Scope field evaluations on rokslide

[Paladin300]

As a point of reference, now that I have disclosed the fact that I have sold both NF and Leupold as well as owned them. I have only ever seen one NF retuned because a customer was not happy with it and two Leupolds that I can remember. And that is out of hundreds sold. That said most never use them to their full potential.

Funny Story: I had a friend that claimed a Mark 4 was failing to hold zero mounted on a 300 WM. Gun weighted about 7-8 lbs, kicked like a mule. We went to the range to test it. He and a couple others shot it while I observed. Sure enough, not a one of them could get the gun to hold a 6 inch group. One of the guys I had witnessed shoot before and knew he could shoot fairly well. I checked everything and settled in behind the gun. First shot center punched the center X. That thing slap me hard! It killed on both ends. Two more shots tore the first hole and fell low right. It was a legit 1/2 inch group. I had one of the others shoot the gun again but this time I loaded it one at a time. Two shot fired and two shots missed their mark. I feed an empty case in the third time and the guy nearly feel off the bench when he pull the trigger. We had to catch the gun before it hit the ground. Problem solve! It wasn't the scope!
A light weight magnum ain't no joke! I just sold my 460 and 375 because I have a detached retina that was repaired. It wasn't due to shooting but I wasn't going to be and didn't shoot them much anyway and didn't want to take the risk. The 375 was a great rifle and was completely manageable. The 460 was a McMillan custom from the mid to late 90s that dude would wake the dead. If a scope was going to fail to hold zero that was the test gun. It had a 1.5-5 VXIII classic Safari scope. It never failed.

 

[buzby]

As a point of reference, now that I have disclosed the fact that I have sold both NF and Leupold as well as owned them. I have only ever seen one NF retuned because a customer was not happy with it and two Leupolds that I can remember. And that is out of hundreds sold. That said most never use them to their full potential.

Funny Story: I had a friend that claimed a Mark 4 was failing to hold zero mounted on a 300 WM. Gun weighted about 7-8 lbs, kicked like a mule. We went to the range to test it. He and a couple others shot it while I observed. Sure enough, not a one of them could get the gun to hold a 6 inch group. One of the guys I had witnessed shoot before and knew he could shoot fairly well. I checked everything and settled in behind the gun. First shot center punched the center X. That thing slap me hard! It killed on both ends. Two more shots tore the first hole and fell low right. It was a legit 1/2 inch group. I had one of the others shoot the gun again but this time I loaded it one at a time. Two shot fired and two shots missed their mark. I feed an empty case in the third time and the guy nearly feel off the bench when he pull the trigger. We had to catch the gun before it hit the ground. Problem solve! It wasn't the scope!
A light weight magnum ain't no joke! I just sold my 460 and 375 because I have a detached retina that was repaired. It wasn't due to shooting but I wasn't going to be and didn't shoot them much anyway and didn't want to take the risk. The 375 was a great rifle and was completely manageable. The 460 was a McMillan custom from the mid to late 90s that dude would wake the dead. If a scope was going to fail to hold zero that was the test gun. It had a 1.5-5 VXIII classic Safari scope. It never failed.

Those guys need to see the other side of what Form is teaching, and read the .223 thread! You think scope tests are decisive?!

 

[Allen Lone wolf]

Anyone use these?

 

[sndmn11]

I guess I missed that somewhere. I just went to look at NF tests and only saw 2. Could you please share a link, I would like to read the test/review. Thanks

Nightforce 4-14x50 SHV F1 Drop Test/mini evaul

Nightforce 4-14x50 SHV F1 drop testing and mini evaluation. It was pointed out to me that I need to proof the rifle/mount/rings system. @HawkinsPrecision rings, Tikka T3 action with 22BR barrel from Preferred, in a Bell and Carlson stock. This scope is my own, one of two, and I have had it...

rokslide.com

 

[Snowboy]

Based on the hunt descriptions and photos on this site over the years I'd doubt most of our members have walked 6 miles in their life while hunting.

You are kidding, right? I had a problem with plantar fascitis this year and still managed 4 to 5 miles per day in hill country.

 

[Snowboy]

56mm.

Not in my woods-42mm.

 

[TxHeartShot]

Anyone use these?

You mean those duck hunting pajamas? Nah...

 

[cooperjd]

A lot of y'all shoot a hell of a lot more than I do. With a 5 year old my priorities have shifted away from shooting and handloading for a bit. Now I wanna get him in a treestand and out in the woods as much as possible, and i will go off on an adventure or two every year if i can.

I greatly appreciate the wisdom and actual experience of guys like @Paladin300 and @orkan and several others that have been there and done that.

The reason I enjoy Form's testing and approach is that for me, just a hunter that wants to make good buying decisions, and have a buy once cry once mentality; I want to buy a scope that has the least chance of failure, as best as we can test at the moment. There are probably a lot of scopes on the market that will survive anything i put them through just fine. But confidence in your equipment goes a long way. Even if that confidence is gained or lost by testing that some don't agree with.

I say that sometimes contemplating selling every scope i have and buying 2 or 3 ATACRs and switching to mils instead of moa, and swapping them around as needed. but then i think *** are you thinking; you're a redneck that prefers to bowhunt?!

carry on!

 

[Mike D Texas]

Prioritizing glass quality over reliability?

Where did I say that?

I swear you Form boot lickers need to get a life.

 

[Stokesrjsr]

It seems how some talk, it isn't a random act to drop their rifles.
Maybe once in a lifetime happens, if really bad luck twice in 50 years. But if someone is banging their rifle around so badly it's frequently needing to be reset to 0, then they should be blaming themselves, not the scope. I'm far more likely to drop my work radio, or cellphone, than a rifle. Yet haven't dropped them in years and years. But some people seem to drop their phone annually, or more. Maybe they just don't care, I do.

The rate of falls is related to the type of activity more so than time. I'm an old guy and have been hunting for more than 65 years. During that time I've experienced many falls. Everything from shale giving way underneath me on the Brooks Range of Alaska to my horse slipping and sliding down a mountainside on my rifle scabbard in British Columbia, to rocks rolling out from under me in the Slovenian Alps to getting tangled in deadfall's in the predawn darkness with no light moving in on a gobbling Merriam's turkey in Arizona. If you are actively hunting you will take a spill every now and then. I've even ripped the ocular lens housing off of my rifle scope on a Coues deer when a bolder dislodged and took me down a mountainside with it in the Mazatazal mountains of Arizona.
I may be a little less agile now, and therefore more prone to falls than I was when I was young, agile, and in tip top shape, but I am also more careful and wise. But the rate of spills has been pretty consistent, maybe once every other year or so or once every other year or so which would be about 200 days of hunting mostly in remote wilderness mountains.
So my assessment would be if you are not paying attention to what gear will hold up to spills and rough treatment you really haven't figured out why you need to do so yet. Unfortunately it may be on an opportunity that will not repeat itself again to allow you to learn.
That spill my horse took on my rifle was on a Stones sheep hunt to complete my grand slam of North American wild sheep in 2002. The horse slid over the top of me and when he came to rest 20 yards or so below me and stood, I could see my rifle barrel had been driven through the scabbard and was caked with mud. The bore was also filled with compacted mud. Fortunately I carried with me an emergency cleaning kit and was able to restore the condition of the rifle, check its zero, which was right on and then kill a Boone and Crocket Stone's sheep at 320 yards with it. That was with a Leupold VX3 which did not do well in these tests. However that scope was mounted in extremely rugged custom mounts and under the circumstances I would expect any failure to come first from the mounts and second from the scope.
I currently use Nightforce scopes for the most part. They are rugged and also heavy, but I haven't found light and rugged yet.

 

[orkan]

Called in this badger last night. Lip squeaked up to 30yds and shot him in his face. People here would have me believe I could have made that shot with anything other than a Tangent Theta. Clearly, they have no clue what they are talking about.

What you use, or whether it delivers the experience you want to have, so you can have fun fulfilling hunts filled with purity and enjoyment, is not important. The important thing is using products based on the recommendations of others that make you feel superior for owning those things, so that you can talk about it in public conversational spaces and con others into thinking you know what you're talking about because you own it. Don't worry about your lack of round count or time in the field, there's all kinds of rebuttals and insults that you can use to avoid anyone finding out that you live in a suburb and have to drive 1.5hrs to a square range to shoot 200yds... or that you've made more posts on the internet in one week than you've fired purposeful precision rifle rounds in a year.



This thread can hit 50 pages. I believe.


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[Montana'eer]

A lot of y'all shoot a hell of a lot more than I do. With a 5 year old my priorities have shifted away from shooting and handloading for a bit. Now I wanna get him in a treestand and out in the woods as much as possible, and i will go off on an adventure or two every year if i can.

I greatly appreciate the wisdom and actual experience of guys like @Paladin300 and @orkan and several others that have been there and done that.

The reason I enjoy Form's testing and approach is that for me, just a hunter that wants to make good buying decisions, and have a buy once cry once mentality; I want to buy a scope that has the least chance of failure, as best as we can test at the moment. There are probably a lot of scopes on the market that will survive anything i put them through just fine. But confidence in your equipment goes a long way. Even if that confidence is gained or lost by testing that some don't agree with.

I say that sometimes contemplating selling every scope i have and buying 2 or 3 ATACRs and switching to mils instead of moa, and swapping them around as needed. but then i think *** are you thinking; you're a redneck that prefers to bowhunt?!

carry on!

I used to bow hunt solely for the last 3-4 years I lived in WV. I recall one hunt my buddy dropped a buck and I got out of my stand around 9:30 a.m. to go over and help him then I had to skeedaddle to get to my boys Cub Scout event. Well on the way over 3 bucks hopped over the fence behind me and were headed right to me. My buddy signaled to get down (tall grass/hay) and they walked to within 30 yards of me. There was a nice buck in the group. I lined a pin on him and my arrow went far far left. Nocked another- same thing.

Got back to his house and tried his target- dang sights were knocked off!!! I think my bow knocked the tree when I pulled it up into the stand.

Uh oh....

 

[cooperjd]

I used to bow hunt solely for the last 3-4 years I lived in WV. I recall one hunt my buddy dropped a buck and I got out of my stand around 9:30 a.m. to go over and help him then I had to skeedaddle to get to my boys Cub Scout event. Well on the way over 3 bucks hopped over the fence behind me and were headed right to me. My buddy signaled to get down (tall grass/hay) and they walked to within 30 yards of me. There was a nice buck in the group. I lined a pin on him and my arrow went far far left. Nocked another- same thing.

Got back to his house and tried his target- dang sights were knocked off!!! I think my bow knocked the tree when I pulled it up into the stand.

Uh oh....

Nightforce are you listening??? We clearly need a BowTACR!

 

[sp6x6]

Dont get me going on my bow mishaps, harder on them then my rifle.I fell in hard rock and unstrung my compound one day.On this trail I broke my sight offhand felt like I broke my shinbone a blow down horse rammed me into