How to Sight In a Rifle Scope: Step-by-Step (2026)

To sight in a rifle scope, mount and level the scope, bore sight it to get on paper, confirm at 25 yards, then fine-tune to a tight group at your chosen zero distance, usually 100 yards. Sighting in simply means aligning where the scope looks with where the bullet actually hits, by adjusting the elevation and windage turrets until your point of aim and point of impact match. Here is the whole process, step by step.

What sighting in actually means

Your scope sits above the bore, and the barrel is not pointed exactly where the crosshair looks until you make it so. Sighting in, or zeroing, is the process of adjusting the scope’s internal aim so that at a chosen distance the bullet lands where the crosshair is centered. Get this right and your scope tells the truth; skip it and even a perfect rifle and load will miss. The turrets move your point of impact in angular clicks, which is where understanding MOA vs MRAD pays off.

What you need to sight in a rifle

A steady setup makes this fast and frustration-free. You want a solid rest: a front bag and rear bag, a sturdy bipod, or a dedicated shooting rest, so the rifle holds still while you read the impacts rather than fighting your own wobble. Add a stable bench, paper targets with a clear aiming point and a grid, the ammunition you intend to shoot, and the tools to adjust your turrets. A spotting scope or binoculars save you walking downrange after every shot.

Two things matter more than people expect. First, sight in with the exact ammo you will use, because different loads hit differently. Second, get the rifle genuinely steady; a wobbly hold spreads your group and hides what the scope is actually doing. A good bipod and a rear bag are worth their weight here.

Step 1: Mount and level the scope

None of this works if the scope is not mounted right. Use quality rings or a mount, set the eye relief so you get a full, clear picture in your natural shooting position, and level the reticle to the rifle so it is not canted. Torque the ring screws evenly to the maker’s spec, because over or under-tightening causes problems down the line. Our best scope rings and mounts guide covers picking and installing them. A canted or loose scope will never hold a reliable zero, so do this carefully before you fire a shot.

Step 2: Bore sight to get on paper

Bore sighting gets your first shots onto the target so you are not wasting ammo hunting for the bullet. On a bolt rifle, remove the bolt, set the rifle steady, and look down the bore at a target around 25 to 100 yards until it is centered in the barrel. Without moving the rifle, adjust the scope turrets until the crosshair points at the same spot the bore is looking at. A laser bore sighter does the same job for ARs and other actions you cannot see through. It will not be perfect, but it puts you on paper.

Step 3: Confirm at 25 yards

Start close to save ammo and frustration. Set a target at 25 yards, get steady, and fire a careful three-shot group at the bullseye. At this short distance you will be on paper even after a rough bore sight. Note where the group lands relative to your aim, then adjust the turrets to move the impact to center. A rifle roughly zeroed at 25 yards will be close enough at 100 to fine-tune without wandering off the paper, which is the whole reason for this step.

Step 4: Zero at your chosen distance

Move the target to your zero distance, most commonly 100 yards for a hunting or general rifle, and fire a careful three-shot group from a steady rest. Measure how far the center of the group is from your point of aim, then dial the correction on the turrets. This is where knowing your click value matters: if each click moves a quarter MOA, that is about a quarter inch at 100 yards, so a group 1 inch low needs roughly four clicks up. If you shoot in mils, a tenth-mil click moves about a third of an inch at 100 yards.

Adjust, then fire another group to confirm the move did what you expected. Always judge off the center of a group, never a single shot, because one round can lie to you. Two or three rounds tell you where the rifle is really shooting.

Step 5: Confirm with a final group

Once a group lands centered on your aim, fire one more three-shot group to verify the zero holds. If it is centered and consistent, you are done. Many shooters then foul the barrel and check again, and confirm the zero across a couple of range sessions, because a true zero is one that repeats. Record your final settings and the load you used, so you can return to this zero if anything ever shifts.

Choosing your zero distance

The right zero depends on the rifle and how you shoot. A 100-yard zero is the simple, versatile standard for hunting and general use, and it makes holdovers easy to learn. For an AR or a flat-shooting carbine, a 50-yard zero, which also lands close at around 200 yards, is popular because it keeps the bullet within a few inches of aim across common defensive and field distances. Long-range shooters often zero at 100 and dial up from there. Pick the zero that matches your typical shooting distances, and if you run an AR specifically, our how to zero an AR-15 guide covers that platform in detail.

Common sighting-in mistakes to avoid

• Adjusting off a single shot. One round can mislead you. Always judge your correction off the center of a three-shot group.
• An unsteady rest. A wobbly hold spreads the group and hides the scope’s true zero. Get the rifle genuinely solid before you read impacts.
• Wrong ammo. Sight in with the exact load you will use, because different ammunition hits to a different point.
• A loose or canted scope. Torque the rings to spec and level the reticle. A scope that shifts or tilts will never hold a reliable zero.
• Turning the wrong way. Confirm which direction your turrets move impact, and remember the markings refer to where the bullet goes, not the crosshair.

Bottom Line

Sighting in a rifle scope is straightforward once you work the steps in order: mount and level the scope, bore sight to get on paper, confirm at 25 yards, zero at your chosen distance off a steady rest, and verify with a final group. Judge every correction off the center of a group, use the ammo you will actually shoot, and record your settings. Get the scope mounted right with quality rings and mounts, steady it with a good bipod, understand your MOA or MRAD clicks, and a solid zero takes a single range session. Need glass first? See our best rifle scopes guide.

Last updated June 4th 2026