Am looking at a 3X9 Bushnell Banner Dawn to Dusk for my Traditions. Seems likea good scope for the $. I have seen/heard of articles re centre fire guns that talk about sighting in at 25 or even 12 1/2 yards, which will, depending on the caliber, give you a 100 yd. POI of ........ (Which should be checked of course at the 100yd. distance). Can you use a somewhat similiar routine for initial sighting in of a ML?

I have a Bushnell Dusk to Dawn on my rifle and I agree.. for the money it is a great scope. Make sure it has the 4" eye relief and you should really be impressed with it.

I sight mine in the same as I do a center fire rifle. Once I got mine tuned in at 25 yards with a tight group, I went to the 50 yards and shot it 2" high. Back at the 100 yard I was right where I like to be. Some people even sight them in for 3" high at 100 yards and this allows them to shoot much further distances. I guess it is all what you might encounter where you hunt.

So you aresighting in at 25 just to get a tight group? not necessarily to hitso many inches high?

You are "sighting in" at 25 yards...just to get on paper...with most guns if you can hit close at 25 the bullet will be on target (within 6-10inches) at 100...If you start shooting at 100...you can easily miss the entire target..

Don't worry about groups at 25...check your groups at 100...I often don't even try to adjust the scope at 100 until I see how a load groups...After I find the right load...I usually set the center of the group about 2-2 1/2 inches high on a scoped muzzleloader....I will then usually be either dead on at 150 yards or only 1-2 inches low at that range...

Actually at 25 yards is where I like to test the bullet loads. At this distance you should shoot a ragged hole in the target. That tells me the powder and projectile is the best it can get. When I move back from there I find that the group opens in proportion to the distance.

If I have a ragged hole at 25 yards and move back to 50 yards with a scope the group will usually not be toomuch bigger. At 100 yards I then might be shooting under a 2" group with that load. All the 25 yard will do is get you on the paper and checks your charges. The other distances will be within reason. When I used to sight in at 100 yards I found that if the group was open I was not sure if it was my point of aim or was the way the bullet was grouping.

Once I am sure that the bullet/powder combination is working, then it is a matter of moving to the distance I want to sight the rifle in and see how it reacts. Another problem I came across a while back was I had a great load of 302 grain Buffalo Bullets and they were shooting excellent groups out to 75 yards. After 75 yards, for some reason the grouping fell apart. Could you picture the confusion had I went to 100 yards and started that mess and never could get the group to come together. Who would I blame, the scope, the bullet, the powder, or me?

The bullet!!! LOL