How To Zero Your AR15

By Tom McHale

how to zero your AR
Eyesight is straight, while bullet flight paths arc.
Tom McHale headshot low-res square
Tom McHale

USA –-(Ammoland.com)- Today we’re going to do complicated math!! But in the end we will answer that question, how to zero your AR15?

We’ll be talking about AR15s, zeros, trajectories, and gravity.   Fortunately we will not be talking about shooting in zero gravity as bullets would fly forever, or at least until they crash into the drifting hulk of the Discovery One.

Fortunately, it’s not as complicated as deciphering the true meaning of White House press briefings, as long as you understand how bullets fly.

Bullet trajectory is almost as simple as dropping a brick, except the bullet flies forward where a brick just drops towards the ground. When you fire a bullet, there is no magical force that helps it defeat gravity. In fact, if you fire a bullet from your AR type rifle, perfectly parallel to the ground, the bullet you fire will end up hitting the ground at just about the same time as a bullet you let fall from your hand straight down. I say, “just about” only because the earth curves a bit, and the fired bullet will have a smidge farther to fall than the dropped one. It’s that gravity thing we just can’t defeat, no matter what.

No matter how fast a bullet is flying, it’s constantly falling towards the ground. Even bullets fired from those so-called “High-Powered Assault Weapons.” If you look at the path of a bullet, it will always be a downward sloping curve, kind of like congressional approval ratings.

But wait, you say, when I aim right at a target 100 yards away, the bullet hits it! That’s correct, but only because the barrel is actually pointed a little bit upwards relative to the ground. Shooting a bullet is a just like throwing a football except you don’t get 12 million a year plus a signing bonus. You need to aim it up a little bit so it arcs back down to intersect at your desired impact point. (See Bullet Flight Path image above)

Most AR optics are about 2 1/2 inches above the bore line.
Most AR optics are about 2 1/2 inches above the bore line.

Whether you use iron sights or a fancy optic on your AR rifle, you will always need to plan for the intersection of the straight line designated by your line of sight and the arc of the bullet. Your line of sight is not subject to the laws of gravity, so you see in a perfectly straight path, unless you stayed out too late last night. Since your bullet leaves the barrel in an arc pattern, it may actually intersect your line of sight twice – once on the way up, and again on the way down. But that depends on your zero distance.

Think about it. Your sight is already about 2 ½ inches higher than the center of the bore, so the barrel HAS to be aimed up a bit if it ever hopes to intersect with the line of sight.

Zeroing your rifle simply means configuring your sights, iron or optics, so that at some desired distance, your line of sight perfectly intersects the path of the bullet.

If this seems confusing, just think back to the example of throwing a ball. If you throw exactly at the target, the ball will hit the ground before it gets there. Because of gravity. If you arc it up a bit, gravity will bring it back down, and if you calculated right, that would happen right where your teammate is ready to catch it.

There is one more variable to consider and that’s the velocity of your specific bullet fired from your rifle. No matter what the velocity, gravity still rules. A faster bullet will not defy gravity any more effectively, but it will fly farther in the same amount of time, so there is an illusion that it “defies gravity” better than a slower projectile. So, with a faster bullet, those curves we just discussed will appear to be a bit flatter, but that’s just because the bullet travels farther forward in the time it takes to fall to the ground due to the effects of gravity.

Now that the conceptual scientific stuff is out of the way, let’s talk about how to zero your AR 15 rifle.

For purposes of this discussion, we’ll assume that we’re talking about a .223 Remington or 5.56mm caliber rifle, although at shorter distances, it really doesn’t matter as you’ll soon see.

Since the whole idea of zeroing is to line up your sights with the impact point of a bullet, you can set your “zero” just about wherever you want. But first, remember that the sightline is 2 ½ inches (give or take depending on your equipment) above the bore. For purposes of this discussion, our examples will assume we’re using a standard 55 grain .223 Remington cartridge.

  • If you set your zero close, say at 10 yards, you will have to align your sights so that the barrel points up very aggressively relative to the sight line. The barrel has to be angled up pretty severely for the bullet to move up 2 ½ vertically in such a short distance. As a result, after the bullet crosses the 10 yard zero, it will keep traveling upwards. Farther down range, say at 100 yards, the bullet will be 20 inches above your line of sight.
  • If you set your zero at 50 yards, the angles are less severe. The barrel is angled less aggressively towards the line of sight. With a 50 yard zero, your bullet will only be about 1.57 inches above the line of sight at 100 yards and height maxes out just over 2 inches above around 150 yards. From then on, it’s all down hill again.
  • If you set your zero at 100 yards, the bullet slowly arcs up to intersect the line of sight way down range. Coincidentally, with a 100 yard zero, the bullet never really travels above the line of sight. As soon as it intersects the line of sight at 100 yards, it starts the downward fall again.

As you can see, you have some decisions to make depending on how you anticipate shooting. If every single target you will ever shoot will be at the exact same distance, then set your zero for that distance. However, this is kind of unrealistic. Most people will need to be able to hit targets at different ranges, so you need to compromise.

The most common approach to settling zero distance compromises is to think in terms of acceptable impact zone. For example, if your shot impacts within, say, 3 inches above or 3 inches below your point of aim, that might be good enough for the job at hand. If this outcome is desired, then your job is to find the zero that prohibits the bullet from traveling more than 3 inches above the line of sight. At some point down range, the bullet will fall more than 3 inches below your line of sight. That will be your maximum range where you can hit your target “closely enough” without adjusting your aim point.

As an example, let’s look at the 50 yard zero. By definition, the bullet arcs upwards until it reaches the line of sight at 50 yards. It continues traveling above the line of sight until it peaks at 2.1 inches above the sight line about 150 yards down range. Now the bullet obeys gravity and starts to drop. At 300 yards, it’s fallen to about 4.16 inches below the line of sight.

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll note that the total “vertical range” is only about 6 inches: 2 inches above the line of sight and 4 inches below anywhere from zero to 300 yards. If hitting in a 6 inch circle is good enough, you can aim directly at your target as long as it’s anywhere inside of 300 yards and you’ll get a hit. You might hear this concept called “point blank range.

It just means you don’t have to make any adjustments for targets within that range.

A look at how 25, 50 and 100 yard zeros impact the bullet's flight path.
A look at how 25, 50 and 100 yard zeros impact the bullet’s flight path.

I like to zero my .223 Remington (or 5.56mm) rifles at this 50 yard distance for a couple of reasons.

  • First, it gives me “point blank” aiming capability out to 300 yards, which is getting pretty darn close to the maximum effective range of a .223 Remington / 5.56mm cartridge anyway.
  • Second, most of my optics are in the 1x to 6x magnification range, and I can aim very precisely at the 50 yard target to get a very accurate zero.
  • Third, my eyes are old. I can only actually see targets within 300 yards, even when using a red dot sight with no magnification.

If you choose a shorter zero distance, say 25 yards, you simply have to be aware that you’re firing along a more aggressive arc. Your sight is still about 2.5 inches above the muzzle, so in order for the bullet to meet the aim point at just 25 yards, your rifle is firing upward at a steeper angle. That’s OK as long as you realize that the bullet will travel higher above the sight plane while on its path downrange.

The reverse concept applies if you choose a longer range zero. Between your firing position and your zero point, the bullet will always be within 2.5 inches of your line of sight as it’s still rising to meet the zero point intersection. After the zero point, since the bullet has been in the air longer to get there, it will rapidly fall away and you’ll have to account for how far below your line of sight it is at a given distance.

As you can see, setting the zero on a standard AR rifle is all about compromises that factor in your anticipated target range. I’ve just found that a 50 yard zero allows me the greatest flexibility and simplicity of aim at a wide range of distances.

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About

Tom McHale is the author of the Insanely Practical Guides book series that guides new and experienced shooters alike in a fun, approachable, and practical way. His books are available in print and eBook format on Amazon. You can also find him on Google+, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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EricTex

Best AR 15 zeroing advice I’ve seen yet. Well laid out and explained. The front sight post makes this slightly more complicated than zeroing a typical rifle, but with good, simplified examples like this, I now have a firm understanding. I will be changing my zero to 50 yards now. Thanks to the author for putting it in an easy to understand article. I cannot see beyond 300 yards, I only use 3x(sometimes) along with my red dot. Thank you

Joe Campbell

I’ve always used 50 yd. zero. I can hit all the way to 300 yds. within 6 inches of vertical. Just point shoot and relax. You are not shooting postage stamps. It’s deer, coyotes, or bad guys. 3 up or 3 down won’t make any difference. For Gods sake we’re not trying to shoot him, it,them in the eye.

Jerry Lachenbruch

I absolutely agree

Kent

I routinely shoot my ar at 100 yds. I’m gonna qualify at my local club at 200 yds. That is after I demonstrate I can hit black at 100 yds. I will then shoot at 200 yds. I will be shooting a Stag arm #4 hbar with the issue peep sight rear & post front. My question is how many clicks up to hit center at 200?

Big Daddy

At 300 I do I shots all the time, LOL!! “I” aim center of mass!!

L.L. Creel

I am a new shooter with an ar. I shoot with my son and have a great time. I know experts in every arena and no one agrees on much of anything. I am now 71 and my sight is nothing like it was when I was in the service but I do not expect to be an expert just having some fun with the kids. And yes I have shot for many many years and killed many deer and squirrels with open sights on my old 306 and 22. My pop just said if you shoot low aim higher.… Read more »

Mike Murphy

Let us please stay civil in our comments! You may know more about a topic, but that does not mean you cannot be kind and helpful to those of us not graced with such knowledge. Disagree if you must, but be informative in your response, please! No room for ***holes if you get my drift!

JFC

100 yd zero. From a bench every round in the bull. At 50 yds I am 1 moa low so I hold 1 bdc low on my vortex scope, and back in the bull again. Wind and ammo type appear to be the only variables. Rock River heavy barrel very accurate.

Core

You can ring steel at 600 meters with a 16″ barrel in 5.56N. I’m fairly certain it would kill at that distance, especially the heavier projectiles in a 1/7″ rate barrel. If the target was static it would take a hit. I see claims that 450 yards is a magic effective range, and it’s just not true. It’s a misconception. The effective range of a 14.5″ 1/7 5.56 in 62g projectile in M4 is 500 meters. That’s approx 546 yards.

Thomas

Great advice for novices..Thank you! You can do a lot with the info, and it’s how I was taught.

Jim Phillips

Nice article but I want to make a few comments. There’s a key point many miss… a 50yrd zero is a battle sight zero (my ancient army days used 25m Canadian Bull) which is good for most purposes and convenient at many short shooting ranges and w/o a spotting scope. People will say 50/200 is the same but its not at least if you want a good zero. A good ballistics calc, like vortex’s, with reticle layouts will clearly show the difference. Of course its depends on your needs and what, if any, optics you are using. As an example… Read more »

Steve E Hazen

Very, very understandable. My mind is a bit slow sometimes and have not yet zeroed my m400 and this is the easiest read about stuff I don’t understand….very exicited to get the the range to sight her in….Thanks.

Cheers!

Shawn

Amen, thank you! Very simple for the novice I am, especially with the diagram. By the end of the article I was glad I also chose the 50yd zero – I seems to make the most sense, at least per your diagram. It is not zeroed too close, nor too far and gives you that 250-300yd “point blank” range which makes sense for a variety of AR shooting. I can tinker with the adjustments from there with programmed stops if I want.

MountainMan

Interesting read. I’ve been toying with my sight-in range a bit (trying with both a 3-9x scope and an RDS) and have discovered that what seems to work best for me is a 45-yard zero (using XM193 and a 16″ barrel). I know – it’s “almost” a 50-yard zero, so why not just use 50 and be done with it? What I have found (based on comparison of several ballistic calculators and real-world experience at both indoor and outdoor ranges) is that a 45-yard zero will give you a very good “point blank” range – the bullet will never be… Read more »

Art

It is interesting that this article leaves out three very important items, bullet weight, bulled CD (cross-sectional density) and speed (muzzle velocity). Speed (Muzzle Velocity) is a result of bullet weight, powder weight, primer, and barrel length–yup, longer barrel means changes in amounts of powder burned and net pressure utilization (my term for when the powder charge stopped creating pressure) which requires matching your load to barrel length. When I was in RVN the Gunny told us to sight at 25 yards and we’d be on at 250 yards. We did and we were, using the M16A1 in 1970-71. Of… Read more »

Devildog

The author did state 55grain standard Remington

Marc MONNAYE

Hi there, You’ re writing about zeroing but what you describe is not really zeroing. You are just sighting at a given distance. without any correction. This way, 50 yards will give you something not very far from a true zeroing. At 25 yards you will be zeroing only if your bullet hit the target 1″ more or less Under your aiming point. this will give you a good aiming from 25 to about 225 yards, just like sighting point blank at 50 meters. What is interesting in being able to zero at 25 yards is when you just have… Read more »

james hansen

This article has been very well written. Simple language and concepts that even Jarheads can understand, which is why Marines are the finest marksmen in the world. (Semper Fi).

Allen Hull

Thanks so much in 60s i was at fort Jackson but had been so long have for got lot i am old but times are coming that will be lot harder and getting ready as can stay safe.

Joe LaSasso

In 1962 I was at Fort Dix , NJ. We were taught to use Battle Sight Zero. We zeroed at 29 yards with the M1 . This was zero at 200 yards. We fired at siloutes at distances of 50 yards To 600 yards on the same course. Not known distances because in battle you don’t change your sights for different yardage. You use Kentucky Windage for firing at the different yardage.

Just got my AR today. Ruger 556

So if the 25 yard zero hits at 400 yards again, why would you not do a 25 yard zero if the rise is only 6 inches? Aiming center mass at a man is still a gut or neck shot.

tid

thats pretty much US Army training, the standard is a 25m zero. With a 25m zero, you should be able to hit man sized targets with iron sights out to 300m

Jeff

The Army qualifies to 400 meters with 25 meter zero.
The Marines qualify out to 500 meters. Not sure why people keep saying 25 m is only good to 300 m

Jason

With the marine Corp squeal though you are changing the sights not shooting battle zero out to 500 meters. At 200 you are set at 8/3-2 on the rear sight and front post flush. At 200 yards all adjustments are with the front soft post. At 300 you are adjusting rear sight to 8/3 and at 500 if i remember correctly to 8 it’s been a few years so someone please correct me if I’m wrong. My point though is we adjusted for yardage 200,300,&500m it wasn’t good enough to just hit the man center mass was always the objective.

Retired former Ops manager

Old guy here. I’ve used the MPBR of 25 to 35 yards for ALL of my scopes magnified and simple red dots since about 1980. I still read the article and it reaffirmed how I and my friends have initially zero’ed all 22-250, 7MM Mag, .308 and 5.56 or .223 rifles. I am retired but used to shoot with former marine or police snipers on occasion. Each scope has a manual for beginners on how to change windage and elevation. Learn about MOA, MPBR Parallax and why they matter. The marine snipers manual is helpful to newbies for terms and… Read more »

Ed. Zimmerman, Jr.

I used the Candian Bull as I was taught in basic training. The Canadian Bull has a black rectangle with the center bottom notched out. above the rectangle and below the rectangle are “X’s”. AT 25 meters thw rounds are suppose to strike the target at the bottom X. Technically the round is climbing in altitude. further down range the round crosses the LOS (Line of Sight). Somewhere down Range (about 237 meters) The round reaches its highest altitude which is about the location of the X above the rectangle. After that point the round begins to drop off in… Read more »

james

I like to use adjusted zero targets for setting zero on my AR.

Just google ARMA DYNAMICS OPTIC ZERO TARGETS, you can download them no cost,

great for ranges that are only 50yd, zero at 50yd and you are good for 200yd too.

Easy to follow instructions on the targets. They have them for AK-47 too.

Hugh

Good comment Sgt. abt UMC zero. 54 years ago used same in the army, not with an AR-15 but old M1

Jim in Conroe

At least one of the commentators mentions ballistic calculators, but there is little elaboration given. Basically, these are simple, on line computer programs into which you put your bullet characteristics (weight, muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficient), firearm characteristics (the height of your scope above the barrel), and environmental conditions (temperature, elevation). You then specify your zero distance, and the output will be the height above or below your zero point, velocity, and energy at various range increments that you have specified. You can find generic ballistic calculators or those for the specific bullet or scope and bullet you are using. I… Read more »

graystone

I believe you accomplished what you intended – to inform those who didn’t know how to zero in their rifle and needed some easy to understand coaching. VERY well done in that respect.
Anyone who writes an article, for public consumption, must have, or must develop, a thick skin while not becoming hard hearted.
Unless you are offering an opinion – which is proven to be wrong/incorrect – move past the neigh Sayers.

Bill Payne

Thanks for your time putting this together.
I use it to teach new shooters basic ballistics principals.
Bill Payne ~ Ponchatoula, Louisiana

Rick Radford

Nice article for the fundamental intro it was intended to be. I would have simplified it into this : Virtually any centerfire rifle, firing a projectile with an initial muzzle velocity in excess of 2700 fps, zeroed to hit the target approximately 2.5 inches above the center of the bullseye (Point of Aim) will have the aforementioned Minimum Point Blank Range (MPBR) of approximately 300 yards. This will, of course, vary from cartridge to cartridge, and by bullet weights as well. But it is rule of thumb that I have used for over 40 years of competition shooting, hunting, and… Read more »

FarmerDave

You just need a ballistics table for the round you are firing. Every bullet manufacturer has such a chart and it shows the curve and where the bullet crossed the arc at close range and at 100 yards. Get a copy of “point blank” software and input your reload info and you can print out a perfect drawing of the arc with footage attached. And it’s free. https://huntingnut.com/index.php?name=PointBlank

Barry LONGMIRE

I enjoyed reading this article very much .I have only ever owned normal everyday rifle till I got my own Ar 15 .My combat issue I zero my ar in at25 yards fired 5 rounds got an amazing group moved my ta get out to 50 yards with my new rifle and scope and got a five round group the size of a 1/4 three inches high was ready for pulling my teeth out as I am bald .Anyway today I moved my target out to 150 yards and I am happy as a clam .The thing is I have… Read more »

Dave

Years ago Marlin distributed a table showing both distances where a bullet crossed the line of sight, once on the way up and again on the way down. Very handy for sighting in a rifle for longer distances using short distances. Have looked for one for several years without any luck.

DwnRange

Seems Mr. McHale went the long way around the barn to describe the simple Santose Combat zeroing method in use for decades which I’m guessing came from the original M16/AR15 experts aka. “ar15.com” – where faux experts go to steal the facts and make them their own…….

Guess the editorial process could use some tweaking here at Ammoland or at least someone that recognizes plagiarism when they read it.

Bud

Judging from your totally sarcastic and inane remarks, you apparently believe that no one but yourself can zero a rifle effectively. Geez, your finger pointing at Tom McHale is both childish and unhelpful.

Shawn

DwnRange, you sound like an elitist dweeb. If you think everyone should go to that stupid forum and TRY to find info, you’re wasting our time. Some people just teach better than others, and teaching IS NOT plagiarism. At AR-15.com, you have to search through all of the idiotic comments, and it is still hard to find “the answer”. Go have a beer and chill out, and step away from the keyboard with your typical AR-15.com comments. Morons. That’s why you should never join a forum, or if you have, leave it and get your own brain.

DwnRange

Seems Mr. McHale has gone the long way around barn to describe the simple Santose Combat zeroing method which has been around for decades now, something definitely not new and found along with other interesting tidbits of M16/AR15 knowledge at the original source aka “ar15.com” – where the faux experts go to steal their information and make it their own.

Clay

And these snarky comments are why newbies do not care to join us…and we wonder why?

DL

Corrections: “No matter how fast a bullet is flying, it’s constantly falling towards the ground.” False. Not if it is fired at an angle above parallel to the earth. Correctly stated, “No matter how fast a bullet is flying, it’s constantly being pulled earthward by gravity.” “But wait, you say, when I aim right at a target 100 yards away, the bullet hits it! That’s correct, but only because the barrel is actually pointed a little bit upwards relative to the ground.” Maybe, maybe not. Correctly stated, “But wait, you say, when I aim right at a target 100 yards… Read more »

bill

blow it out you a** DL… get a life

Sandman

What’s with the hate man? Plus you expect him to read a comment NOW on what he wrote last YEAR? Get a grip & chill a bit eh?

Vanns40

DL: Others have said this far more bluntly. I’ll try and be charitable. How many people do you think read your reply and had an understanding of what you said? Better yet, how many do you believe even cared? The article was to get the concept across to the greatest number of people and give them something that’s easy to remember when they go to the range. They can do none of that with your explanation. THINK before you completely muddy the waters.

Jfc

Actually I understood all of it.

Shawn

DL, Tom Hale explained it much more clearly, and we get the message. You over-complicate what he is trying to make simple

mugwumps

Your advice is correct, but your technology is wrong. Speed does affect the effects of gravity and gravity does effect the line of sight. It’s just negligible in this case. It’s astrophysics.

rabrooks

I only have a 100yd range to shoot on, so I was hoping to let someone else do the brainwork. Ar15, EoTech 516, 62gr(2870fps?), 50yd Zero, I’m 2-3″ high at 100. I’ve got four graphs off the internet, and none agree with the FM3-22.9. The Winchester app is closer to what I actually get. Any excuse for another trip to the range.
But it is really important to see exactly where you are hitting @5, 10, 25yds.. I keep one test target right by my desk to remember.

MyGunCulture

? Why would wind be discussed in an article about how to zero a rifle? That certainly comes into play when shooting, but irrelevant for setting an optic’s zero.

Frank G

Agree 100% ……… MGC. Dead nuts on windage, lead to suit conditions.

Jon

Excellent easely understood article. I use “Kentucky windage”. Jon.

Vanns40

Hah, you must be old like a lot of us! :). That said this article makes it a lot easier for new and old shooters alike.

Ceapea

Phil,

Are you saying that you need to first “zero” for wind?
That is what it sounds like you are saying. Distance is easiest to control/anticipate.
Yes, you need to always be aware of wind/windage adjustments. But with your concern for “wind” missing from this article, it seems that you would be re-zeroing your sights with every wind change.
Maybe I missed your point.

SSgt. J. Herrington

The AR with a 20″ barrel hits the line of sight at 35yrds and 300yrds. Saw a guy mention he was low at 200yrds after a 35yrd zero. Must have the 16″ barrel. Semper Fi.

Phil

No, I did not read it.
The first thing I searched for in this article was the word “WIND”.
I didn’t find it.
if its in there, I’m sorry, I should read it again.
Please correct me if I am wrong.

KCshooter

Consider yourself corrected. There is no wind compensation made while zeroing a rifle.

Tom

Concur!

Kenny Hopper

Very good article. I sigh my AR15 at 35 yards. With this I am about 2inches high at 100 yards and 2inches low at 220 yards with a second zero at 145yards this is according to ballistic charts. This works for me.

Michael

Didn’t tell me one thing about how to sight my rifle ..how to move a sight which way it goes and how much . Nothing helpful .. I. Couldn’t care less about the information you gave was not helpful at all. Thanks for my time waisted for reading your misguided title said how to zero a rifle.. nothing.

ktheis sr

It was once said ” A NATION OF RIFLEMAN” get your gun zero at 25 yards, move to a hundred yards check point of impact make adjustments , move to 300 yards check point of impact make adjustments if required, you want to be in a kill zone while holding dead on, somewhere their is the magic of your rifle and you, the same process is done all the way out to 500 yards , you will learn know what to do at all ranges but must go shoot.

Orlando

You probably should NOT own a firearm or fire one, EVER if you do not know how to mount a optic and how to use an optic, let alone a firearm.

Goto Afterburners

Wow Michael, just wow. So just to help you here “how to move a sight which way it goes and how much” refers to “elevation”…Up and Down for you, and “windage”…Left and Right for you. The article was attempting to inform you on an accepted standard for zeroing in your firearm in order to minimize a lot of thinking around what gravity is doing to your shot and where to aim at certain distances. Information published before? Yes. Does that bother me? No. Misguided title? No. Please LEARN the language and concepts so you don’t sound like a five year… Read more »

SSgt. Herrington, J

In the Corps, we zero at 35 yards, once zeroed at 35, you’ll get the same POI at 300 yards. 3-4″ high at 100. Of course slightly low at ranges under 35. Semper Fi.

Tim

Hey Mikey – your comment reads like it was written by a retarded 8 year old… I hope that’s not actually your mental capacity, or obviously you should NOT have access to firearms! IF YOU CAN’T FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADJUST SIGHTS, YOU SHOULD NOT BE SHOOTING AT ALL. Be smart, be safe. Read. Get help. Absorb. Think. Learn. Practice with knowledgeable company to assist you.

Will D

This is just a typical “How to zero your AR 15”. It’s extremely frustrated ti read articles like this one. As a new shooter with a brand new AR 15, I’ve been searching for advice on “how to zero my Aar 15”. But instead of show me “how to”, again this author just like all other authors just throw the numbers around without explaining where those numbers come from, how did he come up with those numbers let alone ell the readers how to zero their rifles. Sorry I’ve wasted so much time to search for my answer, and yet… Read more »

Tyler Durden

It’s pretty well laid out here Will. What else do you want to know? Start with safely pointing the rifle down range and loading a magazine, flip the safety on, then sit down, put the rifle on the bench so it is stable and won’t move around while you’re shooting. Then chamber a round, flip the safety off, aim your rifle at the center of the target and take a shot. Flip the safety back on, see where the hole is and make adjustments to your sights or optic based on that. If you don’t know how to line up… Read more »

Wild Bill

@TD, Well said! Shooting should be fun, its true, and making friends with shooters that have more experience will enhance the good times. The family of responsible gun owners are cordial and welcoming. Maybe the answers, that Will D is looking for, reside in the father to son teaching environment of the local range.

Big Daddy

LOL

El Conquistador

You wasted even more time with your negative response, as I am doing right now. The writer also did not explain how to load mags, where the trigger is, or most importantly… which end of the rifle does the bullet come out!!! This writer was not intending to teach someone how to shoot. Someone new should not be taking internet lessons!!! The writer was just bringing up a reminder of a good battle sight zero for red dot or iron sights…. it was very good advise. Most law enforcement agencies use this technique on ar’s. A magnified scope is a… Read more »

Big Daddy

Where is the trigger? What does hit a six inch circle at 300 yrds mean? How do you draw a six inch circle. Can you find one at Walmart………….

Kevin

Check out iv8888 video on YouTube it is very helpful. It explains how to boresight and to zero optics. You aim at bullseye and without moving the rifle adjust the optic to where the bullet landed. https://youtu.be/oSVA3BBUgQ0