Basic Training: How to Sight a Rifle Scope for the Range

Sighting in a rifle scope is an absolute must for any shooter, whether hunter, law enforcement, military personnel, or another tactical professional; it's simply a fundamental skill. Even a competitive marksman requires a properly sighted rifle for accuracy and consistency.

You want to understand how to adjust a rifle scope, zero it for a particular distance, and compensate for factors like windage and elevation in order to maximize your optics.

If you want to be able to adjust, zero, and sight in a rifle scope, then you will want to understand some key aspects that include eye relief and parallax so that you can fine-tune your aim in different conditions.

Understand Rifle Scope Adjustments

Before you can even start making adjustments, you have to really understand how a rifle scope works. Accuracy is affected by a few key components:

• Magnification – This determines how closely the target is zoomed in on. Higher magnifications are great for long-range shots, while low magnification levels provide a wider field of view for close-range scenarios.
• Reticle (Crosshairs) – The crosshairs act as an aiming reference. Some scopes have simple duplex reticles, but others use mil-dot or BDC reticles that help with range estimation and holdover.
• Turrets – These control horizontal – windage – and vertical – elevation – adjustments. The windage turret helps to compensate for left or right bullet impact. Meanwhile, the elevation turret corrects any bullet drop.
• Objective Lens – The lens affects how much light enters the scope. That impacts clarity, especially in low-light conditions.
• Parallax Adjustment – This prevents the reticle from shifting as the user looks through their optic at different angles. Some scopes actually have a side focus knob or an adjustable objective lens for better parallax correction.

Step 1: Set Up Your Rifle for Accurate Sighting

Before you can make the necessary scope adjustments, you need a stable shooting position. You can set up on a solid surface using a bipod, sandbags, or a shooting rest that minimizes movement. You want your rifle to be level, and you should be able to keep a consistent shooting posture.

Next, make sure your scope is properly mounted. Things like high-quality rings and bases can prevent your optic from shifting under recoil – which can throw off your zero. You need to tighten your scope to manufacturer’s specifications without over-tightening it. Otherwise, you could damage the tube.

What Is Eye Relief on a Rifle Scope?

So, what is eye relief, anyway? It’s the distance between your eye and the rear lens, which allows a full sight picture. Most scopes provide about 3 to 4 inches of eye relief. However, that can vary by optic. Regardless, proper eye relief prevents user discomfort. It also protects against scope bite that can happen when your eye is too close when the recoil drives the scope into your face.

To adjust your eye relief, move the scope forward and backward within the rings until you have a full and clear view without neck strain.

Step 2: Bore Sight Your Rifle

Now it’s time to bore sight your rifle, which gets your scope closer to zero before you make live-fire adjustments. By bore sighting, you save ammunition and reduce the number of shots you need to dial in your scope.

If you’re using a bolt-action rifle, just remove the bolt and look down the barrel. You’ll want to align the bore with a target placed at 25 to 50 yards. Keep your rifle still, and adjust the scope’s windage and elevation turrets so the reticle is centered on the same point. 

If your rifle doesn’t let you bore sight it in this manner, you can use a laser bore sighter. Just insert it into the muzzle or chamber, and you can accomplish the same goal.

Bore sighting isn’t a substitute for live-fire adjustments. Still, it can significantly cut down the time it takes to zero your rifle.

Step 3: Zero the Rifle Scope

When you zero your rifle scope, you align the point of aim with the actual point of impact. Most shooters decide to zero at 100 yards. You might decide, however, to adjust that distance depending on your shooting application.

To zero your scope, set up a large paper target at your chosen distance. Fire a three-shot group, but make sure you keep the rifle as steady as possible. Check how the bullet impacts and measure the distance from the group’s center to the target’s bullseye.

Based on these measurements, you can adjust your windage and elevation turrets. If your shots are hitting two inches low and one inch to the left, for example, then you can dial the elevation turret up and the windage turret right. 

Most scopes adjust in 1/4 MOA increments at 100 yards. That means every click moves the point of impact by 1/4 inch.

After you’ve adjusted your windage and elevation turrets, fire another three-shot group to confirm your new settings. You can repeat this process until your shots hit the bullseye consistently.

Step 4: Adjust for Windage, Elevation, and Parallax

After you’ve zeroed your rifle, you’re ready to fine-tune other settings to improve your accuracy.

You’ve already made some adjustments to your windage and elevation, but you can still make more minor adjustments for a better aim. 

Remember, windage accounts for any horizontal drift caused by wind or misalignments. Go ahead and adjust the windage turret in small increments. This is especially helpful when you’re shooting in different wind conditions. 

Next is the elevation. It adjusts for bullet drop over distance. If you’re shooting beyond your zeroed range, you’ll want to compensate by dialing your elevation turret up. Or you can use reticle holdovers.

What Is Parallax on a Rifle Scope?

Parallax refers to the optical distortion that happens when the reticle appears to shift in relation to the target as you move your eye. The phenomenon is most noticeable at the higher magnification levels. Luckily, many scopes boast a side focus knob or an adjustable objective lens that will correct parallax.

You can adjust the parallax by focusing on a target at your intended shooting distance. Just slightly move your head as you look through the scope. If you see the reticle moving independently of the target, you’ll want to turn the parallax adjustment until you see a stationary reticle.

With proper parallax adjustment, you make sure you have a clear sight picture that is free of distortion. This is especially important for precision shooting over long distances.

Step 5: Fine-Tune for Different Shooting Scenarios

When your scope is properly zeroed, you can shoot effectively in different conditions. In long-range shooting, for example, it’s critical to compensate for bullet drop. Just adjust the elevation turret or employ reticle holdovers. They’ll make up for gravity’s effect on the bullet over more extended distances. Some shooters even use ballistic calculators or specialized apps to determine the most precise adjustments.

Hunters might zero their rifles at 100 or 200 yards. It all depends on the type of game and terrain. One method, Maximum Point-Blank Range zeroing, allows for the fewest adjustments in the field. When hunters set their zeros at a specific range, their bullet trajectories will stay within a certain range above or below their lines of sight. That makes it all the easier for them to hit targets without constantly making scope adjustments.

Meanwhile, law enforcement and tactical shooters often zero their sights at 50 yards. They then have a near and a far zero, so the bullet’s trajectory intersects the line of sight a second time at a further distance. With that kind of setup, dynamic shooters enjoy quicker target acquisition with minimal adjustments.

Step 6: Maintain an Accurate Scope

Once you’re all sighted in, you have to remember to regularly check your zero. Your rifle’s zero can shift if your optic is bumped, if the rifle itself is dropped, or if environmental conditions change. You want to always confirm your zero before you enter a critical situation. That holds true for law enforcement, hunting, and competitive shooting.

To maintain your rifle scope’s accuracy:

• Make sure your scope is mounted securely. Also check that the screws are tightened properly.
• Use turret caps or locking mechanisms to protect your turrets from accidental movement.
• Avoid touching your lenses directly with your fingers to help keep them clean. You can use a microfiber cloth or a lens pen instead.
• Always store your rifle in a padded case. You’ll help prevent damage from impacts and extreme temperatures.

Master Rifle Scope Adjustments

It takes time and patience to master rifle scope adjustments. It makes no difference if you’re learning to zero your scope for hunting, tactical shooting, or competition. By following these six steps for how to sight in a rifle scope for 100 yards, you’ll have better accuracy and more confidence in every shot you take.

Here at Night Vision Guys, we have all the high-quality rifle scopes, red dot sights, and night vision optics to cater to shooters of all skill levels. No matter what your shooting application, we have the gear you need to significantly boost your accuracy.