Rails, Line of Sight, Zeroing a Sight, & Rangefinding

Jaron · #1 (**permalink**) 04-25-2007, 09:04 PM

So you've got a marker and want to get a secondary sight for it. That's great, but how do you actually set it up? How do you use it effectively? We will explore those and other questions below.

Rails
First, you'll need some way to attach that sight to your marker and that requires a rail. The three most common rails available are dovetail ( like those on a stock 98 or A-5, ) Weaver, and Picatinny. Dovetails are smooth rails that "V" out at the top and quickly angle in on the bottom, like a dovetail joint in carpentry. Many small arms like hunting rifles have dovetail rails on the top of the receiver ( an A-5 has a double dovetail. ) Both Weaver and Picatinny rails look like wide boxes with beveled edges and grooves running crosswise down the length. Though they look similar, the groove spacing on a Picatinny rail is spaced farther than that of a Weaver rail. However most attachments will work on either rail, though not all. Occasionally you may get a sight that doesn't have a rail clamp on it. Typically these require scope rings to clamp around the sight itself. In turn the rings will clamp to a rail. If your desired sight has a different attachment than the rail on your marker, rail adapters are relatively inexpensive.

Line of Sight
Before you attach the sight to your marker, think about where you want to mount it. Always be sure you can actually use it there. Can you get your eye behind it? How comfortable and natural is it to do so? Can you see clearly through it? A few things to consider on this is your hopper and buttstock, if you have one. Bolting a sight directly on top of the marker usually means the hopper will be obscuring part or all of the sight. Also, if you have a buttstock, wearing a mask means you can't lay your cheek directly on it. You have a few solutions to these common problems with an A-5. To get the hopper out of your way you can get offsets, like a SpecOps stovepipe, or a different hopper, like an APP T2 or X7 hopper. Some buttstock allow more mask clearance, like a SpecOps dogleg or a buttstock that comes from below that attaches to the grip base. However, if you've already got a chosen buttstock, you may just need some different rails.

Rail risers can be used to elevate the sight farther off the receiver. They usually just clamp on to a rail below and have another rail on top. You can even stack multiple risers if you want to. By raising the sight, you can get your eye behind it by craning your head over the stock. Some people may not find that position comfortable or natural, so try before you decide.

Another solution is to get an offset rail. These come in two main flavors, angle rails and extenders. Angle rails attach to an existing rail and then offer an extended rail dropped down and to the side at an angle. Extended rails use bars to clamp to the existing rail, extend to the side, then clamp a new rail on top. Angle rails will allow a sleeker look by keeping the rails close to the marker body. However extended rails often give more clearance and they keep the rail at a normal angle so adjusting the sight windage and elevation can be done independently ( see more below. )

Zeroing a Sight
Now that you have the sight, a place to mount it, and a clear view through it, it's time to make it useful. First, prepare everything for prime conditions. Make sure your marker is shooting at the maximum velocity allowed at the field of your choice. Outdoor fields usually have a velocity limit around 280 fps, indoor fields are usually about 240 fps. Treat it like The Price Is Right, you always want to be as close to the field limit without going over. The faster your balls fly, the flatter the arc. It also helps if you fire from a very stable and supported position like prone, off a box, or whatever. If it's a windy day, try to shoot in a sheltered area. Your barrel should be immaculately clean and you ought to be using good fresh paint. In general, get your marker as consistent as possible before sighting anything in. Don't zero your sight on CO2 during a winter storm with 6 month old paint, your consistency will be blown to Hell.

Next you have to decide a range at which you want to zero it. Anything beyond that range will require you to aim above the target, anything closer and you'll aim below. This is because of the arc a paintball follows when fired. This prime distance should be the most common distance you fire on targets. Now pick out or make a target at that distance, it should be an even elevation to you. Sight how you normally would ( hold your marker normally with your head behind the sight as it feels natural, ) put the dot/crosshairs on the target, and pull the trigger. Fire about five shots in slow succession. Now, look where the general trend of shots is going. Granted paintballs aren't the most accurate of creatures so you may have a few wildcards, but overall you should be able to see patterns.

Now you need to adjust your sight. Check your sight's instruction manual on how to change the windage and elevation dials. The windage controls side to side, the elevation controls up and down. If your shots are falling short, lower your sight so it looks down ( your barrel will be elevated more. ) If your shots hit left of the target, turn your sight to the left to force the barrel right. Most adjustment dials use screwdrivers to be turned and will show you which rotation to go. However, sometimes they're confusing. If it says clockwise for up, you don't know if that means clockwise brings your shot path up or if it makes your sight look up. Most of the time the direction shown means the direction your shot will go. Also most dials are more precise then a paintball needs so don't worry about going one click at a time until you're doing real fine tuning. After each adjustment, fire another five shots and see where the pattern is now. You're not trying to get every shot right on the bulls-eye but to have the pattern centered over it.

If you have the option to lock your marker down, like with a gun vise or something similar, you can use a shortcut to zero your sight. Just fire off a the five rounds and then adjust the sight ( without moving the marker! ) so that the dot/crosshairs are centered in the pattern. Then fire another salvo and you can fine tune the adjustment.

Zeroing your sight is only half of it. You have to practice shooting with it. You need to train your eyes to acquire targets through the sight. You need to train your muscles to bring your marker to bear the same way every time. Accuracy comes from consistency, in firing your marker the same way every time. That's what the sight is to serve as, a constant point of reference to line up a shot rather than just sighting down the barrel or walking in your shots.

Rangefinding
You sight is now zeroed in at a set range, but how often are your opponents at the same distance? That means you have to train yourself to accurately judge distance. If you've zeroed your sight at 30 yards, then you need to know when your target is farther or closer than that. You don't want your shots flying over head or falling inches short. Shooting uphill or downhill will also change the elevation of your shot. Practice different scenarios and drill into your mind how to properly compensate for distance. And remember anytime you have to change your velocity ( like playing at different fields, ) your distance is affected too. Slower ball velocities will not travel as far and you'll have to aim above the target, just as you have to aim lower when shooting faster. You don't necessarily have to re-zero your sight every time you change velocity, but definitely take a few shots to see how you have to adjust. Lastly, if you have an offset sight, you'll need to adjust side to side when compensating for distance changes. For example, if you shoot right handed, then you need to aim up and to the right when shooting farther, down and to the left when closer. Alternatively, you'd need to aim up and left to compensate for a slower velocity, down and right when shooting faster.

As always, comments, suggestions, smart remarks, whatever, are welcome.

Prophet · #2 (**permalink**) 04-25-2007, 09:30 PM

Thank you so much by clarifying the buttstock situation!! I have gone through that before with an M4 stock...recently sold it because I would have had to buy a raised rail, but it got in the way more than anything...

Now I have a thread to refer new buttstock buyers to...

thebowtwo · #3 (**permalink**) 04-25-2007, 09:43 PM

great job Jaron very informative and well said. I will also

skier11 · #4 (**permalink**) 04-25-2007, 10:34 PM

solid post. way to dumb everything down to get it all to make sense.

Jaron · #5 (**permalink**) 04-26-2007, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrOpHeT

Now I have a thread to refer new buttstock buyers to...

That's why I wrote most of these, so when the question is asked again I could be lazy and leave a link rather than go throught the work of typing it again. Afterall, who am I to argue with genius?

Prophet · #6 (**permalink**) 04-26-2007, 04:48 PM

Or you could drag the text over to the "reply" box... lol

Actually, I hope we can get this thread stickied... if you dont mind I'll ask about it.

kirknd4spd · #7 (**permalink**) 04-27-2007, 01:03 AM

this would be a good sticky. lots of good info

quarky42 · #8 (**permalink**) 07-03-2007, 04:41 PM

Great article. The only thing I can think of adding to it:

If at all possible, Chrono your marker first. Set it for 280 fps or what ever speed you normally play at. If you are running hot one day and you sight in at 310+ fps without knowing it, then go to a field and drop it down to 280 fps, You'll see an impact in your accuracy.

If you can Chrono your marker at 280 fps (for example), and then set your sights for range and windage, you should be in the same ball park next time you bring your marker out to play at that speed. Sure some things can still vary, but you'll be better off this way than sighting in at once velocity and then later changing it.

Jaron · #9 (**permalink**) 07-03-2007, 04:48 PM

That's what I was trying to get across when I say "Make sure your marker is shooting at the maximum velocity allowed at the field of your choice." Perhaps I should mention something more specific. Thanks for the feedback.

quarky42 · #10 (**permalink**) 07-03-2007, 05:15 PM

Or I should read more carefully... perhaps just explain why the velocity needs to be set first... I think I just missed it the first and second time through the article.

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