The place I love to hunt big mulies has the most treacherous ground I've ever hunted in my 60 yrs. of big game hunting. You learn to pay alot of attention to how well your feet stay put on the ground as you move. What happens is as you take a step, half way through it, the ground lets go under you. Sometimes you can catch yourself be finding something solid with the other foot, but sometimes it just can't be done. Every year I've hunted there, and that goes back to 1977, I've had at least one instance where I've hit the ground.
Not anything I'd ever do in the way of scope testing. It has just worked out that way.
Usually, I throw the rifle clear so I can use both hands to break the fall. Sometimes I haven't been able to do even that. But, usually I can. I have yet to injure myself much, but my poor rifles have taken a beating. So have the scopes on them.
What amazes me is how well they've held up. I have yet had to rezero any of them. Even my old 4X B&L, which came down on the front end of the scope survived. Loosend the frong ring on my Ruger rifle, but the scope was, and still is, fine.
The list is kind of extensive. My old M8, 4X has endured three hard falls. Once, when I tripped on a snag in Montana, the rifle was launched off of my shoulder. My newer FXII, 4X also had a similar shoulder height free fall.
Went down once with my old 3-9X33 Compact. The scope hit the ground hard on the windage adjustment side.
My old M8 6X42 and my newer FX3, 6X42 have also been so treated. Again, no damage, and no loss of zero.
The latest to survive my special "rock test" was my new 1.5-4X VX2 Scout Scope. I pushed the rifle away from me at chest height and it landed on it's left side. Nice ding on the scope's bell. But hold zero it did. Magnication change OK as well.
Want to know why I like Leupolds ? This is why. E
Last edited by Oheremicus; 12/23/16.
