Scope zero settings.

Scribe · February 29, 2020, 08:58 AM

Hi all,
Just asking for advice on mounting a Vortex Crossfire long eye relief scope on a Yugoslav Mauser 7.92.
What would be the ideal setting for the scope before initial zeroing at 25 and then 100 yards?
The scope has 60 MOA available for both windage and elevation with one click equalling a 1/4 MOA. The mount is by S&K and replaces the rear sight.
Many thanks.

**Aguila Blanca** · February 29, 2020, 09:30 AM

I put a Vortex scope on a Yugo 24/47 using one of those mounts. If I recall, I just put it on out of the box, and I don't recall needing a lot of adjustment to get it dialed in for 200 yards.

Scribe · February 29, 2020, 10:13 AM

Sorry, this scope has been moved around a bit. I guess what I am asking is does anyone know what the factory settings might be?

jmr40 · February 29, 2020, 10:49 AM

If you want to return the scope to the middle move turn the scope adjustment ring all the way up. Then turn it all the way down and count clicks as you go. Lets say it is 128 clicks. Divide 128 by 2 and you get 64. Move the scope up 64 clicks and it is centered vertically. Do the same thing for windage.

But unless you're using adjustable mounts this isn't really necessary unless you just want to do it. I'd just mount the scope and bore sight.

Scribe · February 29, 2020, 11:04 AM

Many thanks, I get that, but presumably as the range increases you would want as much up ward adjustment as possible. So do scope makers generally set scopes closer to the bottom than the top?

**Aguila Blanca** · February 29, 2020, 12:09 PM

Not sure, but I have always understood that scopes come out of the box set at mid-range for both vertical and horizontal adjustment.

What distance do you plan to shoot at? I zeroed mine for 200 yards. Using 196-grain mil-surp ammo, that puts me 2.2" high at 100 yards, and 9.19" low at 300 yards. I don't have access to any ranges that offer more than 200 yards, so I'm satisfied with the 200-yard zero.

Plugging the same ammo into my ballistic calculator using a 100-yard zero, I get 0.62" low at 25 yards, 0.06" low at 50 yards, 0.13" high at 75 yards, zero at 100 yards, 1.45" low at 150 yards, and 4.43" low at 200 yards.

**Unclenick** · February 29, 2020, 03:55 PM

Scribe,

I am confused. Are you saying the scope mount has adjustable elevation? If not, you will either have to use the scope settings wherever they happen to fall, or you will have to purchase a ring base set or a scope mount that has some number of moa of elevation built into it. Where it is set when you mount it in the rings will have no influence on where you have to set it to get zero. If you set it 10 moa lower before mounting it, you'll just have to dial up an extra 10 moa to zero it.

SGW Gunsmith · March 1, 2020, 05:47 PM

During August and September, I get the opportunity to have many customers come in for optics mounting in preparation for the upcoming seasons involving scope "potting" squirrels and then whitetail deer. Many of these optics have been borrowed from another "critter gitter" whose turn hasn't hit the lotto as yet.
It's pretty much been my quest to remove any error involved with the optics base mounting hole positions, by using optics rings that allow windage adjustment for some correction. Elevation correction is best done with shims under the base, or so is my belief for solid movement and correction.
A collimator, or bore sight device, gets a good work-out this time of year as the final device that will align a bore to the optic with the least of effort for the distance my customer chooses to sight-in at.
My direction for that endeavor follows as advice only and because they supply the ammunition, they can do as they please. I suggest a solid bench with forearm and rear bag support. One shot on target. Crap, it's not dead center? Keep the rifle positioned as it was for the first shot and then dial your optic over to center the cross-hairs on that first bullet hole. That should do it.

**Unclenick** · March 2, 2020, 11:17 AM

The shims work well with a single-piece base, but with individual rings, are you not also lapping them or using Burris Signature rings so the offset doesn't ring the scope tube or at least its finish at the ring edges?

SGW Gunsmith · March 3, 2020, 11:59 AM

Makes sense to ALWAYS lap the rings to make them round and true. Obviously, it's gonna depend on the thickness of the shim for the amount of movement needed. A 0.0020 thick shim goes a long way to get things right. I don't shim the "rings", I prefer to shim underneath the bases. Not gonna ring the scope body unless the off-set is much more than that. That MIGHT be the time to consider a different approach.
I've only been mounting optics for 50 years now, so I have learned a few things during that time.

Bart B. · March 20, 2020, 07:48 PM

Excuse my late entry into this thread, but ....

I've never seen a scope whose elevation and windage adjustments set to midpoint in their mechanical limits put the inner tube where the image erecting, zoom and range focus lenses are well centered on the scopes optical axis. That axis is centered on the objective and eyepiece centers and in the main outer tube center.

Oft times, the inner tube will stop against the outer tube and more clicks up or right don't have any effect.

Only the 2 V block or mirror method zeros the adjustments in my tests.

February 29, 2020, 08:58 AM	#1
Scribe Senior Member Join Date: July 29, 2005 Location: England Posts: 249	Scope zero settings. Hi all, Just asking for advice on mounting a Vortex Crossfire long eye relief scope on a Yugoslav Mauser 7.92. What would be the ideal setting for the scope before initial zeroing at 25 and then 100 yards? The scope has 60 MOA available for both windage and elevation with one click equalling a 1/4 MOA. The mount is by S&K and replaces the rear sight. Many thanks.

February 29, 2020, 09:30 AM	#2
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,459	I put a Vortex scope on a Yugo 24/47 using one of those mounts. If I recall, I just put it on out of the box, and I don't recall needing a lot of adjustment to get it dialed in for 200 yards. __________________ NRA Life Member / Certified Instructor NRA Chief RSO / CMP RSO 1911 Certified Armorer Jeepaholic

February 29, 2020, 10:49 AM	#4
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,805	If you want to return the scope to the middle move turn the scope adjustment ring all the way up. Then turn it all the way down and count clicks as you go. Lets say it is 128 clicks. Divide 128 by 2 and you get 64. Move the scope up 64 clicks and it is centered vertically. Do the same thing for windage. But unless you're using adjustable mounts this isn't really necessary unless you just want to do it. I'd just mount the scope and bore sight. __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

February 29, 2020, 12:09 PM	#6
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,459	Not sure, but I have always understood that scopes come out of the box set at mid-range for both vertical and horizontal adjustment. What distance do you plan to shoot at? I zeroed mine for 200 yards. Using 196-grain mil-surp ammo, that puts me 2.2" high at 100 yards, and 9.19" low at 300 yards. I don't have access to any ranges that offer more than 200 yards, so I'm satisfied with the 200-yard zero. Plugging the same ammo into my ballistic calculator using a 100-yard zero, I get 0.62" low at 25 yards, 0.06" low at 50 yards, 0.13" high at 75 yards, zero at 100 yards, 1.45" low at 150 yards, and 4.43" low at 200 yards. __________________ NRA Life Member / Certified Instructor NRA Chief RSO / CMP RSO 1911 Certified Armorer Jeepaholic

February 29, 2020, 03:55 PM	#7
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,060	Scribe, I am confused. Are you saying the scope mount has adjustable elevation? If not, you will either have to use the scope settings wherever they happen to fall, or you will have to purchase a ring base set or a scope mount that has some number of moa of elevation built into it. Where it is set when you mount it in the rings will have no influence on where you have to set it to get zero. If you set it 10 moa lower before mounting it, you'll just have to dial up an extra 10 moa to zero it. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

February 29, 2020, 10:13 AM	#3
Scribe Senior Member Join Date: July 29, 2005 Location: England Posts: 249	Sorry, this scope has been moved around a bit. I guess what I am asking is does anyone know what the factory settings might be?

February 29, 2020, 11:04 AM	#5
Scribe Senior Member Join Date: July 29, 2005 Location: England Posts: 249	Many thanks, I get that, but presumably as the range increases you would want as much up ward adjustment as possible. So do scope makers generally set scopes closer to the bottom than the top?

March 1, 2020, 05:47 PM	#8
SGW Gunsmith Junior member Join Date: December 31, 2014 Location: Northwest Wisconsin Posts: 285	During August and September, I get the opportunity to have many customers come in for optics mounting in preparation for the upcoming seasons involving scope "potting" squirrels and then whitetail deer. Many of these optics have been borrowed from another "critter gitter" whose turn hasn't hit the lotto as yet. It's pretty much been my quest to remove any error involved with the optics base mounting hole positions, by using optics rings that allow windage adjustment for some correction. Elevation correction is best done with shims under the base, or so is my belief for solid movement and correction. A collimator, or bore sight device, gets a good work-out this time of year as the final device that will align a bore to the optic with the least of effort for the distance my customer chooses to sight-in at. My direction for that endeavor follows as advice only and because they supply the ammunition, they can do as they please. I suggest a solid bench with forearm and rear bag support. One shot on target. Crap, it's not dead center? Keep the rifle positioned as it was for the first shot and then dial your optic over to center the cross-hairs on that first bullet hole. That should do it.

March 2, 2020, 11:17 AM	#9
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,060	The shims work well with a single-piece base, but with individual rings, are you not also lapping them or using Burris Signature rings so the offset doesn't ring the scope tube or at least its finish at the ring edges? __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

March 3, 2020, 11:59 AM	#10
SGW Gunsmith Junior member Join Date: December 31, 2014 Location: Northwest Wisconsin Posts: 285	Makes sense to ALWAYS lap the rings to make them round and true. Obviously, it's gonna depend on the thickness of the shim for the amount of movement needed. A 0.0020 thick shim goes a long way to get things right. I don't shim the "rings", I prefer to shim underneath the bases. Not gonna ring the scope body unless the off-set is much more than that. That MIGHT be the time to consider a different approach. I've only been mounting optics for 50 years now, so I have learned a few things during that time.

March 20, 2020, 07:48 PM	#11
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	Excuse my late entry into this thread, but .... I've never seen a scope whose elevation and windage adjustments set to midpoint in their mechanical limits put the inner tube where the image erecting, zoom and range focus lenses are well centered on the scopes optical axis. That axis is centered on the objective and eyepiece centers and in the main outer tube center. Oft times, the inner tube will stop against the outer tube and more clicks up or right don't have any effect. Only the 2 V block or mirror method zeros the adjustments in my tests. Last edited by Bart B.; March 20, 2020 at 08:55 PM.