Re zero after traveling

[f16jack]

If I am driving out west I do not "check" my zero when I go hunting at different elevations...unless the gun takes a fall or gets handled rough for some reason.

You will want to confirm your DOPE or ballistics if you are shooting out to range or dialing. Just going off of computer generated numbers in not good enough. Build a chart for the elevation closest to wear you are hunting and when you get there confirm the data.

I agree. I took some shots (suppressed rifle) at 10K a valley away from my camp, and my dope was close, but off at 800 yards by .25 to .50 MOA.

 

[Rich M]

Check your gun when you get there. Takes a few minutes, verifies your zero, confidence, etc.

All the effort you put into the hunt, why stop yourself short?

That way if you miss, you’ll know it was all you or not.

 

[MattB]

100 yd zero won’t change due to elevation.

Just quoting this for emphasis.

 

[Macintosh]

People check zero after traveling to check for shift due to impact and vibration. If you can take your rifle, put it in a pelican case, and ride around on washboarded roads for a couple hours, then THROW the case 20 feet onto the ground, take it out and all shots land inside the same inch that they did when you left the range....sure, dont check your zero. I literally watched my rifle case get this exact treatment (baggage train zooming over potholed roads to airline gate, rifle case fall off conveyor directly onto runway, get picked up and thrown back onto conveyor). Another trip the case arrived broken parts (the plastic fins near the hinges were broken off from an impact). Pretty clear to me a traveling rifle does not get handled gently.

if you are going up in altitude significantly, in addition to any zero verification you might need, if you might shoot more than a couple hundred yards you migt check your dope at distance—thats where the altitude will affect things.
two different things, for two different reasons.

 

[WMag338]

I always TRY to check my zero anytime I can. I was on the plane flying out west for a hunt. You should've seen how the baggage people were slinging my rifle & bow cases. Made me cringe.

 

[journeyman713]

Things to double check, if you're not an idiot.

1. There is toilet paper, before you take a dump.
2. The stove is off, before you go to bed.
3. The door is locked, before you leave the house.
4. Your rifle is zero, before you go on a dream hunt.
5. You have pants on, when you go to work.

 

[Macintosh]

Picky, picky, picky.

 

[huntnful]

I don't recheck my zero, but I do double check my drops at long distance if I get the chance. It's not hard for the ballistic solvers to be slightly off when going from 100' to 10k feet. I'm going to make it a full time habit of checking drops at my hunting elevation when given the opportunity.

 

[wind gypsy]

All this talk about ballistic solvers being right and wrong. I wonder how many people go validate their dope when they get to the mountains only to have elevation firing solution discrepancies from their solver caused by up/down drafts, mirage, aerodynamic jump, shot angle, etc and mistakenly think they are “correcting” their solution.

 

[S-3 ranch]

I wouldn’t worry about it till you start hunting + 12000 or + 3500 meters altitude
and have traveled to Kazakhstan or something
my 300wm has been from the equator to the arctic circle and only gets a test shot @ the range ( 30 years it’s still 100% )
I don’t trust turret scopes though and have never seen one hold zero going to rare air , or hard travel
so maybe you should rezero if you have a dial a dope scope

 

[huntnful]

All this talk about ballistic solvers being right and wrong. I wonder how many people go validate their dope when they get to the mountains only to have elevation firing solution discrepancies from their solver caused by up/down drafts, mirage, aerodynamic jump, shot angle, etc and mistakenly think they are “correcting” their solution.

.....or how many are shooting rocks and can't resolve impacts precisely.....or how many are 0.5 - 0.8 mil shooters in those conditions anyways......or how many have bad MV, bad zero offsets, incorrectly adjusted BC, or have other bad inputs their solver......or have a bad range to whatever they are shooting.....or don't have a clue what their MV SDs are in reality....or correct off of 1 or 2 shots.....

Such great points! Aerodynamic jump can definitely throw a wrench into things if it's not at the forefront of your mind while you're setting your baseline data or making corrections in the field.

Basically I do as much work as possible to solidify my data right here at sea level, on calm and clear days without mirage. Then when I go up to elevation, say I shoot two verifying shots at 1000 yards. These shots are videoed through my spotter, and shot at a small inconsistency on a rock face. I can replay the video to find the exact bullet impact, and then I can measure it with my reticle. If my impacts are .2 mils high, I don't change any of my actual input data in the field at that moment. Just at 600 and in I'm coming down .1 mil from my rangefinder correction. 600-1100 I'm coming down .2 mils from the rangefinder correction.

What would you guys do? I'm talking quick verification in the field during the hunt, or just prior to the hunt once your reached your destination.

 

[Macintosh]

Based on what I see its pretty common for people to use a ballistic solver and get it "pretty close" despite being sloppy with inputs, in part because most of their shooting is under pretty similar conditions. Then you go 1500 miles away, up 6 or 8 thousand feet in elevation, lots of different angles, different terrain and everything that does to wind, etc and things land differently because several different variables have become significant that might have been relative constants before. To me that's what's worth checking.
Honestly, it's also the reason I dont really feel comfortable shooting as far as many others--I just dont get the time in that environment to get as dialed in as I'd like, and it makes a difference for me. If I took more time to get dialed in that might look different.
Also, I dont adjust based on 2 or 3 rounds at longer distance. At minimum I need a larger group size to confirm that what I'm seeing is happening consistently.

 

[Mikido]

I agree. I took some shots (suppressed rifle) at 10K a valley away from my camp, and my dope was close, but off at 800 yards by .25 to .50 MOA.

Your unadjusted or adjusted for elevation dope was off?

 

[f16jack]

Your unadjusted or adjusted for elevation dope was off?

Adjusted for elevation. I sight in at 6K'. I have different #'s for 10K'. It varied from the 10K' numbers. But, .5 MOA at 800 yards is only 4". You still get a dead elk.

 

[Mikido]

Adjusted for elevation. I sight in at 6K'. I have different #'s for 10K'. It varied from the 10K' numbers. But, .5 MOA at 800 yards is only 4". You still get a dead elk.

Assuming an moa shooter, an 8” pie At 800yds I’d feel pretty good. A 12” pie at that distance I don’t feel as good.

How’d you verfiy it exactly? Absolutely sure it was purely a math problem?

I’m a LR newb btw, apologize if I come off condescending.

 

[Macintosh]

If I have a 1moa rifle, that means at 800 yards (in theory) any of my shots will land in a 8” circle, or inside 4” from point of aim. What happens when you stack your .5moa ballistic error on top of one of your shots that is 3-4” off group center (remember, thats still inside a 1moa group)?

I’ll tell you, Its called a miss on a 12” target.

 

[wind gypsy]

If I have a 1moa rifle, that means at 800 yards (in theory) any of my shots will land in a 8” circle, or inside 4” from point of aim. What happens when you stack your .5moa ballistic error on top of one of your shots that is 3-4” off group center (remember, thats still inside a 1moa group)?

I’ll tell you, Its called a miss on a 12” target.

Not to mention the odds of being exact on your wind call.

 

[wind gypsy]

Such great points! Aerodynamic jump can definitely throw a wrench into things if it's not at the forefront of your mind while you're setting your baseline data or making corrections in the field.

Basically I do as much work as possible to solidify my data right here at sea level, on calm and clear days without mirage. Then when I go up to elevation, say I shoot two verifying shots at 1000 yards. These shots are videoed through my spotter, and shot at a small inconsistency on a rock face. I can replay the video to find the exact bullet impact, and then I can measure it with my reticle. If my impacts are .2 mils high, I don't change any of my actual input data in the field at that moment. Just at 600 and in I'm coming down .1 mil from my rangefinder correction. 600-1100 I'm coming down .2 mils from the rangefinder correction.

What would you guys do? I'm talking quick verification in the field during the hunt, or just prior to the hunt once your reached your destination.

Any input from me on that front isn’t worth much.

I’ve realized I’m not as good as I used to think I was and have accepted I will not spend enough time shooting out west any time soon to maintain adequate proficiency to be taking ethical shots beyond 600 yards.

 

[MallardSX2]

If I drive, I hunt.

If I fly, I check. Freaking TSA people are bulls in china shops..

 

[PRC_GUY]

I never , I leave my VX6 CDS alone, I n vet have problem.