Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Scopes, How Long They Will Last Before Failing to Hold Zero

How many rounds do you think most scopes will take before starting not to hold zero, in round like the 25-06, 243, 308, etc's?

I have a Leupold straight 4 on a Savage 99 308 that is between 40 and 50 years old and the 99 has been shot a lot and it still holds zero. I don't know if this is typical or I am just plain lucky. I also have one of their first 2-7's on a 243 but it doesn't have the recoil factor the 308 has.

I have a ten year old Nightforce NXS 5.5x22 that has over 5,000 rounds atop 7WSM's, 100's of rounds atop 338 Lapuas, and then 1,000's of rounds atop 308 and various others 243, 260, 308, and 300WM during load development. Still works perfectly and still is the scope I use to check new rifles. I sent it back to have a zero stop added once NF started offering that as an option, which is the only time I have ever sent a scope back to NF. In typing this, makes me realize that most of the rifles have moved on, but the scope still remains.

I have seen some models/brands (who shall remain nameless) fail in less than a box of shells. In some cases, the cross-hairs fell out in others they just lost their seals. Of course their manufacturers repaired/replaced them quickly. (lot of good that does you when they fail on the stand or on that trip 'out west').
Like Coyote talks about, I have 2 old Weavers that my Dad bought in the early and mid-fifties. Both still hold zero and, other than sending one back to have it cleaned(The old Weaver customer service in El Paso was quick and amazing, even purged it, cleaned the internal glass and re-filled with whatever inert gas they use).
I have a friend that has a 300 WM that has around 2000 rounds of rather 'robust' loads through it. His Leupold VXII is nearly 40 years old and still going strong. He says he's tried other brands/models/magnifactions etc but always goes back to his 'faithful' Lupe (as he spells it).

I'll bet that most are designed to fail starting at 200 rounds and no more then 600 rounds unless they are military app.

Really, 200-600 rds. ? I've got an old B&L, 4X I bought in 1972, and a 7.5XAO Leupold that I bought second hand made from that time. Both have over 600 rds. on them w/o lost of zero....
Then there is my old Leupold 4X that I bought back in 1984. Again, even after some nasty falls, never had to be rezeroed unless I changed ammo.
How about an old 3.5-10X40 VariXIII ? Bought in the mid 90's. Never lost zero.
A 3-9X33 Compact Leupold. Nasty falls and all, never lost zero.
I have managed to break a few reticles, but I could still use the scope.....
I have one "military grade" scope. It's a VX-R Patrol, 1.25-4X. Some may argue that it's a "cop scope" and not true military. Oh, well. E

If you exclude the bottom rung scopes, I'd say that I'd expect the barrel to need replacement before scope failure to hold zero on rounds generating 20 or less foot pounds of energy, provided they were properly mounted and not dropped on the scope.

When you get into 40 foot pounds of energy and more, then I wouldn't be surprised to find the occasional scope failure, but I'd still expect the majority of quality scopes to handle 1000 plus rounds just fine.

Had to look it up, remembered reading this in a Weaver catalog...

"Classic K-Series™ fixed power scopes are built to take heavy recoil punishment and hold zero to 10,000 rounds from a .375 H&H magnum rifle."

Don't know if it's true or not, but, I have yet to have one fail.

Now that's funny!

I've got way over 600 rounds with a leupy 2.5-8x36 and way over 600 rounds on a leupy 6x42 that were mounted on the same 375H&H. Not shooting reduced loads either full house 260gr to 300gr.

When I was shooting my Rem 40X in 308win a lot. I know I shot well over 3000 round on a leupy 3.5-10.

Due to swapping scopes or having scopes on rifles that don't get shot much I've only tested a handful.

Trijicon 2.5-10x56 on 30-06 Benelli, ~1600 rounds, no problems. The scope consistently held zero/tracked predictability until taken off. Didn't get dialed very much but worked well when it did. Now sitting in my closet looking for a rifle.

Leupold FX3 6-42 on two differnt lightweight 7mm-08's. After ~1200 rounds it lost zero and quit tracking. Was repaired by Leupold, now resides on 30-06, ~200 rounds - no problems.

Bushnell 2.5-16x42 6500 on 338Fed, ~1600 rounds the scope failed wouldn't track or hold zero. Unlike the Leupold, this was not a sudden drastic failure. Sent back to Bushnell who stated it coukd not be repaired and eventually they sent me a brand new replacement. Sold both scope and rifle.

SWFA SS 3-9x42, 6.5mm Creedmoor ~600 rounds. After ~200 rounds the graduation scale on the turret came loose. A generous dollop of super glue (as prescribed by Tanner) and the scope has had no more issues. This scope gets dialed a lot, has never been rezeroed.

SWFA SS 6x42 ~200 rounds 7mm-08, ~5-6000 precharge air rifle. No recoil to speak of with air rifle, but LOTS of dialing! Scope has never been rezeroed on air rifle, functions perfectly.

SWFA SS 3-15x42 ~800 rounds 223. Not much recoil but lots of dialing. Flawless. Never been rezeroed, tracks perfectly.

Leupold 6x42 w/ M1 Turrett installed, ~120 rounds on lightweight 7mm-08. Relatively new and not shot much but no problems so far.

David

I've got a Weaver K-3 from the 60's and a K-2.5 from the late 70's that still work perfectly and are still in use. Both have spent a considerable amount of time on various 12 gauge slug guns over the past 40 years where they were subject to several hundred rounds each at the very least. One year I put nearly 300 slugs of various manufacture through a rifled 870 with the k-2.5 on board. That scope is currently mounted on my Marlin 336 .30-30 and that rifle is one of my main venison getters. The scope wouldn't be on Ol' git meat if it didn't work as it should.

I don't think you can really put a number on it.

Most would go at least a new tube but that can vary from less than 1000 rounds to over 10,000 depending...

I had a tasco... yeah I know, that I used for testing 223 ammo for years.. it took a lot of shots, I can't say how many though, but likely close to 10,000.

It failed a few years back finally.

I"ve sent every brand of scope in for fixing though and all have made me happy so far.

A recent Zeiss they claimed they could not repair, and simply upgraded it to the next level since it was no longer made, AND gave me target turrets in the process since I"d asked for them when it was fixed... NO charge... that scope had lived on a 338 win mag for 10 years or so, guides gun, bounced a LOT in planes etc... and then I had it for close to 10 on a 308 bolt that got shot a fair amount... it was not babied...

I'd think the rubber seals will dry rot and fail long before most decent scopes break internally. At least in those calibers and barring a hard fall. Or if you just got a lemon which does happen at times.

I've read, but cannot confirm that about 30 years or so is the life expectancy of the seals. Some scopes last longer with no problems, but I'd not take a scope made in the 1980's on an expensive hunt no matter how well it has proven its self in the past.

Weaver K2.5. Had it since 1964, it's older than that. On a 22 Hornet since I've had it.

Weaver K4. Came new on a Marlin M444 in the mid to late 60s. Been on a 1903 sporter for 24 years.

Weaver V12. Had it since the early 70s, on various centerfires and one rimfire since.

Tasco WC 6x24x40AO (Japan). On same 25-06 since about 1980. Well over a thousand rounds on this 'un.

Bushnell Banner 4x12x40AO (Japan). Been on the same M700 25-06 since 1978 or thereabouts.

Leupold VXII 3x9x40. Been on a M77 25-06 since the late 70s.

These are some of my oldest scopes, none of which have ever caused me any lost sleep, or lost game.

With a forever warranty that doesn't give a ratsass who was the original or the 20th owner

Leupolds are designed to take more than 200 rounds.....tff

I think older Leupolds are built better then what is offered today, based on numbers returned over the years by friends of mine. I never had a issue with a Leupold failing to hold zero.

I find most scopes that are going to fail do this almost immediately.

I had 2 Swaro 4-12x50 scopes both fail under a box of ammo. There is zero chance I buy another.

Fixed powers should last longer, less moving parts.

I'm not a bettin man, but if I were, I take you up on that bet...very quickly.

A friend of mine passed down to me a 200th year Ruger in 270. Hes is just shy of 400 documented kills with rifle scope combo.
It wears a Leu. Vari-x III in controle mounts. The scope is one of the early ones with the blue tint flouride coatings.

When scope was purchased and mounted, a load was developed with IMR 4831 and 130 Hornady SP. After dialing in the load and scope, the settings have never been touched.

I have a VX-2 mounted on an 06. I have 273 rounds through it. After load work up, I have never adjusted the settings.

I cannot same the same for some of the Tascos that I once bought.

So what you're saying is I've fallen a bunch of times, but don't shoot a lot as this thread is about scopes failing due to accumulative recoil....not clumsy hunters. We've all heard this story about the 3 or 4 scopes you've owned over 50 years of hunting E, but your cut and paste, one size fits all, rah rah Leupy posts are irrelevant to the topic here. Maybe you could resurrect some of those DEVA posts that are 30 years old as well.

600 rounds? tff

You guys don't shoot nearly enough