How do you sight in your guns?

[buffybr]

I use a Caldwell's bag on a bench. I slow my breathing as much as possible, pause on the bottom of the out breath and squeeze. I use my off hand to bring the buttstock in tight to my shoulder. I try to ensure follow through.

This, although I use an adjustable front rest instead of a Caldwell's bag.

Depending on the rifle and cartridge, I'll sight in 2-3" at 100 yards, and verify groups at 200, 300, and 430 yards.

 

[blueridge]

Do you like that rear bipod buddy? I was looking at the rugged ridge, but this one is half the price and looks like a good set up. Currently just use a bag

I really like it a lot. It’s amazing how steady it is at long distances, and easy to micro adjust. I take it hunting when there’s a chance of long prone shots.

 

[holeytargets]

At the range it's a joystick front rest and a leather rear bag. Small to medium stuff is shot one handed, and med to magnum stuff I usually lay my off hand over top of the scope and use my joystick rest as a regular rest. At home ,or in a hurry it's a bulls bag and an old shot bag sand bag off the hood of my truck. I've shot tiny groups from either, but the bench setup is more gooder! haha

 

[Wildabeest]

I use a lead sled for sighting in and zeroing so I can take as much human factor out as possible. Once that’s complete, I switch to using just a front sandbag or other support such as my pack to simulate hunting situations.

 

[Doodah Bach]

25 yards and then 3”s high at 100 yards. I use a Caldwell rifle rest from a table.

I sighted my last new rifle in three shots.

The Jack O'Connor method! 3" high at 100 yds will get you in the "boiler room" with no holdover, pretty much any caliber inside of 400 yds. If you're shooting farther than that, I hope you practice a lot.

 

[JMG]

I used a Caldwell "Lead Sled" w/ 50 lbs of weight at our local gun club. I start by getting the rifle to shoot 2 inches high at 100 yards. If I have time, I will put another target out at 200 yards and shot this target to check to see where I am hitting. If necessary, I "fine tune" the scope to 200 yards. I typically will shoot 3 shots to get an idea of where they are grouping.

When moving the cross hairs to where you want to hit, move only one axis (Y - vertical or X - horizontal) at one time. In other words; if you are 2" low and 2" to the left, only adjust the 2" low/high (vertical) and get your bullet placement horizontal where you want your bullets to hit (only correct for vertical aka up/down) … THEN adjust the 2" left/right to center your shot above the bulls-eye. Do not adjust for both the vertical and horizontal at the same time, you will only shoot more bullets trying to find that "bulls-eye".

Again, if I have more time, I will take a shot or two at the gong(s) out at 300 yards for fun. I like Fehrenbl "Jack Conner method" (3" high at 100 yards).

 

[JDH]

Bench with front bipod and rear bipod buddy. Used a lead sled for a long time, but found my groups are better for some reason with bipods.

I've also found my groups are better off of a bag than what they are using a lead sled.

 

[doebuckurself]

Bipod and rear bag from a prone shooting position.

 

[holeytargets]

Hard to beat a decent front rest and leather rear bag setup for BR shooting. Tip... remove the sling swivel studs from the stock so they don't grab the bags. I wouldn't give ya two squirts of pee for a lead sled.... They're aren't worth it.

 

[csutton7]

My usual routine is fire one shot and then let the barrel cool for 5 minutes, then shoot 2nd shot and let barrel cool for 5 minutes and repeat one more time. This was because my shooting range in CA(when I lived there had a 10 minute rule of shooting). And then I repeat this scenario for as long as I have. Sometimes I'll fire 2 back to back and then let the rifle cool down and start over.

Sighting in at 3" high at a 100yds as served me well for 30+ years, but now I have one of those Vortex "dial a number" scopes on my rifle of choice. I haven't had to dial a number yet while hunting, but it does work on the range, so I set it at 300yds and hunt.

 

[huntin24/7]

I shoot prone off a front and rear bag, but have at times just shot prone off my pack with similar accuracy. I’m sighted dead on at 200 yds

 

[Dougfirtree]

I use a bipod and rear bag, from a bench. 3 shot groups, then adjust and cool.

However, with my peep-sighted rifle, I can't use the bipod and I find that the groups are different from a bag than they are off-hand (I think a ghost ring really amplifies differences in cheek weld/sight picture). So, since that's a close range weapon, I zero it at 50 yards, from a bench, but just holding the rifle, elbow supported on the bench. That seems to work. (Actually what I do is shoulder the rifle off-hand, while sitting, then lower my elbow to the bench, to try to keep my off-hand position).

 

[grizzly63]

Develop a load at 100, verify at 200, proof at three hundred using the ballistic plex. Make adjustments at three hundred. Less important to be slightly off at closer distances. Place a front bag being cognizant of the rifles bedding. Use a rear bag. Switch to bipod and shoot prone or sitting while proofing.

 

[timmy]

Bipod and a box.

 

[Jc2020]

I bore sight all my rifles then I use a bipod or Bench and bag I do 3 shot groups and zero @ 200

 

[grizzly63]

Yes, forgot the boresighting part. After changing scopes, rebedding, doing anything that changes impact, i pull the bolt,rest the gun good, look thru the scope and barrel and adjust until I make sure I can hit the target with the first shot. No sense to waste ammo or needlessly heat up the barrel. I cool the barrel between groups. 40- 50F is a good temp to sight in at.

 

[Don Fischer]

Homemade table, Cauldwell rest and bag under the butt stock. Sometime's I like to use a large bag under the fore end, Shoot better with the large bag normally. Have a 5 gal bucket for a seat. Sight in to max point blank range at a 6" or 8" target normally with big game rifle's. Varment's Generally a 4" tagret to MPBR.

 

[std7mag]

Most of my scopes are set up with BDC reticles. I've found sighting in at 200 yards matches up closely with the BDC hashmarks.
My other scopes are MOA reticles sighted in at 100 yards. (7mm Rem Mag, 284 Win)

I should note that except for my Ruger 77s, i take 20 MOA out of my scopes, as i use 20 MOA bases.

Boresight if i've done something to the rifle or scope.
Out front, pack, bipod, front rest.
Rabbit ear bag in back.

True velocity/BC out to 800 yards.
Plug into ballistics calculator. (Strelok Pro).

Shoot different positions as i would encounter while hunting at different distances.

 

[Don Fischer]

The Jack O'Connor method! 3" high at 100 yds will get you in the "boiler room" with no holdover, pretty much any caliber inside of 400 yds. If you're shooting farther than that, I hope you practice a lot.

That's not quite true. 3" hold over will not get much if any cartridges into the boiler room at 400 yds without pretty good holdover. With an 8" target in my big game rifle's I do come in about 3" high at 100yds and all go about 4" low at between 270 and 280 yds. At 300 yds all drop about another 6". I don't shoot beyond 300 yds and only did that once in my life so not sure what would happen at 400yds but I am certain you'd have to hold over some. I did do some target shooting some years back to 500 yds and the drop was something like 20 clicks beyond where I'd zeroed with a 6.5x06 and 140gr SMK's.

 

[Don Fischer]

Home made shooting table. Sit on a 5gal bucket.