What Distance To Zero A Red Dot On An AK-47

midwest industries ak-47 railed forend with aimpoint MRDS

What Distance Should You Zero A Micro Red Dot Sight On An AK-47?

This article originated from a question asked by a reader on the How To Zero The Kalashnikov AK-47 — 7.62x39mm page with regards to what distance to zero a micro red dot sight mounted to an AK-47 that. His mount does not allow the red dot to be cowitnessed with the iron sights. His mount puts the red dot 2.5″ above the center of bore.

Reader: Please help! How many yards/meters do I zero my ras47 red dot primary arms micro dot? Please thanks!

Savannah Arsenal Reply: Look at the trajectories for the different zero distances and see which one works best for you. If sight can be cowitnessed then simply zero it to that distance. If it can’t be cowitnessed (maybe sits a little high) then we can figure out a pretty close compromise if we know the height of the red dot (probably the center of the sight) above the center of the bore.

Reader: Thank you so much for helping! I’m using a Ras47 with a primary arms advanced micro red dot. with the century red army standard scope base and mount which was made from century for this ak47. Using wolf fmj 123 grain. The iron sites are zero in by using your website! 25 yards with rear setting at 2. Then 100 meters and rear setting back to 1. But I always use battle setting!

The red dot sight can’t be co witness and the measurements, center of red dot sight and center of bore is roughly 2″1/4-2″1/2. I’m no expert but by using a tape measure that’s The measurements. Bullets are 123grain wolf fmj 2350 thanks!!

Trajectory Analysis:

Using 7.62x39mm Soviet 123 grain FMJ at 2350 FPS and a sight height of 2.5″ above bore I came up with a couple of decent trajectories. I used yards for both. I’m assuming that you are in the USA and think in terms of yards.

35/186 Yard Zero:

This looks like a GREAT zero for shooting within approximately 250 yards. This zero will provide a trajectory that never rises above or below the height of the front sight from the muzzle out to 220 yards. You will hit anywhere within a 5″ circle out to that point. The Primary Arms Micro RDS has a 2 MOA dot. As you can see from the numbers below, you rounds will impact within (or very close to) the red dot from about 25 yards out to almost 250 yards.

35 yards: POA=POI – Within the sight’s red dot.
50 yards: +.82″: – Within the sight’s red dot.
75 yards: +1.82″ – Bullet impact slightly over the sight’s red dot.
100 yards: +2.35″ – Within the sight’s red dot.
From approximately 105 yards to 120 yards the bullet skims along the trajectory’s apogee of 2.4″ – Just slightly above your sight’s red dot.
125 yards: +2.36 yards – Within the sight’s red dot.
150 yards: +1.82″ – Within the sight’s red dot.
175 yards: +.69″ – Within the sight’s red dot.
186 yards: POI=POA – Within the sight’s red dot.
200 yards: -1.08″ Your 2 MOA red dot will be 4” wide at this distance – Within the sight’s red dot.
At approximately 215 yards (almost 200 meters) the trajectory passes 2.5″ below POA.
225 yards: -3.54″ – Within the sight’s red dot.
250 yards: -6.75″: The red dot will be approximately 5” wide, so your rounds will impact slightly below the dot. Can you really tell one or two inches at 250 yards?
275 yards: -10.75″: The dot will be approximately 5.5” wide, so you will need to aim approximately one dot width high.
300 yards: -15.61″: Your dot will be 6” wide, so you will need to aim between two to four dot widths high.

30/212 Yard Zero:

This zero doesn’t provide a trajectory within the red dot like the 35/186 yard zero, but it is still very usable.

30 yards: POA=POI
50 yards: +1.33″
75 yards: +2.59″
100 yards: +3.37″
125 yards: +3.64″
150 yards: +3.36″
175 yards: +2.48″
200 yards: +.97″
212 yards: POA=POI
225 yards: -1.24
250 yards: -4.18″
275 yards: -7.93″
300 yards: -12.54

17/326 Yard Zero:

Rob Ski of The AK Operators Union recommends zeroing your red dot sight so that your rounds impact 9″ high at 100 yards. This translates to a 17 / 326 yard zero. Initially I thought that this would be a terrible zero to use, however if you follow the “Soviet method” that Rob and so many other YouTubers refer to and aim at the waistline of a humanoid target then your rounds will hit somewhere in the upper torso out to 326 yards. I ‘m not a big fan of impact of over a foot above point-of-aim at 200 yards.

Assuming the same ammunition and sight height above of 2.5″:

17 yards: POA=POI
25 yards: +1.03″
50 yards: +4.13″
75 yards: +6.81″
100 yards: +9.00″
125 yards: +10.67″
150 yards: +11.80″
175 yards: +12.33″
200 yards: +12.22″
225 yards: +11.42″
250 yards: +9.88″
275 yards: +7.54″
300 yards: +4.34″
325 yards: +.21″
326 yards: POA=POI
350 yards: -4.93″
375 yards: -11.16″
400 yards: -18.55″

Conclusion:

I’m mounting a 2 MOA Vortex Sparc RDS to a Midwest Industries Gen 1 Universal Handguard. I’m going to go with the 35/186 zero to take advantage of bullet impact within the red dot.