Embodiments of the present invention include a method and an apparatus for generating an optimal MRO for a zone having a plurality of tracks. A disc drive controller determines the optimum MRO of a zone of tracks by analyzing multiple tracks in the zone with the actuator arm located at a series of offsets relative to the track center. Selected tracks in the zone are written to once. Then the selected tracks in the zone are sequentially read at a first offset, and the corresponding errors recorded. This reading is repeated for each of the offsets until all offsets have been analyzed. Based on the offset, or band of offsets, with the least errors over the selected tracks, the optimum MRO can be selected for the zone. The process can be repeated for each zone and the optimum MRO values stored in an MRO table in the disc drive for use during subsequent read and write operations.