BlackBart,
Since my last post I looked over my shooting notes some more and found:
1) A 6x scope of European make went on a test-loaner .300 Winchester Magnum for 50-60 rounds, performing fine. The next rifle I put it on was a Tikka T3 Lite in .260 Remington, whereupon the rifle started throwing "fliers." I put a proven scope on the .260 (in fact a variable) and it shot very well. Apparently the .300 shook the 6x up just enough to have it go to pieces on the .260.
2) A popular European 3-9x variable, the same brand as the two broken scopes mentioned in my previous post, has been on various rifles for almost 500 rounds and is still working fine. But over 400 of those rounds were on a .17 Fireball and a .222 Remington.
Have had other variables go screwy a .240 Weatherby and a .257 Roberts within less than 100 rounds. Both scopes were very popular brands, and cost several hundred bucks. Both rifles were very light, but still....
All of which is why the vast majority of variables I own are on rifles chambered for cartridges no larger than the .243 Winchester, while the majority of my rifles that kick harder have fixed-power scopes or "tactical" style variables that hold up better than typical 1"-tubed hunting variables.
However, there is one brand of 1" variable I've almost never had problems with, but won't mention the name here because it would risk cardiac arrest in some Campfire members. Let's just say it doesn't cost anywhere near $500.
Have now had 17 different brands of scopes fail from sheer shooting. That is brands, not individual scopes.
