How to Zero an Air Rifle Scope: A Step-by-Step UK Guide

Before you fire a shot, set the rifle up properly. Check the scope rings are tight to the manufacturer's torque specification, the scope is level in the rings, and the eyepiece is focused on the reticle (point at a plain sky or white wall and turn the eyepiece until the crosshair is razor sharp). Mount the rifle on a stable rest such as a bean bag, and keep your cheek weld and hold the same every shot. Springers are particularly sensitive: use the light, relaxed hold that your rifle likes, because a tight grip can move the point of impact by an inch or more. Always shoot with a safe backstop and only where you have permission. This guide covers technique, not legal advice, so check the rules for your location with the police or a body such as BASC.

Choose your zero distance. Many UK shooters zero a sub-12 ft-lb rifle at around 30 to 35 yards. That is the far zero, and the close zero typically falls somewhere around 8 to 12 yards, depending on scope height, pellet weight and muzzle velocity. Between the two the pellet usually stays within an inch of the crosshair, which sits inside the kill zone of a rabbit or rat. Your numbers will differ from anyone else's, so chronograph your rifle, use a ballistic app with your own pellet and scope height, and then confirm on paper rather than trusting a chart.

Set the parallax to the zero distance before you adjust anything. If your scope has a side focus wheel or adjustable objective ring, turn it until the target and the reticle are both sharp at 30 to 35 yards and the crosshair does not appear to move when you shift your head slightly. Parallax error is the most common reason shooters think their zero keeps wandering. A scope that cannot focus closer than 50 yards will never give you a reliable close-range zero, which is why airgun-specific scopes focus down to roughly 10 yards.

Now shoot a three-shot group at the target and measure how far the centre of the group is from your aim point. To work out how many clicks to dial, use this rule. One MOA subtends about 1.047 inches at 100 yards, so at 30 yards it is about 0.31 inches. A scope with quarter-MOA clicks therefore moves the impact roughly 0.08 inches per click at 30 yards, around 13 clicks per inch. A 0.1 mil click moves it about 0.11 inches at 30 yards, or roughly nine clicks per inch. Check your scope's markings, then dial the correction in the direction the turret arrows indicate, fire another group and repeat until the group is centred.

With your far zero set, test the close zero. Put a target at 10 yards and shoot a group aiming at the centre. You will see where the pellet lands relative to the crosshair. Then step back to 40 or 45 yards and see how far it drops. Write both holds down, or build a small drop chart and tape it to the stock. Many shooters also check at 20 yards, which is a very common rabbit and rat distance. If the pellet is well below the crosshair at 10 yards, the scope may be mounted too high for your rifle; lower rings or an adjustable mount can help.

Finally, re-check your zero often. A zero will shift if you change pellet weight or brand, if the rifle's power output changes, after a knock or after tightening rings, and sometimes after a few hundred shots on a new springer as it beds in. Treat a quick three-shot check at your zero distance as part of every session. If the zero keeps drifting, suspect loose rings, a scope that is not suited to springer recoil, or a rifle that is not consistent, rather than endless turret chasing.