RickyH Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 How many yards do you zero your open gun at ? Can you use a rest ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HI5-O Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 (edited) Zero at almost any distance you like but, make a note of where the bullet strikes at different distances. I zero mine between 15-20 yards since some of our club guys have a small plate or target out in that area. Most of the targets are closer and I know where my bullets hit at the closer distances. You can use a rest but most of your shots will be from off-hand standing and the point of impact may be different from a rest. Lots of threads on here on zeroing an open gun. good luck eta: a couple of weeks ago, the match director had a modified el pres stage with the targets about 85 yards downrange Edited August 28, 2012 by HI5-O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 HI5-0 is right. Seems like every guy does it a little different but I was taught to zero it for what I will TYPICALLY see month in and month out. Then have a working knowledge of where it will hit at other distances. I think I zero'd at 15 myself and the hardest targets for me to train myself to hit are long range targets. My gun shoots real high at 30 yards because of the scope being on a traditional mount. I have to aim at the base of a plate at the distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxshooter Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 Twenty five yards seems to be a good compromise for shooting targets from in your face to 50 yards. One of the old Front Sight magazines had a spread sheet on different sight in yardages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickyH Posted August 28, 2012 Author Share Posted August 28, 2012 why would it not be the same off hand as on a rest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 why would it not be the same off hand as on a rest? I use a rest to get more steady. But your question needs more info to get the correct information. Are you running an upright mount or one of the sideways mounts. But here is my formula. I start out at 15 yards, get it pretty good then go 20-25 yards. I like to verify the left to right at the longest range I can find up to 50 yards. I'm using the side ways mounts. I found that if I zero in at under 20 yards then at 40 or 50 yards it hits a foot over the target, but when I go at least 20 yards everything works, withing an 1", from close to 50 yards. Once I have it perfect on the rest I shoot some free style to verify, again, and I may or may not adjust it slightly up or down but never left to right since I did that at 50 yards, and its perfect any change closer is human error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 why would it not be the same off hand as on a rest? Once I have it perfect on the rest I shoot some free style to verify, +1. Important to test it freestyle, at different ranges so you know where it's going to hit at 5, 15, 25 & 40 yards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickyH Posted August 28, 2012 Author Share Posted August 28, 2012 i'm useing a sideways mount. so 20 yards it is. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gng4life Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 I set mine at 18 yds and 99% of my shots are close to center from close to 35 yards. You need to know where it hits at 50 but that only comes up once in a blue moon for most of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickyH Posted August 29, 2012 Author Share Posted August 29, 2012 (edited) I have a sideways mount shoot a 115 grn bullet that travels 1500 to 1525 fps . So if i zero it at 20 yards should it be good at 50 yards? Edited August 29, 2012 by RickyH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mildot1 Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 I don't know ,Do you????? Not even trying to be a smartass but do you really want to ask that question and hope that what someone tells you is true? I myself would zero then VERIFY that what I was told was really happening. Every pistol is a little different as are the mounts. You didn't specify what mount you are running and there are several sideways mounts and I dont know the dot to bore height of them all so it would be a guess at best. Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMartens Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 I boresight at 51' because the basement is 51' long. Set it dot on dot and it is dead on at 25 yards. Never have to fire the gun. Problem is, I moved... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malagamarksman Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 I zero at 15 metres. Sitting on a chair with the gun rested on a range bag for stability. That way I get a fast result using less rounds. THEN I verify it by shooting with my normal two handed grip and make any fine adjustments IF necessary. My 9mm major Glock zeroed at 15 metres is pretty much on the money out to 30 metres as the trajectory is pretty flat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskapopo Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 (edited) I zero at 50 yards. my buddy zeroed at 10 yards and was shooting almost 10 inches high at 25 yards on a plate rack.With the 50 yard zero it levels things out a bit more and I only need to remember to hold high inside 10 yards. Its just like zeroing an AR. Just remember your off set up close. pat Edited August 29, 2012 by Alaskapopo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sauza45 Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 I zero at 25 yards off a rest and then freestyle for fine adjustment. Then I will shoot at 5 10 15 20 25 yards to know where it hits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9X23Guy Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 It depends on the game. If I were only shooting Steel Challenge I would run a 15 yard zero. For Multi Gun I run a 25 yard zero. For USPSA I have ran both and both work fine but I have stuck to 25 yards, for me it has worked best for everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiggerJJ Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 (edited) I also use a 50 yd zero...because everything up to that distance is right on to just slightly low, maximum offset is the distance from bore to sight center at the muzzle...which isn't much with a 90* mount, but even with an upright mount its good. jj Edited August 30, 2012 by RiggerJJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick88 Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I also use a 50 yd zero... I guess I have been doing it all wrong I will have to try that, zero at 50 and still hit a small plate up close..interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilfred Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 is it required to use a rest when zeroing an open gun? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilfred Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 why would it not be the same off hand as on a rest? I use a rest to get more steady. But your question needs more info to get the correct information. Are you running an upright mount or one of the sideways mounts. But here is my formula. I start out at 15 yards, get it pretty good then go 20-25 yards. I like to verify the left to right at the longest range I can find up to 50 yards. I'm using the side ways mounts. I found that if I zero in at under 20 yards then at 40 or 50 yards it hits a foot over the target, but when I go at least 20 yards everything works, withing an 1", from close to 50 yards. Once I have it perfect on the rest I shoot some free style to verify, again, and I may or may not adjust it slightly up or down but never left to right since I did that at 50 yards, and its perfect any change closer is human error. I think i'm going to try this process. I just replaced my Cmore mount and my gun needs to be zeroed in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67ls7vert Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 I think I will try the same process. I'm a little confused on the left to right though. Why should the be any movement side ways. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OPENB Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 I think I read in Front Sight years ago the sweet spot for an open gun zero was 17 yards, kinda like the 50-200 zero for an AR15. Within an inch or two from 0-50 yards. So I have always zero'd at 17 yards. Seems to work for me. It's the targets at 5 yards I get my mikes on, going too fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 There are some good free ballistics calculators to play with your specific load and different sight points. 18 yards seems to be the sweet spot for me. About 1 1/2" low on the 3 yard stuff, zero at 18 yards, and 1 1/2" high at 50 yards. Verified by actual testing. No real memory required since anything beyond about 4 yards and the bullet will impact within the diameter of my red-dot. The exception is for super close tight shots....then just aim for the upper B zone to hit the A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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