Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Exposed Turrets on Hunting Scope

I`ve been hunting BG with them for the past 8 years now, and more than 15 for varmints..carrying on shoulder with sling..have not had one move...but always check when I stop moving.

I posted up watching a saddle one evening elk hunting and noticed my CDS dial was 180 degrees off zero.
Had to pull out the bolt and "bore sight" to see which way to turn it back.
Started to use tape on it for a while, and then the irony dawned on me that a $400 scope needed a piece of tape to function and got rid of it.

It’s going through dense foliage/alders for miles and climbing over/under blowdown that moves them while slung. Not to mention the occasional tumble. More open hiking hasn’t presented much of an issue. That being said, I have killed a big bull moose on the Yukon, a brown bear on kodiak, and a BnC Black Bear and many bucks with a Leupold 6x42 and CDS with LR reticle. Tape doesn’t scare me.

I primarily use the SWFA scopes and have carried them now for a few years. I have not had an issue, but I also try to pay attention to the turret before I shoot.

The newer VX5 series have that same reticle, you have to push a button to turn it. I just carried one for a week in Mexico through nasty stuff at times- never moved and was dead on when I needed to make a shot. My buddy's March has moved a couple of times. It is too easy to twist. I have seen some guys carry with the neoprene scope covers on. When hunting coues deer the way I do, you almost never need to make a quick shot. You are hiking a couple of miles, setting up and then making a stalk. Tape would be a non-issue.

I like to carry my rifle in an Eberlestock scabbard on my pack. I have heard several horror stories about turrets being spun a little when removing from a scabbard so I have steered away from them. But I'm old school and like simple duplex reticles and sight in at 200yards - set it an forget it type. I know what my hold over looks like at 300-500 yards with a simple duplex reticle and super precision is not really necessary on the mule deer and occasional elk that I hunt. If I were to sit in a blind or stand (beanfield style) then turrets may be a better option but for quick, simple and dependable - hard to beat the old standby on a hunting scope. Varmints/Targets are a different story and I could easily see the benefit of turrets. Just depends on what your goal is.

Checking the turret when you remove/unsling/get behind the gun, seems to be beyond some.

+1 and a small piece of 3M's 33 for those that can't.

You don't always have time.........I can think of several instances where it was up/ on/ shoot - would have missed out on a 7x8 bull elk one time if I would have taken even a couple extra seconds to check.

Yeah, it takes a lot of time to twist to your zero stop as you raise the rifle. But, if it really was up/on/shoot, the rifle was already in your hands. And if it was in your hands, it coulda/woulda/shoulda been ready to go on 'up'. But OK, you win....

I’ve been shooting exposed turret scopes for at least 14 years and I’ve not had a problem.

I’ve tracked a lot of shot hogs through very heavy brush and I’ve been careful to see if the turrets have been turned by the brush. The scope is a Vortex Viper 4-16 gen 1, and the turret hasn’t been turned even one click so far. Folks talking about turrets turning has kept me alert to it, and that is bound to save my bacon (pun intended) eventually.

I have a Leupold VX-R 30mm with the top turret exposed and it definitely made a significant turn, probably from going in and out of the padded guncase it rides in. I turned it back to zero and it went back to hitting where it was supposed to. Lucky that was only during the target shooting time of year. It is on my favorite big game rifle so now I know to watch. Only happened that once.

Probably not hard to keep it from moving while putting it in/out of a padded case, if a guy ain't in la-la land......

Leupold introduced a new Zero lock turret with 3 rotations up and 1/2 down for the VX-5.

Might just be a good answer.

I run Leupold CDS scopes and have had the custom shop add windage MOA knob also. I have had zero problems with them as when I hunt I keep the knobs away from my body when carrying them on a sling and when I put it in the Eberlestock just one pack just a quick check when I take my rifle out of the pack. I have never had them move more than 4 or 5 clicks just urn windage knob back and the elevation has a zero stop. Easy

I've been using a Schmidt & Bender 4 to 16 X 50 PMII for around 20 years now and have had no problems at all. Took my buck this past season at 453 yds and a doe at 285 yds. 2 shots, 2 dead deer. Nothing to complain about here.

DonKnows

I have a VX-5HD with a two-turn lock, and a VX-3i with a one-turn lock. It's a damn good answer given the clicks are relatively "soft" on the CDS system.