Thread: How to zero a rifle for dummies*

The shooting system you use at the range,you should use out on the field.Replacate everything you do,then yr rifle will repeat the same results or very near it.
Solid hold,na yr recoil will fight you.Relaxed hold and youll absorb some recoil.

Originally Posted by Jhon

A few moons ago I went down the bipod rabbit hole. No expert but learned a few things about what worked for me.

1. A bipod sucks in the bush. Catches everything
2. A bipod sucks in tall grass, weeds or rushes. Have to take a scythe to clear a view path
3. A bipod sucks on a synthetic stock with a free floated barrel and a flexible fore-end, if the fore-end touches the barrel under the pressure of your hold bearing down on a bipod mount your shot is buggered.
4. A bipod sucks if you need to snap a shot, just cant deploy it so it's a useless encumbrance underneath the front of the rifle.
5. cheap bipods, ex GC, really suck. Bits break and fall off.
6. Bipods that rattle as you move or zing when bumped really suck
7. A bipod is good when you want to put your gun down but keep the metal off the ground, like when you want a midday snooze and yer pack is yer pillow.
8..bipods make you look seriously cool, or something...

PS, bipods add weight....

PPS if you only have a short window to take the shot, but more than a snap shot, setting up on a bipod is still too slow. Best offhand, off a tree trunk or quicker prone resting on dropped pack.

Pretty much my thoughts also.

I did buy one a while back and tried it at the range. Take it on trips sometimes but yet to use it on game.

DIY folding shooting stixs made out of carbon arrows. Light as a feather. Use them heaps. Never leave home without them.

Originally Posted by Trout

The shooting system you use at the range,you should use out on the field.Replacate everything you do,then yr rifle will repeat the same results or very near it.
Solid hold,na yr recoil will fight you.Relaxed hold and youll absorb some recoil.

With one caveat.

For initial zeroing, ammo testing, load development, there's no reason so not get the best shooting position as possible, a stable rest/bipod+rear bag will net better results than some junky shooting sticks or shooting off your pack.

After zeroed/ammo selected/load development is complete, by all means only practice with the setup you intend to use in the feild.
Many people can shoot well with a bipod and sand bags, but if you aren't going to use them in the feild then you shouldn't train yourself to rely on them.

IMO a shooting sling + pack is the best solution for hunting/field shooting. There are some nifty bipod out there now that are very good (but expensive), downside to the sling is you need to practice with it.
Even if just practicing getting into a shooting position without actually shooting will help a lot, but you will still need to do some practice with it

Originally Posted by Beetroot

With one caveat.

For initial zeroing, ammo testing, load development, there's no reason so not get the best shooting position as possible, a stable rest/bipod+rear bag will net better results than some junky shooting sticks or shooting off your pack.

After zeroed/ammo selected/load development is complete, by all means only practice with the setup you intend to use in the feild.
Many people can shoot well with a bipod and sand bags, but if you aren't going to use them in the feild then you shouldn't train yourself to rely on them.

IMO a shooting sling + pack is the best solution for hunting/field shooting. There are some nifty bipod out there now that are very good (but expensive), downside to the sling is you need to practice with it.
Even if just practicing getting into a shooting position without actually shooting will help a lot, but you will still need to do some practice with it

You obviously havnt tried them in the field. And good luck shooting prone with a pack in long grass or when uou need swing left or right. Sticks are surprisingly versatile and steady if used correctly.

Agree with the caveat. The purpose at that point is to test the rifle/load and to eliminate as much of the shooter's adverse input as possible.

Yes, do your final check zero using your most likely field position, otherewise, practise practise practise. Particularly offhand. Out in the sticks you may get to shoot off a pack but also maybe standing on tip toes to see over long grass, around the right side of a tree, around the left side of a tree (right handed hold but sometimes lefthanded out of necessity), steeply up hill or downhill (your millimeter correct cheekweld goes out the window in those situations) and so on.

I'm an old school bush hunter. We never had fancy bi-pods back then. The most we had was rifle slings and they are not that practical nowadays if using a flexy plastic stock.

Originally Posted by Trout

Ok to make this easy,above calculations give you high shots above zero from zero up to about 6''H at 500yds.Now allow say 3-4'' low and 3-4'' high at a given distance at a deer size target,8''-10'' circle.You cut the dialing up numbers out by half using yr ballistices app.Then you gota to shoot them to prove it at the range.
3'' high at a 100yds takes me to 300yds
5'' high =300yds to 380yds
7'' high =380yds to 450yds
9'' high =450yds to 500yds.
All this on level ground not mountains and hills,i only shoot on the flats now.
Get the idea bmait,now you sort yr canon out.Have good scope rings to hold scope secure.Dont be scared to use a bit of ammo at the range.You might only use one shot out on a hunting trip.

Good to see Norway’s long range course information put to use with the brackets. A great resource that we don’t see much of now.


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Originally Posted by Tuidog

Good to see Norway’s long range course information put to use with the brackets. A great resource that we don’t see much of now.


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Hmm I didn't know he did a long range course,il have to look it up.Theres allways something to learn.Cheers Tuidog.