Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Tract and Leupold drop test

People put up a demand for "long range" scopes... look what happened.

I mean everyone has their choices if it's ok with you that your scope is fragile... rock on.

Thanks for the test Sam! And Wow the fixed Leupold actually did better than the Toric!

Did the scopes hit harder than it looks? Appears that the grass and leaves made for a pretty cush landing....
Recoil seems like it would be harder on the scope than that.

I knock mine around much more than that, just in normal hunting. You should have seen the wipe out I did the other day. I had to look for my rifle. Corks from here on out...(grin)

Yeah - truly enlightening to see how hardcore some of you guys "hunt". Duly noted when these same people have any opinion of gear or well, pretty much anything...

Never fallen with your rifle? Laughable...

I've gone back to iron sights.


I can't guess how many rifles I've had to 'retrieve' over the years. The worse is having to wait 3 hours for the tide to drop before you can get your rifle back.

Dang, this thread is depressing. Do I have a chance in hades of killing anything this year, or should I start scope shopping now? I can always put my SS 3-9x42 on that 7-08 if I have to (helluva good scope IMO).

A couple of years ago I launched my rifle from the ATV, case and all (mount broke). Looked like a wagon wheel for about 10 yards. Yes, I did have to re-zero! Dropped mine several times in Namiiba, mostly the low hanging branches and such would snag it off my shoulder.

Most manufacturers do not test or build scope for side impacts. It's amazing how little it takes to knock one off.









JG,

That green rifle is as ugly as I've ever seen......








Can I have it?

Never said I haven't fallen. Said I've never dropped my rifle. Big difference. In fact I've fallen several times. It's inevitable when hunting steep country in snow/ice/mud/. My rifle has never been allowed to hit the ground yet however. I guess some of us are just more coordinated and/or know how to negotate steep terrain while keeping our rifles from harm better than others. Thinking back, I've hunted many years with my dad, brothers and friends and can't recall a single rifle dropped among any of us.

Laughing with you...

I've had some interesting falls as well....

What's in the little silver box?

I need some mil/mil lessons.......maybe we can work something out.

That's definitely an interesting problem Scott....grin..

Ammo case that goes with me to Africa. It's required.

I pulled a good one a while back. I leaned my rifle against my back tire after getting done calling. Put my gear up,except for my rifle, and drove off. Made it a little ways before I realized I left my rifle against the tire. I went back and there it was in the dirt,where it had fallen.I took it home and checked the zero. It was still spot on,no adjustments needed. A well bedded Mc Milan stock,a good pic rail and a SS 3x15 scope. It just never moves, even when it probably should.

atse, if I may hijack for a minute.....how do you like that SS 3-15? In talking to my mentor the other day (GregW), I complained to him that while I really have warmed up to my 3-9 SS, my 56 yr old eyeballs sometimes like more magnification. He suggested it may be one for me to consider. What say you?

I'd say scope makers responded to a developing market, which isn't quite the same thing, but whatever.

As far as "fragile" scopes are concerned, I'm willing to trade off some durability for a reduction in weight, better eye relief, compactness, and a good hunting reticle. Almost 50 years experience has proven that's a good compromise for me. I've never had a scope break in the field, or even fog up internally, and in the past I hunted in whatever weather happened along when I was able to get out. I don't bang my rifles around on ATVs or the back of pickups and I'm careful to set them down so they won't fall over. Over the years, ordinary Weavers (El Paso), Leupolds, and even a few Bushnells have worked perfectly fine in set-and-forget mode, with Leupolds being the most satisfactory in general. Now that I have the time and a place to fiddle around on a range a good bit, I'm also interested in scopes that have accurate and consistent adjustments. That ain't any Leupold I've ever had, so I bought a 6x SS last Spring, and it works like everybody said it would, but it's not a good scope for a lot of the hunting I do mostly because the reticle is too fine for dim light (proven, not just rumor) and it's too bulky for poking through the bushes. Put low, covered turrets on it and give it a good duplex like the SHV or something like the TPlex in the Tracts and I'll buy at least three of them. In the mean time, I bought a heavily discounted Japanese Tract Tekoa, and I'm hoping for the best. In the event one of my Leupolds fails or I just get an itch, I'll probably get an 3-10 SHV with the Forceplex as that seems to combine just about everything I want and is sturdy as well. I can do $850 for all that.

Its a great scope. I like the knobs on the 3x9 better as they are smaller and stiffer. The turrets on the 3x15 can get moved accidentally once in a while. The glass is still very good,and the 2 that we have, are rock solid reliable. Always return to zero ect. ect. I do most of my hunting with it,although I think the 3x9 is a better hunting scope due to reticle size, and the turrets .

Give me a shout anytime.