Originally Posted By: Butch AllenI was told that when you put a scope on a rifle you should sight in at at 25 yds before goig to 100 yds. Is this true.
Hidalgo: Thanks for sharing the detailed explanation of how scopes work.
Butch: I think your question is more simple. One reason for sighting in at 25 yds before going out to 100 is to make sure you are "in the right ball park." If you start at 100 yards and are so far off that you aren't even hitting on paper, it could take you quite a few rounds just to figure out in which direction you are missing. By starting at a closer range, the error will be less, and you will be more likely to be somewhere on the paper on your first shot. I like to boresight the scope first if possible. Then I like to start shooting at 25-50 yds. At this range I adjust so that my shots are centered left/right and about 1" low. That should get me within 4" at 100 yds. I then move to 100 yds to finish dialing it in.
There is no rule that says you have to start sighting in at any specific distance. I have had experiences where it took me almost 15 shots to figure out which direction I was missing the paper. I've also had times where I did a bore-sight, and then my first 3 shots were stacked on the bullseye at 100 yds. But starting at a closer range helps me consistently get zero'd with less shots.