Rifle Scopes Tips to "Safely" Reset NightForce Zero Stop?

[ICanSeeYourPixels]

Morning! A few weeks ago I shot a match, and had a ~0.2-0.3 shift in my zero when I verified it at the start of the match. I corrected it, and went to reset my zero stop prior to the start of the first stage.

I gave 0 thought to holding that turret still, and when I turned the first screw to back it out I spun the dial and completely lost my zero. Hindsight is 20-20, and holding my thumb on it as I loosened the screws is a quick and easy fix solution. However the damage was done and I had to completely re-zero the elevation.

I was curious - are there any redundancies or tricks you use to protect against this, or to more quickly recover in an instance this happens?

 

[Trigger Monkey]

The NF manuals tell you to hold the turret while loosening the set screws.

 

[Rodney65]

The best trick I have used to safeguard against this, and it may not work with every scope, is to dial your elevation until it tops out. If you have something like 20.0 mil available if you adjust your zero up 0.3 there should now be that much less elevation travel available and it will now max out at 19.7 mil.

This is something you can check and write down in a data book. It may not be perfect with a zero landing on a half click or what have you. Also I think some scopes only dial a fixed amoubt above their zero stop but in most cases it will get you to within one "click."

Also by doing this you know how much elevation you can dial in the event you are considering adding a sloped base, send your scope for servicing, a turret cap comes loose, or you have a ridiculously long shot to take where you might max out elevation and have to hold over.

 

[ICanSeeYourPixels]

The best trick I have used to safeguard against this, and it may not work with every scope, is to dial your elevation until it tops out. If you have something like 20.0 mil available if you adjust your zero up 0.3 there should now be that much less elevation travel available and it will now max out at 19.7 mil.

This is something you can check and write down in a data book. It may not be perfect with a zero landing on a half click or what have you. Also I think some scopes only dial a fixed amoubt above their zero stop but in most cases it will get you to within one "click."

Also by doing this you know how much elevation you can dial in the event you are considering adding a sloped base, send your scope for servicing, a turret cap comes loose, or you have a ridiculously long shot to take where you might max out elevation and have to hold over.

That's a clever idea. Almost like maintaining a "zero" value from the top of the range.

That would have for sure helped in this situation to at least be in the ball-park resetting.

 

[NateVA]

Any idea on the culprit for the shift?

 

[Ronws]

I had learned that going to the top and then back down to half the total range gets you a mechanical zero. It may not be the actual zero for your rifle but it gets you close enough to bore sight and start over again.