Zeroing in a centrefire

[trappa 517]

Im looking for some basic help/advice for zeroing in my .223.

Can someone either show me a link to help/advise or quickly give me the low down on zeroing in.

Im specifically wanting info on the barrel getting hotter the more rounds you feed it, and the subsequent distance your sights will be out. eg if i got my sights bang on after X amount shots of zeroing and playing about, would it be out on the first shot the next day when the barrel has cooled, and by how much?

 

Thanks , trappa.

[jamie g 17]

Im looking for some basic help/advice for zeroing in my .223.

Can someone either show me a link to help/advise or quickly give me the low down on zeroing in.

Im specifically wanting info on the barrel getting hotter the more rounds you feed it, and the subsequent distance your sights will be out. eg if i got my sights bang on after X amount shots of zeroing and playing about, would it be out on the first shot the next day when the barrel has cooled, and by how much?

 

Thanks , trappa.

 

 

have a feel of the barrel i think 4 to 5 shots is what i done then let it cooled down. as for zero set it up 100 yards take the bolt out and look down the bore then up at the scope you can get a good idea then where the bullet will hit on the board. it will also save you loads of ammo make sure the barrel is clean before set up let it cool in between 3,4 or 5 shots and once you have zero it will hold dont worry about that

[SNAP SHOT 194]

bore sight the rifle and take a shots to see the bullet skrike on the board. setup at 100 yards, use a target with 1 inch increments marked on it.

 

So take a shot notice were it strikes. now measure the distance away from your POI [point of aim]

 

if say three inches right and 1/2 inch high and your scope is 1/4 moa

 

 

click 12 clicks left 4 clicks being 1 inch at 100 yards in 1/4 moa scope. and click 2 clicks down on the scope.

 

 

now fire of three shot at the same aim point as before.........let the barrel cool for about five minutes now.......

 

 

take a walk to the target at the centre of the three shots fired this is in theory your zero...........so measure the distance you are high or right and adjust till you get in on target...........never more than five shots before letting the barrel cool.

 

 

 

Now clean the barrel with a bore snake and let cool for 20 minutes or half an hour take a shot, if slightly of target adjust assuming you haven't pulled the shot etc. and are confident everything went to plan.

 

let cool for say five to ten minute if only one shot fired and try again.

 

its cold bore zero you are looking for so the first shot should always be bang on target...........

 

 

 

hope this helps...............this is the way i do it. once good at it.......... you can calculate straight away the adjustments and two or three shots will get you on target, and this will be fine for a cold bore zero.................

[trappa 517]

cheers boys, great that!

[Deker 3,478]

That all seems pretty helpful and should put you in the picture.

 

If you have a heavy barrel it will not make a lot of difference but light barrels can heat up a lot after just a few shots, at which time you will find the POI drops!

[Rentomski 0]

What you do on the range is one thing; one shot groups count in the field. Practice at various ranges and familiarity with your rifle makes a huge difference.

[FJager 0]

Good advice given by SS, the only thing I can add is don't concern yourself too much with the barrel heating up and affecting accuracy while you are zeroing, I can tell you know that after each group you fire (no less than 3 shots) by the time you check your target and make adjustments the rifle will be fine too fire, you could probably crank off 20 shots minimum before there will be a noticeable difference in accuracy. The metals used in barrels today are far superior to that of say 40 years ago. I have fired off hundreds of rounds in a period of around an hour out of light assault rifle barrels whilst training on a range and really, to the hunting man the accuracy and grouping is fine. Think of a heavy machine gun belting hundreds and hundreds of rounds downrange in under a minute, this is the type of thing that starts to affect accuracy, out of a bolt action it really isn't an issue. Many people put the spreading of groups down to heat issues but it is generally more to do with shooter fatigue than anything else, myself included. If you are trying to spilt hairs on a target you MAY notice a small difference, but for a hunting rifle, if you can group well at the ranges that have been mentioned you will be fine.

 

In a nutshell Trappa, your POI will basically stay the same while shooting but after many shots the groups will start to get larger either through barrel heat or shooter fatigue, the next day when you are shooting, your POI should be the same with a tighter group, the most important thing to remeber when zeroing is not to chase your rounds around the target, keep the same POI.

Edited June 30, 2008 by FJager

[Deker 3,478]

Good advice given by SS, the only thing I can add is don't concern yourself too much with the barrel heating up and affecting accuracy while you are zeroing, I can tell you know that after each group you fire (no less than 3 shots) by the time you check your target and make adjustments the rifle will be fine too fire, you could probably crank off 20 shots minimum before there will be a noticeable difference in accuracy. The metals used in barrels today are far superior to that of say 40 years ago. I have fired off hundreds of rounds in a period of around an hour out of light assault rifle barrels whilst training on a range and really, to the hunting man the accuracy and grouping is fine. Think of a heavy machine gun belting hundreds and hundreds of rounds downrange in under a minute, this is the type of thing that starts to affect accuracy, out of a bolt action it really isn't an issue. Many people put the spreading of groups down to heat issues but it is generally more to do with shooter fatigue than anything else, myself included. If you are trying to spilt hairs on a target you MAY notice a small difference, but for a hunting rifle, if you can group well at the ranges that have been mentioned you will be fine.

 

In a nutshell Trappa, your POI will basically stay the same while shooting but after many shots the groups will start to get larger either through barrel heat or shooter fatigue, the next day when you are shooting, your POI should be the same with a tighter group, the most important thing to remeber when zeroing is not to chase your rounds around the target, keep the same POI.

 

This is NOT correct..light barrels on modern guns heat up VERY quickly (especially on hot days)and can cause problems. If the gun, barrel and ammo are quality the POI will drop...If there are other problems the POI could simply spread. I do however tend to agree with the bit in green above....zeroing is VERY tiring!

 

When my club shoots at Bisley light barrels always fire alternately on the same lane to give the barrel time to cool and it still doesn't work very well! The HEAVY barrels can just fire away all day with little or no problem!

 

Heavy Machine Guns, GPMG's and the SA80 are not used for vermin control and are notoriously innacurate!

[Guest basil46]

Im looking for some basic help/advice for zeroing in my .223.

Can someone either show me a link to help/advise or quickly give me the low down on zeroing in.

Im specifically wanting info on the barrel getting hotter the more rounds you feed it, and the subsequent distance your sights will be out. eg if i got my sights bang on after X amount shots of zeroing and playing about, would it be out on the first shot the next day when the barrel has cooled, and by how much?

 

Thanks , trappa.

Just for variety, google paper targets and you`ll find loads of different targets for different weapons.

basil.

[Guest basil46]

Heavy Machine Guns, GPMG's and the SA80 are not used for vermin control and are notoriously innacurate!

But with about a thousand rounds a minute you`ll hit your target............sometime.

basil.

[Deker 3,478]

Heavy Machine Guns, GPMG's and the SA80 are not used for vermin control and are notoriously innacurate!

 

But with about a thousand rounds a minute you`ll hit your target............sometime.

basil.

 

 

Or as a mate of mine in the RAF Regiment has suggested....a cluster bomb would be quite effective!!!

[FJager 0]

Deker I think the man is talking about a hunting rifle, not wasting time and gunpowder shooting at targets and then measuring the group, I have mountain rifles, so they are light and I have yet to have a problem getting consistent groups with them and this country is a damn site warmer that Blighty. I have lugged heavy Parker Hales around the field pre SR98 days and the extra accuracy after several rounds at 300-400 yards is marginal, at the longer ranges they do make a difference, as if you know anything about the theory of a group you will understand, being a target shooter I am sure you do, but how many shots at small game (harder to hit) would you repetively be taking at 300-400 yards, this is where people get given the wrong info and buy heavy barrelled rifles and get NO added advantage. When hunting you will never heat up a rifle barrel so much so that it will effect accuracy nor so a simple zeroing session.

If someone does heat up the barrel so much when out hunting perhaps they should rethink things.

 

Gimpy's and SA80's are actually used for vermin control, watch the news, (joking) I don't know where you got your info from, but the little assault rifles are quiet accurate, just have to know how to shoot at differing targets I guess. When I went through our Inf school a lad in my section was supposedly a good competitive shooter, put an SLR in his hands (In the right hands they are quite good out to 600) and he was shit, same with an M16, which can be a very temperamental rifle but quite accurate nonetheless at 400.

 

People think way too much about these things and tend to put obstacles in their way, my advice, get out and fire the rifle and find what works best for you. If in doubt follow SS's advice it is very sound, I myself don't concern myself too much with barrel heat, when my zeroing groups spread too much I think it is more humam error than anything else.

[jamie g 17]

what you got to look at with a heavy barrel is yes it does take longer to heat up. BUT when it is hot a heavy barrel will take longer to cool down to to and if you keep shooting a rifle when its really hot isnt going to do the barrel life any favours to.

 

fluted barrels are the best for getting rid of the heat. i find after you do have 5 or 6 shots with a heavy barrel the heat haze in the scope puts you off abit anyway.

 

i would get a boreguide,rod,butches bore shine, and some patches and a nylon brush to, after 30 shots use this stuff, then carry on as normal and then when you finish just boresnake it

Edited July 1, 2008 by jamie g

[Mr_Logic 5]

Heavy barrels are great at the range, work well. Beware sound moderators though. My Howa 223 has a vented laminate stock, I've tried it with and without the moderator.

 

At the range with the mod it gets red hot PDQ and stays that way. Without the moderator on a different day (thus starting from cold) it spent the whole afternoon banging away and was little more than warm.

 

And light barrels do heat up fast, my 243 goes to shit after about 10 quick rounds, needs to cool down. But, as Jamie says, it does so much quicker than the 223 when that's hot.

[Deker 3,478]

Deker I think the man is talking about a hunting rifle, not wasting time and gunpowder shooting at targets and then measuring the group, I have mountain rifles, so they are light and I have yet to have a problem getting consistent groups with them and this country is a damn site warmer that Blighty. I have lugged heavy Parker Hales around the field pre SR98 days and the extra accuracy after several rounds at 300-400 yards is marginal, at the longer ranges they do make a difference, as if you know anything about the theory of a group you will understand, being a target shooter I am sure you do, but how many shots at small game (harder to hit) would you repetively be taking at 300-400 yards, this is where people get given the wrong info and buy heavy barrelled rifles and get NO added advantage. When hunting you will never heat up a rifle barrel so much so that it will effect accuracy nor so a simple zeroing session.If someone does heat up the barrel so much when out hunting perhaps they should rethink things.

 

Gimpy's and SA80's are actually used for vermin control, watch the news, (joking) I don't know where you got your info from, but the little assault rifles are quiet accurate, just have to know how to shoot at differing targets I guess. When I went through our Inf school a lad in my section was supposedly a good competitive shooter, put an SLR in his hands (In the right hands they are quite good out to 600) and he was shit, same with an M16, which can be a very temperamental rifle but quite accurate nonetheless at 400.

 

People think way too much about these things and tend to put obstacles in their way, my advice, get out and fire the rifle and find what works best for you. If in doubt follow SS's advice it is very sound, I myself don't concern myself too much with barrel heat, when my zeroing groups spread too much I think it is more humam error than anything else.

 

 

Many Hunting tools have the light barrels, that is what we are talking about...they heat up loads whilst zeroing or target shooting ..that is the problem...not the odd shot when hunting!