Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Signs of a dying scope?

Lately, my 30'06 is shooting poorly. I figured it was a dirty barrel. I cleaned it really well, and took it back to the range last weekend. I was shooting 2" groups at 100. It normally shoots this ammo at around .75-1".

It was not all over the paper, it grouped near the aiming point, but the groups were opened up. I checked to see if everything is tight, and all seems well. I have been shooting the same loads in this gun for the last three years.

I even tried rounds loaded with powder from two different batches, but that didn't seem to be the culprit.

In the past, when I had a scope die, it would scatter bullets everywhere.

Input?

That sounds like the flippie loopie erector.But it can happen to just about any rifle scope.A load that you have ran for 3 years is typically just not going to quit shooting like that.
Re check and retighten every screw.All of them.
Double check your load just to make sure.
If you still have big groups.
Swap out the scope for another you "know" is working.
That should tell the story.
dave

I loaded up some new ammo, and even took apart some of the older ammo, and remeasured just to double check. Everything checked out. I don't have any extra scopes unfortunately. This scope has only had around 50 rounds through it.

50 rds. ? Usually if a scope is going belly up, it is in the first 40, maybe 60 rds.
OK, you've checked the rifle. How about your shooting position ? Still the same as always ?
How about weather conditions ? Is it alot warmer than it was when you got the better groups ? I've had that happen to me.
I seemed to recall that Barsness said once, that sometimes when a scope goes bad, it's pretty subtle. Might be, hard to be sure w/o swapping out the scope. E

Took off the Sightrons, and I just slapped on a loopy, but I am not sure if it is good either, LOL. Hope to test within the next few days.

Cleaned the barrel again too, and took the gun apart, all screws were tight, everything checks out. This gun has always been a consistent performer, until now.

DC223,

I had this symptom a couple of years back, and I sent the scope in for a check. They found parallax was off.

jim

I am sure if the scope is faulty, they will remedy the situation, I just want the mystery solved.

I hate it when crap like that happens.
dave

Dave,

If you look at the physical situation of the rifle, the mounts and the scope, ask yourself which of those can croak between one shot and the next?

jim

Well...just got back from the range. I am pretty sure the scope died. I took off the new Sightron, and put on an old Vari-X-II that used to be on this gun.

Got it on paper, then I shot a 5/8" three shot group, and the next one was 6/8". Far cry from the 2"+ groups I was getting last weekend, and it is the same ammo.

Ironically, this gun ate the Leupold once before, and they rebuilt it. Wasn't real confident in the scope after that, so put on a new Sightron.

Send it back to Sightron; they'll send you a new one.

Yeah, not worried. I haven't lost faith in Sightron either, I must have just gotten one built on Friday, LOL.

Now, time to see if the Bergers will shoot out of this gun. I tried them last weekend, not knowing the scope was bad, and they shot like crap.

I learned from Barsness that any scope can fail. You need to shoot it 40-60 rds. before you can trust any scope. E

I have to admit thats kinda a nice deal from Sightron.Its not fixed or repaired.Its replaced.Keep us informed on how that all works out.
dave

I have a Nikon on a 9.3x62 that is acting similarly. Groups have gone from 1 in. to 2.5 with all the dispersion lateral. I've checked everything on the rifle like guard screws, completely dismantled the mounts, etc.

Two years ago an accurate 270 with a 2.5-8 Leup started grouping "big",not bad;just not like it had before. Thought it was me.Groups at 300 yards that had been hovering around MOA started to get out to 6-7".This really became apparent as I prepared for last year's hunts.I left the rifle home and grabbed another 270.

When I got back from hunting,I replaced the variable with a 4X Leup,and the tight groups came back.......just another chapter in a bigger novel involving variables.