AK zero at 25yds

keithdog · October 19, 2018, 06:50 PM

This is going to be fun. I scoured the internet and saw about fifteen different threads on fifteen different websites devoted to similar topics. I fear anything I hear here may be more of the same, but let us try nonetheless.
I know that I'm supposed to sight an AK in in meters but I live in the United States and all the ranges I have are measured in yards or feet.
I want to go to the local indoor which gives me 25 yards. Not ideal but it's what I have. When time permits, I plan on taking it out and using the local (if an hour and a half drive is local) outdoor range and testing it at longer ranges. For the time being, how should I zero it? The threads I read were just a bunch of dudes arguing that an AK in 7.62 should be zeroed around 25 yards at the 2 setting, the 3 setting, or the 1 setting. Each person was certain that that was the correct way to do it if one must use yards instead of meters. There was much talk about POA and POI and I just don't know who's correct. I could always just zero it on the P at 25 and say screw it, good enough, but I don't want to do that. I'd like to be closer than close enough. Any suggestions?

keithdog · October 19, 2018, 06:59 PM

What I want to do is zero it at 25 on the 2. What I read most frequently was that the 25 yard zero will be roughly by 200 yard zero and if I zero it on the 2 I should be good to go. Does that sound good? Others were disputing that.

Sharkbite · October 19, 2018, 08:29 PM

This is the data i used on my AK with a micro red dot mounted. Hope it helps.

35 yards: POA=POI – Within the sight’s red dot.
50 yards: +.82″: – Within the sight’s red dot.
75 yards: +1.82″ – Bullet impact slightly over the sight’s red dot.
100 yards: +2.35″ – Within the sight’s red dot.
From approximately 105 yards to 120 yards the bullet skims along the trajectory’s apogee of 2.4″ – Just slightly above your sight’s red dot.
125 yards: +2.36 yards – Within the sight’s red dot.
150 yards: +1.82″ – Within the sight’s red dot.
175 yards: +.69″ – Within the sight’s red dot.
186 yards: POI=POA – Within the sight’s red dot.
200 yards: -1.08″ Your 2 MOA red dot will be 4” wide at this distance – Within the sight’s red dot.
At approximately 215 yards (almost 200 meters) the trajectory passes 2.5″ below POA.
225 yards: -3.54″ – Within the sight’s red dot.
250 yards: -6.75″: The red dot will be approximately 5” wide, so your rounds will impact slightly below the dot. Can you really tell one or two inches at 250 yards?
275 yards: -10.75″: The dot will be approximately 5.5” wide, so you will need to aim approximately one dot width high.
300 yards: -15.61″: Your dot will be 6” wide, so you will need to aim between two to four dot widths high.

**JohnKSa** · October 19, 2018, 09:38 PM

To convert feet to meters, divide the feet by 3.281
To convert yards to meters, divide the yards by 1.094

To convert meters to feet, multiply the meters by 3.281
To convert meters to yards, multiply the meters by 1.094

If you want the sight settings to all be pretty close to being correct, set the sight to the 1 setting (100 meters) and zero at 50 yards. With the 1 setting and a near zero of 50 yards, your far zero should be very close to 100 meters.

Another option is to set the sight to the 2 setting (200meters) and zero at 25 yards. That should put your far zero very close to 200 meters.

Either of those should give you decent results. If you have both options available to you, I'd go with the 50 yard zero with the 1 setting.

Once you're zeroed using either of those methods you can select the sight setting closest to the range you intend to shoot and you should be in pretty good shape.

You should still try to verify the zero at longer ranges after that setup if you can. If you can ever get to a 100 yard range, you can use the 1 (100 meter) setting and fine tune things a little. Yeah, 100 yards isn't the same as 100 meters, but it's close (about 91 meters). So rather than having it dead on at 100 yards, you'd want the center of the group to be about a quarter of an inch high.

pblanc · October 23, 2018, 04:36 PM

There is no "right way" to zero an AKM any more than there is a "right way" to zero an AR or any other rifle. What there is are options. Which option is best for you depends on how you want to use the rifle.

I found this article to be interesting and useful in choosing a zero for the AKM in 7.62x39:

http://savannaharsenal.com/2016/04/2...v-ak-47-ak-74/

If you look at some of the ballistic path charts for the various zeros, you will see that a 25 yard zero should provide a POI close to POA at 200 meters. But "should" and "does" are sometimes two different things and different ammunition and different rifles will produce different results.

davidsog · October 24, 2018, 08:37 PM

Quote:

This page describes how to adjust, zero, and use the iron sights on any Kalashnikov style rifle so that they are properly calibrated resulting with POA=POA at 100 meters with the “1” setting, 200 meters with the “2” setting, 300 meters withthe “3” setting, etc.

Quote:

Spoilers:
Myths Get Busted:
There is no such thing as a 25/300 meter zero trajectory with an AK-47.
There is no such thing as a 25/100 meter zero trajectory with an AK-47.

Quote:

To zero the AK, set your rear sight to the “2” setting and then zero the rifle at 24-25 yards (not meters). Verify your zero at 100 meters with the “1” setting.
With the rear sight set to “1” the near zero of the rifle will be 50 yards. If you do not have a 100 meter (109 yards) range to verify you zero as suggested above, you can still verify it at 50 yards with the “1” setting.
Your rifle will now be zeroed at 100 meters with the “1” setting, 200 meters with the”2″ setting, 300 meters with the “3” setting, etc.

https://savannaharsenal.com/2016/04/...v-ak-47-ak-74/

davidsog · October 24, 2018, 08:49 PM

Here is an english translation of the Russian manual. The technique Savannah Arsenal describes as the Soviet method is laid out in Chapter 7.

It is confusing, comrade.

https://app.box.com/s/wfnjbu204s

keithdog · October 25, 2018, 04:36 PM

Thanks for the advice friends.

darkgael · October 31, 2018, 03:06 PM

Remember that a meter is 3.37 inches longer than a yard. 25 meters is approximately 80inches longer than 25 yards (between 6 and 7 ft. About 27 yards) at 100 yards it becomes 4 times that or roughly 24-28 ft., about 10 yards. With that gun “about” is good enough.
200 meters is roughly 220 yards. How much does it matter?
If you are going to try high power rifle targets, it would, perhaps, make a difference depending on hard you can hold. It ain’t a target rifle.

October 19, 2018, 06:50 PM	#1
keithdog Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2013 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 321	AK zero at 25yds This is going to be fun. I scoured the internet and saw about fifteen different threads on fifteen different websites devoted to similar topics. I fear anything I hear here may be more of the same, but let us try nonetheless. I know that I'm supposed to sight an AK in in meters but I live in the United States and all the ranges I have are measured in yards or feet. I want to go to the local indoor which gives me 25 yards. Not ideal but it's what I have. When time permits, I plan on taking it out and using the local (if an hour and a half drive is local) outdoor range and testing it at longer ranges. For the time being, how should I zero it? The threads I read were just a bunch of dudes arguing that an AK in 7.62 should be zeroed around 25 yards at the 2 setting, the 3 setting, or the 1 setting. Each person was certain that that was the correct way to do it if one must use yards instead of meters. There was much talk about POA and POI and I just don't know who's correct. I could always just zero it on the P at 25 and say screw it, good enough, but I don't want to do that. I'd like to be closer than close enough. Any suggestions? __________________ In MY house, I AM 911 Last edited by keithdog; October 19, 2018 at 06:55 PM. Reason: I'm bad at internet

October 19, 2018, 06:59 PM	#2
keithdog Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2013 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 321	What I want to do is zero it at 25 on the 2. What I read most frequently was that the 25 yard zero will be roughly by 200 yard zero and if I zero it on the 2 I should be good to go. Does that sound good? Others were disputing that. __________________ In MY house, I AM 911

October 19, 2018, 09:38 PM	#4
JohnKSa Staff Join Date: February 12, 2001 Location: DFW Area Posts: 24,974	To convert feet to meters, divide the feet by 3.281 To convert yards to meters, divide the yards by 1.094 To convert meters to feet, multiply the meters by 3.281 To convert meters to yards, multiply the meters by 1.094 If you want the sight settings to all be pretty close to being correct, set the sight to the 1 setting (100 meters) and zero at 50 yards. With the 1 setting and a near zero of 50 yards, your far zero should be very close to 100 meters. Another option is to set the sight to the 2 setting (200meters) and zero at 25 yards. That should put your far zero very close to 200 meters. Either of those should give you decent results. If you have both options available to you, I'd go with the 50 yard zero with the 1 setting. Once you're zeroed using either of those methods you can select the sight setting closest to the range you intend to shoot and you should be in pretty good shape. You should still try to verify the zero at longer ranges after that setup if you can. If you can ever get to a 100 yard range, you can use the 1 (100 meter) setting and fine tune things a little. Yeah, 100 yards isn't the same as 100 meters, but it's close (about 91 meters). So rather than having it dead on at 100 yards, you'd want the center of the group to be about a quarter of an inch high. __________________ Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association? Last edited by JohnKSa; October 20, 2018 at 06:24 AM. Reason: Made some corrections and added information.

October 25, 2018, 04:36 PM	#8
keithdog Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2013 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 321	Thanks for the advice friends. __________________ In MY house, I AM 911

October 31, 2018, 03:06 PM	#9
darkgael Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2006 Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania. Posts: 5,473	Remember that a meter is 3.37 inches longer than a yard. 25 meters is approximately 80inches longer than 25 yards (between 6 and 7 ft. About 27 yards) at 100 yards it becomes 4 times that or roughly 24-28 ft., about 10 yards. With that gun “about” is good enough. 200 meters is roughly 220 yards. How much does it matter? If you are going to try high power rifle targets, it would, perhaps, make a difference depending on hard you can hold. It ain’t a target rifle. __________________ “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” Ernest Hemingway ... NRA Life Member Last edited by darkgael; October 31, 2018 at 03:12 PM.

October 19, 2018, 08:29 PM	#3
Sharkbite Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2013 Location: Western slope of Colorado Posts: 3,679	This is the data i used on my AK with a micro red dot mounted. Hope it helps. 35 yards: POA=POI – Within the sight’s red dot. 50 yards: +.82″: – Within the sight’s red dot. 75 yards: +1.82″ – Bullet impact slightly over the sight’s red dot. 100 yards: +2.35″ – Within the sight’s red dot. From approximately 105 yards to 120 yards the bullet skims along the trajectory’s apogee of 2.4″ – Just slightly above your sight’s red dot. 125 yards: +2.36 yards – Within the sight’s red dot. 150 yards: +1.82″ – Within the sight’s red dot. 175 yards: +.69″ – Within the sight’s red dot. 186 yards: POI=POA – Within the sight’s red dot. 200 yards: -1.08″ Your 2 MOA red dot will be 4” wide at this distance – Within the sight’s red dot. At approximately 215 yards (almost 200 meters) the trajectory passes 2.5″ below POA. 225 yards: -3.54″ – Within the sight’s red dot. 250 yards: -6.75″: The red dot will be approximately 5” wide, so your rounds will impact slightly below the dot. Can you really tell one or two inches at 250 yards? 275 yards: -10.75″: The dot will be approximately 5.5” wide, so you will need to aim approximately one dot width high. 300 yards: -15.61″: Your dot will be 6” wide, so you will need to aim between two to four dot widths high.

October 23, 2018, 04:36 PM	#5
pblanc Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 697	There is no "right way" to zero an AKM any more than there is a "right way" to zero an AR or any other rifle. What there is are options. Which option is best for you depends on how you want to use the rifle. I found this article to be interesting and useful in choosing a zero for the AKM in 7.62x39: http://savannaharsenal.com/2016/04/2...v-ak-47-ak-74/ If you look at some of the ballistic path charts for the various zeros, you will see that a 25 yard zero should provide a POI close to POA at 200 meters. But "should" and "does" are sometimes two different things and different ammunition and different rifles will produce different results.

October 24, 2018, 08:49 PM	#7
davidsog Senior Member Join Date: January 13, 2018 Posts: 1,326	Here is an english translation of the Russian manual. The technique Savannah Arsenal describes as the Soviet method is laid out in Chapter 7. It is confusing, comrade. https://app.box.com/s/wfnjbu204s