Zeroing
How to Zero at 25 Yards
Quick answer
A 25 yard zero is a near zero, a temporary crossing of the bullet's path with the line of sight, not the same thing as the 100 or 200 yard far zero you actually want, and the relationship between the two depends on your scope's sight height over bore, which is why it must always be confirmed at real distance.
A bullet fired from a scoped rifle crosses the line of sight twice on its way downrange, not once. It crosses going up, close to the muzzle, then arcs over the line of sight and crosses again, descending, further out. A 25 yard zero targets that first, near crossing. A 100 or 200 yard zero targets the second, far crossing, which is almost always the one you actually want for hunting or general shooting.
The two crossings are related, but the relationship is not fixed. It depends on how far above the bore the scope sits, called sight height, and on the specific load's trajectory. A taller scope mount, common on a flat top receiver with a riser, produces a bigger gap between the near and far crossing than a low-mounted scope on a traditional bolt action. This is exactly why a 25 yard zero has to be treated as a step toward the real zero, never a replacement for it.
How to zero at 25 yards as a step toward your real zero
- Clear the rifle. Open the action and confirm the chamber is empty and the magazine is out before setting up at the bench. Leave the action open until you are actually on the firing line ready to shoot.
- Confirm you have a safe, legal backstop even at 25 yards. Short range shooting is still live fire. Set up only where you have a proper backstop and you know what lies beyond the target, and zero on a supervised range whenever one is available.
- Bore sight first if the scope was just mounted. Get the rifle on paper at 25 yards using a bore light such as the Real Avid Magnetic Bore Light with Flexible Neck at $11.99 or a laser bore sighter before firing live rounds, so your first shots are corrections rather than a search for the paper.
- Set a target at 25 yards on a stable rest. Use a gridded target such as a Splatterburst 12 x 18 inch Sight In Shooting Target at $13.99 so hits are easy to read at short range, and support the rifle front and rear.
- Fire a group of three to five shots at a single aim point. As with any zero, a single shot is not reliable evidence. Fire a real group and find its center.
- Adjust toward the near-zero point appropriate to your eventual far zero, not to dead center. Because the near and far crossings are offset by an amount that depends on sight height, a correct 25 yard setup for a 100 or 200 yard far zero often means impacting slightly above or below the point of aim at 25 yards, not exactly on it. Use the sight height over bore calculator to find the appropriate offset for your setup before dialing to dead center by habit.
- Move to your real zeroing distance and confirm. Once grouped correctly at 25 yards, move to 100 yards or your intended zero distance and fire another group. This is the step that actually confirms the far zero. Do not skip it and assume the 25 yard result transfers directly.
- Make final corrections at the real distance. Treat the 25 yard result as having gotten you close enough that corrections at the real distance are small, not as the finished zero. Measure, correct and confirm at 100 yards or beyond exactly as you would for any other zero.
Near zero, far zero and point blank range: what each term means
These three terms describe different points on the same trajectory and get confused constantly because all three involve the phrase "zero."
A near zero and a far zero are the two places a bullet trajectory crosses the line of sight, and point blank range is the span in between where impact stays inside an acceptable margin without any holdover.
Shooter convention
| Term | What it describes | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Near zero | The first, closer crossing of the trajectory over the line of sight, commonly 25 to 50 yards | Getting a newly mounted scope on paper quickly and confirming basic windage |
| Far zero | The second, further crossing, commonly 100 to 300 yards depending on cartridge and intent | The zero most shooters mean when they say the rifle is sighted in |
| Point blank range | The span from the muzzle to beyond the far zero where impact stays within a chosen vital zone | Hunting a known-size target without dialing or holding over, within that span |
| Maximum point blank range | The furthest distance still inside that same vital-zone margin | The practical limit of a simple center hold for that cartridge and zero combination |
The exact yardages for near and far zero vary by cartridge, load and sight height. Confirm your own with the zero distance calculator rather than assuming a generic pair of numbers.
Why sight height changes the relationship between the two zeros
A scope mounted higher above the bore means the barrel is aimed at a steeper upward angle to bring the bullet's path back across the line of sight at the same far distance, compared to a scope mounted lower. That steeper initial angle changes where the near crossing falls and how far the trajectory rises above the line of sight in between.
This is why a rifle with a tall mount, such as many flat top receivers with an elevated base, needs a meaningfully different 25 yard point of impact to arrive at the same 100 or 200 yard far zero than a rifle with a low-mounted scope on a traditional bolt gun. There is no single correct number for "where should my 25 yard shots land," because the correct answer depends on your specific sight height and load. See the sight height cluster and calculator to work out your own combination rather than borrowing a number from a different setup.
Sources
- Standard exterior ballistics: trajectory crossing points relative to sight height
- Owner-review consensus on 25 yard near-zero procedure
Frequently asked questions
Is a 25 yard zero the same as a 100 yard zero?
No. They target two different crossing points on the same trajectory, called the near zero and the far zero. A 25 yard zero gets you on paper quickly and confirms windage, but the exact point of impact needed at 25 yards to arrive at a correct 100 yard zero depends on your scope's sight height and your load, so the two are never simply interchangeable.
Why does my 25 yard zero not match my 100 yard zero?
Because sight height, the distance the scope sits above the bore, changes the relationship between the near and far crossing of the trajectory. A taller mount needs a different 25 yard point of impact than a shorter one to reach the same far zero. This is normal and expected, not a sign anything is wrong with the rifle.
What is the point of zeroing at 25 yards at all?
Speed and economy. It confirms basic windage and gets a newly mounted scope on paper with far less walking and far fewer rounds than starting cold at 100 yards, especially after bore sighting. It is a step toward the real zero, and it should always be followed by confirming at the actual intended distance.
How do I know what my 25 yard point of impact should be?
It depends on your sight height over bore and your intended far zero distance, which is exactly what the sight height over bore calculator on this site solves for. There is no single generic number, since a rifle with a scope mounted higher above the bore needs a different near zero offset than one mounted lower to reach the same far distance.
Can I skip the 100 yard confirmation if my 25 yard zero looks good?
No. A 25 yard result only tells you the trajectory is crossing the line of sight where expected at that close distance. It cannot tell you where the bullet lands at 100, 200 or 300 yards without knowing the full trajectory, which is why confirming at your actual intended distance is not optional.
Does the near zero to far zero relationship change with a different bullet weight?
Yes. A heavier or lighter bullet from the same cartridge changes velocity and drop, which shifts both the near and far crossing points. Any 25 yard offset you have worked out is specific to the load you used to work it out, and switching ammunition means reconfirming both the near setup and the far zero.
Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published manufacturer specifications, published optical and ballistic formulas, and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Figures described as a rule of thumb are shooter convention rather than sourced numbers, and they are labelled that way wherever they appear. Ballistic figures come from a point mass model using the ballistic coefficient the maker publishes, so treat them as a starting point and confirm them on paper at a measured distance. Confirm your firearm is unloaded with the action open before you mount, level, torque or bore sight anything. Verify a zero only on a supervised range or a safe, legal backstop, know what lies beyond your target, and follow the law where you hunt and shoot, including rules on land access and permitted cartridges.