How often is your scope off after hunt?

I've got a rifle that has seen hard times. Just after my son was born in 1986, my MIL left husband #4 and decided to stay with us for awhile. After a few weeks, she mentioned to me that there was a rifle behind the seat of the pickup she was driving. She'd shure like to raise some cash. I found a Winchester mdl. 70 7mm RM. She wanted $200 for it. I gladly bought it and she went back home. I think hubby was gone by then.

I put a Bushnell scope on it, then bought a couple boxes of shells and took it out for a try. The Remington core locts grouped about 2 inches, which was better than what I usually got from Remington 760 30-06. Federal Premiums were new to me but they really impressed with 1" 100 yd groups. Bolt guns really were more accurate than some! I bought one of the new Nikon 3x9 scopes for it and everything was good. About 25 years later I loaned it to my son in law for about 12 years. This fall he decided to hunt with an AR and returned my Winchester. It's pretty rough looking. I tried to sight it in before deer season, but it was hitting 5" high and to the left. It wouldn't adjust.

So now I will put a good scope on her and work to bring her back to looking and shooting like she deserves. (The rifle, not the mother in law)

I have had multiple scope problems over the years.
Leupold scopes in the 90's
Would not with stand a drop from a rifle falling over standing vertical on hard ground. This was from my experience with the vx-2 and the shiny gloss scopes. Went through 2 of them and sworn to never buy other Leupold again.
I switched to Nikon thinking they knew how to make good optics. NOPE maybe for cameras but not for scopes.
I had the lens completely fall out on one on a m1a .308
Bought a couple of other scopes and long story short ended back up with multiple Leopold mark 3 hd scopes.
I'm sure their more rugged scopes out their but way above my price point and weight that I like.
I have bought a meopta scope and so far I'm liking it except for the turrets but the glass seems very clear and bright.
I guess it all comes down to weight and expense.
It's will always be a compromise but for me and my budget the new Leupold 3hd scopes are working very good

You are seeing the light. You are on the path to Jedi master!

If you're living life……you're gonna have some mishaps!

A friend if mine used to say…. "If ya ain't standing on the edge, you're taking up too much room"! memtb

Dropped my NF NXS one time squarely on a rock, took skin off the rifle and scope, and it did move zero of the scope. Not much, but a bit. That's the only time I've ever had to adjust a NF from trauma. Barrel wear, yes, it happens, but scope losing zero from abuse, one time.

In my case my Leupold's have held zero. These would be from 1990's to around 2005 manufacture. Many miles on horses and ATV's, multiple airline flights, multiple flights in light planes in soft cases, falls in tent camp by idiot co-hunting "I was just lookin' at it" fools, a couple more when I was the fool and loaned out a rifle, etc.

My hunting has slowed down a lot in recent years, between my older Leupolds and a few Vortex I haven't had any problems.

As always - YMMV.

I've never had any of my Nightforce scopes shift zero.

Can't say the same for a few Leupolds and Vortex scopes. The may not have been off much but almost always 1-3 clicks and it was never consistent.

OFtrash said:

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.

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I had a 700v doing that. After languishing in the back of the safe for years I took it out for a local fun club shoot league. Was off left a ways. I reset it and it was off a little again the next week. That is when I noticed the wood forend had twisted and pressed the barrel. The gunsmith and I talked and he hogged it out and bedded it but it was still moving. I picked up an HS Precision take off stock and bedded it. Done and done.
This year,….I took a fall and split the wrist in my Remington Model 7 stock. It's repairable but I found Pacific Tool had an inventory of model 7 stocks that HS Precision got stuck with when Rem Folded. $250 for a new unused stock. A deal!

Never. My rifles have probably 100 flights on them, several horse rides. Even then, scopes have never been off when checked at hunt and after returning home. Schmidt & Benders and a Tuffpak case.

Years ago I barrel rolled a Polaris Sportsman 700 down mountain for about 300 yards . I was off on first roll and quad rolled me and kept going gaining speed as it rolled. My Rem 700 w/Luepold VX6 was in a gun boot locked to frame with lid on and locking pin. Case was somewhat padded. It never came out of boot or off quad. Shot it next day. Was still zeroed and shot nice bull with it. My spotting scope, etc. was in a lock box on rear. It had opened up and stuff laying on ground down the hill. Spotting scope was fine but quad was totaled. Another story getting it out of there

I lost zero buy a couple inches at 100 this year.I ref checked after a long range antelope miss.Part of that problem was my LR was set for my 338nm and not my 6.5prc.Was on that with Nx8 20x.I had shot a spring bear with same.I had a hard fall I recalled, and a brushy packouton bear, it also bounces around in a jeep.Ive had many Leupold hold zero for years, but lost zero on them also.My Nx8 was loose some on the torque at the rail, did I go less or ?.I rechecked all before zero and hunted it all season, with a few more hard falls, high country muley is tough go and I forgot my trek pole a few times which helps you stay on your feet.Rolled my jeep hard and my 338 with March ended up in back of jeep,didnt loose zero.I pop rocks at 7-800 during season as I just like to know.My march has been on for years now, and I suspect the NF will be too.

Ill add I lost zero on a ss about 6# 325 wiz bang.Chased it for a while, loose rail that I JB welded back on! My kick around rifle that actual taken some of my best mules as it was a light packer.My kid kinda borrowed it.. forever.Leupy 3-15x50.Thats it in my avatar

I must be lucky I have only had one scope in my life go bad and I couldn't even prove that it just had a flat spring it get loose but it was 50 years old.
Ive owned just about every scope I can think of since the mid 1970s.
Leupold may not be the best but I sure shot a lot with them over the years and they have always treated me extremely well as so have the other companies.

Depends on what you mean. Rare - I validate zero and dope before every hunt and sometimes there are small corrections based on where I am, this is normal.
Actually truly off? Only time I can think of is fell off a horse on a backcountry hunt onto the rifle...scope included. Yup it was off! LOL