Rifle Vise/ Rest Zeroing. Yes or No

[Broadjumper]

Hello folks. I was thinking of buying one of these for zeroing/cleaning etc. Some say they are not a good idea and some say they are. A lot mention that the recoil has nowhere to go if the rifle is mounted in one of these and can damage the rifle itself or the optics. I seem to struggle zeroing with sandbags and figured one of these would make it quicker and easier. I'd would be interested to hear from others regarding this. I thought I might kill two birds with one stone by getting one, what if you simply bought the vise as a steadying platform without loading it up with weight? Recoil is no problem for me on any of my rifles, the heaviest calibres are 308 and 30.06 . Cheers.

 

[genticles]

I used to use one, as we had several available at our club. I went away from them at the suggestion of my cousin who is a former police sniper. No matter how well you think you are getting lined up with the rifle/sight picture when it’s in the lead sled, it will be different when shooting without it. Have since switched to using bags up front and a squeeze bag in the rear if needed.

I’ve heard stories of cracked stocks and such, but wouldn’t be to concerned with it on most of my rifles that are fiberglass or CF.

 

[Bubblehide]

Buy a 22, take a good shooting class, and learn to shoot. The 22 does not have to cost much, ammo is cheap, and the combination will likely be the best investment you can make.

 

[Ope]

x2 I agree getting more trigger time behind something with less recoil so you can practice technique would be your best investment.

At best the vise/sled would be a crutch. In reality its probably just a waste of time unless you strictly wanted it for cleaning but it seems excessive for just cleaning. If you struggle to get your rifle zeroed then you will struggle while shooting at game. It's best to work through the problem and correct it.

What exactly do you struggle with when zeroing?

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have a lead sled. I don’t care to use it because it changes the point of impact slightly due to different body mechanics vs zeroing from sandbags. YMMV.

I agree with others, work on your technique a bit. Get help from a friend. If you live near a gun club reach out to whomever runs their CMP or silhouette program. People, especially old firearms dudes are happy to school you.

 

[BIG_KUMAR]

I like to sight in my rifles the way I plan on shooting them. Using a lead sled is perfectly fine if you are going to use one in the field. If I plan on using a bipod in the field I will use one to sight in, same with sandbags. The setup that I use the most often is just a 50 lb bag of corn as a giant sandbag so that the rifle will stay in place and on target even when I am not touching it.

When I shot service rifle, I would use a jacket and sling to zero because that is what we used in matches. We also shot multiple positions so I knew the adjustments needed between standing, kneeling, and prone.

 

[ChrisAU]

No to sleds/vise. Bags are the way.

 

[TheGDog]

Buy a 22, take a good shooting class, and learn to shoot. The 22 does not have to cost much, ammo is cheap, and the combination will likely be the best investment you can make.

Hmmph... I keep seeing people all over the Internet misspelling .17 HMR

 

[TheGDog]

For zero'ing? Naw man.. just a rolled up or bunched up jacket or throw blanket that you can nest the fore-end of rifle into as a rest.

If shooting from a bench.... with your non-trigger hand... reach it underneath the rifle at about the grip or slightly behind it, and grasp that hand onto the other hands wrist or forearm once you have the buttstock tucked in your shoulder pocket. Doing this makes several triangles out of your limbs and where you're gripping, and adds that last little bit of extra stabilization for detailed crosshair placement.

 

[hunterjmj]

Spend some time behind the trigger. Watch some videos on proper shooting technique and you'll probably surprise yourself how much improvement you'll gain quickly. Good luck.