Scope field evaluations on rokslide

[Rosebud]

This is my last word about this BS. Scope manufacturers know their scopes will not survive the abuse, yes, Abuse, the rock slide guy did. Three drops into the turrets on each side. Why not just hit them with a hammer? That's why nearly all of them offer lifetime no questions asked Warranty. Scopes have, and will always be the weakest part of a rifle. Most people I've known that went on bucket hunts carried another gun and scope with them.

 

[adk hunter]

We now have a "sub MOA" guarantee criteria and even a .5 MOA for custom guns so why not demand better durability from scope manufacturers?

Look at all the excellent rifles, bullets, brass, powder, stocks, mounts, barrels, actions and 100% scopes now.

I applaud the testers of all things in our rifle systems.

 

[xsn10s]

We now have a "sub MOA" guarantee criteria and even a .5 MOA for custom guns so why not demand better durability from scope manufacturers?

Look at all the excellent rifles, bullets, brass, powder, stocks, mounts, barrels, actions and 100% scopes now.

I applaud the testers of all things in our rifle systems.

As with anything cost is the factor. Increased durability means increased cost. And the masses lean towards lower cost.

 

[Pdvdh]

This is my last word about this BS. Scope manufacturers know their scopes will not survive the abuse, yes, Abuse, the rock slide guy did. Three drops into the turrets on each side. Why not just hit them with a hammer? That's why nearly all of them offer lifetime no questions asked Warranty. Scopes have, and will always be the weakest part of a rifle. Most people I've known that went on bucket hunts carried another gun and scope with them.

Well thanks for clearing out / up all the BS.

I'm a "normal hunter" and "scope abuser". I take my rifled scopes out of my gunsafe and hunt with them on difficult terrain.

Good to know I should expect to pack one or two extra scopes along on my hunting trips, as well as the tools needed to install one of them as a replacement. When I miss the shot of a lifetime on a game animal because my scope puked its guts, I can install another scope, rezero the rifle, start the hunt over again, and hope to get another shot of a lifetime.

Later, send the puked guts scope back to the factory for warranty replacement to carry in the future as the backup to the backup scope, while that trophy or a lifetime dies of natural causes.

Such is the nature of the quality of scopes being manufactured and sold for hunting. Yeah, sign me up for that scenario. Because higher expectations for scope quality and survivability under normal hunting use are unreasonable.

 

[orkan]

higher expectations for scope quality and survivability under normal hunting use are unreasonable.

The higher expectations aren't the problem.

Higher expectations coming along with a demand of cheaper price, is the problem.

Nearly every scope manufacturer out there has the technical capability to produce better scopes.

They don't.

Because when they do, you all complain about how much it costs.

Then if a company chooses to make the best thing, and strangle their own profit margin to the tiniest they can survive on... countless inexperienced hordes are lined up to tell everyone how the competitors thing that's half as expensive is just as good.

So let's not act like there aren't companies producing products that don't have these issues. When I suggest someone buy one... the torches and pitch forks come out because only "elitists" buy such things, apparently.

Everyone wants the best things, and wants to starve the people making them to death in the process. Everyone making nice things has learned to ignore 98% of the population. It's basically a requirement if you want to pursue the very best designs. They won't tell you so, because no one wants to say the quiet part out loud... but that's exactly what they say behind closed doors. You want to choke their profit margin, they'll choke your quality.

So the top end in every industry has chosen to ignore all that. They make what their hearts lead them to make, and say "here's the price... and if you don't like it, shop elsewhere."

Most of you want to buy LOTS of cheap stuff, instead of ONE good thing. This is a fact.


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[Mark37082]

Surely we can get to 30 pages…..
What I've learned so far:
There will always be debate on testing until some lab without any ties to rifle scope manufacturers spends an enormous amount of time and $$$$$ fully testing a large sample size of each scope.
Actually the first thing will probably never happen and if it does, there will still be debate.
Some scopes are more durable under hard use/abuse than others.
There is no free lunch if you want alpha glass, all the bells and whistles, impeccable durability, and reasonable weight, be prepared to sell a kidney if this scope ever exists.
Once in a lifetime hunts in harsh environments are best approached with very durable scopes that have been personally tested.
Try not to drop your rifle while hunting. If you do and there is no easy way to confirm your zero, you may be disappointed in the results with a trophy standing out there at 500 yards.
I retired too early. I can't realistically afford all the scopes I want to try.

 

[Axl]

This is my last word about this BS. Scope manufacturers know their scopes will not survive the abuse, yes, Abuse, the rock slide guy did. Three drops into the turrets on each side. Why not just hit them with a hammer? That's why nearly all of them offer lifetime no questions asked Warranty. Scopes have, and will always be the weakest part of a rifle. Most people I've known that went on bucket hunts carried another gun and scope with them.

Nightforce, SWFA, Trijicon, Meopta & a couple others survive the abuse. Maybe they offer a lifetime warranty, because they know you won't need it?

 

[Small Lady]

The reality is, stuff breaks.
Drop your TV, fridge, microwave, china, car, etc. and It breaks. Put a 4' long cheater pipe on your ratchet to get a bolt loose, the ratchet will break. Hit a pothole wrong, your tire blows. Slam an airplane onto the runway hard, it breaks. Don't shovel the snow off your home before its too deep, your house breaks.
Seems like the common denominator here is, anything can be broken, if abused. Most things aren't meant to be dropped, or whatever.
If you want to drop stuff, carry a basketball.
I hit a big hole hard a few months ago and blew the left front tire on my F150. But I didn't blame the tire maker, it was extreme use, because my boss sent me up the road from hell. My BFF was moving a few years ago, she dropped her TV, it broke, she didn't blame the company that made her TV.
I put a 4 foot pipe on a half inch drive ratchet, then broke it, I didn't get made and blame the company that made it.
We had a lot of snow last winter, and house just 20 kms down the road collapsed under the weight of the snow. Why didn't they shovel their roof off a few times.
Stuff happens occasionally in extreme circumstances.
If I dropped my rifle, and then it didn't shoot perfectly, I would blame myself for dropping it.
Life happens, take some responsibility for your actions.
This morning my boss sat on his sunglasses, they broke. He took the blame, didn't say cheap glasses, how dare they not survive unscathed when sat on. Me, I laughed at him, and said "Most people wear them on their face boss". He laughed at the situation to.
If you weigh 500 lbs and sit on a chair, and the chair breaks, blame yourself for being 500 lbs, its not the chairs fault.

 

[xsn10s]

It's not a matter of blame for me, it's expectations. So it's more akin to picking the right tool for the job. Some situation might not call for much durability, like a range rifle. Others might call for hard hunting situations. And then others might call for shtf duty use. Pick the right tool for the job and spend accordingly.

 

[cooperjd]

Because when they do, you all complain about how much it costs.


Form has stated in several threads that the NX8's and SHV's are just as durable as the atacr's, they just arent' yet in the testing threads.

Form has stated in several threads that NX8, NSX, and even the lowly SHV is just as durable as the ATACRs.

SWFA's are hundreds, not thousands of dollars.

I just got a trijicon tenmile for 1100 bucks on sale at opticsplanet. So far those seem to be "shockproof" to a good degree, as so many manufacturers claim.

**** near every vortex he ever tested he said will not hold zero, no matter the price. However he also stated he doesnt' have much experience with the high power gen3's. "I don't know what to say. While I can't say it's a hunting scope, it's a nice package as a PRS scope- reticle, "glass", etc. are all good. I just can't them to hold zero. I don't have deep experience with the high power Gen 3 Razors, but do with the 1-10x and the Gen 2's and slightly shifting zero is common." (https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/q-a-for-vortex-razor-gen-iii-3-36x56mm-field-eval.306507/)

Point being that design matters. I am not a scope designer so I cannot look at a design and say yes that will be bulletproof or not. Same factory or not for a lot of alpha glass companies, factories are not making the exact same scope and slapping different labels on them, they are making them to the design specs of the scope companies.

The folks screaming "ABUSE" do kind of crack me up. There are videos you can watch of the drop tests. I have done more to my rifle while hunting than the drop tests because well, **** happens. especially the 18" drops....onto a shooting pad, on snow. EVERY scope should survive that no problem. Yet many have shifting zeros from even those drops.

The tests are to speed up the inevitable. Not to destroy the optic. Doesn't mean that your brand XXX scope will disintegrate if you drop it. Single data points are also not the end all be all. It is just that, a data point. Lots of good info in the Q&A threads too, you can get an idea of how many of certain scopes have been tested, they just do not have their own thread. It is nice to know that there are scopes out there that pretty much always survive some heavy use, and those of us that care, can choose to spend our money with those companies.

 

[Old Rooster]

Nightforce, SWFA, Trijicon, Meopta & a couple others survive the abuse. Maybe they offer a lifetime warranty, because they know you won't need it?

Read it again Axl a nightforce DID fail.I don't own a Nightforce but believe they are great scopes.Just look at the web page that shows a Nightforce coming out of freezer and shot great groups,hammered a nail in a stump,put back on the rifle and STILL shot great group.
Tough as nails for sure but anything can fail.

 

[Allen Lone wolf]

0.

In the past 10 years I can count every time I have fallen or crashed.
1. Downhill mountain bike race, went over the bars, broke my collar bone.
2. XC ski racing 4 times.
3. Playing hockey on the lake is 7 times.
4. Downhill skiing 13 times.
5. Dirt biking 6 times.
6. Out for a run last summer and one of the dogs took my legs out from behind while playing with the other dogs.
7. Another Nurse, and I, got knocked down by an angry 400 lb woman in Emerg one day.
8. Play wrestling with a male coworker, he swept my legs and pinned me for a 3 count.
9. Trying to stop a bouncing semi truck tire rolled out of the pickup by my boss, the tire won, it took me down
10. Fallen off my snowmobile numerous times while climbing crazy mountains.
11. Dismounting my horse oneday, and foot got caught in the stirrup. It was more a slow and gentle lay down in the dirt, one leg in the air still, than a true fall...but I was laughing so hard it took me a minute to get back up.
12. Being towed by an ATV, while in a kayak, tied to that ATV. Did a nasty barrel roll 4 times around, and then into a tractor tire.

Sounds like the only dangerous thing left for you to try is jumping from a plane without a parachute. Lol

 

[Schroedernd]

I threw my $34 Tasco off a cliff for testing today. Held zero great. Ill only buy Tasco from now on. The end.

 

[Axl]

Read it again Axl a nightforce DID fail.I don't own a Nightforce but believe they are great scopes.Just look at the web page that shows a Nightforce coming out of freezer and shot great groups,hammered a nail in a stump,put back on the rifle and STILL shot great group.
Tough as nails for sure but anything can fail.

Of course they can fail, but they do so at a much lower rate than most any other. But I don't need to read it again, because
None failed on the Rokslide evaluation.

There are 2 NF scopes on the eval.
A 4-32 NX-8 :
Results-"The scope works. It functions and adjusts as it should, it holds zero. I have seen a significant number of these scopes, all of them functioned correctly."

A 4-16 ATACR:
Results- "This particular scope has been absolutely trashed for almost a decade. True abuse- hundreds of drops, a massive amount of rounds, etc. The reticle lens is actually cracked from a 15 foot drop . It has never lost zero, and has never failed."