Sighting in my scope

[Wanderer]

So, I have a few questions about sighting in my scope. I am pretty new at this air gun stuff, although I've had a old pneumatic in the past.

I watched some youtube videos and eventually got my scope "sighted" to where I was consistently hitting a target dead on center at about 10 meters away. However, this past weekend I was target shooting in my backyard (in Toronto - I'm sure I'm violating some by-law but I frankly I don't care). I had my target set up about 35-40 meters away.

I was hitting it consistently but I was consistently "high" of the center mark. I'd say about 3-4 inches high of my aim point. I didn't try to adjust my scope because I wasn't sure that was the thing to do because I was shooting something so far away.

There was virtually NO wind involved so I do not believe it was a factor.

I guess the reason why I am puzzled is because I figured if it was dead on center at 10 meters, I'd be dead on center at 35. Am I doing something wrong?

I'm shooting a non-pal, Benjamin Sheridan Trail NP All Weather .22 cal.

[rsterne]

Where the two "zeros" are depends on the velocity of your rifle, and also to a lesser extent the height of your scope above the boreline.... The pellet starts out below the line of sight (because your scope is mounted above the barrel) and when properly sighted, it rises up to cross the line of sight at some distance, peaks a bit above the line of sight, and then falls through the line of sight again, eventually ending up further and further below as the range increases.... This curved trajectory is due to gravity, and to a lesses effect wind resistance....

The trick is to find a sighting in range where the pellet rises an "acceptable" amount above the line of sight.... Let's say you want to always be within 1/2" above and below your crosshairs (ie within a 1" "kill zone").... By finding the "perfect" distance to sight in your rifle, you will have a range of distances (eg. 10 to 40 yards) where the pellet starts out 1/2" low, crosses the LOS, rises 1/2" above it, crosses it again, and then ends up 1/2" low again.... That range of distances is called the "point blank range" of your rifle where you can hold dead on hit within 1/2" above or below....

Download the free ChairGun program from the Hawke riflescope website, input your velocity and pellet, your scope height, and your "kill zone" size, and ChairGun will give you the optimum sighting in distance for that combination.... The good news is that you are probably REALLY close right now....

Bob

[Wanderer]

Holy cow. That was so informative and the amazing part is that I actually understood what you were talking about.

Thanks a ton. I'm going to the Hawke website right now.

Next question...

With a newbie air rifle like mine, is it worth upgrading to a significantly better scope and if so, any recommendations?

[AirGunEric]

Until you have broken in the rifle and mastered handling a springer- i.e. removed all the other variables- money being put to a better or different scope is spending money a bit prematurely. As Bob had indicated, your issue is not a "scope" issue- but a projectile issue that needs to be worked with.

[Wanderer]

Okay, thx Eric. BTW, love the gun, great fun.

My brother in law saw it and he ordered the Crosman T4OPTS from your website and we spent the better part of last weekend shooting in his backyard!!!