I hope somebody can help I purchased a new ruger ar 5.56 and having problems sighting it in, from 75 feet consistantly shoots a foot high yes 1 foot high! I cannot squeeze my post any lower in the sight what the hecks going on. ( Yes I can shoot hit 4 inch circle with my 22 rimfire with peep sights from 100 yds.)
Ruger 5.56 new
- Thread starter harryO
- Start date
Welcome to the forum!
A lot of folks do it accidentally, so it's not uncommon, but you might be adjusting your front sight post in the wrong direction. To get the point of bullet impact to go down on the target, you need to raise the front sight up; to get the point of bullet impact on the target to go up, you need to make the top of the front sight post lower. It's the opposite if you're adjusting the rear sight!
So I think if we were both at the range and talking, I would suggest raising (unscrewing) your front sight post several turns, and see if you start hitting closer to where you're aiming - and then adjust as needed!
And finally, if your rear sight has range markings like many AR sights, double check and make sure its on the shortest/lowest setting, and not accidentally adjusted for shooting at 600 or 800 yards. There's a lot of good info on different approaches to zeroing an AR available online; here's one example for use with an A2-type rear sight:
https://thenewrifleman.com/ibz/
A lot of folks do it accidentally, so it's not uncommon, but you might be adjusting your front sight post in the wrong direction. To get the point of bullet impact to go down on the target, you need to raise the front sight up; to get the point of bullet impact on the target to go up, you need to make the top of the front sight post lower. It's the opposite if you're adjusting the rear sight!
So I think if we were both at the range and talking, I would suggest raising (unscrewing) your front sight post several turns, and see if you start hitting closer to where you're aiming - and then adjust as needed!
And finally, if your rear sight has range markings like many AR sights, double check and make sure its on the shortest/lowest setting, and not accidentally adjusted for shooting at 600 or 800 yards. There's a lot of good info on different approaches to zeroing an AR available online; here's one example for use with an A2-type rear sight:
https://thenewrifleman.com/ibz/
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instructor
Single-Sixer
It does not surprise me that your rifle is shooing high at such a short distance. Try sighting it in at 25 yards or even 100 yards.
If you are talking about the front sight post and lowering it, keep in mind that the front sight is the opposite of the rear sight in adjustments for lowering of the post will give higher shot placement and higher post setting will give lower shot placement, opposite of rear sight. Same holds true for wind adjustment, right is left, and left is right, again opposite of rear sight. Raise your post up to some 1/4" in height and see what happens from there. Likely will put you on target face at some 25 yards or so. Let us know how it works out for you.
If you are talking about the front sight post and lowering it, keep in mind that the front sight is the opposite of the rear sight in adjustments for lowering of the post will give higher shot placement and higher post setting will give lower shot placement, opposite of rear sight. Same holds true for wind adjustment, right is left, and left is right, again opposite of rear sight. Raise your post up to some 1/4" in height and see what happens from there. Likely will put you on target face at some 25 yards or so. Let us know how it works out for you.
75 feet is 25 yards
beentheredone
Single-Sixer
Down is up. Up is down.
Raise your front sight. Be aware that, even if properly zeroed for 50-100-200 yards, you will still be high at 25 yards -- not by a foot, but a good 2-3". That is a function of the AR's high sight line.
Raise your front sight. Be aware that, even if properly zeroed for 50-100-200 yards, you will still be high at 25 yards -- not by a foot, but a good 2-3". That is a function of the AR's high sight line.
A properly sighted AR will be several inches low at close range because of the height of the sights over the barrel. If the gun is shooting high you raise the front sight. ARs are stupid easy to bore sight.
! I cannot squeeze my post any lower in the sight
As 'beentheredone' commented: lowering your front sight post RAISED the POI.
"A properly sighted AR will be several inches low at close range because of the height of the sights over the barrel."
Not more than 2" low at close range.
As 'beentheredone' commented: lowering your front sight post RAISED the POI.
"A properly sighted AR will be several inches low at close range because of the height of the sights over the barrel."
Not more than 2" low at close range.
NikA
Hunter
IIRC, 25 yards (or perhaps meters) is the correct zero distance for most military pattern AR carbines, as it corresponds to a 300 yd/m zero with the 16" barrel trajectory.
36y for a 300y zero. I prefer the 50y 200y zero myself. nearly all of my shooting is within 200y.
I don't use open/iron sights anymore. Using a bore sighter, aligning the crosshairs of the typically mounted scope with the boreline @ 25 yards ends up being 3-4" high @ 100 yards. I generally boresight @ 15 yards and leave the crosshairs 2" above boreline.
25yds is considered battle zero. Dead on at 25&300yds a little high in between still minute or bad guy out to 500 or so.
In basic training the US Army had us zero our M-16’s 2 3/4” low at 25 meters/ yards for our battle zero. That was good for hits out to 600 meters. To lower your POI raise the front sight.
I thank you all for your the help I was actually lowering my front post making it worse ,this is the first ar I have bought and the first time I looked down the sights its huge and sloppy could not figure out where to set my target as I have always squeezed my front post until barely visible and then setting on my target, its a learning process I guess.
I posted the 36y Battle Zero because that what the USMC and Navy use to zero And how we zeroed the M16 and M14 when qualifying in the fleet.
I think the 25y raises the POI too high at target ranges that are used most often fired upon in real life and on smaller targets within usual distances the rounds can easily fly over. For Min of man it’s acceptable but for smaller targets maybe not so much. That’s why I like the 50/200 because it keeps rounds tighter at ranges up to 200y. Just my thoughts and there’s no right or wrong zero, whatever works for whoever squeezing the trigger.
https://www.gunsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/BATTLESIGHT-ZERO-UPDATED-NOV-2013-RWS.pdf
I'm used to mil dot. Once I bracket I can adjust my Dope pretty much in my head. I do have a handy dope chart in the flip up lens cover though.
Nikon has an online ballistics calculator that I've used a lot. It's designed for use with the specific Nikon scopes that are listed, but you can get close with similar scopes from other manufacturers. You can even get it to approximate iron sights, by selecting a scope that has a 1x option, setting the scope magnification to 1, and entering the sight height for your iron sights (under "Customize Load/Ammo/Bullet Details"):
https://spoton.nikonsportoptics.com/spoton/spoton.html
Fun to play with, even if you're just wanting to get an idea how flat the different commercial ammunition listed might shoot!
https://spoton.nikonsportoptics.com/spoton/spoton.html
Fun to play with, even if you're just wanting to get an idea how flat the different commercial ammunition listed might shoot!
Post #2 spelled it all out what needs to be done along with others. My comment is I hope proper movement of front and rear sights is in the manual.
