help with accuracy problems

[robschabel]

I have the M&P 15-22 long rifle, I was very impressed with the accuracy right out of the box I could hit a quater at 50 yards, using open sights. I then wanted to mount a scope on the gun for hunting purpouses. I bought the rail block to rase the scope up an inch. I have tried 4 different scopes (from bushnell to simmons) and different ways of mounting them all of them were 3-9 X 30. I can not get any accracy out of a single shot grouping with any of the scopes on it, but if I were to rappid fire it, the gun would hold the shot gourping in a 1" area. What am I doing wrong or what can I do to get the accuracy i need.

 

[darksideemt]

Did anyone else try shooting with the scope, and if so did they get the same results? I know initially I was having a similar problem with my scope as well and 2 others, who my range guy said they would be the ones I wanted to help site it in, were having the same problem. After a long time trying I finally gave up. When I got home I took the scope off, then put it back on making sure everything was tight and then this time I used a level to make sure the scope was totally level. When I took it back out this weekend it was hitting pretty much spot on. Being new I still need to improve my technique but could definitely tell anything that was off was due to me not the scope/rifle.

 

[wolverine]

I have the M&P 15-22 long rifle, I was very impressed with the accuracy right out of the box I could hit a quater at 50 yards, using open sights. I then wanted to mount a scope on the gun for hunting purpouses. I bought the rail block to rase the scope up an inch. I have tried 4 different scopes (from bushnell to simmons) and different ways of mounting them all of them were 3-9 X 30. I can not get any accracy out of a single shot grouping with any of the scopes on it, but if I were to rappid fire it, the gun would hold the shot gourping in a 1" area. What am I doing wrong or what can I do to get the accuracy i need.

Afternoon robschabel

It might be the scope's parallax. Most scopes (unless specifically for a .22) are set to 100 yards or 150 yards parallax.
If you are shooting at 25 or 50 yards & the parallax is set to 100 yards just a little eye movement from the exact center of the scope can mean a miss.

To see what you are dealing with just set the gun on a set of sand bags or other firm gun holding set-up with the cross hairs on what you are shooting at. Then without touching or moving the gun move your eye position around behind the scope. Bet you will see the cross hairs move all over the target.

To correct, either get a dedicated .22 scope with a parallax set to 50 yards (or custom set to the distance you usually shoot at), or get a scope with an adjustable parallax, or on most scopes (IF) you can get the front lens trim ring off you can adjust the parallax by turning the front lens slotted ring.
You have the parallax set correctly when you can move your eye around behind the scope & the cross hairs don't move around on the target.

 

[photoracer]

Turning the lens's spanner retaining ring will do nothing but loosen the front lens group. You would need to take it completely off, take the optics out and then adjust the bottom retaining ring if there is one and put it back together. If not it is preset and can't effectively be changed. Or you could put a spacer under the optics and re-tighten the top retaining ring. that would change the parallax but I don't remember which way.
Other than that your description of the parallax issue is spot on.

 

[Plumbago]

I agree with the possibility of a parallax problem, but I'd venture to say you need a better trigger group (as in lighter pull) The creep and heavy pull of ther factory trigger are terrible, and are magnafied when using a scope. Your are trying to hard to hold that dot and deal with the trigger. If the trigger released in ounces instead of pounds, you'd find pretty good accuracy out of the 15-22........best regards Plum.

 

[wolverine]

Turning the lens's spanner retaining ring will do nothing but loosen the front lens group. You would need to take it completely off, take the optics out and then adjust the bottom retaining ring if there is one and put it back together. If not it is preset and can't effectively be changed. Or you could put a spacer under the optics and re-tighten the top retaining ring. that would change the parallax but I don't remember which way.
Other than that your description of the parallax issue is spot on.

Afternoon photoracer

It sounds to me like you haven't ever set the parallax on any of your scopes.

I have I am here to tell you that it can be done quite easily once you get the front lens trim rig off. On most scopes (all of my modern scopes placed on my .22's so far) the entire front lens assembly rotates as a unit so adjusting the parallax is straight forward. So far the only issue I have encountered is getting that darn front trim ring off a few of my uplevel Leopold scopes.

If you send your scope back to the factory to have the parallax set that is all they do is what I mentioned above.

 

[deallad]

very easy, buy a hawke HK4020 4.5 TO 14 X 38 just turn the knob on the side until focus is sharp and bingo 1/2 in group at 25 yards 1in high at 50 and back on zero at 50 perfect

 

[photoracer]

Afternoon photoracer

It sounds to me like you haven't ever set the parallax on any of your scopes.

I have I am here to tell you that it can be done quite easily once you get the front lens trim rig off. On most scopes (all of my modern scopes placed on my .22's so far) the entire front lens assembly rotates as a unit so adjusting the parallax is straight forward. So far the only issue I have encountered is getting that darn front trim ring off a few of my uplevel Leopold scopes.

If you send your scope back to the factory to have the parallax set that is all they do is what I mentioned above.

OK that sounds like a correct mechanism to do that. I have however seen quite a few cheap scopes that are "permanently" set at a fixed distance by the placement of the front optics. One of the things besides the glass quality that separates the cheap from the good scopes.