Sighting in scope

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Smstwta

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I am new to muzzleloading and rifle shooting in general. Does it matter what power you have your scope set when sighting in at 50 or 100 yards? I have a 3x9 and had it set at 9x just so I could see the groups better at 100 yards. I didn't even think to power down to 3x while at the range. It theory it should not affect the point of impact but wanted to get some input. Sorry about the novice question and happy to be a part of this new forum and sport.
 
Sighting In

Welcome to the sport and to the site. When sighting in any of my guns, centerfire or ML, I always put the scope on 9X for the exact reason you said. Normally once I get the shot where I want it I'll just go home but once in a while just to do some more shooting I'll set it at 4X and fire a couple rounds for fun. Hope this helps.
 
Welcome to the forum. Its good to have you here.


When I sight in a scope, I bore sight the rifle first. This can be done in your house. Cut some V's in each end of a cardboard box or use a rifle rest. Set it up at 13 yards in your house and looking through the bore of an inline for instance, with the plug removed, focus on say.. a door knob. Then look through the scope and adjust the scope to the center of that door knob.

Out on the range set the target at 13 yards. Set the scope on the lowest power it has, because that will give you the best focus at that range. Now shoot the rifle so that you are dead center in that bulls eye at that distance.

Now is when I move back to 25 yards and shoot. Here I might have to adjust the scope's POI again. Then you can move back further. As you move back, you can increase the power of the scope also. This will let you use the power of the scope the best you can.

This is how I do it. I an not implying that this is the best way. But it is my way.
 
As long as you are just using a standard reticle and aiming with the crosshairs, power setting doesn't matter. Center is center. The power setting becomes an issue if you are using some types of ballistic reticles that give you dots or circles or hash marks to hold on target for different ranges other than the center crosshair. By changing the power, you change the field of view or how many feet across the scope's view is presenting to your eye. Changes in field of view change the impact of those other aiming marks. On my Nikon Prostaff with BDC, the instructions state to find the power setting that gives the desired holdover results then record it and/or tighten the locking screw on the power adjustment ring so the field of view can't change on you when it counts.

Hope this helps.
 
You should always test your scopes on all power settings for changes in point of impact.

Scopes technology have improved greatly over the years and its rare to find one that shift now days but it does happen. Generally with defective scopes and cheap scopes. In theory center should be center but I have found this NOT to always be the case.
 
Scope is a leupold ultimateslam with compensation reticles up to 300 yrds. Sounds like the field of view may affect those impact points. Thanks for the input.
 
Your scope may be on the higher end for quality, depending. As was posted above there can be slight changes with impact with different power settings, shouldn't be that way, but it is very possible. This would be less so with a higher quality scope.

I try to do my final sight-in at a power close to what I will use for most hunting. That said I'm not afraid to adjust the power if called for.

The same goes with 'adjustment clicks', cheaper scopes aren't going to go 1/4" at 100 per click, or whatever. Yes they should adjust, but it may not be anywhere near an exact relationship per click. It also may take some recoil after adjustment to 'set' the adjustment.

Once in a while you see an article in a gun mag about 'shooting the box'. That's where the guy runs the adjustment though a box pattern, then ends up back where he started. A high quality scope will end up back where it started when adjusted back to original. A cheap scope won't make it without refinement.
 
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