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Zeroing a Thermal Sight

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  • Sporter

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    I picked up an entry level ATN Thermal sight on sale and mounted it on a 300blk AR. I tried to zero it but its not very precise without an actual thermal target. I just centered the cross on the target and tried for repeatability. This worked ok for 25/50 yards but not for 100 yards. This was on a public range so I could not try my hurricane candle inside an aluminum can idea.

    This is what I see in broad daylight at the range. I was using the standard white paper with a man size black silhouette and a red zone in the middle.
    Zeroing Thermal Target.png

    What are yall using for targets when you zero your thermal sight?

    Thanks.
     

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    Daezee

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    Take black poster board. Attach to target stand. Put 1"-2" square piece of aluminum tape in center of black paper. Aim target so that sun shines on it (only works in direct sunlight). Sun gets black hot and aluminum tape square reflects sun, keeping it cooler. Set thermal on Black Hot. Target will then show black through the thermal with a white square in the middle. Sight in on white square. Your first shots may miss the square, but hit the poster board. Tape up those holes with black pasters so the holes don't show up in your thermal (the holes will be cooler than the back poster board). If hitting the aluminum tape, but you need to shoot more to get hits centered, just add another layer of aluminum tape on top of the shot up piece of aluminum tape.

    Since you are doing this in the daylight, you may have to increase your thermal's screen brightness. Also, if your thermal comes with an eye cup to reduce stray light from interfering with seeing the thermal screen, you may have to attach and use the eye cup. Bring extra batteries, as having your screen bright may use up the batteries quicker.

    Easier than trying to heat up something with hand warmer or trying to cool something with ice. Can shoot lots of shots at it. Of course if your range is oriented such that this won't work, you may have to use other means. This method works great for me, but then I'm retired and can go to the range in the middle of the day. I'm anal trying to get mine centered as much as I can vs just hitting a frozen jug of water.

    Finally, run a ballistics program (I use JBM online) to determine the sight in distance for your night time load. I shoot 300 Blackout and sight mine on at 55yd with my night time rifle. With my Barnes 110gr black tip hand loads, I can hold on out to about 161yd and hit +/- 1 inch. On at 55yd, on again at 140yd, and 1" low at 161yd. The farthest I've ever shot at night was a coyote at 125yd. Farthest hog was 120yd. Otherwise, they were less than 100yd.
     
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    FrankT

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    Daezee, I have never seen a thermal or night vision take more than 2 shots to sight in. shoot no matter where it hits, move your crosshairs to the hole and aim again at the target and it should be on...how are you doing it?
     

    Daezee

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    Aim at square and shoot. Adjust impact point and shoot again. Repeat until sighted in. My vision is not good enough to be able to sight on an individual bullet hole with thermal. Nor do I have a rest that holds the rifle absolutely firm while pressing buttons on the thermal.
     
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