Scope Zero Check Thread

[Skerhunter]

Moved the 22 creed into a new Rokstock this week. Very boring results. Last zero check was November in the second picture.

 

[Castle Rock]

I usually shoot 80.5s to 900 but will be shooting long next month so checking offsets for 88s, 0.4 mils

 

[Clark33]

Post spring bear hunt zero check. Seekins element 6 creed, NXS 2.5-10, ARC M brace rings, TBAC ultra 7, 100yds 10 shots Hornady match 108gr. Haven’t touched zero in 2 seasons. Could maybe bring it up a tenth of a mil but that could very well just be lot to lot ammo variable. Not gonna touch it yet

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

Also did a post-spring bear hunt zero check.

Carried the 6.5CM for 7 days. Four days of hunting based out of the truck, three days packed in. A couple of slips/falls in steep terrain but no memorable hard hits. Cranked the straps down over the scope plenty of times riding on the pack. The .223 was tucked behind the back seat in the truck cab, unpadded for easily 100 miles of dirt roads. Two tanks of gas so about 1000 miles total.

Both rifles were pulled from their stocks after getting home for trigger spring set screw adjustments. Both also got new UM bolt handles/knobs. Really liking both of those changes.

Still haven’t seen more than 0.1 MIL adjustment in ten round groups since initial zeroing of the 6.5 Maven in June 2024 or the .223 Maven in November 2024.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Another 600 mile road trip. This time the 25 CM road in a soft case sitting on the bed in my truck camper. Pulled it out of the case in Belt, MT and fired five shots to get power factor for the NRL match this weekend. I couldn't get pics because there were lots of people shooting but the rifle was still zeroed.

Saturday morning I was getting ready to drive down to the match and as I exited the camper, I accidentally dropped the rifle down onto the step and then to the ground in a soft case. Probably about 5-6' from my hand to the ground. The scope was the first part to hit the step on the way down.

Since I have had no issues with this scope shifting in over a year, I went ahead and shot both days of the match with it and didn't check zero.

 

[Castle Rock]

Another 600 mile road trip. This time the 25 CM road in a soft case sitting on the bed in my truck camper. Pulled it out of the case in Belt, MT and fired five shots to get power factor for the NRL match this weekend. I couldn't get pics because there were lots of people shooting but the rifle was still zeroed.

Saturday morning I was getting ready to drive down to the match and as I exited the camper, I accidentally dropped the rifle down onto the step and then to the ground in a soft case. Probably about 5-6' from my hand to the ground. The scope was the first part to hit the step on the way down.

Since I have had no issues with this scope shifting in over a year, I went ahead and shot both days of the match with it and didn't check zero.

View attachment 881912

Congratulations, which model scope is that and what retical?

 

[Justin Crossley]

Congratulations, which model scope is that and what retical?

NX8 4-32 Mil-xt

 

[Nine Banger]

This rifle came from builder without the 5 screw plugs that thread into the top of the action. Request to have them went unanswered so I got a set on ebay, took the scope off, installed the plugs and put the scope back on.

Zero was/is AAC 77gr OTM around 2580 fps.

I'm having fun with the Waters Rifleman mags too. Thanks @Schmo





First 10:



Up .2 mil Right .3 mil:



Next Morning:



Went back Left .1 mil



I did a "tall target" test too. To make sure it went back to level on the action. The lower set of hits is 6 Mil Up (620 yards simulated). The higher set of hits is 10 mil Up (805 yards simulated) I use the bottom tip of the inverted triangle that serves as a 5mil mark on the Rs1.2 reticle with point of aim at the very bottom of the steel target on the level line to get this info.

 

[Schmo]

This rifle came from builder without the 5 screw plugs that thread into the top of the action. Request to have them went unanswered so I got a set on ebay, took the scope off, installed the plugs and put the scope back on.

Zero was/is AAC 77gr OTM around 2580 fps.

I'm having fun with the Waters Rifleman mags too. Thanks @Schmo

Hey man,
Glad you’re enjoying them. They are a very nice product. Waiting on my 223 barrel to come back from Kampfeld

 

[wind gypsy]

Another 600 mile road trip. This time the 25 CM road in a soft case sitting on the bed in my truck camper. Pulled it out of the case in Belt, MT and fired five shots to get power factor for the NRL match this weekend. I couldn't get pics because there were lots of people shooting but the rifle was still zeroed.

Saturday morning I was getting ready to drive down to the match and as I exited the camper, I accidentally dropped the rifle down onto the step and then to the ground in a soft case. Probably about 5-6' from my hand to the ground. The scope was the first part to hit the step on the way down.

Since I have had no issues with this scope shifting in over a year, I went ahead and shot both days of the match with it and didn't check zero.

View attachment 881912

Do you bed the chassis at all?

And Congrats!

 

[Justin Crossley]

Do you bed the chassis at all?

And Congrats!

No, I never bed the XLR chassis, and I've never had issues with them.

And thank you!

 

[wyosam]

I don’t have pics, but I recently rechecked a 10 round zero on my 7-08ai (tikka/sportsmatch/credo 2.5-15). Since the last time I did a 10 rd check, it’s ridden in the decked drawer in a cheap soft case in my pickup for day to day driving a lot, 2 trips up the haul road, and spent quite a bit of time in a gun boot on my boat and a little on ATV, plus in and out of the safe a bunch of times. No change at all. Cap screws are dry threads, but with nail polish witness.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bpitcher]

Tikka 6CM 18" PVA
108 ELD-M @ 2920 FPS average

11 shots after installing Rokstok and UM Low rings. 5/24/25


Threadlocked all screws and torqued back to spec when I got home. I'll re-check zero next week.

 

[Moose83]

T1x
4x Hawke vantage in cheap rings
50 yds
Lost zero


T3x .223
77tmk 25gr lever'
Krg echo
Swfa 3-15 burris rings
100yds
Zero is good. Precision was outside of this loads usual cone but I haven't shot for a while so I could be a bit sloppy.


T3x 8 twist .243 win
105 bthp h4350
Factory stock
3-9x burris fullfield 2. Burris rings
Zero shift .75 moa right. This rifle has been hunted lots for spring bear, many mile in the truck and was slammed in the truck door once...lol.

 

[pbroski]

Kimber 6.5cm NX8 1-8x24 sighted in last September before moose season. About 90 miles on forest service road, 10-12 in a horse scabbard and another 10 in an ATV scabbard. Checked zero today for bear season. Shot 5 rounds from sitting supported with sticks and pack while leaning back against pick-up truck. Still good to go, I think.

 

[Wacko]

After reading through this whole thread....I have a couple questions and a couple observations.

Observations first....not trying to be an ass here...

If a rifle is "zero checked" it is supposed to be the same rifle, same ammo, same distance...nothing touched or remounted between. Using it is fine of course. As is travel, bumps, etc...

Using completely different ammo and shooting a group that is obviously off zero is of no useful data. Shooting a zero after changing stocks, scopes, ammo, etc is of no useful data for a "zero retention" test. IMHO of course.

Now for the questions.

It is apparent in many of these zero test groups that there has been a zero shift. Using all of the RS approved gear and mounting methods. How do you "fix" that so it doesn't happen? How do you diagnose the cause? Or is it just accepted that no matter what you will have some zero shift?

In reading Form's stuff and listening to the podcasts...Is the only solution to get "0" zero shift to glue frickin' everything together? Or can a guy get there some other way?

Just want to know. I have missed a few game animals now that have been traced back to a zero shift. I want to make it NOT happen again. @Justin Crossley makes a pretty good case for a chassis rifle and an Nightforce...heavy as all get out too I bet....

Looking for information...besides degrease, loctite, bond bases, and torque....I do that already. Bedding? Loctite on the ring caps?

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Agreed that this thread has drifted a bit, but there are quite a few examples, especially early on, of systems that have not shifted zero.

 

[Wacko]

I've read it all. I know some have held zero and some of a similar configuration have not. I want to know what the difference is? Is it a roll of the dice?

My rifle this last hunting season shifted zero. It was a remmy 700 6.5 creed, oryx chassis, egw 20 moa rail, swfa rings, and swfa scope. All degreased, nail polish, witness marks via paint pen, rings cap screws torqued to 20 inch pounds etc etc. I missed a buck at 300 yards. When I got home I shot the rifle and found it was 2.5 moa high and 1.5 moa right. So that's close to 8" higher than expected at 300.

I re-zeroed the rifle and did a mini drop test on 2 ccf pads and a shooting mat. Standing it up on its butt and letting it tip over. It shifted about the same distance in a different direction. All I ended up doing was increase the ring cap screws torque to 30 inch pounds to finally stop any shifting when being dropped from about 20".

That rifle is now "good to go" - probably. At 11 pounds with no sling or bipod or muzzle device...it is pretty hard to want to carry around all day.

While I will now "test" every rifle before it goes to the field, I just want to know if I can really trust any of them. I can tell you I plan on "checking zero" multiple times during this years hunt just to be sure! That's the only way to gain trust in the system.

 

[Schmo]

I've read it all. I know some have held zero and some of a similar configuration have not. I want to know what the difference is? Is it a roll of the dice?

My rifle this last hunting season shifted zero. It was a remmy 700 6.5 creed, oryx chassis, egw 20 moa rail, swfa rings, and swfa scope. All degreased, nail polish, witness marks via paint pen, rings cap screws torqued to 20 inch pounds etc etc. I missed a buck at 300 yards. When I got home I shot the rifle and found it was 2.5 moa high and 1.5 moa right. So that's close to 8" higher than expected at 300.

I re-zeroed the rifle and did a mini drop test on 2 ccf pads and a shooting mat. Standing it up on its butt and letting it tip over. It shifted about the same distance in a different direction. All I ended up doing was increase the ring cap screws torque to 30 inch pounds to finally stop any shifting when being dropped from about 20".

That rifle is now "good to go" - probably. At 11 pounds with no sling or bipod or muzzle device...it is pretty hard to want to carry around all day.

While I will now "test" every rifle before it goes to the field, I just want to know if I can really trust any of them. I can tell you I plan on "checking zero" multiple times during this years hunt just to be sure! That's the only way to gain trust in the system

To really know, you indeed have to do a drop test of your own, on each setup. That’s the only way to truly know. It is nice though, that with the posted drop tests and such, we know scopes and rings that pretty much always work. That gives us a great place to start.

 

[Formidilosus]

I've read it all. I know some have held zero and some of a similar configuration have not. I want to know what the difference is? Is it a roll of the dice?

You are assuming they were the same. Just in S2H classes, with everyone that swears that they have assembled their rifle and scope as I have laid out on here- I don’t believe there is one that didn’t have at least one thing off/ whether torque spec, or didn’t degrease every screw, or used blue loctite that was still wet, etc. I put rifles together constantly that don’t shift zero ever- it isn’t novel.


For your rifle- did you bond the rail to the action? Chassis have a very loose fit for the recoil lug, did you bed that? If those caps use 6x48 screws, 20in-lbs will probably let it slip at times.

While I will now "test" every rifle before it goes to the field, I just want to know if I can really trust any of them. I can tell you I plan on "checking zero" multiple times during this years hunt just to be sure! That's the only way to gain trust in the system.

That is how you do it until you have done so many that you know what it takes to keep them from moving.