Here’s a simplified guide going through the basics in getting your new sight set up correctly.
Installation
Scopes have a variety of mounting options depending on the scope itself and what you are mounting it on. Regardless, ensure that it is mounted correctly without any movement in the mounts or sight. The video mentioned above guides you through this step perfectly.
Choosing sights for airsoft? More info here:
Having a sturdy base to hold your rifle, such as a bipod, would help when making sure your optic is properly installed and centred with the rifle.
Hop-Up setting
Some newer players tend to get this wrong. Before you start zeroing your scope, make sure your hop-up is set up correctly! Not the other way around as scopes should reflect where your rifle fires.
Focusing
If you’re using a Rifle Scope Set. Point your scope at something with a solid background. A cloud against the sky or a tree in the distance works well. Look at that object first and then through the scope. Ideally, the scope should be just as sharp.
If the reticle in the sight is blurry, adjust the diopter adjustment until the reticle is immediately clear when looking down the sight.
Windage/Elevation
From a stable, repeatable platform, fire a few shots and take note of where the group is compared to where your sight reticle is. If your group is to the right of the vertical line, then adjust your sight’s windage adjustment to the left in increments until the group is centred horizontally and vice-versa.
The same with elevation. If your group is too high adjust your sight’s elevation downwards above the horizontal line and downwards if it is too low.
Keep making fine adjustments until your groups are centred and on target. Different ranges and weather conditions will require different settings for windage and elevation. It is handy to keep notes of common settings at hand to save having to re-adjust the sight every outing.
⚠️ Be aware: some cheap replica scopes have these settings reversed. The mentioned way works for high-end and real steel sights.
Look After Your Kit
A regularly missed but equally important point is that keeping your guns well cared for does help with their accuracy. Make sure your barrel is clean and that your replica is in good working order
Find out what scope you should use depending on the conditions. Check out our blog post on the matter and have a look at our range of scopes and compare what sort of options there are out there. Different setups might be best suited to particular types of gameplay.
