How do I sight in my new rifle?

[Milehighmagoo]

Being new to the .204 and this forum, wondering if anyone has any tips or words of advice when sighting in my rifle. I've already had it bore sighted at 50 yds, and the local gun shop said it might be a hair low at 100 yds. He said he did so because the bullet is like a lazer.

Rifle: Savage Model 25
Scope: Bushnell 4200 6x24x40
Bullet: Blitzking 39gr

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[Mike]

If you feel like your local guy did a good job bore sighting, you should be able to set up your target at 100 yards. Make sure that you've got a solid rest, and fire a three-shot group. Check your target to see where the group is, then adjust your sights as needed to shift your point of impact where you want it (continuing with three-shot groups). Should be pretty straight-forward if the gun's been bore sighted well.

If you're not on paper (use a large target) at 100 yards, move the target up to 25 yards. Then you can put your rifle on a solid rest and pull the bold out of the gun. With the bolt out, look through the barrel and move the gun until it's pointed at the target. Then (without moving the gun) look through the scope. If the scope's not on target, adjust the dials until the scope is on target as well. That's a quick and dirty way to get on paper, then you can adjust your point of impact from there and then move out to 100 yards to refine everything.

Let us know how the new rifle shoots!

[Va varminter]

If you are going to use target turrets on your scope to dial in every shot I would go dead-on at 100yds. If you don't move the dials at all after sighting in then I would go 1.25"-1.5" high at 100yds. Like the guy said, it's like a laser. 1.5" high will put you in the money for any shot you have. Unless you go west of course .

[futuretrades]

i've seen more ammo wasted on bore sighted rifles than it's worth! even with the laser bore sighters. the easiest and fastest way that i use myself, is to use a laser bore sighter at about 50 yds, and move scope to the laser point, then lock rifle down in a good cleaning vise and take the bolt out. looking thru the barrel, move the barrel to an easily seen object at any distance, up to about 150 yards or less, and adjust the scope until you see the same object in the scope. double check that the rifle bore and the scope picture is real close. take the rifle out to the range and set your target at 25 yards and shoot and adjust scope to the bull after each shot. once you are zeroed at 25, move your target out 100 yds. and shoot again. your poi should be about 1.5 to 2.00 in high at a hundred after the first shot. from there adjust poi to where you want to hit the target at 100 yds. now you can fine tune you zero. i start by shooting 5 shot groups at 100. i shoot at targets with a 1 in. square and 1 in cross lines, that i can see in the scope and really fine tune my zero.
this method is a lot faster and saves ammo.
also, on some scopes, after you adjust poi, i tap on the top and side adjustments before the next shot. this makes sure that the cross hairs actually move to the adjustment. sometimes the cross hairs hang up and don't move until the next shot

[joea]

I have a Leupold zero point bore sighter and love it. 1st shot on paper, next shot you are zero'd. Just dont try to figure out how it works, dont question the instructions, just follow them.

[Hotshot]

I like mine too. I think it works under the principle of magic.

[Big_Bullseye]

With my last .204 I zeroed my scope at 200 yards as opposed to 100. That just seemed to work best for me with the Leupold Varmint retical on a 6.5X20X56.

I also have to get my new .204 dialed in this weekend. I do it the same way with every gun I have. I have a laser bore sighter that I use right afte the scope goes on. I just put it close to the cross hairs at 25 yards and that gets me on paper at 50, then I fine tune a bit more which gets me on paper at 100. Then I move out to the 200 yard and make a few shots until I am satisfied. Normally I an get a rifle pretty much perfect with low tono wind conditions in around 15 rounds.

Good luck and enjoy the shooting.

[rfurman24]

The absolute easiest way to sight any rifle in is to fire 2-3 shots at paper at 25-30yds while the gun is on a solid rest. You should hit paper. Put the rifle back so that the cross hairs are at the original point of aim and move the cross hairs with the scope adjustments to the point of bullet impact. Now you should be very close. Finish fine tuning as you normally would.

[skipper]

I do it much the same way as futuretrades.

I pull the bolt out and sight down the bore on a bulls eye at 100 yards. Then without moving the rifle, start clicking away at the windage and elevation knobs until the crosshairs are centered on the same bulls eye. Do a double check of both the picture down the bore and crosshairs and your shots should be right on at 100 yards. A little fine tuning with the knobs and you're done. You can skip the 25, 50 yard shots with the 204. The bullet is still rising.

[OldTurtle]

Before I attempt to do any work at zeroing a scope, I have to satisfy myself that the scope reticle is centered and the crosshairs are level with the mounting surface of the rifle....

That being said, futuretrades has the right approach.... I have a neighbor that has his kid's basketball goal located facing the back of my house and it's a hair over 110yds according to my rangefiner... His gutter checks at 110 and it's just above it...

I center my bore on the smaller square above the basket and set my crosshairs so they are equi-distant within the square....

Every time I've gone to the range, I'm right on at 100 and then adjust for farther distances..