Zeroing Your AR: A Step by Step on How to Sight in an AR-15

Why should you sight in your AR-15?

Taking the time to sight in your rifle gives you your best shot at hitting your target when you need to use your rifle! If you take the time to sight it in at the range, you will also have a better idea for what the farthest distance you can hit your target accurately is and if you should engage or not. Many shooters will use the sight in time to create their dope sheet. Dope stands for data on previously engaged targets. It helps you keep track of your rifle’s performance. This is also a great time to check ammo compatibility with your firearm and helps get you to the range for a few practice shots. 

It is your responsibility to know where your rifle's zero is and where your shot will impact when you pull the trigger. You do not want to hit anything but your intended target. 

What Type of Shooting are you doing? 

When you are looking at how to sight your AR-15 in, the type of shooting will help you determine what distance to set your sights for. Usually for self defense, instructors suggest using a 50 yard zero. This distance helps you accurately and effectively engage your targets in both close quarters and at farther ranges without having to excessively adjust your holdover on the target. If you plan on the primary purpose being for self defense, consider the ranges you would most likely use your firearm. Your home, work, and leisure environments may vary in open distances that you would engage targets. Consider them when choosing your zero! For example, if you are in your home or neighborhood, what is the shortest and farthest shot you would take? If the edge of your property is at 100 yards, but the end of your hallway is 10 yards, your sweet spot may be 50 yards. 

The following image is from the Concealed Carry Ed Page and shows the group adjusted during the sight in process. 

Hunting now brings in the ethical side of shooting because you need to consider what distance you can shoot an accurate shot out to under field conditions. Going to the range helps you get a good picture of how far out you will be accurate enough to hit an animal's vital zone. Many hunters will choose a 100-200 yard zero then use holdovers for distances closer or farther than their original zero. If you know you can not hit a vital zone area consistently at 400 yards, then it doesn’t make sense to choose your zero at that distance, even if the firearm is capable of accuracy at that distance. Take the time to train and understand your limitations, as well as the guns and ammunition before you head out to the field. 

An environmental factor to consider would be the terrain in your area. Some terrain limits shot distance with foliage or rolling hills that block long distance shots. Maybe in your area the longest shot you would feasibly take is only 100 yards. If that is the case, you would not need to push your zero distance out farther than that. On the other hand, hunting on terrain that you can see for miles might be one of the instances you would stretch your zero out farther to 200 yards.

What Equipment can you bring to the Range?

Bringing some basics to the range can help you sight in your firearm faster and save some ammo. Sandbags and lead sleds keep your firearm in place while you are shooting so that you can make adjustments with less human factors affecting the grouping of the shots. Some ranges will have sandbags and led sleds available for rent. 

Bore sights can help you get closer to the target before you even fire one shot. They emit a laser through the bore and to the target so that you can match up the sight to the laser. Bore sights are not always the most accurate, so these are usually used as the first step to sighting in your gun, not the last. You can look down the barrel (not through the front of the muzzle) with your naked eye and try to match the center of the barrel on target to the scopes visual as well. This is going to be slightly more difficult as you have to make sure you do not move the firearm as you change positions. For more information on boresighting you can check out our quick six step blog on how to complete the process before you head out to the range!

Spotting scopes can help you see your grouping on target. If you have good magnification on your scope, you may not need to have the spotting scope in addition to the optic on your rifle. 

Bring targets to the range with a one inch grid. They help you with making accurate adjustments and getting the best picture of your grouping on the target. A basic bullseye target will be more difficult to measure group size and distance the scope needs adjusted. The squares on the target help you make the correct windage and elevation adjustments. Check your manual to check how you adjust your optic and the measurements it uses. 

How does the distance you sight in your AR-15 affect you?

Unfortunately, where your sights line up is not always where your bullet will impact. Although your line of sight is straight, the path the bullet takes to the target is actually curved. This is why knowing and understanding what zero best fits your firearm use will help you pick the best distance and ensure you have the best chance of hitting your target. Holdover/ Holdunder is a huge item to consider when you pick your zero. 36 yards is the new trending zero because the holdovers/ and holdunders line up as a smaller group for shooting out to 300 yards. 

As you are shooting, you will have a “near zero” and a “far zero” due to the curve of the bullet flying through the air. Defenders and Disciples have a great image to help show the two intersects of zero. 

36 Yards

• Reduced shot spread for distances between 25-300 yards

• Has less drop within the 300 yards and closer

• Significantly more drop with distances past 300 yards

50 Yards

• Optimal Distance between 50-200 yards

• Trajectory is more flat than a longer zeroed distance

• Not ideal for anything beyond 300 yards

100 Yards

• Easy to practice holdovers and unders for different target distances

• Ideal for new shooters 

200 Yards

• May be difficult to find a range that goes out to 200 yards

• Can limit the elevation adjustments available in your scope

Steps to Sight in your AR-15 

1. Set your target at your desired zero. 

2. Boresight your firearm to the best of your ability before you fire a single shot. You can use the BlackbeardX to get your scope on paper to start.

3. Set your firearm up in a lead sled or on sandbags to stabilize it.

4. Take three shots to check windage. If the shots are to the left or right of the bullseye, adjust your sight to move the group to center. 

1. L/R - Left/Right

2. Move the turret the direction you would like the group to move towards. Make sure you check your optics user manual to see the measurement of each click so that you can make accurate adjustments. 

5. Repeat a three shot group and adjust the windage until the group is in line with the bullseye. 

6. Set target out to desired zero yardage.

7. Take three shots.

8. Adjust the scope crosshairs to the center of point of impact for the three shots. 

1. U/D - Up/Down

2. Move the turret the direction you would like the group to move towards.

9. Take three more shots at the bullseye to verify the group is in the bullseye.

10. Repeat steps 7 & 8 until you are happy with the group on the target. 

11. Practice shooting at different distances to practice holdover and holdunder!

Now that you have sighted in your rifle you can take it to the range to shoot or even go to competitions to test out your gear! If you plan on becoming more efficient with your rifle, check out the BlackbeardX and the data it can provide so you can shoot faster and more accurately than the guy next to you at the range!