If you’re hunting, whether it be deer hunting, turkey hunting, whitetail deer hunting, or duck hunting, chances are you’ll need to learn how to zero a scope. A scope is what helps you see your prey, and while these scopes can be expensive, they are often worth it because of how much better your shot will be. With any scope, there is always some degree of guesswork when it comes to aiming. With some scopes, you can’t assume that the shot is straight, or you can’t assume that the prey is being feline-resistant, etc. Learning how to zero a scope means learning how to use the equipment properly so you can get the most out of it and get the results that you want and need.
The Basics Explained!
While this is certainly not a tutorial on how to zero a scope, hopefully this is a quick review on how to zero a scope quickly and easily. Typically, when you’re zeroing a scope it will probably be necessary to take the rifle to the range, and sight in the scope to get an estimate of how far the shot needs to be. Since your accuracy will be calculated based upon the distance at which you aim the gun, you’ll have to use the best estimation that you can get by taking the distance at which you aim the gun at a normal “coarse” setting. Remember, though, that when you’re shooting guns, especially long guns, you’ll need to compensate for the recoil and the wind. This means that you’ll have to make sure that you adjust the correction on your scope appropriately.
In summary: you’ll need to know how to zero a scope by using the techniques that you would use when sighting in your pistol. The two most common techniques are known as boresight and laser. Boresight involves aiming at a target and looking through the optic scope, then through the crosshairs to see where the front edge of the target is. Laser involves using a red dot sight and aiming the gun at the target. Remember to use a laser sight if you are going with a boresight technique.