scope zero questions

[Sniff]

I purchased a 30-06 and have a leupold vx freedom 3-9 x 40 scope. I took it into bristlecone gunsmith and have them mount and laser bore sight in the scope. I went to the range to get my zero set. I set up at 100yd and didn't hit the paper... I'm not sure if this is part of the issue, but I zoomed my scope in to the highest power trying to get it in the center ring of the target. I kept it there the whole time I shot and didn't think of trying it not zoomed in until I was driving back home pissed. Just not sure on what to do next? I tried holding low to just get it on paper and nope. I was trying to guess on how high I was hitting and ended up turning my elevation dial to drop. still nothing on the paper. I have a front tripod bag thing to hold the rifle stable nothing in the back. I shot a couple more rounds trying to figure out where I was hitting. After getting frustrated I am looking for suggestions or ideas. Feel free to let a rifle noob hear it for doing dumb shit. thanks all

 

[sram9102]

Move up too 25 or 50 and give it another go to get on the paper.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Even with bore sighted or laser sighted in scopes, I still like to start off at 25 yds. Much easier to get on paper at that distance than 100 yds.

 

[brsnow]

100 is far for just bore sighted to start

 

[Sandstrom]

What they said! Start at 25 yards.

Good luck!

 

[Bubblehide]

Yep, start with sighting in at 25 yards. Then you will need to re-sight in at 50 yards. Then re-sight in at 100 yards; you then should be good. But, use a rocksolid rest.

The scope magnification has nothing to do with where the bullet hits, other than making the target easier to see while reducing your field of view. In short, magnification makes the target appear larger; but you will also be more aware of any minor movements you are making.

 

[BluMtn]

Move to 25 yards and start over. There are more ways to get there but this is the easiest. If you don't hit paper then your gunsmith is not someone you want to take work to.

 

[nobody]

Like everyone is saying, move into 25 and sight in dead nuts left and right and about an inch or 2 high at most. Then move back to 100 and make the final adjustments to be 2.5 inches high at 100.

Honestly, I never even bore sight. I always set up at 50 yards with my target on a big, pink poster board and just shoot. I'll ALWAYS hit a paper that big! Then I make adjustments, back up to 200, and make final adjustments. It's something you could try!

 

[VernAK]

sight in at 25 yards period!

you should then be a bit high at 100 and dead on at 200......unless your scope is ridiculously high mounted.

go huntin

 

[WCB]

Even bore sighted if you are not hitting paper (depending on size of target) I would question the mounting. I do agree with above. Pull the bolt center on object in the bore then look through the scope without moving the rifle. I have never been more than 3 or 4 inches off when doing that.

 

[Buffalorider]

Even bore sighted if you are not hitting paper (depending on size of target) I would question the mounting. I do agree with above. Pull the bolt center on object in the bore then look through the scope without moving the rifle. I have never been more than 3 or 4 inches off when doing that.

^^^ This. I had a .243 bore sited the other day and after 2 shots off paper I pulled the bolt and looked down the bore. It was shooting 3’ left. Moved zero to match with bore and was within 4” @ 100 yards.


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[dla]

I purchased a 30-06 and have a leupold vx freedom 3-9 x 40 scope. I took it into bristlecone gunsmith and have them mount and laser bore sight in the scope. I went to the range to get my zero set. I set up at 100yd and didn't hit the paper... I'm not sure if this is part of the issue, but I zoomed my scope in to the highest power trying to get it in the center ring of the target. I kept it there the whole time I shot and didn't think of trying it not zoomed in until I was driving back home pissed. Just not sure on what to do next? I tried holding low to just get it on paper and nope. I was trying to guess on how high I was hitting and ended up turning my elevation dial to drop. still nothing on the paper. I have a front tripod bag thing to hold the rifle stable nothing in the back. I shot a couple more rounds trying to figure out where I was hitting. After getting frustrated I am looking for suggestions or ideas. Feel free to let a rifle noob hear it for doing dumb shit. thanks all

Although I'm not sure how, it sounds like the person doing the bore sighting didn't get the laser square in the bore. Maybe he overtightened it?.

 

[rayporter]

that is just another way to milk you out of money! they will not get it any closer than you will by sighting on a door knob your first time.

 

[Stefan]

Bore sighting gets your closer to the broad side of a barn but usually without some voodoo it won't get you on. You got plenty of sound advice from above. Use the time to also practice on your fundamentals while zeroing your rifle.

 

[Newtosavage]

I purchased a 30-06 and have a leupold vx freedom 3-9 x 40 scope. I took it into bristlecone gunsmith and have them mount and laser bore sight in the scope. I went to the range to get my zero set. I set up at 100yd and didn't hit the paper... I'm not sure if this is part of the issue, but I zoomed my scope in to the highest power trying to get it in the center ring of the target. I kept it there the whole time I shot and didn't think of trying it not zoomed in until I was driving back home pissed. Just not sure on what to do next? I tried holding low to just get it on paper and nope. I was trying to guess on how high I was hitting and ended up turning my elevation dial to drop. still nothing on the paper. I have a front tripod bag thing to hold the rifle stable nothing in the back. I shot a couple more rounds trying to figure out where I was hitting. After getting frustrated I am looking for suggestions or ideas. Feel free to let a rifle noob hear it for doing dumb shit. thanks all

Man, this happens literally ALL THE TIME. I see it at least 10x/year on my small home range.

Even assuming the person who did the bore sighting had it in the bore correctly, there is no guarantee that the laser was installed in the dead center of the boresighter at the factory. One way to account for this, if you have your own boresighter, is to rotate the boresight laser in the bore and see if it moves relative to your crosshair. Take readings at 12,3,6 and 9 O'clock and average them. That will get you closer. Of course, nobody does this and practically everyone that counts on a laser boresighter thinks theirs is dead-on.

I bore sight the old fashioned way... by sighting literally through the bore. But then I also take my first shot at 25-30 yards to make sure I hit paper. My next step is to secure the gun and move the crosshairs TO THE HOLE I just made at 30 yards. Then it will be on paper at 100.

Using this method, I routinely sight in scopes in less than 4 shots and never more than 7 shots.

But I see guys waste whole boxes of ammo and still leave the range pissed off, all the time. And they blame the person who did the bore sighting, every time. What a waste.

I once watched a guy with at least $3k worth of gun/scope plow through over $100 in custom hand-loaded ammo before he finally asked me to come help him out. I put up a single 8.5x11 sheet of paper at 30 yards, shot one shot, moved the crosshairs on the scope to the hole and handed the rifle back to him. His next shot at 100 was about 2" off dead center. He had yet to hit paper in nearly an hour of trying. But he did use a lot of curse words during that hour, and blamed a lot of people in the process.

It truly is painful to watch in real time.

 

[DANNY-L]

Bore sighter's are to put ya on paper at 25yds,adjust your scope then move to 100yds and readjust from there as needed.

 

[Newtosavage]

OP, please don't take this as "piling on" because that's not my intent,

But I do honestly wonder how many animals are wounded or missed every year by guys who were told their rig was "bore sighted" when they bought it (worst case scenario). I also wonder how many rounds of ammo are wasted for the same reason (your scenario). If I didn't know better, I'd say it's good for ammo sales to tell a customer their rifle is bore sighted.

 

[fivebikies]

Knock the primer out of an empty case stick in the chamber and look through primer hole when bore sighting.
It is a bit more accurate.

 

[DANNY-L]

Way too many people (mainly new comers to hunting/shooting think that because there rifle has been bore sighted that it is dead on at any range.

 

[Sniff]

OP, please don't take this as "piling on" because that's not my intent,

But I do honestly wonder how many animals are wounded or missed every year by guys who were told their rig was "bore sighted" when they bought it (worst case scenario). I also wonder how many rounds of ammo are wasted for the same reason (your scenario). If I didn't know better, I'd say it's good for ammo sales to tell a customer their rifle is bore sighted.

I hear what you’re saying. I purchased the gun and had the scope(won in a bow shoot...). I took it to the gunsmith with rings and scope and had them mount it and bore sight it. After trying the suggestions here I’m ppretty sure the rings are too large. I was on the leupod site and it says medium size rings. Which is what I bought. After bore sighting and turning the elevation all the way down I’m still about 2” high looking through the scope. That being said I want to get this figured out so I quit going through so much ammo. Plus I’m eating my tag for 1st rifle season because I procrastinated on getting my stuff ready and it is wrong to try and take an animal when I’m not ready.