Do you own a rifle scope? If yes, then you might have known that how important it is to handle the scope correctly. You should know lots of things to handle the riflescope in a right manner and make worth hunting, no matter if you are a professional or novice hunter.
Accuracy is one of the important factors for using a rifle scope. To improve accuracy, you should zero your scope. Don’t know how to zero the scope? Then don’t worry, you are in the right place.
In this article, we will explain about how to zero the scope without firing. Zeroing the scope is an important factor to make an accurate shot and to use costly ammunition in a right manner.
Zeroing the scope is not much difficult; you just need to know how to mount the rifle, view and adjust it.
The latest scopes are easy to zero compared to the older models, but still, it needs some time, accuracy, and patience. Let’s see how to zero the scope without firing, step by step.
Things to Consider Before Zeroing the Scope
There are certain things that you should consider before zeroing the scope. They are,
Mounting
Checking whether the scope is mounted properly is one of the important things that you should do before zeroing the scope. If the scope is not mounted properly, then you can’t zero the scope perfectly, even in expensive rifles. Thus, make sure whether the scope is mounted properly.
Distance of the Target
You should know the distance of your target so that you can zero the scope perfectly. First, you should start with a closer distance of 25 yards, and then extend the distance of the target based on the accuracy you get.
The distance that you start can differ based on your shooting area. The distance of indoor and outdoor shooting can vary. When it comes to indoor shooting, you can start from 20-25 yards distance, and if you’re hunting outdoors, then it is better to start from 35 to 40 yards distance.
Use a Laser Pointer
It is one of the tools that ensure accuracy while shooting and reduce the focus time. With this tool, you can easily identify your target. You can also buy the scope that is built with a laser instead of using it separately.
Steady your Rifle Position
The next step is to steady the position of your rifle.
You should make sure that the rifle is placed in a right position and it should not move even a bit. The small difference in the position can spoil the process, and you need to set them again.
Use the Adjustment Turrets
Use the adjustment turrets before zeroing the scope. It helps you to move the position of the scope whenever needed. It is better to zero the scope during the day.
Also, it is important to consider the weather condition. There are certain scopes available on the market that don’t consider the weather conditions.
How to Zero the Scope without Firing – Step by Step
You should consider the above things to improve the process of zeroing the scope. There are several steps for zeroing the scope and is given below.
Set up your Rifle Position
First, you have to place your rifle steadily without moving the position. If any shake occurs in your rifle, then the direction of your shot may change.
Therefore, it is better to stabilize your rifle using the shooting rest, which is one of the tools used to make a correct position and stabilize your rifle when shooting.
The shooting rest ensures the stable position of the rifle. If you don’t have the shooting rest, then you can stable your rifle using your jacket, boots, or whatever you have. If you’re a hunter or shooter, it is better to have a shooting rest.
Mounting the Scope
If you didn’t mount the scope properly, then the other factors are inapplicable. The scope is the main equipment in this process, so there is no zeroing without the scope.
You should ensure that the scope is mounted correctly with the right mounting rings. All the scopes come with a proper user manual to help you mount the scope perfectly.
A scope that is mounted perfectly ensures the grip of the rifle. You will get a poor result with the scope that is not mounted correctly.
Choose the Target Place
You have to choose the location of the target that you need to make a shot. With this, you can know if the scope is zeroed perfectly or you need to make some adjustments.
It is not easy to shoot the moving targets, and you may get a bad result. Thus, it is better to practice zeroing the scope with the stable, deeply rooted target to get good results.
Mark a point in your Target
Mark the center of your target with a dot that allows you to hit the target accurately. Without this, you may miss the aim of your target and make a wrong shot.
The mark on the center of your target tracks the position of your focus. The laser is one of the useful tools that help you to point the center of your target with light, and that allows you to make a perfect hit on your target.
Make Adjustments
The right knobs can make accurate adjustments and that help to zero the scope perfectly.
You have to adjust the height of your rifle according to the position of your target so that you can focus the center point of your target accurately. If you did not make the adjustment properly, then you may miss the target.
A perfect adjustment will take some time but the rush adjustments allow you to make a wrong shot. An inch of difference in the movement doesn’t allow you to make an accurate shot.
Position your Eyepiece
Positioning the eyepiece of the scope perfectly according to the target’s direction will help you get a clear view of the target.
A well-positioned eyepiece provides you clear and sharp images of the target. Getting blurry images affects the chances of hitting your target accurately.
With sharp images, you will know, where to make a perfect shot. The quality of the image is very important when it comes to hitting the target, so you can change the scope for better quality.
Shooting in Groups
The next step after mounting the scope and making all the adjustments is to ensure the accuracy. When you are ready to shoot, it is better to shoot in the groups to test the accuracy.
Shooting thrice at a time ensures that the shots you made had hit accurately on the right point. If you shoot in a group of three or five, then it might hit perfectly on the right point, therefore the scope is zeroed perfectly.
If one shot hits the target and the others on the sides of the target, then you have to change the adjustments properly. With this method, you can also know which pallet is suitable for your shooting.
You have to concentrate on the impact of the pallet after zeroing the scope. Moreover, you have to consider protecting your ears from the loud sounds of shooting.
Benefits of Zeroing your Scope
Improves Accuracy
Every hunter and shooter wants to make a shot with perfect accuracy. Zeroing your scope is one of the advantages to help you make an accurate shot. By zeroing the scope, you can get more accuracy easily.
Saves Time
Once you try out zeroing the scope, it will become professional and so it saves your time. Some hunting or sports shooting makes you tired and takes more time to focus on the shooting point.
It spoils your interest in the field and it leads to a wrong shot. One irritating thing here is that it takes a long time for one shot.
Reduces Wasting Bullets
The bullets that can be used on rifles are costlier, so it is important to use them for a right shot. Missing the targets may lead to unnecessary waste of bullets, and it may disappoint the hunter or shooter.
Zeroing the scope allows you to make a perfect shot and reduces the count of bullets that are wasted on the wrong shots. It also allows you to save the money that you spend on bullets
Conclusion
Scope is one of the essential tools for hunters and shooters to improve the visibility of the targets. All the people who have rifles use the scopes to get an accurate view of the target and make perfect shots. The scope is not useful if it is not mounted properly, so it is important to ensure mounting of the scope.
The scope has lots of features to improve accuracy and provide excellent performance, so you should know how to utilize that. Zeroing the scope is one of the best things to increase your accuracy. You have to improve your knowledge of the scope day by day according to your needs.
Thus, try the steps that we’ve mentioned in this article to zero your scope. Zeroing the scope can vary depending on the rifles and scopes that you use, so you can customize it according to your needs.
We hope this article has helped you to know how to zero the scope without firing. Just try out this and get the best results.