I have a simple spreadsheet program that will make sighting-in your scope quick and easy and only take a maximum of six shots. Minute-of-angle (MOA) adjustments are used on many scopes. One MOA, ½ MOA, or ¼ MOA are the common graduations. You obviously need to have a basic understanding of MOA for any of this to make sense. There is plenty of information on the internet to explain MOA. Here is a good explanation of MOA.
Use the instructions below when you receive the program. This is an educational tool along with being a calculating program. Once you gain an understanding of MOA, you will be able to do the calculations without this program.
Bore sighting your rifle first will also speed up the sighting-in process. I do this with a 3-inch diameter target at 10-yards. Look through your barrel and center the target in the bore. Keep the barrel in that position and adjust your sights to the center of the target. Now, your bullets will hit much closer to your point-of-aim when you first go to the range. This will also give you an opportunity to play with the MOA chart and see how the MOA adjustments on your scope relates to the reticle movement on the target. A laser bore sighting device makes this process even easier.
I have created the distances in 5-yard increments to 100-yards. There is also a 200-yard range with the "D23" cell unlocked. This will allow any number of yards to be entered. Depending on where you live, it is usually easier to find a good place to target shoot that is less than 100-yards. That was my reasoning for the range graduations below 100-yards. You can calculate the point-of-impact on a shorter range target that would coincide with a zero setting at whatever distance you choose (usually between 100-200 yards for the 5.56x45 cartridge). Here is a ballistics calculator to help you do that. I sight-in and test the rifles at a local indoor shooting range. I adjust the point-of-impact to be between one and two inches low at 25-yards depending on the height of the sight axis. This will coincide with a zero point-of-impact between 100-200 yards.
Find a safe place to shoot and measure out a flat horizontal distance from your muzzle to your target that will correspond with a range on the chart. Shoot 3 shots at your target and measure in inches (horizontally and vertically) how far the center of the holes are from your point-of-aim. Measure vertically (elevation) and horizontally (windage) for each hole. You will end up with a total of six measurements. Three for the vertical and three for the horizontal. Calculate the average distance for each direction by adding the 3 distances together and dividing the sum by 3. Find your shooting distance on the chart and enter this average distance to move the group for the vertical (V) and the horizontal (H) directions.
The MOA adjustment will be displayed in each column. Chose the correct column to match the graduations on your particular scope. Adjust the vertical (V - elevation) and horizontal (H - windage) by this amount in the proper direction. That is it. I have described each step in detail, so it sounds much more complicated than it really is. Just follow each step and everything will work out fine.
If all of your shooting, measuring, and adjusting is done correctly and precisely, this procedure will only need to be done one or two times and your scope will be sighted-in. Shoot one more group of three. If your point-of-impact is still off, repeat the procedure. This will be easier and use less ammunition than chasing the bullet holes around using trial and error. This procedure can also be used for iron sights if you know the MOA adjustments. Just remember when adjusting iron sights, the front sight moves the point-of-impact the opposite of the sight movement. The rear sight moves the point-of-impact the same as the sight movement. This program also has a bullet energy and sectional density calculator. Email me and request a free copy of the program.