December 26, 2019
By Richard Nance
In theory, sighting in a rifle is a simple process, but in reality it can be both frustrating and time consuming. As a police firearms instructor and gun writer, I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent zeroing rifles. While sighting in a rifle is a necessity, it can eat up time better spent shooting or training. Knowing this, the engineers at Axeon Optic Solutions (axeonoptics.com ) developed the Axeon Absolute Zero.
Saving time, money and ammunition was the goal. To achieve this, the Absolute Zero attaches to your mounted optic’s 1 inch or 30mm scope’s maintube. Change the mount, and it can be attached to a Picatinny rail.
Supplied with the Absolute Zero are the wrenches and shims needed to attach the laser unit to a 1-inch or 30mm maintube via scope ring. It also can be mounted to a rail. Absolute Zero is compatible with centerfire and rimfire rifles in most calibers and is based on the Hancosky Method invented by Jack Hancosky. After mounting Absolute Zero, hang a reflective chart to a standard target posted 25 yards away. (Axeon provides a few of these reflective charts.) With the rifle well-supported, turn the unit on by pressing the red button on top. While looking through the scope, overlay the lasers horizontally onto the designated squares of the chart and fire a round.Next, hold the lasers on the same two squares that you used initially and adjust your scope’s windage and elevation as needed until the reticle aligns with the bullet hole. That’s all there is to it. You’re sighted in. Still skeptical? Fire a second round to confirm zero.
Axeon provides reflective charts for use with Absolute Zero’s one-shot laser system based on Jack Hancosky’s patent for aligning a point of aim with a point of impact. For a rifle, with the two lasers fixed on the chart, fire a round and then adjust the reticle to the actual impact. Of course, 25 yards isn’t the ideal distance to zero a rifle for 100 yards, however, when you back up to 100 yards or beyond, you’ll at least be on paper. From there, you can sight in more precisely based on the specific load you’re shooting.
Advertisement
Absolute Zero also has several advantages to boresights. First, if you’ve ever sighted in a rifle, you know that cant is an issue. Cant occurs when the scope and barrel are out of vertical alignment. This is often a result of an improper cheek weld to the stock or improperly mounted scope. Absolute Zero’s horizontally situated lasers eliminates the potential for cant related errors as a result of improper cheek weld.
Using two lasers horizontally aligned to a chart, Axeon’s Absolute Zero reduces the number of shots required to zero a rifle. Mounted to a scope or rail, it works on most rifle platforms and calibers. $80 Boresights must account for every rifle manufacturer’s tolerances in any given caliber. In contrast, Absolute Zero is a universal sighting solution. Since the Absolute Zero is not caliber specific, you only need one.
With a retail of just $80, Absolute Zero is priced to save us time and ammo.
Enjoy articles like this?
Subscribe to the magazine.
Get access to everything Guns & Ammo has to offer.
Subscribe to the Magazine
