AR Sponsor
Joined:
Sep 2024
Posts:
329
EE: 0% (0)
MI, USA
Posted: 7/19/2026 10:19:00 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Retroguy2][Edited]
| Besides sandbagging and use of a period target & M193 ammo, any tips and/or tricks to quickly zero at 25M? |
Joined:
Nov 2025
Posts:
2546
EE: 0% (0)
USA
| A dedicated A1 sight tool is nice to have, it sucks having to use a nail or a bullet tip. If you want to cheat, a lead sled helps. Also, don’t get in too much a hurry; a warm barrel can potentially open your groups up a little and make harder to find true zero. |
| There are different instructions for zeroing with the unmarked aperture or the L aperture at 25m. I've seen some sources mix them up. So be a little careful. I don't remember them off the top of my head so I'd recommend looking it up. |
WTB: Steel Bodied Surefire Trainer
|
This won’t be helpful, but it’s how I zeroed my A1 sights. My A1 barrels are the 20” 1/7 Brownells retro barrels. I used the unmarked (close range) aperture and zeroed at 50 yards with M855. So I’m good out to about 250 meters. Flipping to the long range aperture does extend the range a bit, but I haven’t done enough shooting with the A1 sights to determine how much exactly. I’m guessing it would be close at somewhere around 300 meters from the little bit of shooting I did at that range with the “L” marked aperture. |
| It’s been a lot of years since I was issued an A1, but the procedure was to flip the rear sight to the “L” or long range position and then adjust front/rear sights accordingly to get your battle sight zero. Shoot three groups of three before adjusting sights to ensure your aim is consistent. I agree that the A1 sight tool makes adjustments a lot easier. Once you’re dialed in, flip the rear sight back to the unmarked position and you should be zeroed for 25 and 250 meters. Flip the rear sight back to the L position for ranges above 300 meters. This is of course if you’re firing the 55 gr ball. |
Joined:
Dec 2025
Posts:
372
EE: 0% (0)
TX, USA
| I always hated qualifying in MOP gear with a gas mask, I wore glasses and had gas mask glasses in the gasmask. Run in place, turn rifle sideways to see the sight better through the gas mask, shoot, run some more, shoot etc., etc. Did qualify expert at that time in my life when my eyes were younger. Now since cataract surgery my eyes are better than they were. Don't have to wear glasses. Don't have an A1 to test my eyesight on now. I had a CD from Dillon I bought years ago that you could use to print your own targets. They had ar15/m16 targets with sight correction info printed on the target. The CD was "Click and Shoot". Saved me money printing my own targets. |
|
I haven't read the zeroing procedure lately but look at this. Your sights are approximately 2" above your bore. Therefore your POI at 25M should be 2" BELOW your sighted spot. Start off with small aperture, zero at 2" LOW, then after getting close, take it to 100 and adjust as needed. If you don't have the A1 or A2 tool I've heard a bullet tip and an old fashioned #2 pencil eraser stabbed into the sight post will allow easy adjustment. I do not recall the elevation change for each indent on the front sight post. It also depends how you want to zero. Personally I finished sighting at 6:00 hold at 100 instead of dead zero. |
|
Read the instructions at bottom of M16A1 25M Zeroing Target. I never saw one of these targets until I went into the Reserves in 92. In Boot Camp 48 years ago at Parris Island it was so much easier to sight in your M16A1 rifle at the 200, 300 & 500yd lines. Attached File |
|
Originally Posted By wagsfn: Read the instructions at bottom of M16A1 25M Zeroing Target. I never saw one of these targets until I went into the Reserves in 92. In Boot Camp 48 years ago at Parris Island it was so much easier to sight in your M16A1 rifle at the 200, 300 & 500yd lines. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/90173/20260720_171955_jpg-3798497.JPG Interesting and odd… I’ve never seen an A1 aperture that has both a small and a large hole. There’s the unmarked (for close range) aperture and the “L” marked (for long range) aperture, but both holes are the same size. And I don’t think M855 would do very good out of a 1/12 twist M16A1 barrel. |
|
Originally Posted By ShaunN: It’s been a lot of years since I was issued an A1, but the procedure was to flip the rear sight to the “L” or long range position and then adjust front/rear sights accordingly to get your battle sight zero. Shoot three groups of three before adjusting sights to ensure your aim is consistent. I agree that the A1 sight tool makes adjustments a lot easier. Once you’re dialed in, flip the rear sight back to the unmarked position and you should be zeroed for 25 and 250 meters. Flip the rear sight back to the L position for ranges above 300 meters. This is of course if you’re firing the 55 gr ball. ^ this is the way the M16A1 is officially done. |
“You either know and understand history or you trust the government. You can’t do both”
|
Originally Posted By 556Cliff: Interesting and odd… I’ve never seen an A1 aperture that has both a small and a large hole. There’s the unmarked (for close range) aperture and the “L” marked (for long range) aperture, but both holes are the same size. And I don’t think M855 would do very good out of a 1/12 twist M16A1 barrel. Been rocking one since the 80's. 😉 Attached File |
|
Originally Posted By shark16: Been rocking one since the 80's. 😉 https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/296482/1000024773_jpg-3799055.JPG Originally Posted By shark16: Originally Posted By 556Cliff: Interesting and odd… I’ve never seen an A1 aperture that has both a small and a large hole. There’s the unmarked (for close range) aperture and the “L” marked (for long range) aperture, but both holes are the same size. And I don’t think M855 would do very good out of a 1/12 twist M16A1 barrel. Been rocking one since the 80's. 😉 https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/296482/1000024773_jpg-3799055.JPG Wow, that’s something, I’ve really never seen one before. It looks as wide as an A2 aperture though (almost no room for making windage adjustments). |
AR Sponsor