Sighting and Zero Stop Issues of Vortex Viper PST Gen 2 5X25X50 ERB-7C, Mounted on Bergara B14 HMR

[Rio2019]

Hi Folks,

After reading dozens of posts about sighting and zero stop issues with the Vortex Viper PST Gen 2, 5X25X50. I am determined to "fix my problem", but I would very much appreciate feedback from the Community on the collective experience of sighting and zero stop issues. So, I hope all of you will bare with me as I share my rifle setup to give you the best information I have right now. I have a Bergara B14 HMR, 6.5 Creedmoor, bought new, and the above mentioned new Vortex scope. Also mounted on the rifle is a EGW scope pic rail, Vortex Viper Pro Extended Cantilevered scope mount, JP Enterprises muzzle brake, and FAB Defense spiked bi-pod mounted on a Area 419 bi-pod pic rail.

First, I know that Vortex will make it right if it turns out to be a scope issue. I don't want to "badmouth" Vortex because I know they make quality scopes, with an unbeatable warranty. However, I have read numerous posts about the very problem I am experiencing. I have boresighted the scope (per Vortex's step-by-step instructions, thanks Ken) and gone to the range to zero the rifle. Long story, short I could not get on the paper at 100 yards. So I brought it home and completed the setup again. I'll be out tomorrow attempting to zero the rifle once again. Could just be a faulty scope, what do you folks think. I want to thank you all for potential comments, but I have received so many helpful pointers and recommendations in the past, I wanted to try again.

 

[rockchalk06]

Make sure the 3 screws holding down the elevation turret cap are tight. Turn clockwise till it stops. (Should only be a little bit). Loosen the 3 screws and remove the elevation turret cap. Then loosen the 3 screws on elevation turret. You will know you have them loose enough you hear no clicks.

Pull the bolt. Take a red tack and stick it on the wall from the furthest point in your house. Somehow vice the rifle down tight. I use a Bi-pod and bag. Center that red tack (or whatever you use) in the bore. Make sure it's dead center.

With the rifle stable, move your evaluation and windage turrets to the red tack. Make sure before, during, during, during and after, the red tack is centered in the bore.

You're now bore sighted. Tighten down the elevation turret 3 screws. Replace the elevation turret cap moving the "0" to dead center. Tighten down the 3 screws. You should still be at zero stop.

Go to the range. Set up @25 yards. Remove your elevation turret cap again by loosening the 3 screws. Loosen the 3 screws on the elevation turret until it no longer clicks.

Now fire a round dead center on your target. Move rounds to bullseye. Should only take 2.

If your target @100 is big, skip 50. If not, do the same at 50 then move to 100.

Once you have it where you want it, tighten down the 3 screws on the elevation turret. Then replace your elevation turret cap making sure zero is centered and the fiber optic tube on the elevation turret is straight inline with the bore. Tighten down the 3 screws. Try moving clockwise now. It shouldn't move.

Loosen the 3 screws on the windage turret cap and remove the windage turret cap pulling straight out. Return it to zero and slide it back on straight in. Keep it at zero and tighten back down the 3 screws.

You're now zeroed and zero stop is engaged. If you do this right, you could do this in 6-10 rounds.

I have your exact setup but with a Talley 20 MOA base and no cantilever mount.

Make sure your mount and rings are all torqued to spec. 18 on the ring caps, 30 on the rings to bases and 20 on the mount. All inch pounds. When leveled and torqued, you should be able to see everything straight inline from scope to bore. If something is really wacked, you should see it.

 

[Baron23]

Make sure the 3 screws holding down the elevation turret cap are tight. Turn clockwise till it stops. (Should only be a little bit). Loosen the 3 screws and remove the elevation turret cap. Then loosen the 3 screws on elevation turret. You will know you have them loose enough you hear no clicks.

Pull the bolt. Take a red tack and stick it on the wall from the furthest point in your house. Somehow vice the rifle down tight. I use a Bi-pod and bag. Center that red tack (or whatever you use) in the bore. Make sure it's dead center.

With the rifle stable, move your evaluation and windage turrets to the red tack. Make sure before, during, during, during and after, the red tack is centered in the bore.

You're now bore sighted. Tighten down the elevation turret 3 screws. Replace the elevation turret cap moving the "0" to dead center. Tighten down the 3 screws. You should still be at zero stop.

Go to the range. Set up @25 yards. Remove your elevation turret cap again by loosening the 3 screws. Loosen the 3 screws on the elevation turret until it no longer clicks.

Now fire a round dead center on your target. Move rounds to bullseye. Should only take 2.

If your target @100 is big, skip 50. If not, do the same at 50 then move to 100.

Once you have it where you want it, tighten down the 3 screws on the elevation turret. Then replace your elevation turret cap making sure zero is centered and the fiber optic tube on the elevation turret is straight inline with the bore. Tighten down the 3 screws. Try moving clockwise now. It shouldn't move.

Loosen the 3 screws on the windage turret cap and remove the windage turret cap pulling straight out. Return it to zero and slide it back on straight in. Keep it at zero and tighten back down the 3 screws.

You're now zeroed and zero stop is engaged. If you do this right, you could do this in 6-10 rounds.

I have your exact setup but with a Talley 20 MOA base and no cantilever mount.

Make sure your mount and rings are all torqued to spec. 18 on the ring caps, 30 on the rings to bases and 20 on the mount. All inch pounds. When leveled and torqued, you should be able to see everything straight inline from scope to bore. If something is really wacked, you should see it.

This ^^. Although I bore sight at the range at 50 and start zero at 50. But since the OP seems to be having issues, the above advise is spot on, in my limited opinion.

if the OP is challenged by holding the gun steady on aim point while moving the zero to the impact point, just us a gridded zeroing target and the Vortex has MOA/Mil marking on the inner turret and you can just dial in the elev and windage as indicted by the gridded target.

just another way to go about it.

 

[Rio2019]

Thank you rockchalk and Baron. Both of your inputs are very much appreciated! On my second bore sight attempt, I think I followed Vortex's recommended steps to the letter. Your inputs just confirm what I believe to be the correct setup. Back to the range tomorrow, it should be a beautiful day here in Taos. NM to make things right.

 

[rockchalk06]

Thank you rockchalk and Baron. Both of your inputs are very much appreciated! On my second bore sight attempt, I think I followed Vortex's recommended steps to the letter. Your inputs just confirm what I believe to be the correct setup. Back to the range tomorrow, it should be a beautiful day here in Taos. NM to make things right.

Always.

I've bore sighted this way all my life. Old man taught me this way. I've never been able to be on paper @100 doing it this way as it's really not scientific, but it is redneck proof.

Usually 10 rounds and I'm blowing bullseyes out. There are better and faster methods I'm sure, but this always works.

Good luck

 

[NewsShooter]

Yep, pull the bolt and bore sight it at 25, shoot one shot at 100, dial the correction and you're usually done.

 

[Rob01]

Just to throw something else out there but some people like to have .5 mils below their zero. You can accomplish this by dialing all the way down until the dial stops using the outer knob and then come back up .5 mils and then take the cap off and zero as mentioned. Then when the outer cap is back and on 0 you will have .5 mils below your zero.

 

[Lunchbox27]

Just to throw something else out there but some people like to have .5 mils below their zero. You can accomplish this by dialing all the way down until the dial stops using the outer knob and then come back up .5 mils and then take the cap off and zero as mentioned. Then when the outer cap is back and on 0 you will have .5 mils below your zero.

This is how I do it. Great switch barrel setups between calibers.

 

[308pirate]

Couple of observations

1. Boresighting is a very rough alignment. Going from boresight to 100 or even 50 yards is dumb. Most likely you won't be anywhere near the POA. Start shooting at 25 yards, center the impacts for windage and be OK with the group being an inch or two above POA.

2. Move to 50 yards and repeat

3. Finish at 100 yards. Your first shots at 100 after doing steps 1 and 2 should be nearly centered in windage and maybe 2 inches high at most.

4. I don't fuck with any zero stop until I have a final confirmed zero at 100 yards. Setting the zero stop any time before that is asking for unnecessary complications.

 

[Rob01]

The Gen II pst zero stop has to be set before zeroing. It’s the way it is designed.

Also if you are on for windage at 25 and adjusted your POI 1” low then you can go right to 100. Will be real close.

 

[Rio2019]

Lots of great comments here. Actually, I did start my shooting at 25 yds. Fired two shoots in essentially the same hole. I figured I had it ready fo go and moved on out to 100 yds and could not get on paper. Since I have bore sighted again following Vortex’s instructions to the letter, made some initial adjustments and will head out to the range in the next day, or two to zero and set zero stop.

 

[Rob01]

Same hole but where in relation to your point of aim? If they were not where they should have been then use the reticle as a ruler on what you need to dial and dial on the correction to get you about an inch low at 25 and center. Then go to 100. Put up a good sized paper and aim at the middle. If you are not on it then there is some other issue going on.

 

[silentnswift]

Just zeroed one on my .300 wm. Zero stop allows .5 past 0, but no issues other than that. Assumed the little past zero was no big deal and rolled on.

 

[Rio2019]

Hey my friends, just to add another data point to sighting and zero stop of the Vortex Viper PST Gen 2. I received the below instructions from Ken Calhoun at Vortex Optics and wanted to share Ken's "company approved" instructions to this thread.
Ken Calhoun <[email protected]>
Tue 9/8/2020 10:28 AM

You

Re-timing the Zero Stop –

How to use the Zero Stop -

Thank you again for calling in today. Below are the steps needed to reset the RZR Zero-Stop mechanism, in the event that it is done out of time.

1. Rotate your external turret clockwise, or in the “down” direction, until it stops or you encounter resistance.
2. Remove the external turret by loosening the three set-screws on it’s perimeter.
3. With the internal turret exposed, rotate it counter-clockwise, in the “up” direction, only about ¼ turn, and then back “down”, or clockwise, until it stops.
4. Remove the top two screws from the inner turret.
5. Applying slight downward pressure to the turret, again, rotate the turret counter-clockwise ¼ turn, and then back “down”, or clockwise, until it stops.
6. Take note of the threaded receptacles, where the two top screws were removed. If they are no longer exposed, or partially obscured, carefully loosen the three set-screws on the inner turret, careful not to rotate the turret until they’re loose. Once all three are loosened, simply rotate the inner turret until those threaded receptacles are completely exposed.
7. Reinstall the two top screws in the inner turret, leaving the perimeter set-screws loose.

From here, you optic is ready to re-zero. When you’ve achieved the satisfactory zero, simply re-engage the perimeter set-screws on the inner turret, engaging the zero stop. It will not matter where the inner turret is indexed at this point. Reinstall the exterior turret at the “0” position, and re-engage the perimeter set screws on it!

If you have any questions, let us know!

Ken Calhoun
Vortex Optics | Consumer Sales Specialist
One Vortex Drive
Barneveld, WI 53507
tel: 800-486-7839 ext. 2300
www.VortexOptics.com

 

[NewsShooter]

Couple of observations

1. Boresighting is a very rough alignment. Going from boresight to 100 or even 50 yards is dumb. Most likely you won't be anywhere near the POA. Start shooting at 25 yards, center the impacts for windage and be OK with the group being an inch or two above POA.

Guess I'm dumb, since that's how I do it. Never seem to have an issue going from 25 to 100, it's usually within 2 inches or so, shoot one shot at 100 and dial the correction. Usually zero'd in five rounds total.

 

[308pirate]

The Gen II pst zero stop has to be set before zeroing. It’s the way it is designed.

Backwards from the brand I'm used to (Steiner)