do you note down scope zero/settings on rifles you rarely shoot?

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nintendohunter

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It occurs to me that I have a rifle or two I practically never use, but I know I've zero'd both in the past. I just don't know at what distance, and with which ammo :)

This, to me, makes them practically useless until they are confirmed on target again.

For those of you who own a bunch of guns with various optics how do you keep track? It'd be pretty cool to have some kind of note or card attached to each scope or rifle noting down ammo used and distance for zero. Is that dumb?
 
nintendohunter said:
It occurs to me that I have a rifle or two I practically never use, but I know I've zero'd both in the past. I just don't know at what distance, and with which ammo :)

This, to me, makes them practically useless until they are confirmed on target again.

For those of you who own a bunch of guns with various optics how do you keep track? It'd be pretty cool to have some kind of note or card attached to each scope or rifle noting down ammo used and distance for zero. Is that dumb?
Click to expand...




There it is right there
 
nintendohunter said:
It occurs to me that I have a rifle or two I practically never use, but I know I've zero'd both in the past. I just don't know at what distance, and with which ammo :)

This, to me, makes them practically useless until they are confirmed on target again.

For those of you who own a bunch of guns with various optics how do you keep track? It'd be pretty cool to have some kind of note or card attached to each scope or rifle noting down ammo used and distance for zero. Is that dumb?
Click to expand...

I keep notes on all my rifles, which loads worked best, and if any of them were sighted any differently than my normal routine. Though, sometimes it's hard to find the right notebook, I have quite a few of them. - dan
 
I don’t keep notes exactly, but I do have systems. All MOA turrets are zeroed for 100 yards for simplicity, though if it is a hunting rifle it will usually be pre dialled for MPBR when in use. Dial yardage scopes are sort of zeroed for the shortest distance on the dial, but in practice yardage dials are seldom super exact what with variations in conditions and loads. I handle that by slipping the scale so its perfect at 500. For example being off 1 MOA at 500 is pretty sloppy, but at 100 it doesn’t mean anything. Subtension reticles (like the B&C) are handled the same way.

I do run a ballistic program on my phone, so some info including zero distance and velocity is recorded there. You can usually recognise the bullet by the B.C. and weight but its no great trick to put that in the title, and I sometimes type the powder charge in there too.
 
I make a picture of the scope turrets at zeroed distance, also attach a label sticker to a scope.
All data in Strelok Pro with notes and calculate from there.
Years ago I started a spreadsheet with individual pages for each "barrels specs" and "amo", "speeds" and things need to keep in mind.
 
I insert a white business card cut to fit inside my ocular lens scope cap (Butler Creek) with the load and range zeroed. My scope zeros are then defaulted to 0 moa vertical and 0 moa windage at that range.

Any other additional loads I am interested in I write the new setting and range on my targets which are archived. Thus at any given time I know what default load my rifle is zeroed and at what range. I can also then re zero and record for a new load I have interest in.

Works for me.
 
I've used the Nikon website that has a calculator. I enter bullet data, find a comparable scope (I don't have a Nikon) and set range distances. It gives a chart and 'reticle view' with BDC or MOA hash marks depending on scope. That reticle view could fit in a scope cap? but a lot of fussing. I just keep data like that on my phone - no apps running, just 'pdf-docs' with data for each rifle. And I make extensive notes when at the range with winds, temps, etc., and ammo for each rifle.
Most of my shooting is 22LR so 'loads' aren't relevant, but I do record lot #s of diff brands.
 
PSE said:
I insert a white business card cut to fit inside my ocular lens scope cap (Butler Creek) with the load and range zeroed. My scope zeros are then defaulted to 0 moa vertical and 0 moa windage at that range.

Any other additional loads I am interested in I write the new setting and range on my targets which are archived. Thus at any given time I know what default load my rifle is zeroed and at what range. I can also then re zero and record for a new load I have interest in.

Works for me.
Click to expand...

Ahh this is a good idea, stick a small print note inside the lens caps. Yeah when I started this thread I meant having the information in an analog format on each individual rifle itself. Something inconspicuous but readily available. Like if something goes unused for years and years but I need to pick it from the safe and use it same day for whatever reason, I can just reference a physical piece of information already attached to the gun.
 
I need to do this with my milsurps, or some of my handguns. I went to shoot a gun I zeroed 2 years ago and well I went to shoot a match, it was way off.
 
Whenever I load a caliber I make a notation in my reloading log as to what adjustments were made to the scope to zero it. Once I find a load I like I generally stay with it. However with the shortage of my preferred powder, primers and bullets today I may have to change my recipes and rifle calibration. If I take out a box of reloads from some past recipe I should be able look up any adjustments made to the scope since I tried them. Not foolproof by any means but when I shoot past loads it is usually just to put holes in paper and have fun so it really doesn't where the group is. If there are expensive and/or hard to get hunting bullets in them I may tend to pull them and replace with a similar cheap one.

Bill
 
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nintendohunter said:
Ahh this is a good idea, stick a small print note inside the lens caps. Yeah when I started this thread I meant having the information in an analog format on each individual rifle itself. Something inconspicuous but readily available. Like if something goes unused for years and years but I need to pick it from the safe and use it same day for whatever reason, I can just reference a physical piece of information already attached to the gun.
Click to expand...

My Leupold VX-5HD came with a sticker to put in the lens cap for exactly this. I bet you can buy them on Amazon for next to nothing.
 
I use Applied Ballistics, so any rifle with a scope typically has a profile on my phone. It captures everything with a lot of detail. It’s basically replaced the data book for me.
 
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