Paper Tags: Simple Way to Track Zeros and Cleaning Dates

The guns I shoot most are all chambered in the humble .22LR rimfire cartridge. My three main reasons are simple: cost, cost, and cost.

I also own guns in bigger calibers. Unfortunately, those rounds hit my wallet a lot harder than they hit the target.

Because .22LR is so affordable, I shoot and tinker with my .22s a lot. I've tested 10-15 different brands of ammo, with different muzzle velocities and bullet weights. One consistent reality with .22LR is that changing ammo usually shifts the point of impact. I prefer to re-zero the optic rather than keep mental notes of holdovers.

The problem comes when I put the gun away. A few days or weeks later I can’t remember which ammo I zeroed it with, at what distance, or what adjustments I made.

After dealing with that frustration too many times, I found a simple solution: paper tags with elastic strings.

These tags are perfect for the job. They’re easy to attach and remove, pencil markings erase cleanly, and you can rewrite them as often as needed. Best of all, they’re incredibly cheap—you can buy a hundred for roughly 8 to 11 cents each, in various colors and sizes.

I now use them for two main purposes:

1. Zero & Ammo Data – I write the ammo brand, bullet weight, velocity, zero distance, and any special notes.
2. Cleaning Record – I note the last date the gun was cleaned. I mentioned my laziness with cleaning guns previously. Using paper tags lets me practice “informed laziness” instead of guessing whether a rifle is due for maintenance.

Another potential use I’m considering is recording DOPE (Data On Previous Engagements) for NRL22 matches. I haven’t tried it in competition yet, but it’s high on my list.

These little tags have eliminated a recurring annoyance and added a layer of organization without any real cost or complexity.