First, Check Out This Video:
If you’re looking to get the best performance out of your rifle and your optic…
You might be wondering… What’s the best distance to zero my Red Dot?
And I get it, there are a lot of choices out there…
You’ve got 100 yards, 25 yards, 200, and each distance seems to have its own benefits and its own group of people who swear by it.
But in this article, I’m going to tell you why I think you should zero your AR 15 at 50 yards… If you’re running a red dot sight.
So give me your full attention now… take some notes if you have to because here we go!
Reason 1: The 50 Yard Zero Is Versatile At Several Distances…
Here’s a secret (not really)… the 50 yard zero is sometimes called the 50/200 yard zero.
You see, a zero at 50 yards, while not being exactly the same, is pretty darn close to a zero at 200…
Now, just how close is largely dependent on your particular rifle and ammunition choice.
So, what you need to do is experiment with your own equipment to be sure of where your rounds are hitting…
…but practically speaking, they should be about the same.
Now, it’s extremely difficult to zero a red dot at 200 yards…
It’s just too far away to consistently see your target well enough to shoot small groups that allow you to dial in your optic.
On the other hand, zeroing a red dot at 50 yards is pretty do-able, even for a beginner…
So out of the two (50 yards or 200), the 50 yard zero is the obvious choice.
How Does A 50 Yard Zero Perform At 100 Yards?
When you’re shooting at 100 yards, a 50-yard zero will still impact pretty close to your actual point of aim.
Here’s the deal, you’ll probably be hitting about 2 or 3 inches high at this distance…
…but for most practical sized targets, like a 10″ steel plate, you can aim directly at your target and still make solid hits.
What About At 25 Yards?
At 25 yards, a 50-yard zero is also pretty close to your actual point of aim.
At this distance, it’s common to be hitting about an inch or inch and a half low…
Now, you can use a slight hold over if the target is particularly small, but most of the time practically sized targets at 25 yards are really large…
…and you’ll probably find that they’re pretty easy to hit with a well-aimed shot right in the center.
Reason 2: 50 Yards Is A Practical Self-Defense Distance…
Most gun owners rely on their weapons for self-defense…
We know bad guys are out there looking for easy targets…
…and we want to do our part to protect our loved ones, homes, and ourselves.
Now, of course, no one wants to have to use their firearm to harm another person. I know I certainly don’t…
…but if you were ever forced to use your gun in self-defense, a 50 yard zero would probably be your best option.
Just take a moment to consider what a real-life self-defense shooting distance would be…
For example, if a criminal broke into your home in the middle of the night and you had no choice but to engage them…
…the distance would probably be less than 25 yards!
And the truth is that in most self-defense or home-defense scenarios shooting past 100 yards is highly unlikely.
In fact, the likelihood of shooting past 50 yards is actually really small.
Now you might be thinking… This is all true. So why not go with a 25 yard zero?
Well, my answer to that is…
If I did, for some reason, have to make a shot at one hundred yards, I wouldn’t want to have to guess how many inches low I should aim on my target…
…and in reality, with a 25 yard zero you’d have to aim somewhere from 4 to 10 inches low at 100 yards.
Whereas, like I discussed earlier, the 50 yard zero is pretty flat shooting from zero to 200 yards.
Reason 3: The 50 Yard Zero Is Attainable For Most Shooters…
Shooting a red dot accurately at 50 yards is possible even for a new shooter, and that might not be the case if the distance is further out.
For example, at 100 yards a small target becomes pretty difficult to see.
Even when you’re using a sight with a precise point of aim like a 1 or 2 MOA dot it can be challenging to really focus in on a small aiming point…
…and this problem gets even worse if you’re like me and have less-than-perfect eyesight (I wear contacts).
So what ends up happening is that you make your shots, and your groups simply aren’t tight enough to get a good idea of precisely where you optic is hitting…
And if you don’t know that, you can’t effectively zero your red dot.
Now, at 50 yards the target isn’t really too far away.
So, as long as you stabilize your rifle, have a high visibility target, and shoot with proper marksmanship fundamentals…
…you shouldn’t have a problem dialing everything in.
Now, I do want to give you one pointer that might be useful to you…
Make sure you choose a small part of your target to zero in on and aim exactly at that small area everytime you shoot…
For example, if your target has little squares on it, aim at one of the corners of those little squares.
If you’ve ever heard the saying “aim small, miss small” you get the idea.
So To Sum It All Up…
The 50 yard zero is versatile at several shooting distances, practical and realistic for self-defense, and attainable for most shooters.
So, make your way out to the range and start dialing in your red dot at 50 yards!
One More Thing…
To get your optic properly zeroed, you’re going to need to make sure your marksmanship fundamentals are on point…
So if you find yourself struggling to hit your mark…
I highly recommend you check out my 100% free guide below…
Farewell, and have fun at the range!
-RDshooters