How to Zero Your Riflescope
To zero your riflescope effectively, start by securely placing your rifle in a vise for stability. If you have a modern bolt action rifle, use the vise directly; for AR-15s, disassemble the upper receiver from the lower receiver so it will be possible to look through your barrel. For other models such as AKs, G3s, or other types of rifles where it’s impossible to achieve a clear sight picture through the bore, opt for a universal laser boresight. With the bolt removed, peer through the barrel towards a target positioned 20-50 yards away. Align the bullseye of the target with the center of the barrel's line of sight.
Once bore sighted, keep the rifle in the vise to prevent any unintended movement. Adjust the windage and elevation on your optic to match the bore-sighted sight picture, ensuring alignment with the barrel's line of sight. Maintain stability throughout this process. After adjustments, aim at the center of the target and take three to five shots, focusing on achieving consistent grouping. Making adjustments after a single shot will have you chasing your pattern all over the target and will ultimately be a waste of ammo.
When making adjustments, try to make only one type of adjustment at a time. Make changes to the windage (horizontal) or elevation (vertical) adjustments and perfect them before switching to the second axis. With Firefield Rapidstrike scopes, adjusting turrets is toolless thanks to the Rapidstrike’s finger-adjustable turrets with locking, pop-up features. This means these turrets must be pulled up to disengage the locking mechanism and adjust them, after which they are pushed back down to lock the adjustment.
During the zeroing process, resist the urge to adjust your point of aim. Always aim at the center of the target, as the objective is to align your shot placement with where your reticle is aiming, not the other way around. If needed, fine-tune your adjustments based on the observed shot placement until you achieve consistent and accurate results. Following these steps will help you zero in your riflescope for precise and reliable shooting.