Fifty at Fifty

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seven08

Member
Oct 14, 2018
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CO, United States
Been having lots of fun with the new HW80 but am finding out that the Vortex CrossFire II 4-12x AO's have met their match. That gun has too much snap and vibration for them , they refuse to hold zero's. I am talking big jumps in both verticle and horizontal impact with out touching the knobs. Two or three shots tight at 25 yds. then grouping again two inches away up, down L or R. Both Vortex's exhibit the same problems. One was just removed from it's package. Frustrated with what to do next I reluctantly pulled a Leupold 6.5-20X EFR off my Kimber 82 rimfire silhouette gun. Why not, it is warranted for life.

Taking advantage of absolute calm conditions early this morning I bench tested....(yes me bench shooting😉) the 80 / Leupold set up. I placed my 4" x 6" fir wood scrap at 50 yds. for a test.

I did not touch the knobs from removing it from the Kimber. A shot at a small rock was very close. I chose a previous plugged hit and circled it for an aim point. Power was set to 14X. I went 50 carefully rested shots with out stopping. Pellets were H&N 5.54 14.66 gr. No question the Leupold is up to the task of holding adjustment on top of a strong spring gun. But for how long? I am not sure this scope will stay on it too long.

The 80 now has three tins, 1500 shots fired.

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The Leupold was mechanically centered for windage while on the Kimber. I have the Leupold windage adjustable , two opposing lock down screws rear base. It was used to get the scope close to aim point. There is plenty of turret rotation both L R up and down. To place a scope on a different gun and actually be that close is amazing. I made no scope adjustments after mounting to the 80. The same goes for the Vortex scopes. Not even close to either knob maxed out in rotation. The NIB Vortex was only an inch off both directions at 25 yd. right out of the package.

The only "tuning" this 80 has is a new Vortek spring and Vortek seal.



The RWS rings have friction tape on both halves. No scope slipping happening at all.
 
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I really do not have a warranty issue to pursue. The first Vortex was only doing so so when first mounted on the 80. Previously it survived about 17K shots on a D34 with no problems holding zero. Only recently when mounted on the 80 did I start getting some shots far from aim point. So, I opened up the new spare and had immediate zero shift issues. The new spare was a VIP warranty replacement from them for a man caused crash....😖

The internal construction design of the Vortex apparently is not as good as the Leupold when mounted on strong spring guns. In time that Leupold will need to get back on the Kimber. It is my only smallbore silhouette rifle. No spare Leupolds laying around.
 
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Interesting you bring this up Bob ! I've been having the same darn problem with my new RWS 34 in .22cal. I tried a 3-9X32 Mantis on it and had the same problem. I'd get a few shots to cluster low and to the left at 10M. Then made adjustments and get a few shots that corresponded to the adjustments I made. Then I shoot 3-4 more shots and now I'm hitting still low but to the right. Settings were not holding zero ! Returned the Mantis and bought a strait power Hawke 4X32. Same problem ! Stock and all scope fasteners all tight ! Sent the Hawke back as well ! I'm getting a little frustrated to say the least. From what I recall, the Beeman R1 had a recoil on par with my D34. Did your stock D34 buck pretty good ? Regarding friction tape. I've never used it back in the 80's and 90's on any of my rings and never had a scope move on me. The problem I see now with the manufacturers who use the tape on their rings do a sloppy job of tape placement. I've been removing the tape because the placement is so bad that it will cause the scope to slightly cant in one direction or another. If they use it then it should be evenly applied to both the top and bottom surface of the ring. That's some good shooting with that HW80 I must say. Keep it up ! I just got figure out what scope to get for my M34. I was thinking of the Leupold 3-9x33 EFR but I don't want the Duplex reticle. 
 
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ChuckHunter, my D34's made short work of a Nikon EFR, done with them. The Leupold went another 100 shots before I put it back on the Kimber this morning. No issues. 

Anyone here using the 3-9x Leupold EFR? Successfully on a strong spring gun? This may be my next attempt on a scope for the HW80. It will just barely fit in the current RWS one piece ring set I have on it now.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/102031591?pid=329516
 
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I guess we will see if a new one is as good.....😉

Meantime, I put the older high mileage (approaching 20K shots now) Vortex back on the 80. It was very close to the zero it had when taken off. I just put about 35 hits on this 5" x 6" aluminum plate standing offhand at 40 yards. Near calm conditions. All shots went to call, had a couple of wide shots that I blame on bad follow through. The scope showed no indications of losing zero point. Closing in on fours tins fired on the 80. I love this rifle so far.



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I tightened up my shooting some after eating lunch. Same distance offhand, a little breezy. Scope zero stayed put. (don't look at the edge hits.)



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Visiting the family in the SW again this week. Of course the 80 and two tins came with me. On Sunday me and my son in law were doing complete pass throughs on 16 oz water filled beer cans at 138 yards. They left full depth head dents in a chunk of 2 x 10 fir directly behind the cans. Gallon plastic milk jugs filled with water stop them from passing through. Easy to hear a dull thump when hit. You have time for another two hits before the water

all leaks out. Forgot to bring the camera with me. That brake grease is sticking really well and the 80 remains buzz free after 600 shots. No issues with the Vortex holding zeroes, either. Got the 10" aluminum fry pan hanging at 138 yd. and can't hardly miss it. A nice clank with every hit.

Much too windy for any shooting today.






 
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Hold over? None, have 35 minutes of spare elevation in the Vortex. (two full turns plus) We shoot at about a 15 degree downward angle to the 138 yd. targets. Apparently the 80 has much less barrel droop than my 34 does, with more speed. Still using the RWS barrel droop compensated one piece mount. With scope set to 8X I use the point of the bold lower post as the aim point on the target. At that power the beverage can is covered with just a bit of the top showing. There is plenty of adjustment to use the wire centers normally, but I like that bold post better for aiming.

We ain't shooting off of a rest mind you. That 80 rifle is magnificent.
 
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