Ok in a way this might be a stupid question or it is a loaded question leading to the conclusion that I have been doing it wrong for years

I am about to mount a new scope on a rifle

Do you guys adjusting the zero as near to the centre of the rectangle before going to the range ?

Ok if that is a yes then here comes my second question

What's the point of all that vertical range below my starting point ?!?

How about if I dial it into the below the centre leaving 10-15 Milrads above absolute bottom but still staying near to the middle of the horizontal axis

The purpose of this is to effectively Increase my elevation range ?

Am I making sense ?

Please share your opinion either way

I cannot imagine somebody have not tried this before

BTW if you guys want to have a laugh yes it is for the k95 ....

I am going even lighter and smaller

Since I love shooting light rifles and I can shoot it well

I am aiming for 6 pounds or thereabout with scope and one round of ammo

Ben,

Yes, you do make sense but I'm asking "Why?".

If you've got a new scope, the recticle should be centered when you purchase it; meaning there is as much vertical & horizontal adjustment remaining up/down/left/right as potentially available. Even if the recticle isn't centered it's a coupla second job to dial it to either ends of the adjustments, figure out what the entire range is and then set it in the center.

This information (value=the amount of windage/elevation) should be noted in the Instruction Manual/Technical Details of the scope.

Most competent Gunsmiths & Hobby enthusiats will ensure the Mounts are correctly aligned with the bore on the firearm.

This is to reduce the amount of windage & elevation corrections required.

Your Blaser Saddle Mount, in my expereince and if installed correctly will align the scope very well with the bore.

Yes, you could mount the scope intentionally so there is more elevation to use and this is normally done on Extreme Long Rage Boomers; the Mounts are purposely offset/angled to increase the amount of elevation but these are highly specialized pieces of kit for 1,000 meter/yard shooting.

These specialized mounts also insure the scope is not bent, but rather intentionally positioned at the correct angle. This COULD be done with a Saddle Mount by removing the Rings and (carefully) on a Lathe angling the Front & Rear Rings to afford increased elevation.

BUT there is no Free Lunch. The more you compensate for Long Range the less you have to adjust at "Short Range".

Also, the "average" scope does not hold it's reliability well at the extreme ends of their recticle adjustments, which is often encountered by Garage Work Bench Geeks who don't know how to mount (align) a set of Leupold/Redfield Bases & Rings. Had one several weeks ago that completely used all the horizontal adjustment and the fellow wondered why the rifle wouldn't perform as advertised?

Having said all that; on a 6 lb. Fly-Weight Single-Shot Boomer in 6.5x55 Swede and given any relatively normal combination of reputable brand-name scope that "fits" your rifle will afford you enough elevation to shoot at the range potential of this combination without having to take additional elevation increasing measures.

Gerry

It's pure greed

I am going down to a 1.5-6 varipoint

A friend bought a new one didn't like it and will let me have it for half price

It's also illuminated

I have now discovered most shooting I do now is around 4-6 x magnification

I am selling the lot

Better for wallet and my back

Now it has 73 MOA of elevation

What I am think is that if I lower the start point technically i will have 110 MOA

In hand

I can swop scope to my other fun gun and whack longer distances on paper at the range

Anyway

Just a thought

Bottom line is we are buying an instrument with a lot more capability but we are using only 50% of it because of tradition

Doesn't make sense

quote:

It's pure greed

Ben,

I can buy into this option!

How long are you talking about?
5-600 meters or 1000 meters and further?

If you are not planning to shoot longer than 600 meters, I don't see the point of it, but if you plan to shoot longer than that, then it can be helpful.
But I don't think I would use a 1.5-6 for shooting at longer than 600 meters

The Varipoint should hold well at the extreme ends of its reticle adjustments.

Hi

I have plenty others scopes that can do the extreme distances so that's not the point I was trying to make

Seriously

I am trying to say we all posses scopes with half it's function not being realised

Basically all that range of zero below our Poi is not being used

That's all

Thanks

One thing to consider in all this is that most scopes do tend to loose a bit in optical performace

when at the end of the adjustments.

Other than that, go for it.

/Chris

I did suggest lift it by 10-15 Mils from the bottom

Or U could do it like a friend of mine. Bought a brand new Remington 700 .257 Weatherby. Mounted new leupold rings and mounts. Put on the brand new 4.5-14 VX3. First three shots cut a .250 inch hole in the absolute center of bullseye. Still to this day he hasn't taken the caps off once!!!!!