Ridge Runner

well your using a red dot, with the red dot alone accuracy is not good, but if you line up the front and rear sights with the red dot accuracy improves? if this is correct then the problem is consistant cheek weld, lining up 3 points forces you to have the same consistant cheek weld every shot when using just the dot you don't.
RR

Nomercy448

The closer you zero your rifle under 200yrds, the more error you introduce. Unless I'm shooting fixed distance targets in competition format, I never zero less than 100yrds. For 0-100yrd shooting, either 50 or 100yrd zeroes are fair game, but if you compare longer ranges, the advantage of a 100yrd or further zero reveals itself. A 225yrd zero in an AR gives you PBR to 275yrds. A 50yrd zero only gives you 200. Does that matter? Eh, if you ever need to reach out, it's kinda nice having 5-6" of hold instead of 10-15".

BUT... Keep in mind, a 200-225yrd zero will also be somewhere around 25yrd zero also, so zeroing for 30yrds is functionally the same as zeroing at 250 (pulling these out of my arse, check your actual load). So if you're gonna crank it down to a 50yrd, you might consider cranking on down to 20-30yrds and pick up that extra range at the other end.

tealboy

Lots of good points and suggestions made but I'm beginning to think the problem is related to the point made above re the cheek weld. I need to get back out to the range to try it but the gun was sighted in using a lead sled rest and there is a cross bar that is in the way, the mag and pistol grip hits it so I'm in a unnatural position when shooting and sighting it in. Maybe that is causing the perceived issue.

Nomercy448

Yes, the cheek weld issue is your culprit, your zero range only matters after that is fixed.

Something that should tip you off - you described changing your eye position on the red dot by 1/4" or more, pushing the dot from mid pane to low pane... If your cheek is properly "welded," you can't drive down that much to change your site picture in that way.