My neighbor has a gun that I worked a load up for that was shooting 1/4 moa groups. All of a sudden it started shooting 2 moa. We went back to the drawing board and tried a few more loads with no luck. He sent the Zeiss 4-14x44 scope to Zeiss and 5 months later he gets a new Hd5 3-15x42 scope in the mail after having to get down right obscene with them on the phone several times. We get the scope mounted and it still won't shoot. We try 4 different powders and 5 types of bullets and can't get it to shoot anything. He sent the gun off of Hill Country rifles for their accurizing package a month ago and gets a call yesterday that they put a Meopta scope on it and ran some factory corbon ammo through it and it's shooting bug holes, nothing wrong with the gun but the scope was crapped out and would not adjust properly. When he gets that call he is trying to sight in a gun with an identical 3-15x42 for a kid that lives down the street who's dad could not get the brand new scope to zero. He looked through the scope at the the cross hairs and they are not moving when he cranks on the turrets. Another bad scope. When he called to tell me this yesterday I was leaving the range after mounting a 6.5-20x50 from camera land on a gun of mine that had a good scope on it but I wanted more magnification.:( Is this a common issue with Zeiss conquest scopes or is he just having the best run of bad luck in modern history? I zero'd mine in but have not shot it at distance to check the tracking. It zero'd fine but it's on a large caliber gun that has muzzlebrake but still has considerable recoil and I'm worried like hell right now. I have a very good draw hunt coming up and the last thing I need to worry about is a high dollar scope crapping out on me.
I have used, Leupold, Zeiss, Khales, Swarovski, Nikon, Burris, and Bushnell scopes, from high end models to low end stuff on occasion. Every single brand has failed on me at one point, sometimes I was on a hunt, sometimes I was just out shooting.
One thing you can guarantee is, that if you use schit, you'll break schit.
I started using Leupold almost exclusively because they give me the least amount of grief when I send my broken schit back in to get fixed.
I wouldn't take an unproven scope on any hunt, regardless of brand.
That being said...I've killed two Conquests. Like most scopes, I think the rebuilt ones are probably better than the ones new out of the box. I have a 3-9 on my 338 Win mag and it works, but it was already rebuilt once.
What kind of rings is he using, and does he crank them "farmer tight?"
These were my thoughts too. Were the rings checked for alignment and/or lapped? Since it's happening on the same rifle(I believe) it could be that there's some misalignment between the receiver/mount combination.
Pressure of over-tightened rings in just the wrong spot can break/ bend internals and cause problems.
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What kind of rings is he using, and does he crank them "farmer tight?"
These were my thoughts too. Were the rings checked for alignment and/or lapped? Since it's happening on the same rifle(I believe) it could be that there's some misalignment between the receiver/mount combination.
Pressure of over-tightened rings in just the wrong spot can break/ bend internals and cause problems.
Yep.
I used to use and recommend Warne rings a bunch. But I quit after some bad ones got out and friends and I ran into them. With the out of round and/or ring half misalignment I found it would be real easy to screw up a scope.
I have 26 Leupolds and smaller numbers of other brands. Scopes almost never fail, but many think they have. What does happen half the time is the screws clamping the base to the rifle receiver become loose. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troubleshooting
When I go to the range I take tools and straighten out a number of rifles and help others with their problems.
When I see two holes in the target over here, followed by two holes in the target over there, I would wager 10:1 it is not turret backlash, it is loose base screws.
So if you take off the scope, tighten the base screws, put on a new scope, and it now works.... what was causing the problem? You don't know, you have an out of control variable. But most people do not have that kind of mental discipline and will think they know.
Here is an 11 second video I made showing a test for scope tracking:
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. -Ernest Hemingway The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.-- Edward John Phelps
Scopes almost never fail, but many think they have.
Scopes are full of moving parts held in place by springs. If you don't think they never fail, then you obviously don't shoot much. Don't feel bad, most people don't shoot on this site.
Talk to LEUPOLD and they will tell you that their scopes are good for about six thousand 308 win rounds then they need a rebuild. My rule is when the barrel is shot out I send the scope back while the gun is getting a new pipe.
My experience largely mirrors heavywalker. I have had eventual failures with all brands I have tried.
I have been perhaps most disappointed by Zeiss Conquest. I put a 3-9 on my dad's 6.5x55. After perhaps 50 rounds it would not hold zero or track properly. Returned it. After a long wait (can't remember) they sent a new 3-9. In less than 20 rounds the new one not holding zero or tracking. Sent it back. After a long wait, I called asking what is going on. The lady looked up the records and confirmed that both scopes failed. I suspect the second one sent was a refurbished because the serial number was lower than the first one I sent in. She then sent and new HD5 which has held up well.
The next problem is that while I was waiting for dad's second scope to be fixed I bought a 3-10 with z600 recticle. Well that one survived about 100 rounds on my 270 WSM and died. It is still at Zeiss.
The glass is beautiful to look through, I really wished they would work. The mechanics just don't hold up.
Interesting thread. I run Leupold scopes almost exclusively. No particular reason other than they work for me and why fix something that's not broken. I did send in an older 3.5x10 and had it back in a week with a nice letter from the folks at Leupold.
Ended up getting a brand new T3 in 30-06 and am in the market for glass and thought Zeiss would be a good brand to try for the heck of it. The Conquest has mixed reviews so chances are I'll stick to Leupold.
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
