# Sighting in help needed



## WesternSaw (Aug 17, 2010)

Okay fellas I need some help here! I'm a hunter but have been away from it for awhile due to health reasons going to try and get back into it this year or next i will keep you posted on that.My neighbour wants to get into hunting he has never been and i have been as helpful as I can when he ask's questions.He just bought a Tikka Hunter, stainless metal with a wood stock in 30-06 caliber.He's going to shoot factory ammo.I have a Remington Custom 30-06 and shoot Hornady 180 grain's and get good groupings,I use this for moose and deer.Not sure if he has had it bore sighted or not.If the rifle has been bore sighted and his next step is going to the rifle range how would you suggest he start out ie.what ammo should he start with?I know gun's shoot different brands of ammo different way's.How does he avoid buying a whole wack of different boxes of ammo to try and see which brand shoots the best from his rifle?So I will stop here for now and if you could let me know your thoughts it would be appreciated.
Thanks
Lawrence


----------



## mdavlee (Aug 17, 2010)

I would buy 2 boxes of ammo to start with in whatever grain or bullet type he wants to use. Go line it up with one of them and see how it groups. If this doesn't take the whole box, I would try the other box of ammo and see where it hits and groups. I had a ruger m77 308 and it shot remington corelokt from walmart the best out of 5 brands of ammo. Hornady wouldn't even line up in it the box I tried. Federal shot alright but woudln't group as well. Find out the twist of the barrel and research bullet weights for that twist would help also. I would say if he's got internet and will search there's a hunting forum that would have someone that found what ammo his Tikka shot good.


----------



## PA Plumber (Aug 17, 2010)

Even if the rifle has been bore-sighted, a close target is your friend.

I have had very good luck with Federal ammo, and very poor luck with Remington. (I hand load now so don't mess with factory ammo much.)

What ever ammo you decide to start out with, start out shooting a close target (50 yards or less). 
Often it can tell you if the scope is close, with only one shot.


----------



## BlueRidgeMark (Aug 17, 2010)

mdavlee said:


> ... try the other box of ammo and see where it hits and groups.



Where it HITS is irrelevant. That's what sight adjustments are for.


----------



## mdavlee (Aug 17, 2010)

Yeah even 25 yards or so will let you know pretty quick how close left to right you are.


----------



## Swamp Yankee (Aug 17, 2010)

A really big piece of cardboard is your friend

As the others have stated start close. I have always found a 4 foot by 4 foot sheet of cardboard with the target in the center prevents a lot of "Where did that one hit?" questions.

As to factory ammo for a 30-06, try cartridges loaded with decent spitzer or pointed soft point bullets in the 165 to 180 grain range.

Take Care


----------



## mdavlee (Aug 17, 2010)

BlueRidgeMark said:


> Where it HITS is irrelevant. That's what sight adjustments are for.



I try to shoot ammo that I can not move the scope zero in case I run out of one kind and can't find it anywhere and need something else.


----------



## WesternSaw (Aug 17, 2010)

*Thanks so Far*

Thanks Fellas! I planned on telling him to start at 25 yards and see if he's even on the paper.As far as the factory ammo your shooting I think it's the best to shoot something that is not that rare in case you loose it on a trip or whatever.I think that's what mdavlee was getting at.I like the cardboard idea.the plywood backing for the targets at the range are shot to hell and you have next to no idea where it hit if you don't hit the paper.I watched a You tube video by some guru,forgot his name at the moment and when he first started to sight in he used a windage screw on what looked to be the base mount for the scope.I believe this was done for the laser bore sight in and the 30 yard target.I always adjusted the windage and elevation by the scope adjustments .What am I missing on this?
Thanks
Lawrence P.S. this is the video I watched that he adjusted a windage screw that was not on the scope.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF3LCwrN3HY


----------



## ZeroJunk (Aug 17, 2010)

Since it is a bolt action you can take the bolt out and bore sight it. Just put it in a sand bag or whatever you can secure it with and center the bore on a bright object like a tennis ball at 50 feet or so. Then center the crosshairs on it if a scope or sights if using iron sights. You will be surprised how close you can get. I can usually get on paper at 100 yards that way.


----------



## PasoRoblesJimmy (Aug 18, 2010)

A laser boresighter from Cabelas was one of the best investments I have ever made. It dials in new riflescopes much quicker and faster than just shooting at paper targets. The laser boresight enables one to start shooting close to the bullseye at 50 yards. Your first shot will even hit the paper at 100 yards. The laser will even help you level your riflescope. The laser boresight saves lots of time because it takes all of the guess work out of the initial sighting in process. You can look through the barrel on a bolt action, but the laser boresighter is much faster. The final dial-in process is a function of the brand/type of ammo being fired.

LaserLyte Kryptonyte Green Laser Bore Sighter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVGFwgLRG2M


----------



## Bigrod (Aug 18, 2010)

Didn't see the video but I know that Leopold has a rear base that has screws on either side that holds the scope on and you can use these to adjust your left to right and get it in close without having to use the turret on the scope. I agree that starting in close is the best and at a large target so you can see where it hits. You made a good point at trying to get ammo that is most common in the areas where you plan to hunt incase you loose or misplace your ammo. For the 06 there are multiple bullet type and weights. 150 - 165 -180 are the most common factory loads that one can find. Good luck in helpong him out. That Tikka is one nice rifle.


----------



## Bedford (Aug 18, 2010)

petesoldsaw said:


> I always adjusted the windage and elevation by the scope adjustments .What am I missing on this?


G'day young fella, what we do to start, is make sure the reticle in the scope is centered in the scope tube itself, this can be done by counting the "clicks" from left to right, then counting back half way to center it. 

What can happen if the reticle is wound a long way to one side, is that you run out of adjustment inside the scope, leaving the only chance of lineing it up, by using the adjustment in the mount itself.

Hope that helps.


----------



## PA Plumber (Aug 18, 2010)

ZeroJunk said:


> Since it is a bolt action you can take the bolt out and bore sight it. Just put it in a sand bag or whatever you can secure it with and center the bore on a bright object like a tennis ball at 50 feet or so. Then center the crosshairs on it if a scope or sights if using iron sights. You will be surprised how close you can get. I can usually get on paper at 100 yards that way.



Yep, have done this a number of times.

I have a Caldwell Lead Sled that does a nice job in assisting with bore sighting scopes usin the "bolt removed, sight through barrel" method.

I also like the Leupold scope bases for gross windage adjustments; especially with tactical scopes.


----------



## WesternSaw (Aug 18, 2010)

*Thank You Fellas*

Great advice being given by all of you!I have heard of the through the bore eye balling for a simpler form of bore sighting.I have never heard of centering the rectical in the scope tube as Bedford mentioned, so that was a great tip.Guess I was lucky with my Remington 30-06, I chose to go with the Hornady 180 grain for both moose and deer,my new rifle had been bore sighted when purchased new.I headed to the range and began the whole process and within a box of shells was right where I wanted to be with a tight grouping.The last thing I want to give out is wrong information to someone starting out.I'm sure we have all seen cases of the blind leading the blind.If you can think of anything else i would welcome the information
Thanks to you all so far!
Lawrence


----------



## KD57 (Aug 18, 2010)

ZeroJunk said:


> Since it is a bolt action you can take the bolt out and bore sight it. Just put it in a sand bag or whatever you can secure it with and center the bore on a bright object like a tennis ball at 50 feet or so. Then center the crosshairs on it if a scope or sights if using iron sights. You will be surprised how close you can get. I can usually get on paper at 100 yards that way.



I too use this method, and it works well. As far as ammo goes, I shoot 150 gr in my '06, of all the ammo I tried, the standard Rem. Core-Lokt groups the best, w/ Federal Game King next best. Hornady and Winchester were the worst. But each gun is different, only way to make sure is shoot them all. It's somewhat expensive, but the only way to find what the gun likes to eat, and well worth the expense.


----------



## CGC4200 (Aug 18, 2010)

*sighting in scoped rifles*

I recall this from years ago, have used it myself with minimal ammo
expense. Sandbag up the rifle, fire a few shots, then adjust scope
by sighting on holes, then adjust crosshairs to center target with adjustment on a scope with rifle on a fixed/steady rest.
It has been a few years, may have backwards, but have saved
expensive ammo using this system on center fire rifles.
Information was passed to me my an old bench rest/varmint shooter.


----------



## WesternSaw (Aug 18, 2010)

*Tikka*

I guess I should add that when he brought me over the rifle to look at I was very impressed.For a first time rifle or anytime it is a fine firearm that Tikka.
Lawrence


----------



## mattfr12 (Aug 18, 2010)

Hornaday makes a good factory amunition. but its hard to say ive had guns that shot cheap knock off amunition well. as long as you stay away from like remington core lock and stuff like that the rest is upon the shooter.

its hard to get real good grouping out of factory amunition because of the standard bullet seating depth they use to fit all rifles of that caliber. 

on alot of my guns i have the bullet barley seated so i can shoot off the lansing grooves.


also if you have a laser pen shoot it down the barel on a wall and move the scope to the dot it will help you get on paper.


----------



## Swamp Yankee (Aug 19, 2010)

One other thought

You're probably well aware of this but I figured I would throw it in. Be sure he lets the barrel cool between groups. A hot barrel typically shoots high giving an incorrect zero.

Also make sure the barrel is swabbed to remove any small metal chards prior to firing. I use a patch soaked with with Kroil followed by a dry patch

Tikka does build a great rifle. Had a Whitetail Hunter in .308. While it would not consistantly group sub one moa, it certainly held 1-1/2 inches all day long which isn't bad for a standard weight barrel. I never really tuned a load for it, so I'm sure there was more accuracy to gain. That rifle had the smoothest working bolt of any bolt action I've ever owned. The only minor issue was because the action was closed on top getting the chamber clean was a bit more difficult than on a Remington, but that certainly is a minor point

Keep us posted.

Take Care


----------



## WesternSaw (Aug 19, 2010)

*Thanks Again*

Thanks again fellas for taking the time to reply to my post!! I always welcomed information when learning about something new to me whatever it might be.But really did not like it later on when I found some stuff I was given as gospel was total bull.But then maybe someone had passed that information on to them and it has a way of multiplying.
Thanks
Lawrence


----------



## CGC4200 (Aug 19, 2010)

*.30-06 Springfield is a good all-around caliber*

I have had a 1917 Enfield, some kind of Interarms bolt action & pre-64
Winchester 70 in this caliber (I regret trading it), still have a Remington
iron sight pump for closer shots. The last time I used it, I popped a
whitetail buck sitting in an old lawn chair with a shooting stick for a brace
behind an improvised blind. The scoped .270 will reach out & touch a little
further, but an 06 with a 180 grain would be a better choice if moose
or bears were in the mix.
I have owned 2 .300 Winchester Magnum rifles, even decades earlier,
my shoulder was sore days later after sighting them in.


----------



## BlueRidgeMark (Aug 19, 2010)

CGC4200 said:


> I popped a
> whitetail buck sitting in an old lawn chair with a shooting stick





Whoa! What is this world coming to?? 

Now we've got whitetail bucks sitting in lawn chairs with shooting sticks!


----------



## CGC4200 (Aug 19, 2010)

*I was sitting in the lawn chair*

The 6 pointer collapsed quicker than any deer I have ever seen, wiped out
top plumbing of heart with an 06 150 grain about 150 yards, had to run 4
wheeler back to house and get a tractor & roll it on bushog.
It made good venison stew & deer chili in the winter.


----------



## WesternSaw (Aug 19, 2010)

*BlueridgeMark*



BlueRidgeMark said:


> Whoa! What is this world coming to??
> 
> Now we've got whitetail bucks sitting in lawn chairs with shooting sticks!


Man that was funny!
Lawrence


----------



## WesternSaw (Aug 19, 2010)

*300mag*

I realize there are fellas out there that crap bigger than I am,but I bet there are some fellas that shoot a 300 win mag and it hurts like hell, they just like to put on the macho charm.My 30-06 is more than enough for me,but I'm a wimp!
Lawrence


----------



## luckycutter (Aug 20, 2010)

petesoldsaw said:


> I realize there are fellas out there that crap bigger than I am,but I bet there are some fellas that shoot a 300 win mag and it hurts like hell, they just like to put on the macho charm.My 30-06 is more than enough for me,but I'm a wimp!
> Lawrence



I predominately use a .270 for deer and a .300 for elk. The trajectories of the bullets I use are very similar so i do not have to relearn anything when going from one gun to another. I do appreciate the added energy the .300 gives to the target. I rarely notice the recoil when hunting but i will admit the .300 is not my favorite gun on the range. Oddly, the .300 took care of my flinch. i took on the philosophy that a miss hurts just as much as a hit so i may as well hit the target the first time and avoid the follow up shots. Sometimes the wallet takes a beating too when I have to shoot too much and I think that is what hurts the most.


----------



## KD57 (Aug 20, 2010)

All I hunt w/ is a .223, for the long range stuff I use a .243. I can shoot big guns, and have big guns, but it is all about where the bullet goes. I have gotten more into precision accuracy the last 20 years. Doesn't matter what the game is, a bullet into the ear canal and it drops like a rock.


----------



## luckycutter (Aug 20, 2010)

petesoldsaw said:


> Okay fellas I need some help here! I'm a hunter but have been away from it for awhile due to health reasons going to try and get back into it this year or next i will keep you posted on that.My neighbour wants to get into hunting he has never been and i have been as helpful as I can when he ask's questions.He just bought a Tikka Hunter, stainless metal with a wood stock in 30-06 caliber.He's going to shoot factory ammo.I have a Remington Custom 30-06 and shoot Hornady 180 grain's and get good groupings,I use this for moose and deer.Not sure if he has had it bore sighted or not.If the rifle has been bore sighted and his next step is going to the rifle range how would you suggest he start out ie.what ammo should he start with?I know gun's shoot different brands of ammo different way's.How does he avoid buying a whole wack of different boxes of ammo to try and see which brand shoots the best from his rifle?So I will stop here for now and if you could let me know your thoughts it would be appreciated.
> Thanks
> Lawrence



Do not take this the wrong way but unless there has already been a lot of shooting going on before hand, pretty much any ammo/gun combo is going to be more accurate than someone who has not practiced. Therefore there is no need to get the fancy/expensive ammo at this point. If you doubt this,get a dialed in gun and try to hit a paper plate while shooting offhand or kneeling at 100 yards. Chances are that it will be a humbling experience. the morale of the story is that unless you are one hell of a shot, the pricier ammo is not going to make any difference. 

Start by getting a box of a couple or three different brands of boxes of what you have available. use the cheapest ammo to get the rifle close to the bull at 25 yards, then 50 yards. A big target is your friend. Then, start with a clean barrel, shoot a throwaway round, then shoot 4 rounds from a good rest. Take your time and be consistent. Note your results. If one round is way out of whack from the other three that is most likely your fault so do not include it. If all the rounds from that make are all over the place then you have other issues. most likely a bad ammo/gun issue. If all different types of ammo/makes are all over the place it is time to start looking at the gun for issues. Then swab the barrel and repeat with the other brands. Whatever gives you the tightest group(best 3 out of 4) is what you want to use to dial in the gun at the range you want. That is also the ammo you want to hunt with. Once you found the ammo you want to use fine tune the gun at 50 yards then 100. Its a process you do not want to rush so take your time.


----------



## mattfr12 (Aug 21, 2010)

KD57 said:


> All I hunt w/ is a .223, for the long range stuff I use a .243. I can shoot big guns, and have big guns, but it is all about where the bullet goes. I have gotten more into precision accuracy the last 20 years. Doesn't matter what the game is, a bullet into the ear canal and it drops like a rock.



same for me i got all the big guns but rarely ever use them anymore i hunt with 22-250 and 220 swift the most even for game like deer and elk. i have a 300 win mag 7mm rem mag and even a 338 lapu but they sit in the case more than anything now.

last year i took first place at gander mountains largest groundhog contest and am in the lead again so far this year.

i found the fun in shooting is the log range stuff. 400+ yards out.

my 220 swift drops the deer the same as or better than a 270 i have just because of the loads i made and am using. a 55 grain hornady v-max bullut drops them in thier tracks plus the velocity of the shell has a great shock factor. alot of people dont believe me when i told them ive killed elk with a 220 swift.


one of the most fun calibers i have found to shoot is a 17hmr 200 yards and that little bugger is still deadly.


----------

