Many experienced shooters will find this old hat. But for many hunters and shooters, there is nothing more frustrating than trying to sight in your rifle. From not having the right torque specs on your scope to having an improper shooting rest, to not using the proper grain weight load for your rifle’s twist rate, there are many factors to consider and mistakes to be made while trying to sight in your gun. These mistakes can lead to time and money wasted as well as mounting frustration. We would like to simplify the process for you so that you will have a more enjoyable time at the range.

Starting off, there are two methods to sight in your gun. To start either off, it is wise to take the bolt of your rifle out, or if you are shooting your CVA break action muzzleloader, then take the breechplug out. You will then set the rifle on a steady rest and look down the barrel. Line up what you see down the barrel, which should be the target, with the sight picture on your scope. This process is called “bore sighting” which should be used to get close to being on target. However, you will need to go further, as this will not get you exactly on bullseye. After bore sighting, you can employ one of two methods to get completely sighted in.

The first method is the guess, check and correct method. You will need to reinstall the bolt into your rifle, or breechplug on your muzzleloader, and shoot 3 rounds down range. From there you can move your crosshairs from the point of aim (the bullseye) to your point of impact (the middle of your 3 shot group). That should allow your gun’s point of aim to match the point of impact, or in other words be, “sighted in”.

The second method, which is much more precise involves a bit of math. You will need to fire a 3 shot group as described in the previous method. You will want to use the grid paper that is available at most gun shops as your target. The grid paper provides a quick frame of reference to the difference in your point of aim and point of impact. Generally each grid is 1”x1”, giving you an easy way to see how far off your point of aim and point of impact are. To adjust it from there, keep in mind that the turrets usually adjust in increments of ¼ of a Minute of Angle (MOA). In practical terms, that means each click is approximately .25” at 100 yards (not exactly but close enough for your use). This is because 1 MOA is equal to 1.047” at 100 yards, which is usually simplified to 1” by the average shooter. So at 50 yards 1 MOA will be .5” and at 25 yards it will be about .25”.

Shoot your first group, then by looking at the grid paper, calculate how far your windage and elevation turrets are off. If you are shooting at 25 yards, you will have to multiply the amount you are off by 4 to figure out how many minutes of angle it would be off at 100 yards. Likewise, if you are at 50 yards, you will have to multiply the number you are off by 2. You will then take the number you found and calculate how many clicks you will have to move the turrets. For example, if your windage is off 1 inch at 25 yards, you would have to multiply it by 4 since most scopes adjust for .25 MOA or .25” at 100 yards, and then divide the number you calculated by .25 (or multiply it by 4 again, you will end up with the same numbers either way) as each click is .25” at 100 yards. So you would end up needing to adjust the turret 16 clicks to get it where it needs to be if the scope is off 1” at 25 yards. Once you do the same thing with elevation, you will be sighted in and ready to shoot!