Two shot zero

[krank]

With ammo sky high, I dont like shooting half a box of shells to get close to zero.

You need a rock solid bench and a good rest. I use a gunsmithing cradle and a clamp and sand bags.

Set up a target and set that gun up so it is dead on the bullseye. I use a cross or an X.

Fire your shot.

Make sure your crosshairs are perfect on the bullseye. You may have to move the gun back from the recoil jump.

Here comes the fun part. Take your caps off and move your cross hairs over to the new bullet hole. You are dead nuts zero now.

The way to mess this up is allow the gun to move at all while cranking the turrets. Once you start moving the cross hairs you cant wiggle the gun.

Works best for one guy to keep the gun braced while another guy spins the turrets according to what the gun holder says.

Fire gun to see and worst case scenario it may turn into a 3 shot zero because you wiggled the gun.

I think this method is what prompted the invention of the "lead sled".

[segsarge]

I've old schooled it before and removed the bolt, sighted down the bore then adjusted the crosshairs. Good enough to get it on paper. Usually use my boresight, not the laser kind, it gets it darn close. Usually 2 or 3 shots and it's where it should be.

[bigjohn]

Lots of folks chase the crosshairs. They get on paper and try to adjust each shot. Sometimes it's the load causing all the problems.

[krank]

bore scopes are only as good as the arbor in the barrel. If it isnt a real tight fit then it isnt a real close sighting.
Lazer sights absolutely suck. Put your lazer sight in and spin it. Dot jumps all over. Everytime you you take it out and put it in then dot points in a different spot. Every one I have ever seen is like that.
It is SOP to vise sight a gun before going to the range for sighting.

[bigbob]

You can use sandbags to hold the rifle still while adjusting the C-hairs. This will get you very close, but you still need to shoot it in for a dead nuts zero.

[ozarkmountainman]

Krank, another point that folks miss is that you need to zero a gun that is slightly fouled. 'Cuz you HUNT with a fouled gun. And in some rifles there's a huge difference between a fouled barrel and a freshly scrubbed one.

I get to when I'm shooting (hardly ever), I start off with at least a fairly clean barrel, the after every shot I run the proper caliber Bore Snake thru the barrel, breech out, ONE time. That works for me.

I've done the two-shot sight-in for thirty years. Think it would make a good YT video? Or will they get MAD at me for talking about those dangerous GUNS?

I also do not own a bore sight. A good rest and center the bore on a decent target 40-50' away. Bring you scope in OVER that an inch or so and you'll be close, and minimum you'll have your windage.

Dale

[krank]

You tube has 2 shot videos but knock yourself out. There is a shooting publication called "The Fowling Shot".

My Uncle had a Colt Woodsman and it really rebelled if you cleaned the bore. He rested on the roof of a car and the bullets were hitting the roof. Ten shots later it went back to normal.

I have a 40 year old bore sighter and it works. Can't vise sight a lever action or an auto. I bought a new bore sighter and its a joke. All the spuds are loose as a goose.

Only modern gun I really clean the bore on is my 45/70 shooting cast bullets. All my muzzleloaders require thorough bore scrubbing. First shot is always a loss. If I cant fire a bullet then I fire a wad.

[segsarge]

I scrub the bores on my BP guns as clean as I can. But as said, the first shot might go anywhere. After that it's fine. Centerfire rifles get cleaned at the end of the season. As long as I can get the shots on paper I can dial it in from there. Usually takes less than 5 or 6 shots to have everything where it needs to be. Could probably stop after a couple but I like to run a couple more just to confirm the group.

[krank]

150 years ago, them boys with their Kentucky flintlocks cleaned them all the time. Meet a guy on the road and clean your gun while you visit. It was so common a practice nobody wrote down what they did.
Cartridges were invented and guns had to be constantly cleaned due to black powder. Smokeless came out and it was still required attention due to mercuric primers.
My Dad said the old .22 ammo would eat the bore. Cleaning the gun ruined the bore anyway as well as the extractors. Common for a bunch of kids to go hunting and make somebody carry a cleaning rod to knock out jammed casings.
When I was a kid everybody was all about bird hunting and every one religiously cleaned their shot guns. Loved walking into my Dads work shop and smelling Hoppes.
I dont clean much. I keep after surface rust but I believe the next shot scrubs out the last shot. Exception is long term where powder residue draws moisture and leaves rust.