulder
Then shoot with cold barrel
and make final scope adjustment.
I find this shoots to point of aim
in the field when hunting.
Try to hold with the same amount
of pressure against your shoulder
every time. Slower and heavier bullets
are effected by the pressure more than
lighter faster bullets.
Love all your videos, great job!
Thanks Craig
Good advice on locating the zero on paper. When sighting in a big magnum like a 338 Winchester, I always shoot with a substantial glove on the left hand and it resting on the bag. The idea is to have some pressure of the gun on the shoulder so it does not get a flying leap at you. Beware of sling swivels, etc., but it increases your tolerance to having to fire several shots to complete the sighting in, and when done right it really does not open the group up that much. Oh, and a high gun position of course for anything with heavy recoil, you do not want to be stock crawling with your elbows locking your body in against moving with recoil.
Brilliant 💯
Also, an optical collimator has much to recommend it. I bought a Bushnell collimator 40 years ago along with a set of arbors, and it has paid for itself several times over my lifetime. GREAT video, Ron!
That’s the Correct and Easiest way!
Managed a Gun Shop many Moons Ago
Its still the Proper and Fastest way
Must of Bore sighted 10,000 Guns 👍
I have a tasco and it always puts it on paper usually quite close. I did one for a guy once and it was dead nuts on! Definitely worth the money.
Haven't found them to be better than boresighting. That spigot is always going to be loose in the bore.
MOST HELPFUL VIDEO EVERRRRRRRR
Great techniques and I've used them all with great success. One note when looking through the bore and then moving the crosshair to align with the bore. Take into account that the adjustments are counter to what you would think. In other words, Up is Down and Down is Up. Likewise, Left is Right and Right is Left. Thanks for sharing Ron. Good advice.
When I got myself a new rifle with scope and living in the heart of an overcrowded city I hadn't a rifle club within reach so I decided to bore sight it. Out hunting the rifle was accurate as I expected. Great fun and satisfaction!
There's some interesting folklore about sighting in. I tend to favour a simple boresighting by removing the bolt and placing the scoped rifle onto a stable rest. Adjust it so you can see your target bullseye, placed at 25m, then see where the scope is indicating by looking through it without touching. Do a gentle adjustment and dial those crosshairs onto the spot indicated by the bore sighting. Shoot three rounds to confirm placement. Adjust scope and fire to confirm.
Back it out to 50m, then 100m, and adjust for your cartridge and conditions. Most modern sporting cartridges will give a maximum point blank range of 300m or more with a 3" high shot placement at 100m. If unsure then just use that figure and you'll likely be on target at 200m, a few inches low at 250 and around six inches low at 300-350 depending on cartridge.
Of course if you're using a big old 45-70 you may want to sight to point of aim at 150 with a 4" low at 200 and 8" at 250... after which it falls of the proverbial cliff haha.
As long as you have -10” of adjustment on your tang peep sight a 45-70 will shoot as far as you want!
Just bought Ruger in 450 BM. Put scope on. Put a 2 foot sq. target at fifty yards. First shot 6 right 1 down. Adjusted scope, second shot 1 left 1 up. Adjusted scope & Moved target to 100 yards. Did 3 shot group, 2 & half high and centered. Adjusted scope, 2 shots dead center touching each other. Can’t beat that!!
You remind me of my Dad. He was very patient when he taught me how to shoot. Very confident and to the point. By the way , I'm 79 and still shooting.
Great Video....Good instructional video. I have followed these steps for zeroing my Browning BAR Safari 2506 with Lead Sled, works great. Only difference was I used a bore sighter with my automatic...Once Again, Thanks...Good Job Ron
That is one thing I like about the Leadsled. I only use mine when sighting in after new load development. They are great for that and the method you outlined is what I have used for years.
It is amazing how many rounds I see guys at our range go through trying to sight their guns in.
You should try the Hyskore.
@@kenmills1611 I have never heard of them. Will check it out.
THANK YOU FOR SHOWING ME THE RIGHT WAY
I am an old school iron sights Marine who is new to the *OPTIC* world. This video was VERY helpful
I've used this method since the 80s, and works flawlessly once you know the ammo the rifle likes.... I also make sure I have a clean damp rag for running up a down the barrel, which cuts cooling time by 3 to 4 times. Good video.
One of the best tips is if you are using two different boxes, make sure the lot numbers are the same. Different lot numbers means likely a slight deviation in how the bullets from box to box shoot. Ive had the exact same caliber, brand, model of ammunition fly much different based on the different lot numbers (different primers used, different brand of powder from lot to lot, etc.)
I’ve learned my rifle hates one of the most popular ammos out there: Remington core lokt 150gr, .30-06.
I was getting NOTHING to be called a group, shot a full box with no consistency at all. Rifle cools down, I throw in some reloads, 150gr SST hornady over 47gr of IMR3031, 3 shots in the bullseye.
I watched a different video you made on sighting a scope. I followed your advice, and it worked. I only wasted 2 rounds instead of 20 lol. good stuff thanks man.
Very few scopes do what they supposed to do. Been shooting for 40 yrs. Lucky to get one that does what it should, very aggravating and expensive
Buddy and I went to the gun club recently to make sure deer rifles are dialed in and sight in a new scope on a new AR. Did it opposite and adjusted the scope from the shot to bullseye accordingly, we thought. Makes so much sense to zero scope from bullseye to your shot! I was never thought that way. You the man, instant like!
I was going to ask about doing it that way, so did your first/other method work? It seems logical…
I did this for two of my dads 30-06. Got them zero at 25 and both shot 6" high at 100. Very good effective way to dial in with few shots. But keep in mind at 100 you will be high, bullet is still in upward arc.
Hey Ron you know you did it right when someone like myself says to you..." I had an ohh! " Moment.
Thanks sir!
with all the new gun owners over the last few years...this is a very helpful video...im going to share it on my social media pages. In the last 2 years Ive taken so many people to the range and taught them how to shoot and sight in a gun. But this will save me time and ammo. (always seems to be my ammo that gets used LOL). For the guys n gals who money may be an issue...sand bags or ones like your video are sold at walmart and are cheap. Or big socks full of rice or playbox sand are even cheaper and work fantastically.
I’m 63 yrs old and been very avid Hunter my entire life. As I young man I learned to sight my gun in using this method. I read a article in a Field & Stream magazine that was written by Harold Carmichael on guns. He was a master of guns and recommended this sight in method. I applied this in my sighting in and was amazed and have been sighting in my guns this way for 40yrs or maybe more. Harold Carmichael was a one of a kind in gun articles.
This method works great as long as you are set up correctly to do it by not allowing the gun to move. Back in those days I didn’t have a gun visa as a young man. I would take a cardboard box shed notch it out at the correct locations for a tight fit in the box and that worked fine for those that don’t have a vise. Though I can’t see as good as when i was so young i can still drill pretty darn good. As you get older if the intent is to remain hunting. It’s even more critical that time is taken to assure proper sight in to offset human error. ( shakes, poor eyesight, etc. )
Where i hunt (Louisiana) I don’t shoot extremely long shots. Woods are thick in most areas and 50 to 70yrd shots are most common with occasional 150 yrd shots once in a while. So i sight in for 50yrds. And I’m still good out to 150. Rarely had to shoot any farther down here except for one time when sitting on a highline and that shot was a little over 300. Just be sure to sight in for the terrain and conditions you will be hunting under.
If you are in need to sight in for long range shooting instead of chasing bullits out to 300 yrds find out what your trajectory height is for a 100yrds to be in a kill zone shot at 300yrds. If the trajectory is suppose to be 3 inches high at 100 set up a target for 100 yrds. Mark a dot 3” above the bullseye. Shot one shot at the bullseye and then move the crosshair to your dot that you made 3” high. If you do it correctly the next shot should go right in your dot that you made. Works every time !!!!
Trick
Make darn sure the gun is secure while moving the crosshair or it work.
Hey Ron, I love the video and I know what you mean about the scope settling in. Funny thing I always did was when I make an adjustment on my scope, whether it be elevation or windage, I always tap the scope on the side and top after I adjust the knobs. I do this with cheaper Scopes as well as expensive one. I always thought this would "lock" the reticles into place after making the adjustments. So to me it makes sense and it's something I always make sure I do. I don't think your to far off. Keep doing what you do. Thanks again
It is something we always do, still not sure if it's needed on modern scopes, but at least it does no harm
I do this all the time. Still enjoyed watching. Thanks
Thanks for this video Ron👍👍
Thanks for the refresher course
I was advised by my Marine corps there's a reason why that rifle has the sling and bipod tabs are in the VERY front of the stock. It's because that's the most stable place for precision shooting combined with the sandsock on as far backwards as you can get it comfortably. That's exactly how it works, so put that dam front rest all the way to the front unless your bipods on it. These deer rifles don't have beavertail forends, most are pretty slim, so they are more difficult to master, so put a towel of some sort between the bag and the forend. I dam well guarantee you that's how she's done. There's still some more fundamentals of marksmanship, but building a properly Supported shooting platform is job#1, job#2 is natural point of aim. Job#3 is proper grip and the relaxation of the trigger finger,with proper cheekweld and pocket of shoulder weld. Well, there's a whole damn checklist of abunch more things you have to pay close attention to before you can always make that shot, I ain't going to tell the rest of it tho, it's complicated.
If she shoots at game at 100 yards off that same rest, positioned where it is on the bench, the point of impact will be close. But if she holds the front of the stock, or rests it on a different medium, such as a bipod, tree branch, or shooting sticks, the point of impact will change.
What if your barrel is free floating?
Too much pressure on the extreme forend can cause the barrel to deviate, now of course I realize that any AR/M- platform type doesn't have free floating barrels, that said nowadays many rifles, especially those with composite stocks feature free floating barrels.
Not a sermon, just a thought.
@@theorangevestarmy4255 Free-float doesn’t matter. Watch the muzzle-jump in the video. If she shoots from that bench, with the same rests, point of impact will be close. But not if she’s holding on to the rifle in the field.
Ok grandpa...the marines also are full tranz people now too...so idk if their practices on anything are worthy of consideration
I've been using this method for years.it works perfectly. Thank you for posting!
Great to hear!
Hello from Eskimo land, Canada 🇨🇦
Hello from Athabasan Land! Interior Alaska
Hello to all you wonderful northlanders! Caribou country.
My step-grandfather, the hunter and outdoorsman in our family, died before he could teach. me how to hunt past an adolescent age. Thanks for helping me figure out how to sight my rifles. There's a lot of bad advice out there.
Nice video, that was a clean and simple explanation to how a scope works, essentially. And basically, explaining the main flaw of any hunting rifle - the wandering bore. Where I live, we have to fire 2x15 shots (2 different days, 15 shots each) with our rifles each year as practice, before we can get our big game hunting license with a final 5-shot series, where all shots must hit within a foot-wide circle. Most people go for the final test as soon as possible after that final training round of 15 shots. Most barrels must be begging for mercy at that point - I usually skip at least half an hour to let my gun cool down (and the hunter too, God knows he needs his coffee! ;) ) But yeah, this part is really important - hunting rifle barrels are so thin, they start to wander about after 3-5 shots. I can follow this development on digital screens shot by shot at my range, and it´s really opened my eyes to this effect. Before, I thought I was just getting tired and worked up, but the rifle actually plays a big part as well.
Where in the world are you that requires that much shooting each* year?
Chasing the bullet hole like you show is the way I've always done it. Saves ammo (money) and time. Nice video, sir
This is one of the most useful videos I have ever watched. Thank you so much for making it, Ron!
Excellent..
This was a fun video. From a professional that works in production you get high marks in my book. Great personality on camera, great camera work, great sound. I’m not a long range shooter but you made it fun and inspiring. Great work.
A month ago I used your video to re-sight in my rifle after adding a 20MOA rail & taller scope rings. I pulled the bolt & bore sighted @ 25 yards then again at 100 yards adjusting the scope to same point. By the 3rd shot I was dead on the bull!
Very good Mr. Spomer. There are lots of new people to our sport these past few years. I am sure they would find this useful if someone hasn't explained how to easily sight in a rifle yet.
I am one of those people and appreciate this video for sure. Like many, I probably would have done this the hard way, xD
Well done video. Very clear and I love how your talk to us like we are old friends.
Those lead sleds do help for the initial sight in but I've tried them and ended up with 2 completely different zeros... meaning shooting in the sled I had 1 zero and shooting off bags I had another. I have no clue how that happens my only guess is harmonics but it's happened with 2 different rifles so I quit using them. I've also seen guns beat themselves up to the point action screws loosened up when using the harder bucking cartridges like 300 Win Mag. But again they're definitely a good tool to have... Great video as always keepem coming brother!!!
PoI will change depending on how the rifle is held, and how it recoils. From a rest, from bags, seated, prone, unsupported, w/ sling, etc...
Always zero your rifle in the same manner that you will shoot it for good results. Record DOPE at distance for best results.
That's how I was taught by my father.My father had shot out 2 22 long rifles by the age of eight.He was militarily trained right out of high school.He taught me military shooting techniques when I was 13,14 to 15.
Really enjoyed your technique that a friend taught me on the first scope I ever mounted to my .243. I never knew what a lead sled was then but the technique is solid and I have passed it on as well. Very good of you Sir to share this and may the good Lord always be with you!
Been using this little system since the mid 80s, because that's when I to figured it out while lining up scope's for myself and family and friends. It works!
i use to do it the old way when young. I learned to do it your way 15 years ago best way to sight in
Excellent
09:05 "hey everybody while we're waiting for the barrel to cool I'd like to sales pitch" LOL you fired one shot!! 🤦♂
Excellent way of explaining that! Thank you Ron. You clarified allot of things I was doing wrong within this video. Cant wait to get home and try this method.
Awesome! I learned the free.99 technique of boresighting as you've showcased here during a friendly hunting range (100-300yd) shooting competition when I was in high school. I'm not that much older now, but I've zeroed a smorgasbord of rifles since that time, and only one or two were boresighted from the gun store. I prefer to mount and boresight my own scopes, so all of my personal rifles have been boresighted using the method you showed us.
I tend to stay away from lead-sleds and other "lock down", user-error-removal tools for any shooting, but I do understand the reason you're using it or why someone would, especially for beginner or low skill level shooters. But it's almost a double edged sword if someone does not remove the gun from the lead-sled (like you did) and shoots it "raw" for the first time in the woods at big game...that's how you flinch on the buck of a life time. Or the last legal deer of the season, haha.
Because I don't use lead-sleds, I can't get my rifles quite as steady as you have and as such I can't get the cross hair to the bullet hole. I like your workaround, though, which is to have a buddy twist the turrets whilst I hold the gun in place. I've got a new gun (Mark V Hunter .30-06 & Conquest V4) to zero and I have some buddies who do, too. We will be using this method when we go out to the range!
Thank you Mr. Ron for another great video.
I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation as it was delivered in a very entertaining way, even though I cannot apply the techniques described on my springer air rifle. Lol
My underlever Weihrauch HW57 in .177 does not allow any bore sighting. Eventually though, when the scope's description about the click/distance ratio indicated in the factory specs are taken into account plus a little bit of math, sighting in the specific scope is quite easy. When I know that the crosshair moves 0,7 millimeters per click at a distance of 10 meters, sighting it in for my attic range of 15 meters is a walk in the park. 😁
Cheers from Germany! 🙂
You can use a laser bore sighter in your house on the wall to get your left and right then adjust your up and down where the crosshairs are about an inch above laser dot. This will save you a round or two. It depends on how tall your scope is above the barrel, but If you don't have a long range to sight in, I have found a 30 yard dead on zero works pretty well. 25 yard zero puts the 100 yard shot too high my experience.
50/200 is the only way to go. Hopefully you can find a 50yd LoS on your property.
What brand laser bore sight are you using?
@@kimberHD45 Not sure. It's red and appears to be made of aluminum and I most likely bought it at Walmart. It has black plastic sleeves for multiple calibers. Uses some kind of small watch batteries.
I like my old Bushnell bore sighter much better than any of the lasers I've tried, plus with the bushnell you can find any scope problems, tap scope see if it moves etc. I could watch the old Weavers jump a foot when you changed directions, was able to show a lot of guys what junk their weavers were
Wow! Thank you for taking out the mud a making sighting in so easy. So clear now.
A laser bore sighter saves a lot of time because you can see the bore line and the reticle at the same time.... You can do this at home before going to the range... :-)
Saved me many $ and hours.
Thank you Ron for your time.
Even with my bore laser I start the sight in at 25 yards. From there I do what you are doing. Works great! Thank you !
Yep, one can't look down the barrels of semi-autos or lever guns. I do bore sighting at our club's public deer sight-ins and have a good quality bore-sighting tool to get that first shot on paper and all new guns and new scopes get checked at 25 before moving to longer ranges. If I get a gun that's shooting all over the place, I check the screws first. It's surprising how many loose scopes I've seen in the last 20 years.
I started shooting airguns a few years ago. I have twice as many air rifles as I have scopes and change the scopes around frequently. This has made my skill at sighting in a 2 or 3 shot process. Perfection thru practice
As always great video! You always explain things in a way to make everyone understand. I love watching your videos.
New to rifles. Just got my first with a new scope and need to get it sighted, this was a very helpful video, this sport can be very intimidating and sometimes hard to open up and ask for help but I’m all in this year, I want to get my first deer 🦌 at 34 yrs old…