How to Sight in a Scope - Step by Step Guide

A Gundata.org article
Author: Jason Brumett

The following is a step by step guide on how to sight in a scope, also known as zeroing in. Even if you've sighted one in before this post could be used as a refresher.

The article details Dominant Eye Issues, Breathing Techniques, Picking a Scope, Necessary Equipment, Target, Rifle Position, and Shot Group.

Hope this is of some use to you, if it is be sure to Share, Like, Tweet, and Email this article to your friends.

Dominant Eye

For first time shooters finding your dominant eye is important. Some people are under the impression that using your dominant arm is required for shooting a weapon, but it doesn't really matter which arm you use to shoot with as long as you use your dominant eye.

• Make a triangle with your hands facing flat as if you were going to do a diamond push-up.
• Pick an object in the distance such as a picture on a wall or a fire alarm on the ceiling.
• Keeping your arms at a 90 degree angle; look through the triangle you made with your hands and slowly extend your arms outward while staying focused on the object.
• Once your arms are fully extended close each eye one at a time to see which is centered on the object-that will be your dominant eye and the side of your body that you place the butt of your rifle on when shooting.

Breathing Technique

Breathing is an important part of shooting to make sure each shot is well-placed. Practicing breathing before going to the range can help cut down on the time it takes to zero in a rifle. Shot groups are used in groups of three to determine how a scope needs to be adjusted to hit the center of a target. If one shot is a few inches off compared to the other two, then that has to do more with breathing than anything else. This breathing method can be put into practice while at home.

• Close your eyes and focus on when you inhale and exhale
• Each time you exhale there's a small pause before you inhale. This is when your body is balanced and is the best time for each shot to be fired.
• Once you can determine the pausing point between your breathing use that to imagine firing your rifle each time it happens.
• Firing a rifle during this pausing point will eliminate any erratic shot groups to help zero in a rifle.

Picking a Scope

f you have a bolt action rifle make sure to bore sight your rifle before you go to the range after you have mounted the scope.

When mounting a scope make sure to use the proper mount and screws to fit the rifle that is being fired. This will eliminate any potential problems with the scope becoming dislodged when a rifle kicks.

Necessary Equipment

Call ahead if unsure what type of lanes and materials the range you are going to has on its grounds. Some basic items to bring with you can help the process go more quickly.

• Padding for your shoulder to help shield from a rifle kick
• Rifle Rest or Sand Bags to use as a turret for better shot groups
• Enough ammo to zero in the rifle. Try to get ammo from the same lot number which can be found on the side of each box.
• Screwdrivers for adjusting the scope
• 25 to 100 Meter targets
• Black Marker to mark your previous shots
• Binoculars to look down range to see each shot group

Target

Targets are usually set-up for 25 meters for first group and 100 meters to zero in a rifle for maximum point blank range. Each three round shot group should be aimed at the center bulls-eye for the duration of the zero in process. A shot group consists of three well-placed shots, which in turn should be marked to see which direction you need to move the elevation and windage on the scope.

Rifle Position

Rifle position is important to maintain. Once finding a comfortable position to zero in a rifle, make sure it is the same position you fire from every single time.

• Make sure to have the rifle butt firmly placed in then soft tissue area on the shoulder just below your clavicle. Don't place it directly into your clavicle or you could cause damage to your shoulder/bone.
• The opposite arm you are using should be under the forearm of the rifle and the end of the rifle forearm should be on the rifle rest or sandbags.
• A well placed grip behind the trigger area of the rife to ensure it doesn't move during each shot. Do not place your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
• Use the soft padding just below your distal phalange on your index finger to fire each shot. It should take barely any effort to squeeze each shot on the trigger if done correctly.
• Place your nose or the side of your cheek on the barrel of the rifle. Do not get directly in front of the scope and bolt, or you will get smacked in the face after each shot from the recoil. Once you have found a comfortable spot to place your face for firing position this should be where you place your face EVERY single time for each shot group.

Shot Group

Once you have determined your shot group in relation to the center of the target you can then adjust the elevation and windage on the scope. The scope should have directions on how many clicks per-meters it should be moved.

For example: if you have a shot group in the top-right you would adjust the scope down and left. Continue to do this until you get three (9 Total shots) well-placed shot groups in the center of the target.

100 Meter Target

The final step is to determine the maximum point blank range. Set-up a target at 100 meters and using the same method of shot groups. Long range rifles (.243 w/90 Grain bullet or .270 w/130 grain) should be adjusted to land 2.5 inches above the center of the target and medium range rifles (30-30 w/150 grain or .300 Savage w/165 grain) should land 3 inches above the target. Once the elevation and windage is correct and you have three more (9 total shots) well-placed groups then you have successfully zeroed in your rifle.

Source: http://gundata.org/blog/post/how-to-sight-in-scope/

Secondary Ammo Pressure Spikes

by Nick Leghorn

When a gun goes off, the expanding gasses created by the burning gunpowder pressurize the chamber and force the bullet down the barrel. There’s all sorts of interesting science behind what the maximum pressure of the ammunition can be before the chamber ruptures, and what the proper pressure is for the best and most consistent grouping. But that all assumes a “normal” pressure wave. What happens if your ammunition isn’t actually conforming to that normal curve? And is a secondary spike even possible? . . .

Let me start by talking about measuring those spikes in the first place.

The standard method for measuring the pressure in a firearm’s chamber is by direct observation. A hole is drilled into the chamber, and a small sensor is placed in the hole. Historically the sensor was made of either copper or lead, but more common today is a piezoelectric sensor that translates pressure into electrical current.

The problem with direct observation is that it’s expensive and you have to sacrifice a barrel to the process. However, Charlie Sisk at Sisk Rifles has a pretty smart way of doing pressure testing on the cheap. Instead of directly measuring the pressure in the barrel, he simply measures the expansion of the metal surrounding the chamber (since the metal deforms slightly as the gun is pressurized) using some very accurate sensors and computers. Through years of testing, he has perfected the formula for determining chamber pressure based on metal expansion.


This is a “normal” pressure curve. The pressure in the chamber increases as the powder burns, then decreases as the bullet moves down the barrel and increases the available volume. Eventually the bullet leaves the barrel and the pressure drops off.

However, Charlie started to notice that sometimes when he was working up a load he’d get a secondary spike. One that didn’t make any sense.


You expect the first spike from the initial gunpowder burn, but where the hell did that second pressure spike come from? It didn’t make sense.

Naturally, Charlie kept testing. As a result, he can create a secondary pressure spike whenever he wants just by varying the load parameters. The ability to repeat the results on demand indicate that this isn’t some kind of instrumentation fluke. There really is a secondary spike going on in some loads. And not just in handloads — Charlie has seen this same pattern in some commercial ammunition, too.

“So what?” I hear you say. “That’s interesting, but what does that have to do with me?” Well, turns out that secondary spikes might have some safety implications.

Charlie was playing around with a new, full-length barrel (26 inches, I believe) in his gunsmithing shop and creating some secondary spikes in order to figure out what was going on. After the seventh round, the shot sounded… different. When he looked, it turns out that the front five inches or so of his barrel had fallen off.

He repeated the same test with three more barrels, and all three were cleanly chopped off at 21.6 inches exactly. Secondary pressure spikes caused spontaneous barrel shortening. Or, put another way, they blasted off the front of his barrel.

The cause of these spikes is still unknown. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a theory. The best of those is that the water vapor in the atmosphere of the barrel forms a “vapor cone” around the bullet, much like it does around aircraft breaking the sound barrier. That vapor cone, as the theory postulates, creates increased drag and therefore a pressure spike. Again, it’s still just a theory.

Charlie is continuing to do his testing, and others have picked up on the issue, too. There’s a paper on the subject currently being written by a couple of other internal ballistics boffins, so we should have some more hard evidence of what’s going on shortly. Until then, its just another fascinating mystery.

About Nick Leghorn
Nick Leghorn is a gun nerd living and working in San Antonio, Texas. In his free time, he's a competition shooter (USPSA, 3-gun and NRA High Power), EMT-B and enjoys mixing statistics and science with firearms. Now on sale: Getting Started with Firearms by yours truly!

Source: http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2013/03/foghorn/secondary-pressure-spikes-in-ammunition/

The Girandoni Air Rifle that changed the world

The Girandoni Air Rifle was an airgun designed by Tyrolian inventor Bartholomäus Girandoni circa 1779. The weapon was also known as the Windbüchse ("wind rifle" in German).

This is one of the most interesting videos I have watched in a very long while and a must-watch for any firearm enthusiast.

Half of the US land mass was conquered by merely demonstrating this amazing rifle.

Girandoni air rifle as used by Lewis and Clark. A National Firearms Museum Treasure Gun

http://nramuseum.com/ Lewis and Clark's secret weapon - a late 18th Century .46 cal. 20 shot repeating air rifle by Girandoni , as used bin the Napoleonic Wars. A Treasure Gun from the NRA National Firearms Museum. See more at http://nramuseum.com/. Narrated by Phil Schreier.

The modern .45 calibre airgun

Air Rifle that Shoots through Cement Blocks!

History and use
The Girandoni air rifle was in service with the Austrian army from 1780 to around 1815. The advantages of a high rate of fire, no smoke from propellants, and low muzzle report granted it initial acceptance, but it was eventually removed from service for several reasons.

While the detachable air reservoir was capable of around 30 shots it took nearly 1500 strokes of a hand pump to fill those reservoirs to around 800 psi.

Later, a wagon-mounted pump was provided. The reservoirs themselves, made from hammered sheet iron held together with rivets and sealed by brazing, proved very difficult to manufacture using the techniques of the period and were always in short supply.

In addition, the weapon was very delicate and a small break could make it inoperable. Finally, it was very different from any other weapon of the time and any soldier using it needed to be highly trained.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition used the rifle in the demonstrations that they performed for nearly every Native American tribe they encountered on the expedition.

Design and capabilities

The rifle was 4 ft (1.2 m) long and weighed 10 lbs (4.5 kg), about the same basic size and weight as other muskets of the time. It fired a .46 caliber ball at a velocity similar to that of a modern .45 ACP and it had a tubular, gravity-fed magazine with a capacity of 20 balls. This gravity operated design was such that the rifle had to be pointed upwards in order to drop each ball into the breech block. Unlike its contemporary, muzzle-loading muskets, which required the rifleman to stand up to reload with powder and ball, the shooter could reload a ball from the magazine by holding the rifle vertically while lying on his back and operating the ball delivery mechanism. The rifleman then could roll back into position to fire, allowing the rifleman to keep a "low profile".

Contemporary regulations of 1788 required that each rifleman, in addition to the rifle itself, be equipped with three compressed air reservoirs (two spare and one attached to the rifle), cleaning stick, hand pump, lead ladle, and 100 lead balls, 1 in the chamber, 21 in the magazine built into the rifle and the remaining 80 in four tin tubes. Equipment not carried attached to the rifle was held in a special leather knapsack. It was also necessary to keep the leather gaskets of the reservoir moist in order to maintain a good seal and prevent leakage.

The air reservoir was in the club-shaped butt. With a full air reservoir, the Girandoni air rifle had the capacity to shoot 30 shots at useful pressure. These balls were effective to approximately 150 yards on a full load. The power declined as the air reservoir was emptied.

Importance
The Girandoni air rifle was an important first. It was the first repeating rifle of any kind to see military service. It was one of the first uses of a tubular magazine. And, although it saw service for only 35 years, it predated and was more advanced in design and mechanical technology than the Henry rifle which arrived fifty years later.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girandoni_Air_Rifle

Laser Shot Hunter Training Systems

Laser Shot and Fortis

Seeing as how hunting is your thing, you may be interested the Laser Shot training by Fortis - see info below:


Come join us for an introduction to the Laser Shot simulation training system, and very specifically how it can benefit hunters of all ages!

Yes, you will be allowed to take a pot shot at that Kudu, or if you feel you are up to it, a charging lion. In all, you will get an opportunity to shoot at about 12 animals, filmed in their natural environments!

Standing alone or in groups, behind branches, crossing each other, even a charging elephant - typical scenario's your average hunter encounters on a regular basis, or will at some stage.

You will quickly understand how beneficial Laser Shot can be to your ultimate hunting success in the bush.

Buck fever? Yes, that old monster that manifests itself in an inability to control a shot! Few hunters have never had the "pleasure" of battling to breathe and shaking like an old granny! Laser Shot can help you cure that.

Please join us to learn more about this exiting system and shot placement than you have ever believed possible, and to test your skills - bring your friends, fellow hunters and kids!

Bring a chair, and we will see you there.

RSVP - Riaan Coetzee - sales@fortisgroup.co.za
RSVP – Bruce Staples - info@lasershot.co.za

For more info click here:
http://www.lasershot.co.za/open-evening.html

To learn about the benefits of using Computerised Laser Technology for firearm training, click here:
http://www.lasershot.co.za/benefits.html

To learn more about Fortis Proactive Self-Defence Solutions, click here:
http://www.fortisgroup.co.za/

Ruger® - Sturm, Ruger & Company Incorporated

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Incorporated is a Southport, Connecticut–based firearm manufacturing company, better known by the shortened name Ruger. Sturm, Ruger produces bolt-action, semi-automatic, full-automatic, and single-shot rifles, shotguns, semi-automatic pistols, and single- and double-action revolvers. Ruger is the fourth largest firearms manufacturer in the United States.

Sturm, Ruger & Company was founded by William B. Ruger and Alexander McCormick Sturm in 1949 in a small rented machine shop in Southport, Connecticut.

Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. is one of the America's leading manufacturers of rugged, reliable firearms for the commercial sporting market. The only full-line manufacturer of American-made firearms, Ruger offers consumers over 400 variations of more than 30 product lines. From the ubiquitous 10/22® and Mini-14®, to the new and exciting SR45™, LC380™, Guide Gun, Ruger American Rifle®, SR22® and SR1911™. Our Awarding Winning Products (the Gunsite Scout Rifle, LC9®, SR9c™, LCR® and LCP®) all prove that Ruger has a rugged, reliable firearm to meet every shooter's needs. For more than 60 years, Ruger has been a model of corporate and community responsibility. Our motto, "Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens," echoes the importance of these principles as we work hard to deliver quality and innovative firearms.

Ruger Casting has plants in Newport, New Hampshire and Prescott, Arizona, making ferrous, ductile iron and commercial titanium castings. Ruger Golf makes steel and titanium castings for golf clubs made by a number of different brands.

Sturm, Ruger stock has been publicly traded since 1969, and became a New York Stock Exchange company in 1990 (NYSE:RGR). After Alex Sturm’s death in 1951, William B. Ruger continued to direct the company until his death in 2002.

From 1949 through 2004, Ruger manufactured over 20 million firearms, and currently offers models for hunting, target shooting, self-defense, collecting, and law enforcement.


Ruger® Security-Six® - 1975
At the time, the Security Six 357 and the Colt Python were the only 2 handguns that could shoot the 'new' Plus P's
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruger_Security_Six

There is an after market adjustable main spring available for this that turns it into a super sweet shooter.


Rifle action from Ruger Model 77 Mark II Stainless (.204)


Ruger® .44 Carbine Rifle made in 1974


Ruger 10/22 with red and black laminate stock.
Ruger is a dominant player in the .22 LR rimfire rifle market in the U.S., due primarily to the sales of its Ruger 10/22 semiautomatic rifle. The 10/22 is very popular due to being relatively inexpensive and of good quality. As a result, a wealth of after-market accessories and parts available for it, which has only increased its popularity.


Ruger 77/22


Glock 21 and Ruger SR45, 45acps


Ruger Bisley 45 Colt / 45 ACP


Ruger SR45


Ruger LC9 9mm NRA Edition


The One-Millionth Ruger Standard Pistol
William B. Ruger can be remembered for many things, but here at the National Firearms Museum, we’ll always know him as the man that wrote a million dollar check to start construction of our exhibit galleries in 1997. Today, let’s look at a special Ruger. It took thirty years for Bill Ruger’s creation to hit the million gun mark, but the wait was worth it when you see the one-millionth Ruger Standard pistol.

Learn more about Ruger at:
http://www.ruger.com/index.html
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturm,_Ruger_%26_Co.

Applied Ballistics - Android Apps

State of the art ballistics solver by Bryan Litz, Applied Ballistics. Calculate accurate fire control solutions for long range rifle shooting. Accounts for all major and minor trajectory variables including the use of measured G7 BC's and even the option to use custom drag curves for specific bullets. Output is available in several formats including single shot 'HUD' view, table output, graph output, and the highly effective reticle output view, in which you can see a single shot or trajectory trace in the context of a specific scope reticle which responds to magnification adjustments and 'dialing on' elevation.

Ballistic calibration feature allows user to 'train' the software to match a specific rifle based on observed impacts at long range.

The Applied Ballistics Mobile app is a professional tool intended for the serious long range shooter.

Feature List

• Firearm/ammo/target organized into savable profiles
• Bullet library with over 1,300 bullets to save you from having to look up BC information
• Custom drag curves (i.e. rather than using G1 or G7, Applied Ballistics has measured and developed specific drags for specific bullets, no other calculator does this)
• Support for multiple BCs at specified velocities (aka "stepped bcs")
• Sync your profiles to the cloud so you never have to worry about losing all of your data
• Load atmospherics based on GPS location and nearest weather station
• Load atmospherics via your Bluetooth-enabled Kestrel
• Support for Spin Drift and Coriolis Effect
• Reticle views that support scope magnification levels and accounting for what you've dialed-up on your turret
• HUD solution view for fast re-calculations for changing target distances, wind and lead
• Doesn't need cell/internet service to run calculations
• Advanced ballistic calibration unlike any other software available to date (aka "truing" or "trajectory validation")
• Distance, look angle, and target azimuth calculator built-in
• Zero-atmosphere support
• Support for auto-adjusting muzzle velocity based on powder temperature
• Graph your bullet's flight with drop/wind graphs. Also compare with other ammo in one graph
• Send trajectory output via email
• "Night" color theme if you prefer the dark-look

Best Android based ballistic app available
I've used five of the available ballistics apps for Android, this is by far the best; a close second would be Shooter. The FFP support and the Horus reticles were a great addition in the last update. I was waiting for the H-59 for a few months now. I would like to see the ability to edit profiles that have been sync'd to the web using a computer, then sync back to the Android device. If you chrono your ammo and put all the information in correctly, you will have first round hits pretty much wherever you go. I test ammo at 4670ft; when I hit the 1000 yard range at 5800ft I'm pretty much right on all the way out to the 1000 yard steel.

Learn more about this app and watch the video at:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appliedballisticsllc.appliedballistics&hl=en

SA Parliamantary Committee passes Dangerous Weapons Bill

A bill giving police more power against the carrying of dangerous weapons in public was adopted by Parliament's portfolio committee on police on Tuesday.

The Dangerous Weapons Bill was tweaked after it first came to the committee for consideration last month.

Sporting bodies and collectors complained they would be arrested while travelling to and from events, and could be prosecuted for having paintguns, airguns or antique rifles, guns, and swords in their possession.

As the bill now stands, the act will not apply to the:

- Possession of dangerous weapons in pursuit of any lawful employment, duty or activity;

- Possession of dangerous weapons during participation in any religious or cultural activities, or lawful sport, recreation, or entertainments; and;

- Legitimate collection, display or exhibition of weapons.

Police officers will be given the discretion to decide whether there is a reasonable suspicion a weapon could be used for unlawful purposes.

Police would be able to crack down on protesters brandishing firearms, bricks, glass bottles, spears, or any object which could be used to harm someone or damage property.

Last month, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said the bill would be key to helping the police in their duties, while policing the increasing number of violent protests which had plagued the country in recent years.

Read the full article at: http://news.iafrica.com/sa/847707.html