Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Scope adjustments reliable?

I'm really getting tired of having scopes that need to be beat with a screwdriver, or tapped on the side when adjusting to get the adjustments to settle in. Why is it so hard to make a reliable erector system that goes up or right or left or down 1" at 100 yards when it says it will?

Which scopes that you own are reliable to just adjust and shoot and you get the adjustment you need? 1" up is 1" up and not 1" up and 3/4" right, adjust again, and again, and again, until you get where you need to be. And this is just to sight in- what if you have to dial in the field for a long shot? Can you trust your scope to get you where you expect to be when you take that shot you've been preparing for, possibly for years?

I find my Bushnell/Bausch & Lomb Elites to be about as close to what I expect as any scopes I own as far as being on target when I dial and adjusting where I expect them to go... my Leupolds always seem to be a fight to get adjusted where I want them to be...

What has been your experiences and which scopes have you found reliable.... and forget the Vortex fan boy nonsense- I've adjusted enough of my cousins, nephews, friends of son's Vortex scopes at the range on sight in days to know they are one of the worst I've dealt with..... Are the Meoptas, Swarovski's, Zeiss, etc... any better in this regard?

I do know that some of this is because of the scopes setting around, the lubrication inside gets gummy and interferes with the smooth function. But even with practically new scopes lately I can't seem to get an adjustment where I want it on the first couple tries to save my life on at least 50% of my scopes....

Okay, rant over and coffee is starting to kick in..... so, what say you?

Bob

tag.... off to grind some beans for the french press... will check back....

I will stick with my bushnell
4200
4500
Elite
6500
I really don’t think I can do any better for the price of these scopes.

For reliable scopes I have an Athlon Chronus that is built like a tank and is reliable.

I own one SWFA. A standard 10x. It rests on a Ruger Rimfire precision. Last week I was at the range playing with 8 inch steel plates. 100 and 165 yards respectively. 31 inch drop diff between the yardage. I purposefully altered shots between the two distances which required dialing three mil correction 100—>165. It was boringly accurate and boringly repeatable between the two.


I can’t give you a comparison with other scopes but the basic 10x SWFA has a permanent place on one of my long arms.

weaver scopes have been solid for me.

Ed

I share your frustration. I shoot everything from new Weavers to Zeiss, Meopta, Sightron SIII and Kahles. I have not kept track of anything "official" over the years, but I'm ALWAYS surprised if my adjustments produce the effect they are supposed to. I too tap my scopes after adjusting, just hoping that will bring some magic and the next round will hit the correct spot it is supposed to. Once I get things lined up, maintaining zero is not a concern. They all seem to hold that.

I just got a SWFA SS 10X Milrad scope and I have to say it is as solid as Stick says they are. Took me a while to realize how much you have to adjust when the clicks are .1 mil , but once I got past that little understanding I am really liking this first of what I think will be several of their scopes.... I've also had good luck with the Weaver V16 scopes on several of my rimfires....

Bob

I never realized how much the adjustment on my other scopes, mostly leupolds, a redfield and a few others, were so bad until I got a SS 6x. You make the adjustment and that's it. No tapping, no needing a few shots to "settle in". It was a very refreshing experinece

All scopes will benefit from running the rings if not through their full cycle at least half or more to distribute the lubrication. As a matter of habit I always over run the setting I want and then click back. Yes I still tap on the adjustments but again mostly out of habit. Many of the complaints about scope adjustment are actually mounting issues, bases and receivers out of alignment.

I wish that were true but I have never had a loose ring or base screw or alignment issues as I check every ring alignment with a solid steel round bar I have just for the purpose, and I have had this problem for years. I've also tried running the adjustments back and forth many times to loosen up the erector threads, but to no avail... in fact, I went through this just last weekend on 3 different Leupold scopes ... still couldn't get them to adjust without a couple good whacks with the rubber handle of my gunsmith screwdriver....

Bob

Weaver(several different models),Sightron SII and SIII,Bushnell Elites(Elite,3500,4500),1 of 2 Sig Whiskey3’s,and one Vortex (fan-boy bs) Viper 3-9x40...

I've used all sorts of brands and models of riflescope, and the scopes that I've found to have reliable adjustments are the following:

- Anything NF
- SWFA SS Fixed and HD lines
- Bushnell Elite Tactical LRHS/LRTS/DMRII/DMRII Pro/XRSII
- S&B (no experience with newer production, so can't speak to that)
- Vortex Razor 5-20x50

S&B
NF
ELITES
TRACT TORIC
MEOPTA
US OPTICS

Nightforce.......RUGGED, RELIABLE, REPEATABLE.....case closed!!

SWFA 3-15. Easiest sight in ever. First shot after bore sighting was 4 in high and 3.5 right. Dialed in the adjustments and centered the bull. Now it's range, dial, hit everytime. I've only used it out to 1000 yards but so far so good.

Sightron Big Sky scopes on most of my rigs. Never an issue with any of them

In my experience, I’d rate them in the following tiers:

Tier 1:
Bushnell LRHS, Zeiss DL or better, SWFA,

Tier 2:
Swarovski Z6, Z5, Z3, Zeiss Conquest (early ones which I believe were made by Meopta), Nikon Monarch

Tier 3: Leupold Vari-x-III, VXIII, Vari-x-II

Once you find reliable tracking, It’s hard to go back, even with a set and forget set up. I was really sad to see Nikon leave the sporting optics market. They were a best buy at the price point (I’ve had a half dozen). As stunning as the glass is, I won’t purchase another Swarovski scope...getting ready to send another one in:(

Ziess v4. Huskemaw. Nightforce. Swfa is only 50% without tracking error for me

1" Tubes.....Meopta Meopro, Sightron SII Big Sky 4-16, Weaver Classic (Japan) V16, Weaver "new model" Grand Slams, 2-8x up to 5-20x50

30mm ......SWFA 6x, 10x, 3-9 HD, Sightron S3 6-24x50.

34mm ......Steiner P4xi 4-16x56 (perfect tracking in the 5 I own)

Checking alignment with a bar is better than NOT checking it, but actually lapping rings will reveal misalignment you won't see otherwise.