Thread: Teaching newbie target shooters to use a scope

Get them to fire a couple of dry shots before live rounds to establish a bit of open eye follow through even if you don't call it that. Tell them the scope should be about 3 finger widths from their eyebrow and to check with a salute - could save a nasty surprise on the first shot.



Use a large exit pupil for a start. eg 44mm obj @6x = 8mm. Even bigger would make it easier.
To use anything less than 4mm you need stock fit pretty good.

Don't try and teach them much technique, just keep an eye on the basics of equipment set up so they don't have to contend with some simple but screwy maladjustment that they won't recognise.

Have the reticle (ocular focus knob) preset up by someone with pretty normal vision ie not short or long sighted. With a fine target hair a little bit of unfocus from the last shooter can make it very hard.
Most people will be using their ordinary glasses or contact lens so won't need it adjusted much away from zero dioptre. If they have trouble looking through the edge of their glasses at an angle and they are just short sighted try shooting without glasses and refocus the reticle against a piece of white card. Recommend people wear their contacts rather than glasses first time they come.

Check the scope's parallax (target focus) is set more or less right for the range they are shooting at - that should enable them to see target fairly clearly. Specially important if shooting at a short range like 25 yd.

Check the sight settings are right for the range and not been wound way out by the last shooter. Adjust windage for them yourself to make sure its the correct turret that's adjusted.