Scope Zero

[Greenheadless]

Ear hole the first pig you see during general season and then you know you're good

Correct answer.

[Jeremy7306]

If a scope is properly mounted with excellent quantity rings that are loctited the zero should never move unless the scope is permanently damaged. Ive had Leupolds that are dead on that were zeroed when I was a child.

I still verify before hunting. Good practice to have confidence in your weapon.


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Which rings do ya consider quality? I’ve got some tally and leupold but just got em on good reviews.


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[HunterB]

Which rings do ya consider quality? I’ve got some tally and leupold but just got em on good reviews.


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Leupold and tally both make excellent rings. I’ve had tally’s on multiple dangerous game rifles without ever having an issue. They get banged around and taken on and off and have yet to lose zero after 15 years. I had my nightforce in a set of leupold mark 4 rings get thrown out of a Polaris a few years ago at 40 mph, we came across some nilgai before I was able to check zero, but it was fine and added some nilgai to the freezer from 300 yards.

[Mike D]

Scope Zero

Which rings do ya consider quality? I’ve got some tally and leupold but just got em on good reviews.


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I typically use ARC, Seekins, Nightforce or Hawkins. Are are well proven. Spuhr are high $$ but built like a tank.

I’ve read about enough Talley failures that I won’t use them anymore.

Leupold falls somewhere in the middle.


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[BobbyJoe]

rings are important, 100% agree, but assume you have a good set of rings and they’re properly torqued… what kind of force do you think would actually knock off a scope? if you’re walking through the woods and rack the scope on a tree, or if you lean it against a truck or a ground blind and it falls directly on the scope, would you expect it (and be confident) that it’s still holding zero?

[bboswell]

rings are important, 100% agree, but assume you have a good set of rings and they’re properly torqued… what kind of force do you think would actually knock off a scope? if you’re walking through the woods and rack the scope on a tree, or if you lean it against a truck or a ground blind and it falls directly on the scope, would you expect it (and be confident) that it’s still holding zero?

it depends. I have slid down a rocky ledge banging my rifle all the way down and it did not shift zero.

Conversely my son was at a rifle match standing in line with butt of his rifle on his boot, lost his grip and the rifle tipped over, it landed on a rock directly on the elevation turret. Rifle shot 8" high and right @100 yards and required a complete rebuild by Leupold.

[Jesus is Coming]

Properly fitted and torqued rings, bases, AND action screws on the gun itself. They can all get loose over time after repetitive use and greatly affect/effect (lol) consistency/grouping, POI, etc. Those have to be ruled out first IMO or your chasing your tail.

[glen]

Biggest thing I see is shooter error

[TxBowHntr]

Ive had scopes mounted and zeroed by local gun shop. The rings were torqued down on oneside and had gap on other side. Every shot was different until I noticed the gap differences. I retightened rings and it kept shifting poi. I swapped the front ring cap with the back ring cap, retightened and no more shifting zero problems.

Once I figure scope and ring set combo, I scratch hash marks into rings amd scopes. I give zero chits about my rig being scratched. It helps me visually ensure alignment is still on…at least externally.

Internally shifting is another ball of wax.

This. Usually, it is the rings/bases that are the issue, not the optic (assuming you bought a good quality item). You should buy the best rings/bases you can and learn to install them properly, or pay a quality gunsmith to do so. It makes all the difference.

[Garrett Harlan]

Had zero issue with my scope (Vortex Viper) all season long. Shot a handful of deer/pigs right where I was aiming. Deer season ended and my family had book a weekend hunt/vaction at the YO Schriner ranch for Sika, Axis and Red Stag.

Went out to check zero and my rifle was shooting 5" left @100yrd. Tried adjusting the E/W turret and it brought it over only to 3". Kept adjusting the turret and would not bring the zero any closer than 3" to the left @100yrd. Now the rifle is locked into place, on a solid shooting plateform, scope rings properly tightened with 5 different shooters testing it out and all same results.

Long story short I ended up using my brother's 308 to kill a sika and sent my scope of Vortex after the hunt. Vortex couldnt find anything wrong with it either, so they sent it back after testing the zero and giving it a clean. Remounted it and it has never given me an issue since. Super weird, never droped it and transported the gun in a hard case from the safe to the time I checked zero at the ranch.

[trophy8]

Leupold and tally both make excellent rings. I’ve had tally’s on multiple dangerous game rifles without ever having an issue. They get banged around and taken on and off and have yet to lose zero after 15 years. I had my nightforce in a set of leupold mark 4 rings get thrown out of a Polaris a few years ago at 40 mph, we came across some nilgai before I was able to check zero, but it was fine and added some nilgai to the freezer from 300 yards.

I won’t run Talley again. Saw one on a TC pro hunter 30/06 literally snap in half and the gun had only been shot at the range. It was properly torqued. They replaced them under warranty. But still. Big believer in if something breaks, it gets upgraded.

I do have Talley steel bases and rings on a Marlin 45/70 that were case colored to match the receiver and all. I hope they never give me an issue cuz that wasn’t cheap.

[Raider4044]

rings are important, 100% agree, but assume you have a good set of rings and they’re properly torqued… what kind of force do you think would actually knock off a scope? if you’re walking through the woods and rack the scope on a tree, or if you lean it against a truck or a ground blind and it falls directly on the scope, would you expect it (and be confident) that it’s still holding zero?

Totally depends on the quality of the optic. I can beat the crap out of a NF, Leupold Mk5, Vortex Razor, etc and not hesitate to take a shot at 500+. Complete different story when you start talking a $150-200 budget scope.

The hardest fall I think I’ve had was with a Vortex Razor LHT mounted on an AR during a varmint hunt. It took a tumble off the side of the bed rail of a pickup onto a caliche road. Hit the ground hard enough to leave a decent dent in the scope objective. I didn’t trust it after that and had to test the zero before we kept hunting, but it was still dead on. I was pretty impressed. I kept using it like that for several months before I sent it back to Vortex.


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[HunterB]

I’ve only ever used the two piece tally’s with their standard base for bolt guns. Mostly with the QD levers on a .375 H&H and .416 Rigby. Those have never let me or my father down after 30 years of using them, I’ll definitely be wary of the one piece mounts though.


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[Gunnyart]

Lapping in the rings for full contact will give you the best chance to minimize movement also.

[Raider4044]

Lapping in the rings for full contact will give you the best chance to minimize movement also.

I’ll go ahead and say it. Quality rings shouldn’t need lapping…..






That should get this thread going. [emoji16]


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