More of your questions answered from fox calling to deer killing at night and minimum calibres required
Sporting Rifle’s Experts
Foxing:
Professional gamekeeper and foxing expert
Legal:
David Barrington Barnes
Solicitor turned specialist firearms law advisor
Technique/Kit:
Mark Ripley
YouTube star and extreme-range foxer
Optics:
Chris Parkin
Target sports journalist and optics reviewer
NIGHT VISION
Q How can I test to see if my night vision rifle scope is losing zero when I change batteries, as I can’t confirm why I’m missing shots and want to be sure before I send it back?
A Chris says: This is quite a common question. Unload and make ‘safe’ your rifle, place it somewhere with the longest view possible and rest it on a solid surface as securely as possible because any mechanical movement you apply to the gun will destroy the results of this test.
Once it’s lodged as securely as possible in position, take note of the scope’s exact point of aim. Then, turn it off, turn it on, charge it, change batteries, update firmware, whatever you like really. Then, turn the sight back on and see if it’s still pointing where you ‘aimed’ it. Is it still pointing at the same spot? If so, it has not lost zero and you can be confident it’s something else.
In truth, this test, when done still attached to the rifle is full of potholes so I use a Picatinny rail bolted to my workbench, aimed at a wall at the distant end of my road. With any scope or night vision device (not attached to a rifle), I can repetitively dial and test mechanics and electronics without any fear that the device itself is moving and generally speaking, this rules out the optic.
Scope mounts and mounting systems are nearly always at fault and it only takes the tiniest movement within what should be a fixed mechanical system to affect your zero. Most people think recoil is just linear impulse, but the rifle’s action has induced bending forces applied to it by the resonating barrel whipping around in fractional quantities. Imagine what this bending does to the screwed-on Picatinny rail, or individual rings, or night vision mount, especially if it’s on its rearward extension bar.
Yes, zero can be lost easily in these scenarios just like it can from being laid across the back seat of your car and getting heavy bags dumped on top and sadly, a lot of poor quality aluminium mounts and steel fasteners are creeping into our world w
