Scope Zero Check Thread

[Antares]

Checked zero with 2 shots before I went on a trip. Six commercial flights, 7 animals, and many rough miles of driving later… Checked zero with 6 shots when I got back. Looks good to me! Black dots are 1”.

6.5 CM Tikka w/ an NXS 2.5-10 shooting factory 140 ELDM loads.

Before (Nov 8)



After (Jan 25)

 

[Clark33]

Checked zero with 2 shots before I went on a trip. Six commercial flights, 7 animals, and many rough miles of driving later… Checked zero with 6 shots when I got back. Looks good to me! Black dots are 1”.

6.5 CM Tikka w/ an NXS 2.5-10 shooting factory 140 ELDM loads.

Before (Nov 8)
View attachment 828986


After (Jan 25)
View attachment 828987

I love the NXS 2.5-10s, I'm seeing similar results with mine. Nice shooting

 

[Antares]

I love the NXS 2.5-10s, I'm seeing similar results with mine. Nice shooting

Heck yeah! I’ve got 3. The durability and a 20oz package is pretty hard to beat.

“But it’s SFP!” Not if you always shoot on 10x. Checkmate nerds.

 

[Formidilosus]

Zero check from rifle/scope in posts 110 and 140, after another couple hundred miles riding under gear, ammo, other rifles.

 

[9.3koolaid]

Rss with maven 1.2
Been on a couple long boat rides, carried a bunch. Clicked it one to the left.

 

[xaceofspades999x]

I have several Nightforce scope and never an issue with zero from storing long term, safe bumps, or less than 2 ft drops.

I have not tried many other scope but looking at the comments in here I think has me more open to other brands and the confidence they should stay zero.

 

[Justin Crossley]

I did some quick shooting yesterday. It was really cold and I didn't dress warm enough so I shot less than planned but at least I got a few rounds through some rifles.

Top to bottom.
Tikka 25 CM with UM rings and NXS 4-32.
Tikka 223 (factory barrel) with Nightforce rings and 5-25 ATCR.
Tikka 308 (factory barrel) with Seekins rings and NXS 2.5-10x42.



I just put this 308 factory take off barrel onto this action. I was shooting factory Nosler 165 grain whitetail ammo. After this 10-round group, I adjusted down .3 mils and put it away. It was consistently shooting about 2" groups for ten rounds so not great ammo/barrel combo.



The 25 CM is a new Lilja barrel and is still in the break-in phase. After shooting the ten on the left, I adjusted right and fired five more.

 

[HingleMcCringleberry]

Initial zero in July
View attachment 812560
After September deer hunt. Lots of miles driven, around 30ish miles hiked (a couple of minor falls)
View attachment 812564
After elk season, again lots of miles on forest service roads, only one fall, and probably 20ish miles of SxS riding which was...interesting.
View attachment 812566
I checked zero prior to leaving for an aoudad trip as I had gone out for cow elk a couple of times with some rough road driving.
View attachment 812567
I adjusted .1 to the left after this group.
After the aoudad trip I checked zero one last time this year. With an eleven round group.
View attachment 812568

Rifle is a tikka with an swfa 3-15 in sportsmatch to84, rokstok, 6 creed. Degreased, torqued, paint penned all screws.

I have since moved to high sportsmatch rings as the to84's were just a hair to low in awkward field positions. Also am trying a bushnell lrhs2. After mounting (degreased, torqued, penned). Same Rifle, new mounts and scope. First zero...
View attachment 812570

Another zero check today
View attachment 813484

Cont.....

Zero check for the 6 creed / LRHS2 continued

 

[Bowfinn]

Zero check post 2 rounds of 3x36in drops at home.
First rifle
tikka 6.5 prc
Bushnell 3-12 LRS in UM Lows
Rifle is bedded in modified factory stock w/action screws torqued to 65
Every screw was decreased, loctite applied, and nail polish witness mark

Original zero only 5 rounds and in poor lighting (pic not posted).

First 2 shots were to the right. I dialed .2 mils left and shot 3 more.
I plan to repeat drops again to see what happens to the zero.
I won’t make any more adjustments before next zero check.

Second rifle
Tikka 223
Trijicon 3-9x40 in Sportsmatch to84c
Rifle is also bedded in modified factory stock w/action screws torqued to 65, all screws degreased, Loctite applied, and nail polish witness marks.
Also zeroed in poor light but with a 10 round zero (pic not available).
Same 2 rounds of 3x36in drops

First round post drops high left.
Shot 3 more with no adjustment, and those are on zero.
This appears to be consistent with forms evaluation of the Trijicon 3-9.
I plan to repeat exercise again and update results.

Edit- posted pics of measured first round impact. The 223 is probably within normal cone of fire.

 

[Stickmark]

what .223 cartridge?

 

[Bowfinn]

what .223 cartridge?

If you’re asking me 223 rem. That was factory 73 eldm.

 

[Stickmark]

If you’re asking me 223 rem. That was factory 73 eldm.

Thanks.

 

[8nbait]

Seekins precision ph2 all original
SWFA 3-15
108 eldm handloads at 3005 fps
I haven’t shot this rifle in over a year so took it out to check…

 

[WCT3]

Factory Tikka T3 in 308
Athlon Area BTR 2.5-15 Gen1

I last zeroed some time last summer, did the hunter drill and positional shooting in the mountains after that. The last zero was off a bench with front and rear bags.

The rifle has ridden several thousand miles in the truck (mostly highway) and about a dozen days of hunting since then. Today I was shooting off a bench with a Harris bipod and rear bag

First 10 round group:



Adjusted 1 MOA up and 1 MOA left. Second group is 20 rounds:

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Factory Tikka T3 in 308
Athlon Area BTR 2.5-15 Gen1

I last zeroed some time last summer, did the hunter drill and positional shooting in the mountains after that. The last zero was off a bench with front and rear bags.

The rifle has ridden several thousand miles in the truck (mostly highway) and about a dozen days of hunting since then. Today I was shooting off a bench with a Harris bipod and rear bag

First 10 round group:

View attachment 836282

Adjusted 1 MOA up and 1 MOA left. Second group is 20 rounds:
View attachment 836283

More info on your system please

 

[WCT3]

More info on your system please

It has Hawkins rings, I think long range hybrid.

What else would you like to know?

 

[ResearchinStuff]

It has Hawkins rings, I think long range hybrid.

What else would you like to know?

How'd you assemble is, is stuff loctited, is the action bedded, is the barrel free floated, do you have a muzzle device?

There's a lot of stuff to eliminate before we can say it was the scope

 

[Quandary]

Aoudad hunting 2 weeks ago. Rifle fell off shoulder scope hit boulders. Checked zero on a Javelina at 136 yards. Scope did not lose zero....

 

[Antares]

Aoudad hunting 2 weeks ago. Rifle fell off shoulder scope hit boulders. Checked zero on a Javelina at 136 yards. Scope did not lose zero....

Not trying to be combative here, but this thread is more data driven than simply “my zero must be fine because I killed a stink pig.”

 

[WCT3]

How'd you assemble is, is stuff loctited, is the action bedded, is the barrel free floated, do you have a muzzle device?

There's a lot of stuff to eliminate before we can say it was the scope

Gotcha, sorry I didn't understand why you were asking.

Everything on the rifle has been degreased and torqued to spec but not loctited. When I put it together everything I was reading said you can't get a proper torque spec with loctite. Obviously that thinking has changed since then but the rifle always shot "good enough" so I never bothered to take it apart to loctite.

Action is not bedded but the barrel is free floated (probably could be more).

Muzzle device is an Ultra 7.