Modifying Nightforce turrets

[Varmartin]

Loosing your elevation Zero( being a whole turn out ) is something that does not happen very often if one is careful, but could have serious consequences if unnoticed ...

I thought long and hard about marking the turret some how to help remember which line the turret needs to be set on for zero.

I could have returned both my NXS scopes to Nightforce and have them fit `zero stop`elevation turrets , but that would have cost a couple hundred ££....
so i thought about a different solution.

This is what I did.

First I removed the turret by slackening the single hex grub screw about five turns out.
Using a Dremel, I drilled a small hole in the lower edge of the turret on the zero line.

I then refitted the turret and tightened the grub screw. Using the hole as a guide I spun the drill bit by hand to mark the inner column.
I then rotated the turret two full turns ( 20 MOA ) and marked again in the same fashion.

Now when the turret is removed I was left with two small counter sunk part drilled holes which I filled with paint. The lower zero hole in green and the upper in red.

I used a 2mm drill bit in the Dremel for the turret hole , then spun a 1.5 bit for the marker hole in the column...then opened it up with the 2mm bit for the paint.

The turrets just pulled off, but i did notice there was a vacuum indicating a very good seal ..

Please note ..I have no intentions of swapping scopes around between different rifles and have 20 MOA rails fitted to both rifles these scopes are on , so cannot see any issues in the immediate future with carrying out this mod...

See images attached for a shooters eye view of how it looks...

This image is my turret set at a 100 yard zero...

This image is with the turret set at 20 MOA. ( two full turns up )

This image is with the turret removed but sat on the adjuster to show both marks..

I could have made the red hole location pretty much any where on the scope column, but set it at 20 MOA. This modification will only ever serve to indicate my 100 yard zero and nothing else. If I am more than one turn away from that reference point it shows in the `window` to serve as a reminder ...

Any comments or other ideas are always welcomed ..so fire away ..so to speak .

 

[Buffalobob]

That is a very good idea and I am going to do exactly what you did. Last season I missed four shots in a row and could not figure out what was wrong until I got back to camp and went over everything and found I was off of zero by one whole rev.

The only question I got is why didn't I think of that myself. lightbulb

 

[MontanaRifleman]

That is a dandy of an idea. I've been thinking of just getting a rubber gasket/washer and slipping it down to get me within 10 MOA, but with this idea, if you loose count, the 20 MOA mark is very handy.

-Mark

 

[Chas1]

Great idea. Any do's, don'ts or words of caution as it looks like it could be tedious with one slip and ahhh S&%t. How'd you get the paint in such a tiny hole?

 

[Varmartin]

The only tricky part was drilling the hole in the turret, I used a jewelers vise to hold it and wrapped it in card to protect it. Due to the tiny hole, I used the `Dremel` hand tool at fairly high speed. I found it a lot easier to hold it steady compared to a normal electric size power drill.

The turret is very thin !..so use very light pressure on the drill tip.

A steady hand is required to get a drip of paint into the marker hole. I used `auto`paint ...sprayed a bit into the lid and used a trimmed down artists brush...practice on a lid top first a few times.

I did get a bit of `paint creep` into the horizontal lines on the column, but used a pin to clean it our when dry...a tip here is to let the paint go off for 5 Min's before you drip it into the hole.

Hope this info helps...

 

[trueblue]

very nice, but I am wondering why you did not use the red color for your zero setting as it is more visible to see that you are back at zero. Also, don't quite understand the purpose of the 20 MOA mark, since you will be dialing your dope from your zero setting.

 

[Chas1]

Good tips, thanks. You may have saved the day as I was thinking of using my cumbersome hand power drill, well atleast cumbersome for a job like this. I also thought maybe my drill press but hard to get a feel with my press on when the drill would break through. Dremill a great idea. I was thinking a toothpick to get the paint in but, I think i'd take your advice and practice first.

 

[Broz]

Great idea and looks like it is easier to find zero than other methods. I set all mine up to be just a few clicks off the bottom when zeroed. I do this by modifying my base cant. Or I have spmply wrote the number from the NF scale on the turret that zero is at. But this looks like it would be easier to see with out my **** reading glasses. And also a flag to let you know you are off zero before dialing the next shot.

Nice tip!

Jeff

 

[Varmartin]

very nice, but I am wondering why you did not use the red color for your zero setting as it is more visible to see that you are back at zero. Also, don't quite understand the purpose of the 20 MOA mark, since you will be dialing your dope from your zero setting.

Trueblue, just to clarify.
It was not my intention to have a 20 MOA reference point, it just so happened that to get a red and green marker on the column it was necessary to rotate the turret two full turns. At one full turn (10MOA) the hole is half way between red and green.

I used red as an off zero colour to give an indication of " warning not at zero ".
I hope my ramblings make some sence.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

OK, so I am wondering, is this only good for one rifle and load? I'm thinking you probably have maybe a couple of MOA of play for a different load or set up. I wonder f there is a less permenant way to mark the turret so it can be changed?

 

[Varmartin]

I use this turret set up on two different rifles.

My 6mmBR Norma, custom Krieger tubed Rem 700
I shoot 75 Amax,105 Amax, 95 Berger vld, 105 vld, ....all are within 1 MOA elevation at 100 yards.

My Sako TRG22,
I shoot 155 Amax ,168 Amax, 155 Scenars , 44 grns Varget/ 46 grns Varget. All within 3/4 MOA elevation at 100 yards.

Both rifles have a 20 MOA rail fitted.

All i do is shoot, re- zero if required then reset the turret and i get a green dot in the window...

Now if I was to remove the scope and fit it to a rifle with a level- (zero MOA ) base ...I would have to re zero and expect to be 20 MOA further up on the elevation turret...then Im buggered ...

 

[trueblue]

thanks for the clarification,

 

[X3MHunter]

What I usually do to my Leupolds, which I think would work on NF as well and is very simple. I take a black permanent marker and "paint" any marks showing under the turret, so if I see any lines under the turret that means I'm off by at least one revolution. If I change scope to another rifle I simply take some rubbing alcohol and erase the permanent marker and fit it to the new gun and the the same again. Simple and works good for me!

-X3M

 

[Chas1]

I think I'll try the black permanent marker first. Thanks for the idea.