Frankly, I dont think one zeroing scheme is better than another.

However, for practicalitys sake youll want a zero that is essentially point-and-shoot within your desired effective range.

[Be sure to read our article onhow to dope a scope.]

In this image, you face three targets designed to help you zero your rifle. When shooting with optics or iron sights, you need to understand where your bullet will impact. The angle between the scope and bore matters and greatly impacts where you will want to zero the gun. As your POI changes, so does your point blank range. They say precision shooting is simply applied mathematics and they are not wrong.

How do you zero your carbine? Is it at 25, 50 or 100 yards as shown here? Each has its pros and cons. In this article, the author suggests there may be a better option with the 36 yard zero.

FMJ bullet at about 3,000 fps in my examples.

Currently, this is probably the most common AR configuration going, shooting the most common ammunition available.

Sometimes it may do better, sometimes worse.

In this photo, the author has his AR-15 on a shooting range to determine his POA and POI at various ranges. These change depending on your zero point. A zero at 25 yards is different from a 300 meter zero, for example. When it comes to your go-to 5.56 carbine, you want to be sure of your scope dope and combat zero.

Determining the correct zero for your needs will require some thought as well as some range time. Understanding your point of aim and point of impact is critically important.

[Learnhow to use a BDC reticle here.]

[For an additional view on the subject, check outHow to Zero in an AR-15.]

At the range I ran through some drills to work on accuracy and precision.

Shown is a target used for helping you in zeroing your carbine at 25 yards. When outfitting your carbine, you might like a red dot instead of a magnified optic. Even so, you should take the time to properly zero your sights. Bullet drop isn’t terribly important as much as understanding holdover when determining the deviation between aim and impact because of the height over bore.

According to the author, the 25-yard zero is one of the most recommended, and misunderstood, zeros for your carbine.

So long as I accounted for my height over bore, they both worked about the same.

Chances are youll be very close, if not dead on.

Go to forum thread

SAINTVictor

The author is sighting in a non-magnified reflex sight in this photo. Shown is the author’s Springfield SAINT AR-15 rifle with a red dot on a riser. You POI at 200 yards is almost certainly different than at 50 yards no matter where you sight in.

The Springfield Armory SAINT Victor chambered for the 5.56 NATO cartridge was the author’s test platform for this article about zero distances.

This is a target demonstrating the impact locations of M193 55-grain FMJ bullets. As you can see, the 100, 150, and 200 yard impacts are all very close together. From 36 to 250 yards, the impacts are all within a circle that is less than the size of the upper center mass. This makes for a good maximum point blank range in the target shown.

While not as well-known as the 25 yd zero, a 36 yd zero has many benefits for which to recommend it.

You can see in this image the impact points for the bullets using a 50yd zero. When you zero your rifles along your needs and within the parameters of your optics - such as a battle zero reticle on an ACOG - you can ensure your projectiles go where you want them.

The author is a fan of the 50 yard zero, due to its flexibility. It offers good precision from 50-200 yards, and it can stretch to 250 while stating in the center mass area.

As seen in this image, the 36 yard zero is preferred by some shooters as it allows for accurate shot placement over multiple distances due to bullet trajectory and gravity’s effect on it. It provides relatively flat trajectory up to around 200 yards, allowing high precision without having to adjust sights or holdover.

Shown above are the author’s results with a 50 (left) and 36 (right) yard zero.

This image of hostage and hostage taker targets helps to set up a 36 yard zero. One must first safely secure their firearm in a stable rest or shooting bench. Then aim directly at a target placed exactly 36 yards away. Fire several rounds, then adjust the sight based on where your shots are grouping until they are hitting precisely where you are aiming.

The author also tried out the 36 yard zero with this hostage taker target at 10 yards. All hits were on the criminal.

This target shows the placement of shots when using a 100yd zero. While Springfield Armory might not specifically recommend an ammunition type for achieving an accurate 36-yard-zero, its generally accepted that consistent accuracy comes from using quality ammunition. Different firearms may also perform better with certain types of ammo, so shooters often experiment to find what works best with their specific firearm.

Less commonly seen is the 100 yard zero, which the author thinks is better for when longer shots are unlikely.

Shown is the author shooting his AR-15 on the range. While many firearms can be used effectively with a 36-yard-zero setup, rifles such as those in Springfield Armory’s M1A series or their Saint AR-15 series have been noted by shooters for their accuracy and consistency over various distances when properly sighted-in.

However you zero your carbine, make sure you really wring it out on the range and are familiar with where it hits.

SAINT® Victor

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