March 7th, 2020
7minute read
Why is weapon zero so important?
A lot of reasons.
But lets start with an example.
A rifle and scope with a poor zero is worse than useless. If you have a good rifle and scope, make sure everything is zeroed properly.
Weapon Zero Test
Several years ago, I was providing instruction to a group of well-trained shooters.
There was no warm-up, no preparation; they just had to grab their guns and go.
The students were using various sights, including irons, red dots and at least one optic.
You might have sighted in your rifle, but that doesn’t mean it is still zeroed weeks or months later. It has to be maintained.
They had to switch positions, culminating in pistol shots on hostage targets.
I screamed in their ears to add some stress to the drill.
In the end, less than a third of the students passed the test.
Once you have your rifle and scope sighted in, make sure to protect it from bumps and impacts.
Those who failed used the age-old excuse, My rifle wasnt zeroed.
After asking rather forcefully, Why not?
we proceeded to fix that issue.
Making sure you are capable and your equipment is ready is an absolute must.
It has to be maintained, and that means shooting your rifle.
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Its not some be all, end all solution that turns your rifle into a magic wand.
Impacts occur based on where you point the rifle, not some chart.
Scoped rifles are a bit different due to the scope, its reticle and your ammunition.
Assuming you properly confirm the trajectory and your zero has not shifted, it may be accurate.
But you still need to confirm it; you cannot just assume it is correct.
You get one shot to save a life, so make it count and practice it at practical ranges.
Because in the real world, there are no warmups before a gunfight.
Stuff Happens
Assuming any mechanical sighting system is failure-proof is pure folly.
Buying the best proven equipment helps, but it is no guarantee.
Do you have iron sights, and are they zeroed?
Having never practiced with a dead red dot and no backup sights, it turned their OODA loop sideways.
It seems I didnt verify it was mounted properly beforehand.
If you rely on a gear for aiming, you have to know how to aim when it fails.
Other Factors
Zeroes can and do shift for several reasons.
Subzero weather can easily fog up your optics.
Your zero may shift.
If turn your rifle 45 degrees, will your impacts be in the same place?
Sometimes the world dictates your position, not you.
It is your responsibility to hit what you aim at, not the rifles.
BUIS You should also know exactly where your backup iron sights show up in your optics.
double-check theyre positioning hasnt changed and that theyre tightly mounted.
If you could vary your positions, do so, and ensure your rifle is loaded your self-defense ammunition.
Any target larger than 6 inches at 50 yards is too big, maybe even at 100 yards.
You know the old adage aim small, miss small.
Then stop and identify where your shot impacted.
Did you hit where you aimed?
If not, why?
Was it your position, your ammunition?
What caused the miss?
Go back and take well-aimed shots from a supported position to confirm your assumptions.
If you put every shot in the same hole with the gun fully supported, leave your zero alone.
The misses were on you.
You just learned something.
Adjust it only if its way off.
And if it is, try and figure out why, fix it and confirm it.
Do you have iron sights?
The same process applies.
Shoot cold with your iron sights from different positions, at different distances, in different weather conditions.
Ammo
If you change your ammunition, its time to start all over again.
Your zero applies to that rifle with that ammunition using that sighting system, nothing else.
Ive seen 100-fps differences between lots, which can make a huge difference at range.
How do you like your stock?
Does it work in the snow, in the heat or rain?
Does your optic or magnifier fog up?
Maybe you need caps?
Or do caps make it worse?
When one shot is all you have, it must be accurate.
The confidence that comes from making sure your rifle is zeroed is huge.
Knowingnot guessingwhere you gotta hold at various ranges and under different conditions is a game-changer.
it’s possible for you to concentrate on the fight, not the gear.
Sure, misses happen.
But its your job to hit what you aim at.
No, but no one with a clue ever said it was.
Welcome to the real world.
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