# Range report and some questions



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

So today I finally made it out to the Lee Kay Center to do some long awaited shooting! I had sent in an older model Leupold Vari X for some repairs which came back very quickly which I was appreciative of. I mounted it up on the old 06 today and took it out to the range. My excitement quickly turned to disappointment, however. Once I began shooting I realize they didn't fix the problem it was sent in for. When I go to make adjustments the scope doesn't respond and the rifle keeps sending the bullets to the same point of impact no matter what adjustments I make to the scope.

I also tried out Win Model 70 .300 WM my wife inherited from her grandmother. This rifle has been to Africa numerous times as well as other places and has been there, killed that. I began with a three shot group that put the 180 grain Winchester Power Points in a group just a little over an inch. It was just a little low and to the left of where I wanted to be so I made some adjustments and that's when my frustration began. I think I may have not waited long enough and let the barrel cool down sufficiently between groups because things went haywire. The groups remained about the same size but one group would print in a very different place from the last one with little to no adjustments made. I was letting the barrel cool down for a little while between groups but I guess it was still warm when I would shoot the next one. Would a warmish barrel cause so much walking with my groups? I quit wasting ammo with this gun and moved on to the next one.

The unlikely hero of the day was an older Savage model 110 .270 Win with a bargain bin 3x9 simmons and a very crappy trigger (pre-accu trigger days). Even with the crappy scope and trigger it shot 3 shot groups under an inch and I have the thing dialed in and ready to go with some 130 grain Hornady Interlocks. Right now this gun is getting the nod on my any bull elk hunt coming up here in a little over a month. I sent an email to Leupold letting them know that the scope was still having issues. This scope actually had a similar problem they fixed up very well about 15 years ago. I'm kind of losing faith in the scope and don't really want to waste money on postage sending it in again when it may not come back fixed or I may just have the same problem again not too far down the road. I will see what Leupold is willing to do for me on this with the lifetime warranty. If they aren't willing to send me a new one per the lifetime warranty I might just save up and buy a new one as I am losing faith in the old one. That wouldn't be til next year though if I had to buy one. If Leupold would send me a new one I would love to try to put in on the '06 and get it ready to go for the elk hunt this year.


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

i had a cheap tasco do the same as your Leupold. it had been dead on for years on my .300 win mag, but after it got banged around in my old f250 it would not adjust and consistantly hit 2 feet to the left. i hope Leupold replaces it for you.


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

colorcountrygunner said:


> So today I finally made it out to the Lee Kay Center to do some long awaited shooting! I had sent in an older model Leupold Vari X for some repairs which came back very quickly which I was appreciative of. I mounted it up on the old 06 today and took it out to the range. My excitement quickly turned to disappointment, however. Once I began shooting I realize they didn't fix the problem it was sent in for. When I go to make adjustments the scope doesn't respond and the rifle keeps sending the bullets to the same point of impact no matter what adjustments I make to the scope.
> 
> I also tried out Win Model 70 .300 WM my wife inherited from her grandmother. This rifle has been to Africa numerous times as well as other places and has been there, killed that. I began with a three shot group that put the 180 grain Winchester Power Points in a group just a little over an inch. It was just a little low and to the left of where I wanted to be so I made some adjustments and that's when my frustration began. I think I may have not waited long enough and let the barrel cool down sufficiently between groups because things went haywire. The groups remained about the same size but one group would print in a very different place from the last one with little to no adjustments made. I was letting the barrel cool down for a little while between groups but I guess it was still warm when I would shoot the next one. Would a warmish barrel cause so much walking with my groups? I quit wasting ammo with this gun and moved on to the next one.
> 
> The unlikely hero of the day was an older Savage model 110 .270 Win with a bargain bin 3x9 simmons and a very crappy trigger (pre-accu trigger days). Even with the crappy scope and trigger it shot 3 shot groups under an inch and I have the thing dialed in and ready to go with some 130 grain Hornady Interlocks. Right now this gun is getting the nod on my any bull elk hunt coming up here in a little over a month. I sent an email to Leupold letting them know that the scope was still having issues. This scope actually had a similar problem they fixed up very well about 15 years ago. I'm kind of losing faith in the scope and don't really want to waste money on postage sending it in again when it may not come back fixed or I may just have the same problem again not too far down the road. I will see what Leupold is willing to do for me on this with the lifetime warranty. If they aren't willing to send me a new one per the lifetime warranty I might just save up and buy a new one as I am losing faith in the old one. That wouldn't be til next year though if I had to buy one. If Leupold would send me a new one I would love to try to put in on the '06 and get it ready to go for the elk hunt this year.


That sucks, I know you were excited to try out the Barnes 150 or 165 in the 06. Don't rush into using the 06 if they can't fix the scope in time, many elk have been taken with a 270 without issue. I just hope my luck doesn't change after mounting the 'fancier' Zeiss scope when the old Bushnell Sportview I had on there worked just fine, but I wanted something with compensation for drop/angle. With more parts involved I'm hoping it can handle regular use and the constant vibration of a diesel truck.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Hey if you need any help zeroing a new scope, let me know. I've got a Led Sled and can bring it over to Lee Kay and let you use it while I zero another rifle.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Can you see the reticle moving on the Leupold while making adjustments? Are you adjusting up/down and left/right? Do any adjustments work? I can't imagine Leupold sending back out a scope that doesn't adjust. I have had great experience with their service department and I have never had an issue with a Leupold scope that wasn't my fault...ie dropping it-O,------SS


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks, Bax! I might have to hit you up on that. SS, I guess I havent tried looking through the scope while making adjustments. All I know is my first shot hit the dirt off to the left of my target. Adjusted windage to move my poi to the right and it still hits the same place. Adjust it more and more and more and the bullets keep striking the same little area of dirt over and over again.


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

At what distance were you shooting the target with the 06?


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Do the box test. Shoot, adjust the scope 4 clicks left. Shoot, adjust 4 clicks down. Shoot, adjust scope 4 clicks right. Shoot, adjust scope 4 clicks up. You should have impacts 1" apart forming a square box (of course this assumes you have fairly accurate ammo... if your ammo isnt super accurate, increase the clicks given above).


-DallanC


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## Bob L. (Jan 11, 2015)

Go figure it is always the cheap Savage that outshoots everything.

Take the scope off the gun and hold it up on a bathroom mirror so the muzzle end of the scope is against the mirror and look through it. You can then turn knobs up and down left right to see if it is tracking also center the clicks. 
You'll see 2 cross hairs and line them up so it only looks like one when looking through it up against the mirror. 

Also check your rings and base that they are tight.


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## utskidad (Apr 6, 2013)

I've been around the horn a lot on scope issues in the last ten years, and if the scope doesn't have an apparent problem off the rifle, erratic response to adjustment probably means rings exerting torque on the scope tube. If the scope rings aren't aligned, they bend the scope tube and the scope really starts acting strange. Here's what I've learned:
1. The tapping on some receivers can be just awful and off axis. You can test ring alignment with bars that Wheeler makes. You can also check alignment on one axis by taking the tops off the rings and set the same level on top of each ring bottom. They should read the same. If they don't, the rings aren't aligned on the horizontal axis. 
2. The only solution for really bad tapping alignment are Zee rings. They have independent liners that rotate within the ring. 
3. Lapping your rings can take care of most minor alignment problems. 
3. Torque and loctite your rings to the receiver (30 in-lbs - NOT foot-lbs). 
4. Torque and loctite your ring screws (18 in-pounds. 
5. Also, those scope adjustment mechanism are spring loaded. It's no inconceivable an old scope has worn out springs, at which point you can only really push the crosshairs in one direction and they won't return in the other direction. 

just my two cents, having one bought a Mossberg Patriot for my kid that had receiver holes so out-of-alignment you could look down the top of the bare receiver and see they didn't line up.


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