have a huge issue need some advice from seasoned hunters

[jackelope]

I am feeling like a kid on Christmas eve, and I started going though my pack making sure I have everything. I bought some gloves today so I decided to run a few snap caps through to see how the trigger pull and cycling was. I noticed that when I was aiming that my muzzle seemed to be pointing a little lower than what my scope was saying I was aimed at. I had my firearm sighted in at 200 yards and now it seems that my scope is 2 inches Higher. so my first question is, is this normal to be high when aimed at something only a muzzle length away, when sighted in at 200 yards? If this is not normal (which I have a feeling it is not) If I have my gun bore sighted again how will my aim be at 100, 200, 300 yards? Will a bore sighted weapon be useable?  Keep in mind I do not have the ability to run to the range tomorrow to sight in again, so Heading into the woods with a bore sighted weapon would be my best bet.I am asking because my wife just informed me that she has bumped my firearm a few times pretty hard.

I'm reading that this rifle is sighted in, zero'd at 200 yards. I'm reading that at a muzzle length away, the scope looks high. Of course it will look high a muzzle length away.
Am I off base here?

[high country]

It all depends on how far off. your are right to about 20 yards. That is why I say, if you have to ask, go prove it to yourself.

[halflife65]

Nailed it jackelope - I thought it was a trick question.

Yeah, it should be high at a muzzle length away.  Think about where your cross hairs are physically at in relation to the muzzle.  The scope is a couple of inches higher. 

[jackelope]

It all depends on how far off. your are right to about 20 yards. That is why I say, if you have to ask, go prove it to yourself.

I firmly agree with you, HC. If there's a big enough question, a guy needs to go shoot the rifle to be sure and confident...

[akashasdaddy]

Thank you all for your very good advice. I am not sure if I worded the question correctly. I am going to try and get some shooting time in today. The problem is I do not have access to a range any more. I used to be a member of the Grays Harbor gun club but when I moved to Olympia from Aberdeen I decided not to renew my membership. I dont want to go to the woods the day before the season and scare them deer away. I WILL NOT go to the woods without my weapon being sighted in. I don't care so much about the missing the deer but I couldn't live with my self if I hurt someone. What do you guys think about a bore laser? If i put a laser in my bore then walked out 100yards, think I could sight in my weapon without letting off a shot? I think it is obvious I am a newbie to the sport but I am trying to be ethical.

[jackelope]

Thank you all for your very good advice. I am not sure if I worded the question correctly. I am going to try and get some shooting time in today. The problem is I do not have access to a range any more. I used to be a member of the Grays Harbor gun club but when I moved to Olympia from Aberdeen I decided not to renew my membership. I dont want to go to the woods the day before the season and scare them deer away. I WILL NOT go to the woods without my weapon being sighted in. I don't care so much about the missing the deer but I couldn't live with my self if I hurt someone. What do you guys think about a bore laser? If i put a laser in my bore then walked out 100yards, think I could sight in my weapon without letting off a shot? I think it is obvious I am a newbie to the sport but I am trying to be ethical.

You need to shoot the rifle.

[sirmissalot]

I agree you need to just go shoot the gun. The laser boresighter will tell you if you're close but thats not enough. Just go find a gravel pit or something up capital forest tonight and shoot your gun at 100 yards or so. If its off, you should probably take opening day off and go sight in your rifle. In my opinion your sights should be 2 inches or so higher than your bore at a few feet away... but maybe I'm misunderstanding the question.

[boneaddict]

Go shoot the gun. 

[piled-up]

All the deer in wash. Won't get shot opening morning! Take the morning off and shoot your rifle somewhere safe to make sure your still on and do not have it bore sighted 

[deerslyr]

Sounds like you got a little excited the day before season opens and started second guessing your set up....but now you wont have any confidence when you take the shot in the field so you better go shoot it

[high country]

Rifle harmonics play a big role in where the bullet goes. I can pull the bolt out and sight down the bore at an object and get closer than most bore sighting devices......but still be off by a foot at 100. Shoot it with the exact load you plan to use. Not many guns will shoot more than one load into the same point of aim. I shoot a lot and when I second guess a gun, I tag it and next time out I prove it. Then I tape the muzzle and put a note on it as to where it shoots and what load. It makes for a real confidence boost, and confidence is a serious part of the shot.

Good luck, you will only burn a few minutes getting zero confirmed, and you will shoot better for it.

[blackveltbowhunter]

Shooting the gun is your ONLY option. The gun is probably dead on but your head aint, Even if you were to bore sight it to dead nuts you would be second guessing yourself anyway. It sounds like you just dont have a spot to shoot, if your familiar with Capitol forest head up threre, if not PM me and I will be more than happy to give ya some leads on places to shoot within 30 to 40 min from Oly.

[Green Lantern]

Everybody better take tomorrow off to shoot there guns, because there shooting two inches low at three feet. lol I don't know of any set up that the center of the scope isn't around two inches higher than the riffle bore.

[huntergreg]

I went out to site in my fathers gun yesterday to make sure it was on. He hasn't shot it for 4 years. (bow hunted the last 4 years)  I shot 10 shells through it and it was way off. I found out there was a screw loose on the ring. You never know what can go wrong with a sight. My father was going to just use the gun the way is was because it shot fine 4 years ago. I Tighten it up and re sighted it in. It took 40 shells to get it zeroed in! If i was you I would go shoot it to verify what its doing. Better than blowing off a deers leg and not finding it! 

[Arteman]

Everybody better take tomorrow off to shoot there guns, because there shooting two inches low at three feet. lol I don't know of any set up that the center of the scope isn't around two inches higher than the riffle bore.

  Let's all make a deal, we will all take opening day off to double check, or triple check are guns, I promise to hold up to my end!