Zeroing a red dot

[MEbeardlover]

I lost part of my fiber optic sight late last season. I kind of forget until I took the shotgun out a week ago and was reminded as I was looking it over. I need some type of sight, and I have a spare red dot. I'm considering using it this season on my Mossberg 500. Is there any special process to follow when zeroing a red dot on a shotgun for turkey hunting?

[Fdept56]

If you're shooting off a bench or some other way to hold it solid it is easiest to shoot, mark center of POI, hold the dot on your aim point, and have someone else adjust the sight until your dot is on the center of POI. Sounds complicated but is by far the easiest, most ammo conserving route. It can be done by yourself but I never get it right the first try.

[sixbird]

What Fdept said and use the cheapest ammo you can find for getting zeroed. 2 3/4" #8 target loads or something of that sort.
If you don't have someone to help you (as in turning the dials) you can accomplish the same thing by shooting one shot, keeping the gun in position and turning the adjustment to make the dot aim at the point of impact. Your next shot should be close. Adjust from there. You'll need to shoot at say 10 yds. then move out to 30 and then 40. It may not seem linear regarding points of impact at various yardages, meaning you may think you're dialed in at 10 and be way off at 30. Adjust to 30 anyway. Then again at 40. Go back to 10 and recheck that you're still on.
I do it all with the cheap shells, then do a final check at 10/30/40 with turkey ammo that you'll be using.
I usually take the gun out one more time to double check that it's still on. One shot at 30 should prove that out.
It sounds like a process but when you get out in the field, you won't be sitting there wondering why that turkey you were "right on" is running or flying away.