Let me try to re-phrase my question with a bit more detail: We're not always in the type of situation where it's convenient to check zero by shooting: sometimes you're back in the bush and simply don't want to shoot in the area you're hunting. If you have a severe fall, I'd do it anyway. But how about a more minor fall of the rifle: say you've leaned it up against a tree or large rock and it slips off onto the ground. This is with a good quality scope and mount properly mounted. Just trying to get a feel of how such a relatively minor fall would likely effect zero. thanks for the responses.
It was my first out of state elk hunt. Rifle was a Mark X Alaskan in .375 H&H, scope an IIRC 1.5x5X Redfield. Not sure if the 1.5 is correct. Rifle was leaning against a tree when I left to do a call of nature and on the ground when I came back,
Set a cardboard box up at 25 paces and the shot was about 4 inches off POA. There wasn't enough adjustment in the scope to bring it even close. I took it off and did the rest of the hunt using the iron sights. That's when I learned that one should always have a back up rifle, especially if hunting out of state. All my previous hunt had ben in my home state where a drive to get another rifle would not have been a problem. I've have three scopes self destruct though, two at the range and one on a hunt. I held for a broadside lung shot on a cow elk at 350 yards and the bullet hit her at the base of the skull breaking her neck. A check at the range a few days later proved the scope had gone toes up. I have to think that shot on the elk has to be one of the luckiest shots I've ever made.
Paul B.
