Red Dot Pistol Zero

One sheet for each zero distance

We print two versions of the sheet. On the 25-yard sheet, the zero is where the bullet’s path meets the dot’s line of sight at twenty-five yards; on the 15-yard sheet, at fifteen yards. The steps are the same; the red boxes sit in different places. [1] [2]

The sheet prints at actual size, not fit to page. The bar in its red strip measures two inches when it does. [1] [2]

Seven yards, then fifteen

The two small targets, ZERO 1 and ZERO 2, are shot at seven yards, five shots to a group, with the dot on the printed red dot. The middle of the group is what gets compared with the red box under the dot. [1] [2]

The large CONFIRM target is shot at fifteen yards. When the middle of its five-shot group lands in the red box, the zero is confirmed; when it does not, the squares are counted, the optic adjusted, and five more shots fired. [1] [2]

Squares, clicks and the turn table

Each grid square is one minute of angle (MOA) at that target’s own distance, so the seven-yard squares are smaller than the fifteen-yard ones. The squares from the group’s middle to the red box give the correction in MOA, across and up or down. [1] [2]

On many red dots one click moves the impact one MOA. The sheet’s table lists which way each adjustment turns on common optics, and the exceptions: some move 1.5 MOA a click, some have no clicks. The optic’s own manual is the reference. [1] [2] [3]

The sheet’s steps unload the pistol before any adjustment. [1] [2]

Why the seven-yard box sits low

The dot sits above the barrel, and the barrel points slightly up, so the bullet’s path climbs to cross the dot’s line of sight at the zero distance. At seven yards the path is still below that line, so the sheet prints the red box below the dot; at fifteen yards the box is higher. [1] [2]