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Need some scope help

BIGLEW

Air Force Icon Supporter
AKA: BIG PRETTY - BDR1
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I decided to mount the Nikon P-223 scope I had listed on here onto my AR. I ordered a set of Nikon P-Series rings to mount the scope with.

The scope is used, so I am not sure of any adjustments that have been made to it. I mounted it, put a laser bore site into the rifle, then chose a tree that was about 25-30 yards away to see where it was. The dot showed very low and to the left. I adjusted the windage knob until the dot was on the vertical line. The issued is when I attempted to bring the dot up in elevation. I ran out of clicks and it is still really low.

I decided to keep fiddling with it, so to make sure the scope was "in the middle" so to speak. I adjusted both knobs all the way to one side, then counted the clicks it took to move it to the other side, then set them both to the middle number. I looked again through the scope and the laser bore was low and to the left again, but not as bad as it was when I first started. Again I adjusted the windage to the vertical line, but then I got distracted by one of my kids and had to leave it alone.

So my question is this, when I mess with it again, and if I can not get it to be dead center on the laser bore, what would be a good suggestion to fix the issue? Or should I just leave it all alone until I can get to the range and actually use a target that is 100 yards away to sight the scope in correctly?
 
My opinion is that you're trusting that the laser is centered to the bore and it could be dead on, but maybe not. Verify that it's centered by setting the scope to mechanical zero (number of clicks left to right and up to down divided by zero- basically what you did already, just be sure to go both ways and don't rely on the MFG'ers numbers for clicks).

Steady the rifle, look at where the laser shows to point, and then pull it and look down the bore to be sure the laser is reliable. Pick a leaf or something that you can see down the bore, check the scope, check the laser, back and forth a number of times.

If the laser is reliable, then double check mounts. Is this a one piece to two rings? make sure that you don't over tighten, or tighten one ring down first, equal torque on a the mount screws to the scope and to the rifle.

Gotta eliminate all variables before zeroing the scope, and 25 yards is a good start. Should be about 1" high at 25 to get near zero at 100. and remember that 1/4MOA clicks at 25 are only 1/16MOA clicks, so it'll take 4x as many clicks to move 1" at 25.

I like to use the corner of a target or something like that to bore sight as I can use that squared point to center the bore pretty accurately, and check the scope it pointing right on the edge.
 
Bore sight it on an object 300+ yards distant. Forget the lazer thingie, use your MK I eyeball and a steady rest/vice.

Then shoot at a 25 yd target ansd fine tune before you try 100+ yds.

Then, after it is sighted in, see what the lazer thing says, and use that in the future to check for zero check on sight.
 
The laser boresight things are sketchy at best. The ones that go in the chamber are a little better than than the ones that go in the barrel. Something to double check is that you didn't accidently mount you scope off axis on your AR. If the weapon is a flat top, it's is easy to see looking down from the top at the front bell. The front of the bell should be parallel to the rail sections.
 
Bore sight it on an object 300+ yards distant. Forget the lazer thingie, use your MK I eyeball and a steady rest/vice.
Then shoot at a 25 yd target ansd fine tune before you try 100+ yds.
Then, after it is sighted in, see what the lazer thing says, and use that in the future to check for zero check on sight.

I use the MK I Eyeball Borescope method at my neighbors house approx. 100yrds and when I go to the range it's on paper at 200yrds on a NRA SR-1 Target. Cheap and simple!
 
When you get to the range get the biggest target you can find. Start shooting with a spotter to see where the rounds are hitting and just walk it in. Some of the bore sighting kits can be very deceptive. The Nikon P and M-series scopes are good scopes and it will get there you may just have to use a different method of zeroing your scope. I have owned in excess of at least 5 or more of those scopes and never had one that wouldn't get on target and put me on the bulls eye. Just be patient you will get there. Just take a lot of ammo. I have used those bore sighting kits and more than half the time ending up having to spot round impacts. Start at the closest yardage you can like say 25 yards and then work your way back to 100.
 
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