E,

I/we have done exactly that. In direct comparison, that means same guns, same abuse, same ranges and same conditions those scope I listed perform as they should. I can't say the same amount of rounds because others just don't last.

Just looking at zero retention, reliability and durability, understanding that most don't dial, when viewed in large numbers scopes fail.... a lot. Granted, most hunters won't shoot a thousand rounds in their lifetime, which I do on a regular basis in a week, but still your Ziess/Swarovski/Leupold variable hunting scopes pale in comparison. Not that they won't work (though often times they don't) but that there are more inconsistencies day to day.

They'll be a dozen guys who will come on here stomping their feet screaming that their _______ scope has worked for ______ amount of time and always stays zeroed. When true this has more to do with them shooting only from a covered bench, shooting 20 rounds a year, shooting 3 round groups, and excusing "fliers", the wind, "just having an off day" or other such nonsense. Start shooting 10 round groups that are actually zeroed (yes even with hunting rifles), stop treating the guns as if they were newborn babies, start ahooting from field positions and stop with excuses and you will see that very few scope maintain POA/POI at all times.

My routine whether it is an issued M4 or 6lb hunting rifle every time I go to the range is the same. They guns get zeroed with ten round groups at the start. And by zeroed I mean zeroed. POA/POI.

Like this-

[Linked Image]

The POA was the tip of the black diamond that used to be there.


Then every time it gets shot the zero is checked. Not with one or two rounds but a no kidding group. No excuses. Whether it has been a week or a year Any deviation is unacceptable. If the optic will be dialed then a tracking test is preformed at the start and rechecked every so often. Again, any deviation is unacceptable. That not to say that all will actually adjust exactly .25moa or .1mil or whatever, but it better adjust consistently and correctly every time.






In the last two months on personally owned guns we've had a Leupold 6.5-20x40mm fail (Leupold replaced the entire erector system) a Leupold 6-18x (which are known problem scopes) with dead spots in the travel, a Vortex Viper PST that is showing some inconsistencies, and one of my 3-9x40mm Leupolds with an M1 that has been solid for 5 years or so (but only a couple hundred rounds on a light 243win) have a 1 MOA zero shift. The 3-9x40mm was rezeroed and will be watched like a hawk. One more issue and it comes off the gun. Truthfully the only reason that it is still on there is because I want to see how long it goes before doing it again.





All this isn't to say that if you have a variable Leupold/Ziess/Swarovski except for a few notable exceptions, that it will blow up on you or that they're not "good" scopes, it's to say that under real use they have a higher rate of problems. The average hunter will never wear out most scopes..... or barrels....