How to Sight in Your Rifle

Are you new to hunting or shooting? Maybe you’ve been shooting and hunting for years but have never sighted in your own rifle. Or perhaps you got a new rifle or scope. No matter the circumstance, if you are going to hunt, you should know how to sight in your rifle. Everyone has their own unique shooting style, which is why it's essential to take the time to sight in your own rifle. Trusting someone else to do it may not give you the accuracy you need. 

Understanding Your Scope

Let’s start with the parts of the scope you’ll need to use for sighting in your rifle. The dial on the top of the scope is your elevation knob, which adjusts the crosshairs up and down. The dial on the right hand side of the scope is the windage knob, which adjusts the crosshairs left and right. Each knob will have an arrow indicating the direction of movement as well as how far one click of the dial will adjust the reticle (the crosshairs/pattern seen through the eyepiece). 

Depending on your scope, these dials will either be measured in MOA (minute of angle) or MIL (milliradian). For the sake of this article, I will explain sighting in a rifle using a scope measured in MOA. Most scopes measured in MOA will indicate 1 click = ¼ MOA on the dial. While these measurements can get technical, for now, it is important to know that 1 MOA is equal to 1.047 inches at 100 yards. When sighting a rifle for hunting within 300 yards, it is safe to assume that 1 click of the dial equals ¼ inch of reticle movement at 100 yards. However, when shooting at longer ranges, this will not be the most accurate way to fine tune your gun. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on sighting a rifle for hunting within 300 yards. 

Boresighting Your Rifle

The first step to sighting in your rifle is to boresight it. Boresighting will ensure that you will hit paper, allowing you to fine tune your scope from there. To begin, set a target up at 25 yards. If your rifle is a bolt action, remove the bolt from the gun. Make sure you have a stable rest for your rifle. Looking down the barrel, align the target in the center of the bore. Next, without moving the gun, look through

the scope and adjust the elevation and windage knobs until the crosshairs are centered on the bullseye. Your rifle is now boresighted, and you can reinsert the bolt to begin shooting. 

Some people skip shooting at 25 yards and go straight to 100 yards. This will work, but if you want to reduce the number of adjustments, it’s best to fine tune your rifle at 25 yards before moving to 100 yards. To do that, you will need to understand how to adjust the MOA’s at a closer range.

Understanding MOA

Let’s get into the math: At 100 yards, 1 MOA is 1.047 inches, and 1 click on the dial moves the point of impact by approximately 0.25 inches. But at 25 yards, 1 MOA represents only 0.26 inches, meaning 1 click moves the point of impact approx. 0.0625 inches (¼ of ¼ MOA). This means that when adjusting your scope at 25 yards, you will need to make 4 times as many clicks to achieve the same amount of movement as you would when shooting at 100 yards. For example, if your rifle is shooting 2

inches left at 25 yards, you would need to move your windage dial 32 clicks right to shift the point of impact to the center of the bullseye.

Once you are zeroed at 25 yards, you can move to the 100 yard target. If you plan on hunting and shooting within 300 yards, it’s recommended to zero your firearm to be 3 inches high at 100 yards (meaning the point of impact will be 3 inches directly above the bullseye when aiming at the center). This will vary depending on the type of bullet used, so adjust accordingly. However, in general, this setup will place the bullet right where you aim at 300 yards. To fine tune your rifle, shoot a couple of times to see where you are hitting. If you hit low, use your elevation dial to adjust up (1 click = ¼ inch), if you hit right, use your windage dial to adjust left, etc. When adjusting the dials, do not follow your shot (ex., if you’re shooting right, move the dial left; if you’re shooting high, move the dial down). 

Troubleshooting

If you are sighting in a rifle and can’t seem to get a good group, there are several things to check. First, ensure you're not flinching. If you have to, use a shooting sled or some type of shooting rest to reduce the recoil. Next, avoid shooting too quickly or too many times in a row, as this can overheat the barrel. You want to sight your rifle in with a cool barrel, so let it cool down between shots. Also, check your scope rings and scope mounts—are they tight? A scope mounted loose will not shoot consistently. If everything else checks out and you’re still not getting good groupings, consider changing ammo. Some rifles prefer specific grain bullets and it can take experimentation to find the right one. 

If you’re interested in long range shooting, consider a scope with an elevation turret, which allows you to adjust for shooting distance. You can also compare scopes that use MOA vs. MIL adjustments. If you aren’t using a turret and you’re shooting longer distances, it’s important to know your ammunition and know how much your bullet drops at those ranges. 

It may sound complex, but always remember, the more you shoot, the better you’ll get! Don’t sight your rifle in once and expect it to perform perfectly years later. Consistent practice is key to keeping your skills sharp and your rifle ready for the field. Incorporating these tips for hunting will help ensure accuracy and confidence every time you take the shot.