scope sighting for dummies

[greebs]

bought my 12 year old a .243 as he wants to youth hunt. I've only shotgun hunted before so don't know much about the scope and bought used so didn't get manual.

I've read up on the bore sighting/scope sighting method but am unsure about an item. on the scope there you can turn it to zoom in and out the target. the numbers on the zoom range from 3 to 9. what do those numbers represent and when sighting in the scope at close range am I supposed to zoom it in our out and how do you know how and when to adjust that zoom function?

hope I don't sound too dumb here and thanks for any tips.

[mechanictim]

The 3x9 is the amount of magnification the scope has. At 3x the image will appear about three times larger than with the eye alone.

When sighting in most people crank the magnification all the way up to make sure they are aiming at exactly the same point on the target for each shot. When hunting, start with the scope at its lowest setting for maximum field of view. Should only need to turn up the magnification at long ranges. The lower magnification and wider field of view at 3x has the advantage of letting you see what is around the game to make sure the shot is safe. With high magnification and close ranges you could take aim on the wrong animal without being aware of it, kinda be a bad day to think your gonna shoot a trophy buck and end up killing the doe the buck was following that you don't even have a permit for.

One thing that you should check at the range is that the zoom doesn't shift the point of impact when changed. I have a cheapie scope that will be right on target at 9x and will shift 3 inches right and slighly high when set at 3x at fifty yards.

[paul pachowicz]

buying a used scope/rifle, one could assume that it has been sighted in. However, what I would do is: Take it to the range, set up your target at 25 yards and see how it groups with a three shot string. You should be in a very tight group at that range. Make any adjustments until you are dead on. then move out to 100 yards and see where you are on the target. Make any adjustments. If this is your 1st rifle I'd get my hands on everything you can read about the caliber and marksmanship in general.

[Gordie]

Paul thats excactly how I sight in a gun with a scope I start at that 25yrd range and then fine tune at a 100yrds