I had two hunts this year 5 day hunts. Lots of hiking, both hunts guns got soaking wet, lots of jarring from 4 wheeler rides and one propped on tree slid off in wind gust and landed on rocky ground. One was wood stock Ruger No.1 and other a fiberglass/graphite stock Bergara. Scopes were both Leopolds. Took both guns to the range the other day and both were off 2" at 100yds, Ruger high. Bergara right, it fell off tree onto turret hard enough to leave light dent in edge of dial. Ruger went thru multiple rains and some rough 4 wheeler rides. Watched a hunting guide on you tube, he actually went on a guided hunt himself and missed a shot at mulie low@455yds after 3 days of rough hunting, 2nd shot was not possible. When he checked rifle it was off 3" low @100yds. Just got me thinking how many times our guns fail us at long range just because the hunt conditions cause a impact shift. Nothing worked lose on either of my guns. After making the 2" correction both are still holding that zero and shooting groups fine. In the case of my Ruger I still got my deer shot was 137yds I did hit high in lungs though. No shot on Bergara hunt. How often after hard hunt have you found your rifle off?
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How often is your scope off after hunt?
- Thread starter coop2564
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Axl
Well-Known Member
I did have this problem. No mo leupy = no mo problem!
Sealesniper
Well-Known Member
Mine are all Night Force ATACR's with NF rings and bases. I verify zero at the beginning of each hunting season but I have not had one off. They are bumped getting in and out of trucks and stands and from time to time take a bigger whack with a tumble or a drop. Never off zero unless I turn a turret.
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As with the others, I have had that problem in the past with Leupolds and Vortex optics. I don't use them anymore. Nightforce, Trijicon, Maven, and Tract are all I use on my hunting rifles now.
I still have a couple of Vortex, but they are on my bench/practice guns.
I still have a couple of Vortex, but they are on my bench/practice guns.
comfisherman
Well-Known Member
Everything fails, certainly some more than others. I've only had 3 failures afield that weren't explainable, a vortex pst, a vortex red dot, and oddly enough a trijicon rmr. Have had several other sighting systems fail, but all made sense. Heck I've killed several sets of screw on iron sights.
Greatgrandad
Well-Known Member
Rarely ever, but even when, only a couple of clicks or so. I have a rifle from the early 1970's still wearing its original scope and mounts, and year after year at checking, if it is not still holding zero, it is only a few clicks off. Though, that rifle has been retired a few years now. I have had a couple of scopes break during practice sessions or long bouts of load development.
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memtb
Well-Known Member
Only once…..after rolling a 4 wheeler down a mountain side, about 150 yards of barrel roll. The rifle was tied to the 4 wheeler…..it and the 4 wheeler dissolved their partnership after about 30 yards.
Luckly…..no damage to to rifle or scope, merely needed a re-zero.
Sadly, the brand new Honda Rancher was totaled!
memtb
Critter Picker
Well-Known Member
Used to put a lot of miles on my CJ5 Jeep hunting fox in the winter. There was times that I would take a run at a snow drift to get through and it would be so hard I'd go right over and not even leave a track. My gun sat on the spare,on the floor in back and I'd see it out of the corner of my eye about shoulder high. Scope was a Leupold 6.5 x 20 in Burris rings and mount. The only time I touched a turret was when I rebarreled the gun.
Greatgrandad
Well-Known Member
That sounds like a great commercial for someone.Only once…..after rolling a 4 wheeler down a mountain side, about 150 yards of barrel roll. The rifle was tied to the 4 wheeler…..it and the 4 wheeler dissolved their partnership after about 30 yards.
Luckly…..no damage to to rifle or scope, merely needed a re-zero.
Sadly, the brand new Honda Rancher was totaled!
OFtrash
Well-Known Member
Ive had a similar problem this year as well. Have a Ruger M77 that has always been very accurate and never had to rezero from year to year. But this year when I checked the zero it was hitting about 8" right. Re-zeroed it but didn't trust it enough to go a high hunt this year. But something is definitely amiss after checking all the obvious.
Sdvldog1371
Well-Known Member
I had a problem with my Leuplods losing zero. I went hunting 5 hours east with my vx3. It was in a soft case on the back floorboard. Got a shot opportunity and missed. Got a follow up and missed, both at about 80 yds. Went home and the scope was way off, checked the base, checked the rings, checked the ring alignment, reset it and went hunting again. Got to the camp spot, went to a spot I could zero just to check... off again! Sent it to Leupold, I live in Oregon, had acquaintances who worked there so I wanted to support the company. They told me it was internally damaged and they wouldn't warranty abuse....ABUSE! It rode in a soft case on the floorboard and didn't have a mark on it... 2 month old scope! That was a vx3, same thing happened with my vx5. I wrote them off and will not do business with them.
I had a couple vortex scopes I broke while tactically descending rocky hillsides. You know, the cool shoulder roll type of decent. They were tatered, vortex replaced them no questions. I haven't had any vortex lose zero, though I've heard folks say they have. I haven't had any cheap nikon's lose zero. I will never own anything fancier than vortex on account of my ability to break most things without trying. I have to have the no questions asked warranty or I'd just be constantly broke and probably sobbing like a baby every time I broke a $5k scope.
I had a couple vortex scopes I broke while tactically descending rocky hillsides. You know, the cool shoulder roll type of decent. They were tatered, vortex replaced them no questions. I haven't had any vortex lose zero, though I've heard folks say they have. I haven't had any cheap nikon's lose zero. I will never own anything fancier than vortex on account of my ability to break most things without trying. I have to have the no questions asked warranty or I'd just be constantly broke and probably sobbing like a baby every time I broke a $5k scope.
Sealesniper
Well-Known Member
I did the same thing in WV. 4 wheeler went 650 yards down hill, getting up to 10' of air between impacts. My Ruger 17 HMR was strapped to the once intact handlebars. When a good sized tree stopped the four wheelers decent, it was the gun and handlebars that assisted. The right handlebar was snapped off at the front fork and the throttle was still intact, the left handlebar was bent down. A little pulling and twisting got the leftOnly once…..after rolling a 4 wheeler down a mountain side, about 150 yards of barrel roll. The rifle was tied to the 4 wheeler…..it and the 4 wheeler dissolved their partnership after about 30 yards.
Luckly…..no damage to to rifle or scope, merely needed a re-zero.
Sadly, the brand new Honda Rancher was totaled!
Handlebar back in position and a stick inside the tube supported the right with tape. Gun was dirty and had some bark and sap jammed under the rings of the scope but fully intact. Gun was still on zero at 100 yards. The NF held zero solid.
