The Sighting-In Process, Step by Step

Lesson 18 of 33 · Module 4, lesson 4

Assumes the Hunting Primer. New here? Start there first.

Your objective

By the end, you'll be able to perform a complete sighting-in session from bore sight to verified zero, in the correct order, with no wasted rounds.

Procedure ~9 min

A new scope. A rifle that hasn’t been fired since last season. Forty-five minutes before the range closes. You have 20 rounds and you need a verified zero. Do you know the exact order of steps to get there without burning half your ammo chasing shots you don’t understand? This lesson walks you through it — from bore sight to confirmed zero, with nothing wasted.

Quick recall

Quick recall from MOA & MRAD Basics — your group lands 3 inches high at 100 yards on a scope with 1/4 MOA clicks. How many clicks DOWN to correct it?

12 clicks DOWN 8 clicks DOWN 3 clicks DOWN

Show answer

Correct: 12 clicks DOWN — Correct. 3 inches ÷ 0.25 inches/click = 12 clicks. Direction: the group is HIGH, so you click DOWN. You will apply exactly this calculation during the sighting-in process once you have a confirmed group on paper.
Not quite: 8 clicks DOWN — Close, but 8 clicks × 0.25 inches/click = only 2 inches of correction. You need 3 inches. The formula: inches of miss × 4 (for 1/4 MOA). 3 × 4 = 12 clicks.
Not quite: 3 clicks DOWN — 3 clicks × 0.25 inches/click = 0.75 inches of correction, not 3 inches. Remember: at 1/4 MOA, it takes 4 clicks per inch at 100 yards.

Step 1 — Set up safely before a round is loaded

Set your target at 25 yards for the first shots if this is a new scope or a rifle that hasn’t been fired recently. Starting close makes it nearly impossible to miss the target entirely, saving rounds and frustration.

Step 2 — Bore-sight (not a shortcut — a head-start)

Bore-sighting aligns the barrel’s center with the scope’s reticle before any live fire. It gets you on paper at 25 yards, preventing the wasted ammo of shooting a target you miss entirely.

Visual bore-sight method (bolt-action rifles):

Remove the bolt and set the rifle in a stable rest on sandbags or a rest that holds it still.
Look through the bore from the rear — center your aiming point (a distinct mark on the target) in the bore.
Without moving the rifle, look through the scope. If the reticle is not on the target, adjust the scope’s windage and elevation turrets until the crosshair sits on the same spot the bore is centered on.

Laser bore-sight method: Insert the bore-sight laser (caliber-matched cartridge-shaped tool) into the chamber. The laser dot shows you where the bore is pointed. Adjust the scope reticle to the dot. Remove the laser before loading or firing.

Edge case Bore-sighting limits and when it isn't enough

A bore sight gets you “on paper” — it does not give you a verified zero. The bore and the scope are not perfectly co-linear; the bullet also travels in an arc, not a straight line. A bore sight at 25 yards will typically get you within 2–4 inches of center at 25 yards, which is close enough to fire a real group and begin adjusting. A bore sight is never a substitute for live-fire zeroing. Do not hunt on a bore-sight alone.

Step 3 — Fire a 3-shot group before touching the turrets

This is the rule most beginners break: they fire one shot, see where it lands, and start turning turrets. A single shot tells you almost nothing. It might be a pulled shot, a bad trigger break, or the sights might actually be close. A 3-shot group tells you where the rifle consistently prints.

Fire three rounds slowly, applying the fundamentals from Module 3: natural point of aim, consistent cheek weld and grip, respiratory pause, smooth trigger press, follow-through. Let the barrel cool between shots if it is hot. Measure to group center — the middle of the three holes — not the best or worst shot.

The why Why group size matters as much as group location

A tight 3-shot group that is 3 inches off-center is easy to fix with a click calculation. A 4-inch spread group that is centered on the bullseye means your fundamentals are inconsistent — you cannot zero something that does not group. If your group is more than 2–3 inches at 25 yards (or more than 3 inches at 100 yards from a bench), work on your fundamentals before declaring a zero. Moving the turrets to chase an inconsistent group is guessing, not zeroing.

Step 4 — Calculate and dial the adjustment

Measure the distance from group center to bullseye — separately for windage (left/right) and elevation (up/down). Apply the click formula from Lesson 2:

At 25 yards with a 1/4 MOA scope, each click moves impact 0.25 inch ÷ 4 = 0.0625 inches (about 1/16 inch). That is a tiny amount — you will need many clicks. Most shooters start at 25 yards, make gross adjustments, then move to 100 yards to fine-tune. Alternatively, use a laser bore sight at 25 yards only to get roughly on paper, then skip to 100 yards for all live-fire work.

At 100 yards with a 1/4 MOA scope: each click = 0.25 inch. This is the standard zeroing distance. Measure your miss, calculate your clicks, dial the turrets.

Turn turrets in the direction you want the impact to move:

Group is HIGH → click elevation DOWN (marked “D” or with a down arrow)
Group is LOW → click elevation UP
Group is LEFT → click windage RIGHT
Group is RIGHT → click windage LEFT

Step 5 — Confirm with a second group

After dialing, fire a second 3-shot group. This confirms the adjustment landed where you calculated. If the group is now centered on the bullseye at 100 yards, you have an initial zero.

If it is still slightly off, repeat the calculation — but this time use only the remaining error, not the original miss. Small residual errors (1 inch or less) at 100 yards may not warrant further adjustment if they are within your practical accuracy at hunting ranges.

Step 6 — Verify the zero cold-bore

A “cold-bore zero” means the first shot out of a cold, clean barrel. Competition shooters and precision hunters track cold-bore data because the first shot from a cold barrel often lands at a slightly different point than a warm barrel. For hunting, the most important shot is the first one.

After your range session, note where the cold-bore first shot landed (before the barrel warms from repeated firing). If possible, return on a different day and fire a single cold-bore shot to verify. If it lands in the same place as your confirmed group, your zero is solid. If it is off by more than 1–2 inches, investigate: scope mounting, barrel condition, and consistent cheek weld are common culprits.

Six-step sighting-in flowchart: (1) safe setup — action open, downrange; (2) bore sight — on paper at 25 yards; (3) fire 3-shot group at 100 yards, no adjustment yet; (4) calculate clicks — miss distance times 4; (5) dial turrets and fire confirmation group; (6) cold-bore check next session. Key rules listed below. — Diagram (not a photo). The sighting-in sequence — six steps in order. The most common beginner mistake is adjusting after step 3 without first completing a full group. Follow the order and you will rarely waste ammo chasing bad adjustments.

Walk the zero session

Here is a complete sighting-in session, narrated:

Setup: New scope on a .308 Win. Sandbags at the bench, 100-yard target with 1-inch grid squares. Action open, bore clear, no ammo at the bench yet.

Bore sight: Action open, laser bore-sighter inserted. Laser dot falls 3 inches left and 4 inches high on the target. Scope turrets adjusted to the dot. Bore-sighter removed.

First group (before touching turrets): Load the magazine, chamber a round carefully. Fire 3 shots with full attention to the fundamentals — respiratory pause, smooth press, follow-through. Unload. Walk downrange.

Group center: 2 inches left of bullseye, 1.5 inches high.

Calculate: Windage: 2 × 4 = 8 clicks right. Elevation: 1.5 × 4 = 6 clicks down.

Dial: At the bench with the action open — 8 clicks right on the windage cap, 6 clicks down on the elevation cap.

Confirmation group: Fire 3 more shots. Walk downrange. Group center: 0.5 inches right, 0.25 inches high. Within half an inch — acceptable for a hunting zero.

Decision: Stop here or fine-tune? For a Piedmont timber hunter shooting inside 150 yards, a half-inch residual is irrelevant to the shot. Call it zeroed, record the turret positions (or zero-stop them if the scope has that feature), and verify cold-bore next time out.

Sequence and principles check

Knowledge check

After bore-sighting, your first shot at 100 yards hits the target 4 inches left and 2 inches low. What should you do NEXT?

Fire two more shots to complete a 3-shot group before touching the turrets Calculate and dial the adjustment based on that one shot Re-bore-sight — the bore sight was off

Show answer

Correct: Fire two more shots to complete a 3-shot group before touching the turrets — Exactly right. One shot tells you almost nothing — it might be a fundamentals error, not a sight error. Fire a group, then adjust from group center. Adjusting after one shot is one of the most common zeroing mistakes.
Not quite: Calculate and dial the adjustment based on that one shot — Do not adjust after one shot. It may be a pulled shot or a fundamentals error. If you dial and then fire more, the next group may be in yet another location. Fire a group first to confirm a consistent point of impact.
Not quite: Re-bore-sight — the bore sight was off — A bore sight is a rough head-start. Being 4 inches off at 100 yards from a bore sight is completely normal — in fact, that is considered a good result. Do not re-bore-sight; fire a group and adjust.

Knowledge check

You fire a 3-shot group. The holes are 3.5 inches apart at 100 yards. Group center is on the bullseye. What is your diagnosis?

The sights may be on but the fundamentals (trigger, position, breathing) are inconsistent — fix fundamentals before claiming a zero The scope is defective — replace it A 3.5-inch group centered on the bullseye is a zeroed rifle — hunt with it

Show answer

Correct: The sights may be on but the fundamentals (trigger, position, breathing) are inconsistent — fix fundamentals before claiming a zero — Correct. A 3.5-inch spread at 100 yards from a bench suggests inconsistent fundamentals. The group is centered, which is a good sign for the sight alignment, but you cannot call this a reliable zero when the rifle is printing 3.5-inch groups. Work on trigger control, cheek weld, and breathing — then re-test.
Not quite: The scope is defective — replace it — Possibly, but a defective scope is rare and an easy diagnosis to get wrong. First check your fundamentals: consistent cheek weld, grip, breathing, and especially trigger control. Flinch or trigger jerk is the most common cause of wide groups in new shooters.
Not quite: A 3.5-inch group centered on the bullseye is a zeroed rifle — hunt with it — A 3.5-inch group at 100 yards means the worst-case shot misses the best-case shot by 3.5 inches — larger than the margin for error on a deer's vital zone at that range. Tighten the fundamentals before hunting.

Knowledge check

Which of the following is the CORRECT direction to turn the elevation turret if your group is printing HIGH on the target?

Turn elevation DOWN (toward 'D' or the down arrow) Turn elevation UP It depends on the scope brand

Show answer

Correct: Turn elevation DOWN (toward 'D' or the down arrow) — Correct. The turret moves the point of impact in the direction you turn it. Group is high, you want impact to come down — click elevation DOWN. This rule applies consistently: move the turret in the direction you want the bullet to go.
Not quite: Turn elevation UP — Turning UP raises the point of impact — which makes a high group go higher. The group is already high; you need to click DOWN to bring it down.
Not quite: It depends on the scope brand — The direction convention is consistent: turn the turret in the direction you want impact to move. Down to lower, up to raise, left to move left, right to move right. This holds across quality scopes from all manufacturers.

Take it to the woods

Sources

Bore sighting basics (Let’s Go Shooting): https://www.letsgoshooting.org/resources/articles/rifle/bore-sighting-basics/
How to sight in a rifle step by step (Outdoor Life): https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/how-to-sight-in-rifle/
How to sight in a hunting rifle (Christensen Arms): https://christensenarms.com/blog/how-to-sight-in-a-hunting-rifle/
Scope sighting made simple (Tract Optics): https://tractoptics.com/blog/scope-sighting-made-simple/
Zeroing a scope — master rifle scope adjustments (Hunter Optics): https://hunter-optics.com/zeroing-a-scope-master-rifle-scope-adjustments-today/
How to use a bore sight (Scheels): https://www.scheels.com/e/post/how-to-use-a-bore-sight/

If you remember nothing else

Bore-sighting first gets you on paper and saves rounds — it is not a substitute for live-fire zeroing.
Fire a 3-shot group before touching the turrets — a single shot tells you nothing about where the rifle prints.
Adjust from group center to bullseye, not from the closest or farthest hole.
Confirm the zero with a second group after adjustment — then verify cold-bore the next session.
A verified zero is the minimum — know your impact at your actual hunting range, not just 100 yards.

How ready do you feel?

How ready are you to walk up to a range, set up a target, and sight in a rifle from scratch to a verified zero?

Before you go — a quick look back

Distributed practice: one fast recall from an earlier lesson keeps it from fading.

Quick recall

From Choosing a Zero Distance (Module 4, Lesson 3) — for a Piedmont hunter shooting inside timber at 50–120 yards, which zero distance is generally most practical, and why?

Show me the answer

Show answer

Correct: Show me the answer — 100 yards. It is easy to verify anywhere, puts you dead-on at 100 and slightly high at 50 (typically under 2 inches), and avoids the mid-range high-impact trade-off of a longer zero. In close timber where 150+ yard shots are rare, the complexity of a 200-yard MPBR zero adds nothing.

Done with this lesson?

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Step 1 — Set up safely before a round is loaded

Step 2 — Bore-sight (not a shortcut — a head-start)

Step 3 — Fire a 3-shot group before touching the turrets

Step 4 — Calculate and dial the adjustment

Step 5 — Confirm with a second group

Step 6 — Verify the zero cold-bore

Walk the zero session

Sequence and principles check

Take it to the woods

Sighting-in session checklist

Sources

If you remember nothing else

How ready do you feel?

Before you go — a quick look back

Done with this lesson?