Tried to Google it or ask for people to explain it but no luck.
In: Technology
Okay, let’s try to keep this simple:
On a weapon, all firearms but also some bows / crossbows, you have a set of sights that allow you to aim and send the bullet or arrow where you want it to go. Every weapon comes with basic sights, on in front and one in back. Aligning both of them to form a ‘sight picture’ with the target is how you aim and shoot precisely.
Adding a scope to a weapon means that you’re adding a component that wasn’t installed and calibrated by the manufacturer of your weapon. Consequently, if you aim through your scope without calibrating it first, which is called ‘zeroing’ a scope, the bullet or arrow isn’t going to land where you’re aiming.
So how do you zero a scope? It’s actually extremely simple:
First, you attach the scope securely to your weapon so that it doesn’t move. At all.
Second, you rest your weapon on some sort of fixed rest (sometimes called a bench rest) so that you can aim and shoot it without the weapon moving, which is what would happen if you were just holding it in your hands. This is crucial to figure out how to adjust your scope based on where the bullet lands after firing.
Third, you shoot one round (bullet). After the bullet hits the target, you check the target to determine how far off from where you were aiming (generally dead center) the bullet hit the target.
This can be measured in metric units (MIL – millimeters) or in imperial units (MOA – minutes of angle) . By how much in either unit (MIL or MOA) your bullet hole is off relative to the center of the target tells you how to adjust your scope in elevation (up or down) or windage (left or right).
Then, you use the elevation or windage dials on your scope to adjust your scope so that the point of impact (where the bullet should go) matches where your weapon is sending it based on what you see through your scope.
After you’ve made the adjustments, you shoot another round into the target to check that your adjustments are correct. If the bullet hole is still off relative to the center of the target, measure the offset again and adjust the windage and/or elevation again on your scope.
Repeat this process until every shot you fire goes exactly where you’re aiming.
Once the process is complete, your scope is conseidered ‘zeroed’.
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