Advanced Marksmanship Need help zeroing .408 Chey-Tac Windrunner

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Minuteman
Oct 23, 2008
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Foothills of Colorado
I want to start getting into extreme long range and picked up a Windrunner in .408. I have a Nightforce Benchrest 5.5 X 22 X 56mm with a Mil-dot reticle mounted on the rifle. What is the best way and at what range should I start to zero this rifle? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thx
 
Re: Need help zeroing .408 Chey-Tac Windrunner

Really just like any other rifle. I remove the bolt, and bore sight it while looking through the barrel and get it as close as I can. Then send 1 round accurate at 100 yards, and make any adjustments. Then send 1 more round, and you should be very close to a 100 yard zero. Then dial your come-ups for whatever distance you are shooting at (200 to 400 yards), and see if any more adjustments are needed. When I sight in a rifle, I shoot at a large white paper target so I can get it on paper and measure for adjustments. The further out I am, the larger the target.
 
Re: Need help zeroing .408 Chey-Tac Windrunner

Thx ChadTRG42, I tried that at 600 yds on a 4' x 4' piece of plywood and nothing showed up on paper, I had to move out to 800 just to hit steel. I don't have enough travel in my elevation turret to shoot that close at 100yds it seems. I think the scope base on the windrunner is 30 MOA. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Thx
 
Re: Need help zeroing .408 Chey-Tac Windrunner

all the big stuff i had was either zero'd at 500yd or 200yd...

savvy the inclined base on your stick....some only got zero,,,,which limits what you can dial on your NF...
 
Re: Need help zeroing .408 Chey-Tac Windrunner

How much elevation is in your NF benchrest model? I'm not finding info on the 5.5-22 benchrest model. Depending on the amount of elevation, I would bottom out the elevation turret, and use your mil dots/lines to hold under for a 100 or 200 yard sight in.
If you had 50 MOA of total elevation travel and bottomed the elevation turret (all the way down), you are ~5 MOA high from center (25 MOA down with a 30 MOA base), which is about .6 mils low. I'd hold about .6 mils to a full mil low for a 100 or 200 yard shot, and see what you get. If your windage is in the middle, this will get you very close. Then dial and shoot to whatever distance you want.
 
Re: Need help zeroing .408 Chey-Tac Windrunner

Dial bullet impact down to max, back off 2 clicks. Set that as zero on the turret.

Hold center on 100 yard target. Have some one behind you to make sure windage is in line, but your boresighting should be close enough.

If you have no hit, use the mil above the crosshair as center of target hold. If you have no hit, use the next mil dot up and so on.
 
Re: Need help zeroing .408 Chey-Tac Windrunner

Thanks for all the help guys, the manual is probably a good start. I stuffed it away when I first got it and wasn't able to shoot until 6 mos. later and totally forgot about digging out the manual. ( good call )

Thx
 
Re: Need help zeroing .408 Chey-Tac Windrunner

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Fredo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dial bullet impact down to max, back off 2 clicks. Set that as zero on the turret.

Hold center on 100 yard target. Have some one behind you to make sure windage is in line, but your boresighting should be close enough.

If you have no hit, use the mil above the crosshair as center of target hold. If you have no hit, use the next mil dot up and so on.

</div></div>

Should look something like this, if you are using a scope with 50 Minutes of total adjustment and maxed out low, 2 clicks up.


2nd negative mil 72 yds

1st negative mil 205 yds

Cross hair 370 yds

1st mil 515 yds

2nd mil 650 yds

3rd mil 770 yds

4th mil 885 yds
 
Re: Need help zeroing .408 Chey-Tac Windrunner

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BLI</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thx ChadTRG42, I tried that at 600 yds on a 4' x 4' piece of plywood and nothing showed up on paper, I had to move out to 800 just to hit steel. I don't have enough travel in my elevation turret to shoot that close at 100yds it seems. I think the scope base on the windrunner is 30 MOA. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Thx </div></div>

I don't have a 408 CT, but my windrunner 50 BMG has the same scope on it with the same MOA cant and I was able to zero at 100 yards.
 
Re: Need help zeroing .408 Chey-Tac Windrunner

I think there might be some confusion as far as scopes go!

The Nightforce BR models have 50 MOA total elevation ADJ., and the <span style="text-decoration: underline">NXS 5.5x22x56</span> has 100.

I am not an Nightforce scope expert but coming from a benchrest shooting background I can say I have never seen a 5.5x22 BR model...
 
Re: Need help zeroing .408 Chey-Tac Windrunner

Yours should have the 20moa base to start with. The factory manual looks like a fax copy from the 80's.
As others have said, go with a 100 yard to start. Bag it, bore sight it. Shoot at the bullseye. Bag it again, sight with scope exactly same point of aim from bore sight shot. Now move turrets to point of impact on target. Bingo you are sighted with ONE SHOT.
 
Re: Need help zeroing .408 Chey-Tac Windrunner

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: AQC440</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I think there might be some confusion as far as scopes go!

The Nightforce BR models have 50 MOA total elevation ADJ., and the <span style="text-decoration: underline">NXS 5.5x22x56</span> has 100.

I am not an Nightforce scope expert but coming from a benchrest shooting background I can say I have never seen a 5.5x22 BR model...</div></div>
benchrest is 8X32X56 and 50MOA
5.5X22X56 is 100MOA
You are right
 
Re: Need help zeroing .408 Chey-Tac Windrunner

This is great info guys, really appreciate it. I spent $284 for 40 rounds of loaded match 419gr. solids. You are saving me money! AQC440 thanks for the Mil scale, I will try it.

Thx
 
Re: Need help zeroing .408 Chey-Tac Windrunner

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: _9H</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Be sure and read the part about beating on the receiver with a dead blow hammer too.</div></div>

Ha! I almost fell over when I got MY $7000 Windrunner and saw the "hit it with a hammer" fix!!