Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk ALTurkey Talk -- Beards and Spurs Red dot zero

First season using a red dot on my shotgun. Although I’m not a stranger to red dots, I have never had one set up to hunt turkeys. My question is, what yardage are y’all zeroing the optic to?

Start with bird shot about 15-20 yards and then 40 yards with tss

This ^^

I did that as well..throw in a couple of longbeards if you want. Another way is do it with bird at 10 yards. Go back to 25 with bird and adjust. Then tss at 40

Ten yard bird shot, 20 yards heavy duck load, then finalize at 40 with turkey load. You can go broke trying to get an exact zero with a shotgun.

I got one last year when my scope failed..i bought a used one from safford hardware…it was relatively easy to do an held the rest of the season an I'm sure is still holding..my scope worked great until it rained real bad for about 3 days an the moisture in the air was bad high..the scope fogged bad that mornin an i actually killt a bird with it the same morning but it was already hard to see through..by lunch it was ruined

I kilt several with that thing prior to with no issue..i rekin it come unsealed

I did a write up here:
Maybe someone could tack it to the top.
I can add the pictures in another hosting site if needed.

http://www.aldeer.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1685960&Searchpage=1&Main=128896&Words=%2Bsighting+%2Bin+%2Bgun&Search=true#Post1685960

After having the scope mounted on your turkey gun, you have to sight it in. Many ways of doing this, but this is how I've done it through the years.

Things you will need:

1. Sandbags/shooting rest. This is a must, as you will need the gun to remain still while you adjust the windage and elevation of the scope
2. Patterning paper, bought usually at a local hardware store, called contractor's paper in 35" width.
3. Some sort of holder for your patten paper. I use large cardboard wedged between to four T post, two per side.
4. 2 3/4" low brass shells and your turkey shells you plan to shoot during season
5. Sharpie marker and/or masking tape.
6. Turkey target (not necessary if you can draw well)
7. Hearing protectors


First set up at 15 yards from your target.


Shoot at mark/tape on target.


Now, here is where you HAVE to keep the gun still without moving it, unless you want to have to shoot several times.

Place the gun in the sandbags/shooting rest, to where the retical of the scope is on the target you just shot (Point of Aim or POA), and is not needing any help from you to stay on target. If you look real closely, you can see the red dot on the masking tape in the below picture, where I was originally aiming.


Now, with out moving the gun, adjust the elevation of the scope to where the shot/hole is in the target (the point of impact or POI)



Without moving the gun, adjust the windage of the scope to where the target hole is.



Shoot again at a new target, and see where you POI is in location to your POA.


A little off, so I adjust it again using the above steps.

Steady in the bags, retical on the original target/POA.


Adjust the windage of the scope, as this was basically all that was off target.


Shoot again at different target.


Was basically on, a little high, but we are shooting at 15 yards, so I left it at that.

Moved the target to 40 yards now, and added new patterning paper.



God Bless,
David B.

Add a tape square, or color a good sized 2" dot you can see on the center of the pattering paper, and shot at it, still with low brass shells.



I was fairly happy with the shot pattern around where I was aiming, so I didn't adjust the scope, as I still have to shoot a turkey shell at 40 yards. So shoot a turkey shell at a turkey target at 40 yards, with new patterning paper.

This is a Nitro shell out of the SBE at 40 yards. (I poked a sharpie marker in each hole to count, and make it show up better for the camera.)


I need to change my POI up, as the pattern was low. I put a square of tape on the center of the turkey's neck where I was aiming, and a square of tape where the pattern center was on the paper.



I adjusted my scope, just like the first two adjustments, and shot again at a new turkey target, and patterning paper, at 40 yards.


Back of target, with a quarter where I was aiming (the middle of the turkey's neck).




It isn't going to get much better than the above, so I left it alone, and it is ready to hunt!!



Remember though, you have to shoot your gun again at 15, 25, and 30 yards if you are going to be positive of where your turkey shells will hit in comparison to your point of aim. At 15 yards, with a turkey choke, your pattern is going to be tight and not always where your POA was.



Hope this may help some of you. Stay safe!!

God Bless,
David B.

Wow that’s great intel. Thanks for that

Really good write up

You better shoot your turkey shells to verify, and hunt only with those shells/choke combo.

Changing from one shell to the next can change the point of impact as much as 8”

I’ve seen it happen to another member here, in person. It’s a heckuva way to find out that one load do t shoot to the point of aim, like the precious load, when a gobbler is standing in a road at 40 yards and dirt flies up at his feet when you pull the trigger.

The biggest changes I’ve seen is in loads that pay load changes, or was/hull/powder type changes.

I just lined mine up with the top of my bead, shot some turkey shot at 30 yards. Yep, looks good...went back to 40 shot my tss...yep, looks good. I didn't even have to make an adjustment from my initial eyeball lineup with the bead. Now granted I haven't shot at a turkey with it yet, but that hunter specialties turkey head was a mess after the 40 yard shot.