Sighting in a scope- confusion

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SigSavage

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I am hoping you guys can clear something up for me regarding zeroing in a scope.

When I talk to people, or read stuff online, the convention is to rotate your dials in the direction rom your bullet hole to the bullseye. For example, if your aiming at the bull and you shoot 2 inches high and 2 inches left of the bull at 100 yards, you would rotate your windage dial 8 clicks to the right and elevation dial 8 clicks down.

Now, this makes absolutely no sense to me. In my mind you will be putting the scope off by another 2" high and 2" left because by rotating the dials in this manner, you will pull your crosshairs down 2" and to the right 2". Then when you put the reticle on the bullseye, your bullet will now go 4" high and 4" left. By turning your scope dials, you are not affecting where your barrel is pointing, and where the bullet is hitting whatsoever.

What does make sense to me is to rotate your dials 8 clicks up and 8 clicks left, to bring your crosshairs onto your bullet hole. This will make the crosshairs where you are aiming line up with where your gun is shooting.

Doing a Google search did bring up the advice to do exactly as I say above, but it does not seem to be the common advice given when doing a search on how to sight in a rifle. If I hit high and left, I would move my entire gun low and right by that amount, so that the aim is off the bull and that'll cause the bullet to go into the bull.

If I was shooting a gun with iron sights and I was hitting high and right, it makes sense to move the back sight low and left, because that will adjust how it lines up with the front sight, thus bringing it down and right. This is the only application I can think of where the "conventional" advice makes sense.

Am I just missing something completely fundamental here? I had a good half hour arguement with my 2 hunting partners this weekend and they ar adamant that I would be doing it backwards, and the one guy has been shooting for many years and he follows the convention of rotating down and right if he's hitting high and left. I sighted in my .22 using my way and it is bang on dead centre at 100 yards, from a rest.

I'm confused. Please help :) lol
 
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If you shoot high right. That means your scope's point of aim is low left of where it should be. So you adjust it high and right to get your crosshair/point of aim the same as your point of impact.
 
Look at your dials..... They are marked with L and R and Up and Down..... They refer to where you want to move the point of impact....

If you are shooting 2" high and 2" right, you want to move the dials in the direction of L and D.....
 
If you have someone with you, aim at the bullseye and fire a shot on paper. Next while aiming at the bullseye (keep your rifle steady), have your buddy move your dials so the cross hairs cover the previous whole. Fire again and you are on target.
 
zackstab said:
could you explain? i drew it out just now and unless I am using incorrect terminology I cannot be wrong..
Click to expand...

As shooter1971 said, and I said earlier, the markings on the dials of your scope indicate where you want the point of impact to hit on the target.....

While you are correct in saying that shooting high and right means that your scope is adjusted too far low and left, you are incorrect when stating that moving the dials high and right is the correct thing to do when you are shooting high and right, as the markings on your dial refer to where you would like to move the point of impact on the target.....
 
Superbrad said:
As shooter1971 said, and I said earlier, the markings on the dials of your scope indicate where you want the point of impact to hit on the target.....

While you are correct in saying that shooting high and right means that your scope is adjusted too far low and left, you are incorrect when stating that moving the dials high and right is the correct thing to do when you are shooting high and right, as the markings on your dial refer to where you would like to move the point of impact on the target.....
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I didnt mean moving the dials I meant moving the reticle. Its fine we just misunderstood. Your explanation is better for teaching him how to use his scope.
 
Read the instructions that came with your scope. Or look at the adjustment dials. The top one, usually for elevation may side "Up" and/or "Down" with direction arrows. If you want the POI to go "Up" turn the adjustment screw in the direction indicated for up. It's not reverse Polish notation. The number of clicks on the ones I have seen are "1/4" at 100 Yards" so each click will move the shot 1/4" at 100 so 2" is 8 clicks. Same for windage or side to side. IF there is no indication of direction do this. Lock the rifle and scope down firm on the bench and aim at a distant spot. Move each dial and see where it moves. You will see the cross hair move up/down/left or right. When you shoot, move the cross hair to where the POI is. Think of it this way, the firearm is going to shoot in the same place all the time. You are moving the cross hairs or your sights to where the bullets are hitting. It just happens when you do this the POI or the holes move closer to where you are aiming. Try not to over think it.
 
My confusion was thinking that rotating my dial in the "down" direction moved the reticle down. I thought it was a literal translation. It is actually moving the reticle "up" and by consequence the point of impact "down".
 
All depends on the scope, most north american scopes move the bullet impact on the target, some european scopes move the cross hairs to the bullet impact. I own both, and one of them requires a lot more ammo to sight in then the others, I blame this on a design flaw
 
yodave said:
All depends on the scope, most north american scopes move the bullet impact on the target, some european scopes move the cross hairs to the bullet impact. I own both, and one of them requires a lot more ammo to sight in then the others, I blame this on a design flaw
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I think you mean CW and CCW. With CCW being the NA standard.
 
When you turn your turret up, the reticle actually moves down. When you click down, the reticle moves up. Click right, it moves left, click left, it moves right. If your point of impact is 3" high at 100m, you will click your turret down 12 clicks ( on 1/4 min turrets ) this will actually move the reticle UP 3" to where you want your POA/POI to be. You are essentially chasing your POI by moving the reticle to where it needs to be so your point of aim is the same as your point of impact.
 
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