Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Suddenly Scattered Shots

I’ll reiterate this.

Getting everything right with vertically split rings is substantially more difficult than with other designs.

I doesn’t take much misalignment and/or excess clamping force and/or out of round rings to stress an optic. The consequences are magnified when dealing with a lightly built optic.

When you inspected the scope on the mirror, was it still mounted on the rifle?

Did you use a quality set of scope alignment bars to see if the rings when mounted to the base are lined up (both parallel and in the same plane)?

So what rings do you recommend without breaking the bank.

And I also heard a lot of Leupold horror stories. I’ll need to research some scope test methods beyond RiverRider’s helpful mirror test if my re-mounting efforts don’t work. I really wish I had another scope to try but that not an option at the moment.

If you are referring to a trigger guard screw, my particular rifle uses the rear action screw to hold my trigger assembly in place.

First thing I did was check my bedding from action to stock and it still looks great. I bedded it last year and it still fits like a glove after a lot of use.

You need a mounting system that can be readily installed so that it doesn’t stress the optic.

What rifle/platform is this?

Ok, I see Browning A-Bolt 3.




First, check the rail to see that it is flat across the top. Check front to back and corner to corner. I use a ground bar, but you can use a machinists parallel, or any straight edge, that’s actually straight.

Then check the rail down the sides where the clamping surfaces come to a point.

Get yourself a set of Seekins 1” Lows.

Thank you for the response. I remounted scope and action as discussed earlier. My rifle has about 800 rounds thru it but haven’t seen carbon in the throat. I typically clean my rifle with “Ed’s Red” swab, bronze brush thru the bore guide, and multiple patches with mineral spirits pushed by a jag. But I did thoroughly clean it last month using the “wipe out” foam cleaner until I didn’t see any more blue copper residue. I don’t have any muzzle device and the recessed crown looks good. Bullets are not keyholing. And since I was working up new loads at the time, I very carefully weighed everything with two-scale verification.

That all leaves the scope itself so I may have to figure out how to rule it out.

Seekins 1” Lows

My money is on this being a scope problem, possibly exacerbated by the mounting system.

Check the rail as described above.

If the rail is straight, get a quality set of picatinny rings. Mount the rings and check that they are parallel and in the same plane with a quality set of scope ring alignment bars. If the bars have points, ignore them and use the butt ends. If rings are parallel and In the same plane, use an artist brush to dust ring to scope tube mating surfaces with powdered rosin. Gently blow off any excess. Place scope (use a different scope to verify rifle) in mounts. Adjust for ER and align reticle with bore axis. Then slowly tighten down screws, alternating side to side front to back, until you reach 15in/lbs. *Ensure scope reticle does not rotate out of bore axis when installing ring tops.

Thank you, Kingston, for your responses.

I didn’t use scope alignment bars because I didn’t think I needed that precision for max hunting range of 200 yards with 2.5-8 scope.

I did mount a new picatinny rail (“Weaver” brand in this case) a couple weeks ago - I bedded the rear mounting surface on the action and alignment is really good so I don’t think that’s my problem.

I would love to get the Seekins rings but I sadly cannot justify spending $100 on rings for this rifle. Those rings are lovely on your rifle, and I actually already decided I’m going to get them when I upgrade my rifle someday (that’s how I know they cost $100).

I fear that I have a scope problem

Read my edits/additions above.

You can’t assume anything. I had a crooked rail come through on a $1300 custom action a few weeks ago. It happens.

If your mounting system is tweaked, it will stress the optic, which can result in the optic failing.

It should be noted that the OP has had the gun shooting well already for hundreds of rounds. Then a sudden degradation in accuracy, not simply a shift in POI.

Something broke--that is your problem.

It is about 99% probable that it is the internals of the scope, since you did not find anything loose/broken/different with all of the screws/mounts/rails/bedding.

Get a different scope and try again. You will know immediately.

I removed the scope from its mount before I inspected it with the mirror.

I do try to be really careful when I mount my scope and I always torque rings at 20 in-pds as recommended by Leupold

Thank you. I will keep this in mind

I just inspected my scope with mirror after it was reinstalled on my rifle. I did not notice any shift after bumping the scope as discussed earlier.

Where are you located? You need another scope. That's great F'ing Avatar BTW, ohhh nevermind the big F is just on your profile... It'd make a good F'ing avatar rather than the quilt..

Warne makes horizontal Maximas now, the Mountaintechs and the Leupold PRWs. All domestic and resonable.

My location is typically Elizabethtown KY during the week and Indianapolis on weekends. I typically shoot at Knob Creek Range in Louisville.

Cool. Please follow up with us on any findings.... Folks generally recommend Burris FF2s for a budget scope if you need to go that way. Someone mentioned fouling. But 2 foot???? Dang.

I’ll definitely post whatever I find. Next step will be to give it another try at the range now that I’ve remounted and re-torqued everything - that will probably happen on Monday or Tuesday. Wish me luck!