Zeroing question.

The Ratbasher · Jun 20, 2026

OK guys ( and girls ).
My question is, when zeroing an FFP scope, should you have the mag set to what you will generally use when out stalking/foxing, say 6 or 8x ?. Or should you just whack it up to full magnification ?.
I've always used SFP scopes in the past, and just put an Element Helix on my .308.
Is this a daft question ?.
My apologies if it is.

Leec6.5 · Jun 20, 2026

X8 power, 150gn bullet 2600fps ish, spot on at 50 = 150m zero, or 1” high at 100 in old money!

Tikkat1x · Jun 20, 2026

More mag, less FOV, and more shake, i use x18 but i use 9mm dots.
end of the day it wont matter much

Tim.243 · Jun 20, 2026

The Ratbasher said:
OK guys ( and girls ).
My question is, when zeroing an FFP scope, should you have the mag set to what you will generally use when out stalking/foxing, say 6 or 8x ?. Or should you just whack it up to full magnification ?.
I've always used SFP scopes in the past, and just put an Element Helix on my .308.
Is this a daft question ?.
My apologies if it is.

The higher the mag the more wobble you will get, I shoot off my sticks at 50 with the left to right cock on then go to a 100 and dial the height

Tim.243 · Jun 20, 2026

Tikkat1x said:
More mag, less FOV, and more shake, i use x18 but i use 9mm dots.
end of the day it wont matter much

yes but you break things all the time lol :rofl:

The Ratbasher · Jun 20, 2026

Tikkat1x said:
More mag, less FOV, and more shake, i use x18 but i use 9mm dots.
end of the day it wont matter much

I get the more mag more shake, but I'm just wanting to know for zeroing the rifle so a wide FOV doesn't really matter for that, does it ?. Or is my thinking flawed ?.
I just want to make sure it's spot on before I even think of shooting live quarry.

NullMac · Jun 20, 2026

Do what you feel confident with.

Would seem sensible to zero at max on decent support then check at normal use mag on your normal shooting rest to verify/identify zero shift

The Ratbasher · Jun 20, 2026

NullMac said:
Do what you feel confident with.

Would seem sensible to zero at max on decent support then check at normal use mag on your normal shooting rest to verify/identify zero shift

Thanks for that.

snake_2586 · Jun 20, 2026

As long as the scopes parallax is correct the point of zero will not shift with magnification, just the cross hairs will appear to shift in size, but they will stay the same size in relation the the target,

Tim.243 · Jun 20, 2026

The Ratbasher said:
I get the more mag more shake, but I'm just wanting to know for zeroing the rifle so a wide FOV doesn't really matter for that, does it ?. Or is my thinking flawed ?.
I just want to make sure it's spot on before I even think of shooting live quarry.

It needs to be (as others) how settled you are, stop building problems into it for the start, shoot the zero then have a play around and find the sweet spot as there will be times you will need less mag and then more. Middle for diddle..
The bit going on in your head is the battle, "put the cross hairs on it and whack it" :tiphat:

Klenchblaize · Jun 20, 2026

Should have gone SECOND focal plane.

K

The Ratbasher · Jun 20, 2026

Klenchblaize said:
Should have gone SECOND focal plane.

K

Why's that ?.

The Ratbasher · Jun 20, 2026

snake_2586 said:
As long as the scopes parallax is correct the point of zero will not shift with magnification, just the cross hairs will appear to shift in size, but they will stay the same size in relation the the target,

All I want to do is see the POI and then I can make my adjustments. I was unsure if there was a formula when using FFP ?.

snake_2586 · Jun 20, 2026

The Ratbasher said:
All I want to do is see the POI and then I can make my adjustments. I was unsure if there was a formula when using FFP ?.

FFP really wins on a scope with mil dot or similar as the spacing stays the same no matter what the mag is set to, where as with a sfp scope it is only correct on the one mag setting,

viking90 · Jun 20, 2026

I usually dial up to about 18x and zero as perfect as possible at 100m and set my zero stop. I'll also take my muzzle velocity readings to for the average fps and im good to go. I dont do the 1" high malarkey just like i dont believe in having the scope as close to the bore as physically possible. If the target is further than my 100m zero then I dial on elevation (applied ballistics in my binos and hard dope card in my bino harness). One important thing to find out and its arguably more important than a perfect 100m zero is where your cold bore shot goes in relation to your zero

NullMac · Jun 20, 2026

snake_2586 said:
As long as the scopes parallax is correct the point of zero ~~will~~ should not shift with magnification, just the cross hairs will appear to shift in size, but they will stay the same size in relation the the target,

Fixed it for you

kieran222 · Jun 21, 2026

It won't make any difference. Also, it isn't high mag that gives you wobble. It just let's you see how much you wobble. I always zero at high mag.

Ffp or sfp isn't really relevant for zero unless you are using the recticle markers to work out your adjustments. If you are then you must have your sfp scope set at the mag that the recticle is calibrated for. For ffp that's not relevant but I find the recticle isn't very visible at low mag.

Shabz · Jun 21, 2026

Yeah, it’s complete nonsense that higher magnification makes you wobble. Lower magnification makes you unable to see the wobble. Your ffp scope is ffp so you can zero on any magnification that you want. That’s the whole point of ffp scopes. I’d recommend max power and a solid base so you have no wobble.

Bo Diddley · Jun 22, 2026

Shabz said:
no wobble.

But you said you do have wobble... You just can't see the wobble on lower mag, the wobble is always there. Sometimes you see it, sometimes you don't, depends on the magnification and how steady you are. I'm Cool Hand Luke, so I suffer no wobble at all

UpNorthMI · Jun 22, 2026

Klenchblaize said:
Should have gone SECOND focal plane.

K

The great thing about a FFP scope is the ability to use it as a range estimation tool, I've shot FFP scopes for 40 plus years, all Swarovski, the gap between the thick part of the reticule was either 70cm or 1.4M depending on the reticle selected, this was super useful to estimate range for average red or Roe deer, it was useful to work out bullet drop for longer shots, once you are zeroed, learn about your reticule and how it can help you with range estimation and hold over. There is a reason that FFP scopes are generally more expensive!

I've had decades of success with FFP scopes.

Zeroing question.

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