Scope sighting in problem. Please help.?

Ok. Make sure your mounts are tight. Make sure that the elevation knob is on the top and the windage knob is on the right side of the scope, (I have seen scopes installed with the elevation knob on the left) The ideal rest is something fairly firm such as sandbags.

A piece of rolled up carpet about 6-8 inches in diameter will work. Also a thin rest for the back of the stock. The rest should support the forearm of the stock, not the barrel.

It needs to be able to recoil without coming off the rest. When rested like this the rifle should be firmly supported by the rest, not you. You should be able to let go of the rifle completely and have it stay on target.

When you squeeze the trigger it should not cause the rifle to move. One way to do this is to squeeze the trigger and back of the triggerguard between your thumb and forefinger. Fire a three shot group.

With that rifle they should hit within the size of a quarter. Now measure how far off you are from the center of that group to your aim point. Vertically and horizontally.

The adjustments should be 4 clicks per inch (read the scope knobs). Move the adjustments the correct number of clicks for the distance you want to move. Adjusting it R moves the point of impact to the right.

Asjusting it UP moves the point of impact up. So, if you are hitting below where you want to, adjust it UP. Fire another 3 shot group.

Repeat as necessary. 180 grain bullets are just fine. 100 yards is the most common range for sighting in.

EDIT I stated that 100 yards is just fine because you said that you were within 7 inches at 100 yards. That means that you are already "on paper". If you are within 7 inches at 100 yards there is no reason to shoot from a closer distance.

Attempting to do this: "Once the gun is stable again move the clicks (sighting) until the crosshairs actually move to where the bullet hit (and the barrel was aiming)" is a very difficult thing. It only works if you have the gun secured in a vise.

Sighting in a new scope set up on a rifle and re-sighting a scope that is not shooting to the owners satisfaction is best done at closer ranges the first few shots and first few scope adjustments just to make sure both the scope and rifle bore are pointed in the same direction. This may sound stupid, but it is not. Looks are deceiving, especially with scopes.

All the adjustments are internal. All scope movements are pretty small; like 1/8 inch at 100 yards for some to 1 inch at 100 yards for others. And some scopes have "clicks", others have a friction movement.

And on top of that, scope adjustments at closer ranges require you to really turn the dial to make bullet land where you aim! Honest. For 50 yards, you have to make twice internal movement to make the same movement at 100 yards!

And at 25 yards you have to make four times the internal movement to make the same movement at 100 yards. Read the movement value at 100 yards for your scope and multiply by 2 shooting/adjusting scopes at 100 yards, and multiply by 4x for shooting/adjusting scopes at 25 yards. And on top of that, when you turn the dial on some scopes, the bullet starts landing in the wrong direction!

Cure is pretty simple. Determine you are using correct turrent. Then turn dial in the other direction.

And write on paper what you are doing. Every step to end confusion. For sighting is any firearm, use a rest of some sort to reduce the number of variables which will affect accuracy.

Like, jiggly scope movement, never aiming exactly the same each time, getting shaky, tired, frustrated, thinking cheap this and that. On and on....... So shooting from a solid table with a rest on it of some sort is good. So is sitting and using the same comfortable shooting position.

And shoot a t a paper target. Cover bullet holes with tape and number to record/know your progress, or lack of. The 14 inch x 14 inch ones are good.

Be sure to tape them up, or pin them up level as sighting in on a crooked target makes you adjust for more variables, such as offset from level on all your calculations. You can shoot one round at a time, determine correction, dial in, and shoot again. Or you can shoot 3 shot groups, determine group center, determine correction, dial in correction and shoot again.

Up to you. Remember the table and sitting down, using a rest of some sort? Also a good idea to do things the exact same way each time you shoot.

Aim precisely, like your favorite movie star. Relax, breathe in, then out. Choose which part of the breath is best for you when you...Squeeze the trigger for sniper like accuracy!

You have to have that moment of clarity when you know everything is just right to make that shot! But don't aim to long. The human eye begins focusing, wandering, tiring at 6 to 10 seconds.

If you wait to long, sit up, look at the scenery in front of you, take a breath and do again. And remember the thing I wrote about writing on paper what you are doing? This will end confusion.

And track your progress. Your progress should make sense. It is when it gets confusing, you can look at your records and decide if it is your fault or your equipment.

Like... Shoot. Look at where bullet landed, determine correction needed. (Experience will teach you how to do this correctly.

Trust me.) turn windage dial clockwise or counter (or clockwise) shot landed at______________. Turn dial ___ shot landed at__________ OOPS! Shot landed on other side turn dial clockwise (or counterclockkwise)__________ yeaaaah!

Shot landed at_____ turn dial ___________ shot landed__ Now the first shots generally land farther away fron bullseye Each succeeding shot should land closer. With the last landing at where you want it! And only when you are hitting center or pretty darned close to it at closer ranges do you move your target out twice the distance, and reduce scope adjustments by half!

So. Shoot at 25 yards to make sure sight and gun are looking the same direction. Shoot at 50 yards to begin fine tuning bullet impact.

The closer to bullseye the better before.... Shooting at 100 yards to fine tune bullseye! Use a table to rest rifle and yourself for best accuracy. Shooting off hand adds unstabilityand is a waste of time, money and ammunition.

Shoot at a paper target to record your progress. Shoot from shorter ranges just to find out if scope and rifle are pointed in same direction. Shoot at longer distances to ffine tune scope/rifle.

Savages are very well made firearms. All your problems aside, it should place bullets within an inch if you do your part. Some rifles are choosey.

Buy several brands of ammo and shoot groups with each brand. The brand that makes the smallest bunch of holes is the work stuff. The others, givem to your friend you don't like to much and let them shoot them up for their frustration!.

And choose bullets for what you want to do. The application that bullet was made for. Ie.

Match bullets.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.