Cold Bore Zeroing Process

[Evilsports]

If sighting for your "home" turf with known, consistent shooting distances, maybe....BIG maybe, in my world.....zero at a range other than 100yds. But, if you travel, hunt other locations/conditions, IMHO zero at 100yds always. Allows zero confirmation at most outfitter camps.....most have 100 yd range for that....outfitter will have more respect. Atmospheric and other ballistic affecting parameters are minimal/non-discernible at 100 yds. As you work on cold bore consistency.....assuming that is your objective....at longer ranges, more of those ballistic parameters....one cannot eliminate them.....begin to sneak in muddling the data/consistency. Personally, for any reason, I've never understood the wisdom of zeroing at longer than 100yds.......like those Ballistic Turret thingys gizmos......sorta like ballistic hand grenades in my perspective. From 100yd zero, I can hold for ballistics....always for wind as it's too variable to spin......with known DOPE for out to maybe 300-500yds (depending on caliber specifics) for those quick opportunities. Longer shots "always" afford time to spin the turrets for necessary longer range accuracy. If, one does not have time to spin at those longer ranges, then one is merely throwing a Hail Mary round down range....IMHO....YMMV.

Fair points. I saw it more as allowing myself a larger window of not having to holdover or dial for elevation. I'm not going to shoot past 400yd this hunt so I probably really don't NEED a higher zero like this.

 

[Pro2A]

Fair points. I saw it more as allowing myself a larger window of not having to holdover or dial for elevation. I'm not going to shoot past 400yd this hunt so I probably really don't NEED a higher zero like this.

Maybe your objective would benefit from exploring MPBR....Maximum Point Blank Range.....for your setup. For hunting applications, every shot is, or should be, cold barrel scenario. In hunting, except for the likes of prairie dogs and VC/Ragheads.......and politicians, if one is affecting bullet impact......intentionally singluar...... due to barrel warming, maybe barrel temperature isn't their problem. Hunting shouldn't be "fire for effect." Just a really, really old guy's pondering.

 

[esshup]

Every gun is different. My gun shoots same POI cold dirty or warm dirty. Cold clean 1st shot is 2 moa high.

Knowing that I DID pop a coyote at 867 yds from the cold clean barrel, missed 2nd shot because I forgot to adjust 2 moa up for 2nd shot when the male came back 10 min later. I watched the bullet hit the dirt in front of it thru the scope.

 

[Pro2A]

Every gun is different. My gun shoots same POI cold dirty or warm dirty. Cold clean 1st shot is 2 moa high.

Knowing that I DID pop a coyote at 867 yds from the cold clean barrel, missed 2nd shot because I forgot to adjust 2 moa up for 2nd shot when the male came back 10 min later. I watched the bullet hit the dirt in front of it thru the scope.

 

[Pro2A]

Umm...as I see it it wasn't that you forget to adjust 2MOA for the second shot., although that is one scenario. I see it as you took an 867yd clean barrel shot, forgetting to foul your barrel before the first shot. IMHO....

 

[imyourhuckleberry]

Umm...as I see it it wasn't that you forget to adjust 2MOA for the second shot., although that is one scenario. I see it as you took an 867yd clean barrel shot, forgetting to foul your barrel before the first shot. IMHO....

Or it could be that he got so exited and just missed,...sort of like pre-mature ejaculation.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Recently did some Dirty barrel, "Cold Bore" shooting, getting ready for, Idaho Elk,..
Day one, 2 bullets, One was 3/4 of an inch Left, the other was slightly more than, 1" left at, 200 yards ,..
That POI became, 4" to 5" left ( 3 shots ) at, 550 yards, on Day 2 with, a SLIGHT Breeze, blowing from, right to Left.
On Day 3, I adjusted Scope, Right 2 Clicks and put one, on each side of the 1" wide, Black colored Diamond at, 300 yards and thought,..
"good enough for, the gals, I go with" ! My son made me, a GREAT "Tape" for my Scope, to Dial shots, the "Water Line" is "Perfect" at, 200 300 and 550 !