Scope got knocked; Has it spoiled your hunt?

[GSPRunner]

I did this past November. After about 17 years, I finally drew an Az Strip Mule Deer tag. I dusted off my 358 Norma and worked up a load shooting Hammers that grouped an honest half MOA. Put a nice new Vortex Viper HST on it. Teated the knobs up and down, left and right, and it was rock solid over and over. Practiced at the house out to 500 yds with very predictable results (when I did my part). After 5 days of scouting and 5 days of serious hunting, and passing on several smaller bucks, my brother spots the one. Beautiful big ol strip buck, north of 190". I ranged him at 375 straight p the side of a steep mountain. I flop down on my arce, rest my rifle on my tripod, and dial up. Boom, brother says high and to the right. Duh I dial back to 350 for the incline and- missed to the right. I look at the windage knob and its not on zero. Dammit. I rolled it back to the zero and-missed #3. I grabbed the scope and tried to wiggle it. Something come loose? Cant feel it. Brother is getting worse but i settled down. Ol Buck just walking back and forth a few steps with every shot, but not running off. Took a breath and set right on his shoulder, boom. Told my brother "got him". He said nope, you missed. No, I didn't friggin miss that one. Ya, you missed. Boom send #5 Got him! No, brother you missed again. Buck finally trots off out of sight, and I hike my befuddled *** up there looking for blood. Not a drop, and it's getting dark. Hunt the next morning with my spare gun but cant find him, then I take it up the road where I had some room, and it's 9" or so right at 50 yds. I had to back up the windage another two full turns, then nuts on zero once again. Don't know what I did to move the knob, either being lashed on my backpack, or going in and out of the scabbard on my buggy is all i can figure. I used on of them scope condoms that I thought would protect those exposed turrets, but I was obviously overconfident. Back at camp I applied the appropriate amount of gorilla tape on that side knob. No blame from me on Vortex, I love the scope, but I missed the buck of a lifetime. Hunted 4 more days but never fount another shooter.
Locking turrets or tape your knobs my friends.

We always throw some electric tape on exposed windage turrets for hunting for that exact reason. I have had it happen to me once while Coyote hunting and I said never again.

 

[bamban]

I did this past November. After about 17 years, I finally drew an Az Strip Mule Deer tag. I dusted off my 358 Norma and worked up a load shooting Hammers that grouped an honest half MOA. Put a nice new Vortex Viper HST on it. Teated the knobs up and down, left and right, and it was rock solid over and over. Practiced at the house out to 500 yds with very predictable results (when I did my part). After 5 days of scouting and 5 days of serious hunting, and passing on several smaller bucks, my brother spots the one. Beautiful big ol strip buck, north of 190". I ranged him at 375 straight p the side of a steep mountain. I flop down on my arce, rest my rifle on my tripod, and dial up. Boom, brother says high and to the right. Duh I dial back to 350 for the incline and- missed to the right. I look at the windage knob and its not on zero. Dammit. I rolled it back to the zero and-missed #3. I grabbed the scope and tried to wiggle it. Something come loose? Cant feel it. Brother is getting worse but i settled down. Ol Buck just walking back and forth a few steps with every shot, but not running off. Took a breath and set right on his shoulder, boom. Told my brother "got him". He said nope, you missed. No, I didn't friggin miss that one. Ya, you missed. Boom send #5 Got him! No, brother you missed again. Buck finally trots off out of sight, and I hike my befuddled *** up there looking for blood. Not a drop, and it's getting dark. Hunt the next morning with my spare gun but cant find him, then I take it up the road where I had some room, and it's 9" or so right at 50 yds. I had to back up the windage another two full turns, then nuts on zero once again. Don't know what I did to move the knob, either being lashed on my backpack, or going in and out of the scabbard on my buggy is all i can figure. I used on of them scope condoms that I thought would protect those exposed turrets, but I was obviously overconfident. Back at camp I applied the appropriate amount of gorilla tape on that side knob. No blame from me on Vortex, I love the scope, but I missed the buck of a lifetime. Hunted 4 more days but never fount another shooter.
Locking turrets or tape your knobs my friends.

My last 2 scope purchases were the Vortex 3-15x50 LHT to try out because of a couple of things; the simple G4i reticle , and the adjustment knobs. The top exposed turret locks down and had to be pulled up to click. The windage has a cover. Not worried about losing zeroes with the rifle pulled in and out from the gun case.

 

[Bravo 4]

Based on your experience, what scope do you have the most confidence in?

So far I've only had one scope (this one for at least 8 years) that I trust. And by trust I mean had for a period of time and it hasn't had a mishap. That is my NXS, actually had 2 but sold one a while back. Out of the dozen or so that my buddy's and I have had, I've seen one fail to hold zero (about 10 years ago). It went back for repairs and hasn't had an issue since. I know the days are numbered with mine, as are with all mechanical devices. I really don't even like it that much, I'd rather have all my scopes in mils and this one is moa. But she sits on my .375 Snipetac and serves it well. Been thinking of selling and buying mil/mil and maybe FFP. But she has been faithful and I just can't let that go. Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on something better, after all the NXS is NightForce's 2nd to last in their lineup…something to ponder.
I know I may sound like a supporter, but I will say that I guess I am when it comes to my experience when durability is the topic.

 

[Bravo 4]

Something else to think about… Most guys that buy an "expensive" scope will not likely place it in the cheapest mounts. One thing folks don't realize is that an impact to the scope may not have effected the scope at all, it could have been a failure of the mounting hardware to hold its position. So the cheaper scope may not have failed to hold zero at all, it may have been the cheap mounts it sits in. Most guys sure won't mount a cheap scope in a high quality mount. My way of thinking is this; if a scope is bumped (especially lightly) and fails to hold zero it may have been the mounts. However if it fails to hold when shooting then I would be swapping scopes.

 

[bamban]

Something else to think about… Most guys that buy an "expensive" scope will not likely place it in the cheapest mounts. One thing folks don't realize is that an impact to the scope may not have effected the scope at all, it could have been a failure of the mounting hardware to hold its position. So the cheaper scope may not have failed to hold zero at all, it may have been the cheap mounts it sits in. Most guys sure won't mount a cheap scope in a high quality mount. My way of thinking is this; if a scope is bumped (especially lightly) and fails to hold zero it may have been the mounts. However if it fails to hold when shooting then I would be swapping scopes.

And bed the mount to the action

 

[sp6x6]

I remeber when I was young kid,my Dad trying dial in his 300 wby,he was a good hunter.Well he ate the scope,cross hairs broke loose.Only rifle,I wasnt old enough yet. I have scope now . I had rail loosen,was hard to find,my groups where opening just a bit.

 

[OH58DViper]

I always confirm my zero, if not some dope, when I go for my hunts. Last year I slipped on a steep ice covered slope. I ended up doing a flip, like literally, and landed on my rifle. The scope banged directly on a rock and I thought "well there goes my hunt". Luckily the only shooter I saw was at 1400 yards. I was using an LPR 300 RUM with a NF ATACR, but wouldn't have taken the shot anyways. Told my outfitter what happened and asked him to take me somewhere to verify that my zero drop data hadn't changed. Zero was dead on and I found a small 8" rock at 528 yards and I shattered said rock. I'm 225lbs and weigh quite a bit more with my hunting gear. Gotta love NF and some quality rings, I think I was using ARC rings on that one.

 

[mnoland30]

Forty years ago I had a Redfield fog up on me. They fixed it, but it cost me a deer. I had iron sights I had sighted in years before, but somewhere along the line I had banged the sight on a rock and broke off the top of the sight. I never noticed until I needed it, since I used the scope.

I switched to Leupold scopes on all my rifles and have never had an issue since. At the end of a Colorado hunt, I tripped over a root in the dark and fell face first into a stream, on top of my rifle. I went to the range the next day, and it was still spot on.

One big advantage of Leupold is they are light. In my old age, I hunt with light rifles, and it just seems silly to put a heavy scope on a light rifle.

 

[J.J. Weiland]

Yes. Just get a reliable scope and be done with it. Considering the cost of hunts, fuel, food, supplies, etc., it's penny wise and pound foolish to run anything else.

I agree, get a nightforce. May not be the best at everything but tough as nails for real world hunting.

 

[Ninering62]

Yes. Just get a reliable scope and be done with it. Considering the cost of hunts, fuel, food, supplies, etc., it's penny wise and pound foolish to run anything else.

Sometimes, it is just that simple. However, sometimes, it is certainly not. I've had 2 inexpensive( inside 250.00 ) scopes fail many yrs ago. I hear from time to time about very expensive scopes failing internally too. Especially on big boomers & when using lead sleds. I have a 900.00 scope on a magnum rifle thats fantastic & has taken a fairly reg pounding at my bench. I know someone else that has the same scope, not on a mag rifle & within a few times at his bench, it broke internally. I have a cpl friends that are long-time bench rest shooters & they've had 2000.00 to over 3000.00 top brand name scopes fail.

 

[Pro2A]

Sometimes, it is just that simple. However, sometimes, it is certainly not. I've had 2 inexpensive( inside 250.00 ) scopes fail many yrs ago. I hear from time to time about very expensive scopes failing internally too. Especially on big boomers & when using lead sleds. I have a 900.00 scope on a magnum rifle thats fantastic & has taken a fairly reg pounding at my bench. I know someone else that has the same scope, not on a mag rifle & within a few times at his bench, it broke internally. I have a cpl friends that are long-time bench rest shooters & they've had 2000.00 to over 3000.00 top brand name scopes fail.

Some people are hard on their toys, can break a rock carried in their front pocket......

 

[CGHunter]

Yes I had this happen once !! I missed the biggest bull of my life a monster 7x8. I had a vortex viper $1200 scope at the time. Once I figured out it was the scope I used a buddies gun after that. Long story shorter vortex said there was something loose inside the scope and told me it was all fixed I asked them if what they found wrong with the scope could cause accuracy issues they respond with, there are lots of things that cause accuracy issues ! I responded with this is a custom built gun with custom hand loads and still to this day have been the most accurate custom gun that this gun company has built yet it shoots hole threw hole ! I realized at that moment I would never be a vortex guy again! A friend of mine was using NightForce scopes he sold me a used one he had NXS 8-32x56 this scope has hit the deck hard 3 different times with me and i always check 0 after a hard fall and I'm that scope has never been off ! I'm a true believer in NightForce products that scope has never had to go back to NF never been off zero it's been on 3 different guns and killed 2 mule deer and 2 bull elk . I say that has been one of the best investments iv ever bought! Life time Warrantys don't mean **** out in the field !

 

[mnoland30]

A Masarati is probably a great car too, but I'll never own one. With Nightforce almost 4 times the cost and 2.5 x the weight, I'll stick with Leupolds.

 

[COBrad]

More cost and more weight but it's worth every ounce and every penny to me to have a tough, reliable scope. The L VX6HD I bought for a custom ultralight rifle was the last L product I'll try. The NF that replaced it has never failed to hold and return to zero.