Sighting in an airgun...

[.dsaavedra.]

i NEVER have any luck sighting in any airgun. its f@#% frustrating!!!!!

anyway, just got a new gun, shot it a little over 100 times to break it in, and now i'm trying to get it sighted in.

its shot high from the start, and now at about 30 yards its hitting about 10-12" above my point of aim, and its pretty much centered left-right.

heres the problem... i have no more adjustment room to move the point of impact down... the knob is cranked down as far as it will go and my shots are still hitting 10" above target. what can i do?

[Sam]

Ask Micro what to do.

He is a wizzard with guns.

Also, there are lots of guys on this site who hunt so they may be able to help you. 

[BassinWill301]

Give up. 

[bigfruits]

maybe shave the sight on the tip of the barrel down a few mm?

buy a scope?

[Stasher1]

maybe shave the sight on the tip of the barrel down a few mm?

buy a scope?

Shaving the top of the front sight will move the POI up, I believe.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

In general, you move the rear sight in the direction you want to move the point of impact. You adjust the front sight in the opposite direction that you want to move POI. If you're out of adjustment, you might be able to swap the sights for another set or consider a scope.

[.dsaavedra.]

oh i guess i should have mentioned... i am using a scope and encountered this problem.

[bigfruits]

maybe shave the sight on the tip of the barrel down a few mm?

buy a scope?

Shaving the top of the front sight will move the POI up, I believe.

i think youre right. disregard

[.dsaavedra.]

this is probably a stupid question but are you sure you dont have the vertical sighting on the scope maxed out the wrong way? for example, its aiming as low as it goes?

well it is aiming as low as it goes, and its still not low enough. it has come down some since i lowered it all the way but its still high.

when you want to bring the point of impact down you turn the elevation knob in the direction opposite of the direction marked "up" correct? i'm going to feel really stupid if i turned it the wrong way.

[bigfruits]

this is probably a stupid question but are you sure you dont have the vertical sighting on the scope maxed out the wrong way? for example, its aiming as low as it goes?

well it is aiming as low as it goes, and its still not low enough. it has come down some since i lowered it all the way but its still high.

when you want to bring the point of impact down you turn the elevation knob in the direction opposite of the direction marked "up" correct? i'm going to feel really stupid if i turned it the wrong way.

if the POI did come down some youre probably doing it correctly. wont hurt to try though.

i would check the mounts on the scope.

[.dsaavedra.]

this is probably a stupid question but are you sure you dont have the vertical sighting on the scope maxed out the wrong way? for example, its aiming as low as it goes?

well it is aiming as low as it goes, and its still not low enough. it has come down some since i lowered it all the way but its still high.

when you want to bring the point of impact down you turn the elevation knob in the direction opposite of the direction marked "up" correct? i'm going to feel really stupid if i turned it the wrong way.

if the POI did come down some youre probably doing it correctly. wont hurt to try though.

i would check the mounts on the scope.

check what about the mounts?

[boneil]

sight the gun in at 50 yards and you won't have that problem. ;D  sorry couldn't resist

[bigfruits]

check what about the mounts?

just to make sure theyre on correctly. is the rear higher than the front mount? it just seems strange that you have it fully maxed out and its still off.

are you going to sell cat carcasses when you get dailed in?

[.dsaavedra.]

yeah its on there right, and the scope is on right too, (with the elevation knob on top and the windage knob on the right). i find it really odd too... really wish i knew what to do here.

yeah i'm gonna sell some cats, probably trade them for butcher's modeling glue too ;D

[bigfruits]

id try the scope on another gun if you can get your hands on one. if it shoots straight without maxing out the screws, the barrel may be to blame, but im guessing its the scope.

id return which ever one seems off to the store.

[Fishing Rhino]

I don't own a gun, but I remember reading this years ago.  I used it sight in a 22 to shoot varmints from a bedroom window at my in law's farm.

Set a target at the range you're planning to shoot.  Then, secure the gun in place with sandbags or whatever.

Take a shot at the target.  Make the target big, like three feet square.  Then adjust the crosshairs until they intersect the hole you just made in the target.

Worked fine for shooting woodchucks at fifty to sixty yards with a 22 long rifle bullet.

The gun may move a smidge unless you've got it clamped down real tight.  And, while your first adjustment may not be precise, it will be pretty darn close.

[.dsaavedra.]

I don't own a gun, but I remember reading this years ago. I used it sight in a 22 to shoot varmints from a bedroom window at my in law's farm.

Set a target at the range you're planning to shoot. Then, secure the gun in place with sandbags or whatever.

Take a shot at the target. Make the target big, like three feet square. Then adjust the crosshairs until they intersect the hole you just made in the target.

Worked fine for shooting woodchucks at fifty to sixty yards with a 22 long rifle bullet.

The gun may move a smidge unless you've got it clamped down real tight. And, while your first adjustment may not be precise, it will be pretty darn close.

airguns can't be clamped down because they have backward and forward recoil, and no matter how hard you try the gun will still move. its best to actually hold them with a very loose grip and let the gun move straight back as much as it wants. if you try to hold it with such a firm grip to counteract the recoil you are sure to move it off target.

i have read about shooting the target then moving the crosshairs to line up over the original point of impact though.

[Micro]

Dave, did you get it working?  Just a thought, are you turning the adjustment the right way?  6" at 30 yards is a lot.

[.dsaavedra.]

Dave, did you get it working? Just a thought, are you turning the adjustment the right way? 6" at 30 yards is a lot.

if i want to bring the shot down i turn it in the down direction right?

one thing i'm going to try tomorrow is flipping the mount around... i think i have it on backwards (the part for the stop pin is in the front when it should be in the back) but i'm not sure if that would make a difference.... its not like i have anything to lose.

[preach4bass]

Did you mount the scope yourself?  If so, how tight did you clamp the mounts down on it?  If you tightened it too much, it could have crushed the inside working parts of the scope and you might as well head back to the gun shop to get another one. :-/

[Brute]

In a pinch, you can place a shim in the bottom half of the front scope ring.

It doesn't have to be real thick.

I had to do this on one of my rifles.

I used a piece of black rubber I had laying around.

Cut it so it's the width of the ring and long enough to fill the bottom half.

If you are sure everything is on right and the rings match, this will probably be your best option.

Brute

[.dsaavedra.]

Did you mount the scope yourself? If so, how tight did you clamp the mounts down on it? If you tightened it too much, it could have crushed the inside working parts of the scope and you might as well head back to the gun shop to get another one. :-/

i did mount it myself and i was aware not to over tighten it or it could damage the scope. i don't think i over tightened it... i only used the short end of the allen wrench for leverage.

[fourbizz]

shimming can work well if done right. you want something that is not compressible or that will break down from water. I used the plastic from margarine tubs. You may need more than one layer.

[.dsaavedra.]

shimming can work well if done right. you want something that is not compressible or that will break down from water. I used the plastic from margarine tubs. You may need more than one layer.

so if the gun's shooting high i need to shim the back right?

[fourbizz]

No, if it is hitting high, you need to shim the bottom of the front mount, to bring the reticle up to match.