Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics .300's eating scopes

Ya'll don't giggle...but I traded into a used Wby MK V 300Wby 1st Gen SS/FiberClass that weighed about 7lbs bare nekkid umm 15+ years ago. I got rid of it finally when I saw that the stock around the receiver was bowing on recoil, and spraying bullets vertically,but holding a 1/2+ wide group side to side....up to 3-4"s tall. I had run out of extra money and traded a used garden tiller for a New Swift 4x12x40 AO Premier Grade and put mebbe 100+ rounds out of the Wby, wearing the Swift before I gave up & swapped it for a M70 Classic Boss 338WMg & took some boot too. I hope that guy that smirked at me enjoyed that Wby as much as I had, LOL

Picked up a Savage 300Wmg ss/syn and shot it for 3-4 years with the Swift on top & getting sub MOA with ease, then traded into a Browning ABolt SS/syn 300Wmg (from the 338 M70) and got bored with it not getting more than 7/8" MOA's with fighting the trigger fixes with the Swift on top, traded the Browning on a M70 Classic SS/syn 300WMg where the Swift lived for mebbe 5 years & averaging MOA to less with 3 different bullet wieghts and brands...and sold the Swift earlier this year for $75...with mebbe 1000+ rounds of 300 Magnums shot under it.

The old white lettering Swift was still solid, moved the crosshairs as it was supposed to, and still held Zero with no fooling around to make it work & no dimmer than it always was.

But my eyes are getting dimmer at past 70 and it was time to upgrade some glass & I picked up a 2-10x50 Minox ZA5 HD to go on a T3 260, Vortex 4x16 Dback HP to go on a T3 270 & another Burris FF II in a 4.5x14PA to replace a FF II 3x9x40 to go on a M70 300Whizzum( I've had 5 or 6 of 'em and NEVER had a lick of concern or a problem so far) ...BUT Ya'll are making me wonder if I made a mistake selling the Swift, as it was always a better performing product than any rifle it lived on.

I don't shoot a 300 Wby or WMg anmymore, but am starting on settling a Cherry late run NH 300Whizzum Fwt so we'll see what happens there. Whatever scope brand out of those 3 Brands I am the most satisfied with will get all my business in the next year or so.

Wife wants me to sell 'em all and buy ONE $3K+ GUN since I don't hunt near as much as I used to...Not gonna happen...but the price point $$ might happen if I can get into LR Precision Steel & 'yotes n'hogs without her knowing it...and we'll start this odyssey again.
Ron

interesting reading, I've had my swaro z3 3-10x42 on my 7 3/4 lbs. 300 H&H for perhaps 5 years now, I suppose 350-400 rounds without issue yet, I guess any scope can go south. But I will admit once I got my 300 H&H load work done I've not fiddled with adjustments much.

The shv and compact nightforce models are like 4 oz heavier. Leupolds break even on low recoil guns

Wondering if that 300 H&H's kinder and more gently recoil makes the difference. I absolutely hate shooting 300 win mags but no issues with a 300 wby 338 win.

I have to wonder if there is something about your setup that's stressing the scope more than usual. I would definitely call Leupold CS and discuss your problem, rather than just send it back again. Possibly that scope has a problem that doesn't show up under normal repair procedures. They might well just replace it rather than spend a lot of time diagnosing it.

Good luck.

I have the same gun , and can understand why some scopes may not stay on them long. It's not that the gun kicks so excessively. But the recoil comes at you Fast! I think recoil velocity is the real culprit. I have a 6x weaver on mine and no issues thus far.

I must be lucky. Leupold scopes on everything ranging from 416 Rigby, 340 & 300 Weatherbys for over 20 years and never an issue..

Do you shoot off a lead sled????

Huntz,

No lead sled. I have about 20 Leupolds so this is not about slamming Leupold just problems with this one. I have Leupolds on some ultra light arms rifles and they have held up on those.
One rifle, a .300 WSM ate a Swarovoski AV in 40-50 rounds. I replaced it with a 2.5X8 Leupold and it lasted for several hundred until I eventually sold it.

So I am guessing this particular scope may just have a problem that Leupold may figure out on this go around.

I may spring for a NF or something else?

Lefty

Still trying to break my 1st Loopy. Yes, I shoot with a Lead Sled a lot. Surpised someone got a 6x42 to go TU. I have an M8 and just bought an FX-3 6x42. I'll keep tryin' . . . .

Leupold, Redfield, Weaver, and Bushnell and never sent a scope back. I've had mounting systems shear off, but the scopes have held up.

I've handled a NULA in 300 Weatherby. That ought to be a scope testing platform.

+1 That sums it up. I would rather lug around another pound around on my rifle and be sure it hits where I want it to, that's why I use Nightforce. You can save all the weight you want, but if it don't hold zero or tracks well or even fails and its off 4" at 100 yards, take that out to 300 yards that's minute of barn door.

+1

And, a shoulder, headache testing machine...

DF

Lead sleds will tear the best of the best scopes apart with heavy recoiling rifles. I built a 338-416 Rigby for a buddy of mine, and he wanted a 14 pound or less gun. Well he mounted a Leupold 6.5X20 LRT on it took it to the range. He didn't have a muzzle break on it which I advised against and he had to use his lead sled with 2 bag of shot with I also told him was bad idea. Well first shot out of the rifle he wore the Leupold in the middle of his for head, I took 16 stiches to repair his head. Sheared the scope right off the gun. Now he wont use a lead sled and he loves his muzzle break. Lead sleds are bad news for scopes, mounts and even the stocks.

I've seen more than one stock damaged at the wrist when shot on lead sleds.


I haven't seen a satisfactory explanation of how lead sleds damage scopes. The "physics" I've come across in such conversations, e.g. "the recoil has to go somewhere," hasn't cut the mustard.

Please note I'm not saying anything about an observed increased frequency of scope failure correlating with lead sled use.

If it will break the stock what do you think it will do to the scope.

PM Mule Deer and run the problem by him. He may figure out the problem PDQ. He's busted some scopes.

I wont even let a lead sled on my range, not after I seen what can happen. You can bring it, but it wont leave your car, if it does your and your lead sled can leave my property.

Not trying to be a smart allack; but, why gemby? Is there some danger to others around? I've never heard of any such thing; but, I guess there's always a first.