Hey there, Squat Squad, and welcome back to Slav Guns. Are you wondering what the heck that thing sitting in front of my optic is? That’s the Axeon Second Zero, an optical prism that gives your red dot, prism sight, or scope a second zero with one flip.
Disclosure: Axeon provided the Second Zero for this review. I received no compensation, and Axeon did not see the video before it went live.
TL;DR
- What it is: a flip-up optical prism that mounts to your rail in front of your optic and shifts your point of aim up.
- Two models: 4.3 MOA and 11.5 MOA.
- What that means: on a .223 AR-15 with a 100 yard zero, the 4.3 MOA version gives you a second zero of roughly 330 yards.
- Works with: red dots, ACOG-style prism sights, EOTech-style holographics, and scopes.
- Range result: same aim point, two five-shot groups at 100 yards, and the flipped-up group landed about 4 inches higher, right where it should be.
What the Second Zero actually does
The Second Zero is an optical prism. Flip it up and it shifts your reticle or red dot up by either 4.3 or 11.5 minutes of angle, depending on which model you buy. If you’re zeroed at 100 yards, flipping up the 4.3 MOA version effectively gives you another zero at about 330 yards. Flip it back down and you’re back to your original zero. No dialing, no holdovers to memorize.
Why you’d want one
On a mil scope with turrets, you can just click your adjustments, and do it fairly quickly. With most red dots, you can’t. You’d have to unscrew the caps, grab a coin or a bullet, and work those small adjustments up or down every time you change distance. Nobody’s doing that between targets.
Some optics, like the Sightmark Wolfhound 6x prismatic sight I paired this with, do have reticles with secondary aiming points. But if you’re running a pure red dot like an Aimpoint, you don’t have that ability. For those optics, the Second Zero is perfect if you need to quickly shift between ranges.
Both the 4.3 and 11.5 MOA models are made to mount to a rail in front of your optic. If you’re into precision shooting, Axeon also makes Second Zeros that attach to the front of your scope, and those are fairly economical and definitely worth a look too.
Range test: does it actually shift the group?
To demonstrate, I loaded up 10 rounds. The plan: shoot five rounds at a target at 100 yards, flip up the Second Zero, then shoot another five while aiming at the exact same point. If it works, the second group should land about four inches higher than the first. (I double plugged for this one, because the brake on that gun is pretty dang loud.)
The load wasn’t anything I’d developed for this rifle, so I wasn’t chasing tiny groups, just clean clusters. One thing I noticed right away when I flipped it up: the glass quality is really good.
Out at the target, the first five were right where I was aiming. After flipping up the Second Zero, I got four together plus one flyer, and the group sat right around 4 inches higher. That lines up with what 4.3 MOA should do at 100 yards. Nice and simple, and it works like a charm.
Who it’s for
If you run a red dot, holographic, or fixed-power prism on an AR and you want a fast second zero for longer shots without touching your adjustment caps, this is a clever way to do it. It’s especially handy on optics without any holdover marks in the reticle.
If you’re more interested in getting zeroed in the first place, check out my older look at the Axeon Absolute Zero for one-shot scope zeroing. And for the rests, bags and other range gear I use, see my Amazon picks.
Bottom line
The Axeon Second Zero does exactly what it says: flip it up and your point of impact moves up by a known amount, giving you a second zero in a split second. For anyone running an optic you can’t quickly dial, that’s a real upgrade.
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Keep squatting.
Would you run a flip-up second zero on your red dot, or do you just hold over? Tell me in the comments.
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