How to Sight In a Ravin Crossbow Scope in Two Steps

Pre-Shot Setup and Bench Preparation

To get clean results when calibrating your scope, you need to eliminate human movement before taking your first shot. High-velocity crossbows generate intense energy, and tiny wobbles at the shooting bench quickly turn into wide misses downrange. Preparing your gear properly saves you time, prevents broken arrows, and protects your hunting setup.

Check your shooting station and equipment using this preparation checklist:

• Bench rest stability: Set up a heavy shooting rest or solid sandbags on a sturdy table. Avoid resting the limbs or cams directly on hard surfaces, because vibration will bounce the bow during the shot. Rest the stock and fore-end securely so you can squeeze the trigger without shifting your sight picture.
• Arrow inspection: Complete a simple flex-testing carbon arrows check on every shaft before shooting. Gently bend each arrow by hand while rotating it, listening closely for cracking or splintering sounds. A damaged arrow can shatter upon release, creating a serious safety hazard and destroying your accuracy.
• Match arrow and point weight: Make sure every arrow matches the exact grain weight specified by the manufacturer. Using a 400-grain arrow with a standard 100-grain field point produces a completely different flight path than a heavier hunting setup. Mixing arrow weights between shots makes consistent sight alignment impossible.
• Inspect scope mounts and screws: Check the screws holding your scope rings and mounting rail. Recoil from fast bows can slowly loosen mounting hardware. Snug every screw evenly with an appropriate wrench so the optic cannot slide or twist between shots.
• Sight level bubble alignment: Look at the built-in sight level bubble on your bow or scope rail. Tilting the bow left or right, known as canting, sends arrows drifting sideways at longer distances. Make sure the bubble is centered while the crossbow rests on your bench.
• Safe cocking and loading: Never cause a dry fire, which means firing the bow without an arrow nocked. A dry fire releases violent shockwaves through the limbs and strings that can shatter components and fling sharp debris. Always verify that your arrow is seated firmly against the trigger latch before turning your safety off.

Step-by-Step Guide to Zeroing Your Ravin Scope

Zeroing a speed-calibrated optic is a two-step process that separates your close-range point of impact from your long-range arrow drop. Follow these numbered steps to calibrate your optic correctly:

1. Set the speed ring to the factory speed of your crossbow. Look at the feet-per-second dial matching arrow speed on the scope tube and turn it to the velocity listed in your owner manual.
   Reason: Starting at your rated factory speed provides a close baseline, ensuring that your distance aiming dots are reasonably close to the true trajectory before you begin shooting.
2. Position your target at exactly twenty yards and aim using the top crosshair. Place a high-density target block at a measured 20-yard distance and use only the top center crosshair to aim.
   Reason: The 20-yard distance is short enough that aerodynamic drag and arrow drop have minimal influence, allowing you to establish a true mechanical center.
3. Fire a group of three arrows at your primary target dot. Cock the bow smoothly, load a checked arrow, verify the sight level bubble, and squeeze the trigger gently without flinching.
   Reason: A group of three arrows shows your true pattern, preventing you from chasing a single errant shot caused by user error or a sudden breeze.
4. Adjust the up-and-down adjustment dial and side-to-side knob to center your group. Remove the turret caps and turn the up-and-down dial to move impact vertically, and turn the side-to-side knob to shift impact horizontally until your arrows hit dead center.
   Reason: These mechanical knobs physically move the internal reticle grid so your optical crosshairs point directly where the rail launches the arrow at your base distance.
5. Move your target back to a measured fifty yards. Use a reliable rangefinder to place your target block at exactly 50 yards, ensuring a clear shooting lane and an unobstructed view of the bullseye.
   Reason: Arrow drop becomes prominent and easily measurable at 50 yards, providing the necessary separation between yardage marks to tune your trajectory calibration.
6. Aim at the bullseye using only the fifty-yard aiming dot. Look through the scope and place the specific 50-yard dot or hashmark directly over the center of your target, leaving your main 20-yard crosshair sitting above the target.
   Reason: Using the designated 50-yard reticle mark checks how accurately the internal scope spacing matches the true drop of your arrow over long flight.
7. Fire a three-arrow group while holding strictly on the fifty-yard mark. Maintain steady breathing, keep your sight level bubble centered, and fire your group at the target.
   Reason: Gathering an impact group at 50 yards reveals whether your real arrow speed is flying flatter or dropping faster than your initial dial setting predicted.
8. Adjust only the speed ring until your arrows hit the center bullseye. If your arrows hit low, turn the speed dial to a lower speed number; if they hit high, turn the speed dial to a higher speed number.
   Reason: The speed dial changes optic magnification, which widens or narrows the physical spacing between aiming dots on your target without altering your physical 20-yard zero.
9. Return to twenty yards and fire a final confirmation shot. Step back to the 20-yard line and fire one final shot using your top crosshair.
   Reason: This final check confirms that your mechanical baseline remained locked in place while you made adjustments to the variable speed dial.

Verifying Your Distance Aiming Dots at Longer Ranges

Once you lock in your 20-yard mechanical zero and calibrate the speed ring at 50 yards, the rest of your aiming dots should match your arrow drop automatically. Ravin scopes feature reticle marks calibrated in 10-yard increments, typically running from 20 yards out to 100 yards.

Walk back to 30 and 40 yards first to confirm that intermediate shots hit cleanly inside the bullseye. Arrow drop is relatively mild between 20 and 40 yards, so minor discrepancies rarely show up here. If your groups hit slightly off-center at 30 or 40 yards, do not turn any dials. Instead, check your bench rest stability and re-verify your shooting distance with an accurate laser rangefinder.

When shooting beyond 50 yards, such as at 60, 70, or 80 yards, small variations in real-world arrow speed become noticeable. Air temperature, wind, and broadhead drag all influence how quickly an arrow slows down during extended flight. If you notice your groups consistently landing two inches low at 70 yards, you can make a fine micro-adjustment on the speed ring by turning it down a tiny fraction of a mark.

Never touch the up-and-down adjustment dial or the side-to-side knob when fine-tuning at extended yardages. Adjusting mechanical turrets at long distance will destroy your 20-yard baseline and throw off every single distance mark on the reticle.

Pay close attention to steep-angle alignment if you plan to hunt from an elevated tree stand. When shooting downward at sharp angles, gravity acts on the horizontal distance rather than the line-of-sight distance. Keeping an eye on your sight level bubble ensures you do not cant the bow when leaning downward, preventing wide horizontal misses on game animals.

When purchasing a complete factory package or evaluating optic systems similar to a TenPoint crossbow package, always verify that your distance yardage marks remain consistent across various hunting conditions before stepping into the woods.

Common Mistakes That Throw Off Your Scope Alignment

Shooters often run into frustrating zeroing problems when setting up modern high-velocity optics. Understanding the most frequent setup errors will keep you from wasting time and stripping arrow fletchings at the range:

• Turning elevation turrets at long distance: This is the single most common mistake hunters make. If an arrow hits low at 50 or 60 yards, turning the top turret knob moves your 20-yard zero higher, ruining the calibration across your entire sight picture. Always use the speed ring for distance tuning.
• Swapping arrow weights without recalibrating: Changing from light practice arrows to heavy hunting shafts alters downrange trajectory dramatically. Even switching between field points and broadheads of different grain weights changes how fast the arrow drops. Pick your final hunting arrow setup first and complete all scope adjustments with that exact configuration.
• Canting the crossbow: Tilting the bow even slightly to the side causes arrows to impact low and off to the side. Always verify that your sight level bubble sits dead center right before pulling the trigger.
• Loose optic hardware: The sharp recoil shock of high-performance bows can loosen mounting rings over dozens of shots. If your arrows suddenly begin scattering randomly across the target, inspect your scope rings and rail clamps for loose screws.
• Moving between field points and broadheads without verification: Mechanical broadheads often fly very close to field points, but fixed-blade broadheads catch air like tiny wings. Always verify your broadheads on a suitable target before hunting season opens.
• Shooting in heavy wind during calibration: Zeroing your side-to-side alignment in gusty winds leads to false adjustments. Wait for calm weather so that sideways drift is caused by your equipment rather than shifting gusts. This patience is just as crucial whether you are sighting in a Ravin setup or tuning the best TenPoint crossbow for hunting.

FAQs

Which dial do I turn first: the turrets or the speed ring?

You always adjust the turrets first at 20 yards. The up-and-down and side-to-side turrets align the physical scope reticle directly with the arrow flight path at close range. Once the 20-yard crosshair hits dead center, you leave the turrets alone and use only the speed ring for long-distance tuning.

How do I adjust the scope if my arrow hits low at 50 yards?

If your arrow hits low at 50 yards, turn the speed ring to a lower speed number. A lower speed setting increases the visual spacing between your aiming dots, which naturally forces you to elevate the bow slightly when aiming at the 50-yard mark. Turning to a higher number does the opposite and lowers your point of impact.

How many clicks move the arrow impact by one inch on the target?

The exact number of clicks depends on your optic turret rating, which is stamped directly on the dial cap. Most crossbow scopes adjust at 1/2 MOA, which moves the arrow roughly 1/10 of an inch per click at 20 yards, meaning you need about ten clicks to move the arrow one full inch. Check your dial cap label to confirm whether your adjustments are 1/2 MOA or 1/4 MOA before making big turns.

Do broadheads shoot to the same marks as field points?

Practice field points and hunting broadheads do not always fly to the exact same spot. Mechanical broadheads with closed blades typically match field point flight paths closely, while fixed-blade broadheads create more air resistance and often drop slightly faster. Always shoot your chosen hunting broadheads into a broadhead-rated target before heading into the woods to confirm their final impact point.