I finally took the AK plunge this past weekend. My Fun Store/Range had a Bulgarian SSR-85C-2 From Armory USA, on the wall, with 6 steel Bulgarian mags, 1 Promag and case. It has a tool to drift the front sight for windage, but the operator manual doesn’t explain how to. It also says zero at 25 meters with the rear sight set 100 meters. Is this correct?
Typically, you want the point of impact to be about 1 1/2" or so under the point of aim at 50 yards.
If the tool you’re talking about looks like a C clamp, you push the front sight in the OPPOSITE direction to the desired point of impact. You turn the front sight in to raise the point of impact, so tuning to the right will raise, turning to the left will lower, just like a M4.
The front sight drum is friction fit, so you won’t have clicks to tell you how far you’ve moved.
Start out at 25 yards to get on paper and see where you need to move, then zero at 25, and then move back to 50.
Thank you sir, but the manual says to “Drift” the front sight for “windage”. Do you use the tool to physically move/drift the front sight laterally to change the windage? I just don’t wanna break the thing.
Yes, use the tool to drift.
Your tool is far more likely to break than the front sight, ask me how I know…
LOL…thank you gentlemen, I appreciate the help.
If you just have a punch to “drift” the front sight over, you can certainly do that.
I’ve found a dedicated c-clamp style tool to be much easier to work with.
Just watch out for really cheap C-clamps. Coupled with REALLY stubborn sights will render a C-clamp into a V-clamp.
This looks like the more logical and more precise option to drift the front sight. Oh, the tool is not the c-clamp but the tool that came with in the cylindrical cleaning kit. Do you have a link to find this c-clamp Templar?
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Tom got it before I could get back to the thread. 
Just wanted to say good luck with the SSR85. I have one too and love it. For the money you can’t beat them. BTW, like the others have said the C-clamp tool is the best way to get a precise zero. I did one AK with a punch and hammer, it takes a while. Save time and get the tool.
Thank you again gentlemen, I appreciate all your help.
Templar or anyone else, do you have any data on where the bullet will hit at various distances (maybe even with different zeros)?
Also, what do you like to put your rear sight height settting on when you zero your gun, “1”? Do you like to keep it there or do you move it for the appropriate distance?
Thanks.
Joe Mamma
I wonder what Charlie used to adjust his sight.
Zeroing is best done from the prone position. Set the rear sight on “1” (the top of the rear sight slider sits below the “1”) and set a bull-eye target out at 100m. Adjust the sights until point of aim (POA) equals point of impact (POI). At 50m the AK should be hitting approx. 1.5" below the POA. Elevation is adjusted by screwing the front sight up (drops POI) or down (raises POI). Windage is adjusted by moving the front sight drum left (shifts POI right) or right (shifts POI left).
Thekatar,
Question about the zero. I was told by a reliable source that the letter or number (depending on what make you have) on the left side of the sight is the battle sight zero setting. Do you know anything about that?
For example; Chinese Type 56 rifles are marked with a “D” on the left side, Hungarian AK’s have an “A”, Polish an “S”, etc…
The position all the way to the rear, closest to the shooter, that’s marked with a letter is indeed the “battle sight setting”, it’s exactly the same as 300 meters.
Since the Kalashnikov system is really a 200 meter weapon, zero at 50 yards 1.5" low, with the sight set at 100 meters, and keep it there.
I haven’t had any issues making hits out to 200 meters that way on a reduced “C” zone steel silhoutte that wasn’t shooting back at me.
I 100% agree with Templar. There is nothing magic about the “battle sight” setting on the AK rear leaf sight, nor is there anything magic about the “Correct Soviet Method” of translating their manual, setting the rear to 3, shooting 25cm low at 100cm, etc., etc… Does anyone here reallly think that if they move the slider to 8 that the will have their bullets impact POA at 800m?
This is the masturbatory fantasy of the “enthusiast” and the “collector.” Honestly, would YOU fiddle with your sights in a real fight?
Templar,
Roger that, thanks for the clarification. I have no illusions as to how far or accurate any general AK will shoot. Especially some of the buckets of bolts that I have seen here.