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Best way to zero iron sights at 25yds?


MrTuna

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My distance vision is not the best and until I get a carry optics gun I need to get my handgun sights zeroed. I was thinking about plotting the trajectory and making a target that has one target spot for the point of aim and another one for point of impact. Then I could use a rest at 5 yards and see everything perfectly. What do you guys think? I have a really accurate ballistics calculator.

 

 

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Sighting a gun in at 5 yards is not very realistic.

 

I presume you're talking about using an iron sighted handgun for action sports?

 

I would sight in for 12-15 yards - the actual distance you'll probably be shooting.

 

You can probably get a pair of eyeglasses that will enable you to see the front

sight and the target for a very small amount of money.

 

Many have their weak lens set for distance and their strong eye set for the

front sight -   I pick an area about 5-8 feet and I can see both the front sight

and the target out to 15 yards fairly well.

 

But, 5 yards - not too helpful IMHO.    :) 

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Five yards is good to make sure you are on paper, then I set up at 15 yards for my sight in.   That's about the average distance for a shot.  I also check for 25 yards and 50 yards to see where my bullets will go.  15  and 25 will be close.  With the .45 50 yards will shoot about 1 foot high at minor speeds.

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I sight everything in at 20 yds, seated at a bench with my forearms resting on my range bag. I then see what the POI at 25, 15, 10, and 5, so I know what my hold over is. My sight pic is usually COM, front sight middle of dot. Also, i wear progressives, but my shooting glasses right Rx is at the front sight and left is distance. 

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I'm in the zero elevation at 15 yards club with typical iron sights & typical (850 fps + 100) ammo. I try to do a bit of fine tuning windage at 25 yards or beyond. 

 

 

Hmmm, when you get carry optics (centerline of sight maybe 1.5 inches above centerline of barrel??), you may want to think through how fussy you are and what distances you will be shooting and then select a different distance for elevation zero. 

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I guess I get to be the Devil's Advocate this time around =)

 

I would estimate for our sport the average paper target is 5 to 7 yards away with the average steel 10 to 12 yards away. Do the occasional shots sneak in that double those ranges? Yes, but I guarantee you those long range shots will be less than 10% of the targets you'll engage in this sport. So while you need to know the hold over for a particular gun at a really long ranges, I would advocate sighting in at something more like 8 yards.

 

In my case I sight in my iron sighted USPSA pistols at 25 feet.

 

I'm not the engineer to do the math on the POI difference between being zeroed at your suggested 5 yards vs my suggested 8-1/3 yards, but I'd bet a beer it's no more than 1/8" for an iron sighted gun.

 

So I say go for it at 5 yards.

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1 minute ago, ttolliver said:

 

I  estimate for our sport the average paper target is 5 to 7 yards away

 

I've been shooting USPSA for 35 years - I've shot at 17+ different ranges,

including the Nat'ls one year and three different Reg'l matches.

 

I've seen few targets under 8 yards ....

 

I'd estimate for our sport the average paper target is 10 - 15 yards away.

 

If you're going to sight in for 5 yards, I'd suggest you see where the

bullets are landing at 10 and 25 yards, just in case ....    :) 

 

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I guess I get to be the Devil's Advocate this time around =)

 

I would estimate for our sport the average paper target is 5 to 7 yards away with the average steel 10 to 12 yards away. Do the occasional shots sneak in that double those ranges? Yes, but I guarantee you those long range shots will be less than 10% of the targets you'll engage in this sport. So while you need to know the hold over for a particular gun at a really long ranges, I would advocate sighting in at something more like 8 yards.

 

In my case I sight in my iron sighted USPSA pistols at 25 feet.

 

I'm not the engineer to do the math on the POI difference between being zeroed at your suggested 5 yards vs my suggested 8-1/3 yards, but I'd bet a beer it's no more than 1/8" for an iron sighted gun.

 

So I say go for it at 5 yards.

 

I made this sound more complicated than it is. I am zeroing for 25 yards yet shooting groups at 5 or 7 yards because it's easier to see. Just like someone would zero a rifle at 100 yards using a target at 25 yards. It's the distance targets that I am having trouble with so my zero helps me.

 

 

Thanks

 

 

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