Scope Test - Does yours pass?

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sharroff

sharroff

Member
Nov 19, 2015
916
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Ohio, United States
I have a project in the works with Allan Zasadny and we were talking about what would be the right scope to add at the end. I said "I have a (insert very popular scope) that isn't being used right now as I sold a gun. I'll put that on it." In his usual way he explained how that scope is made, how it works internally and why it would not be good for use in field target or any other application where turret changes would be regular. I kinda pushed back a bit so he gave me an easy test. Put your target out at your shooting distance (I did 50yds) and take a shot. Look at where the elevation (up/down) turret is set and turn it a few exact (complete 360) rotations up. Then on the windage (right/left) turret, turn it a few exact rotations right. Then on the elevation turret, reverse it a few exact rotations down. Then on windage reverse it a few exact rotations back to the left.

In theory, your adjustments are right back to where they were when you started and cross hairs should be exactly back to where they were and your point of impact should be the same. Take a shot. Is your POI the same?

Allan was right - my scope was now way off.

I'd be curious to see if your scopes keep the same POI or the POI changes a little or a lot.
 
Yes I like the box test, but many scopes will not return and just taking them close to stop to stop on both elevation and windage then back saves the time of shooting box's. And if the clicks are not good ( repeatable everytime) for me it is not a good scope even if I don't plan on clicking it for FT or such as the quality of the scope is reflected by all it's components.
If the poi changes and you are certain it isn't you canting or .... not such a good scope.

John
 
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My Falcon scopes track well, but then they are recoil tested and collimator tested by Falcon prior to shipping, though once getting into second half of adjustments I sometimes think they are 1/10th MRAD out; which is pretty much insignificant to my airgunning, and happens on a Schmidt & Bender.

I use 2 Hawke scopes for short range shooting but don't move the reticle. I used to sell Hawke scopes, but stopped as too many returns. Some batches were great, with no problems, but the next was terrible. Sidewinder range is more likely to track well, but I think they are overpriced and can get same standard of tracking for a cheaper model within their product line.

I suggest search scopes/tracking on this forum, as there is much discussion and links to professional scope tests.
 
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The same thing can be accomplished right at home with a grid boresighter. The turrets are one thing but just check out how much the reticle moves with parallax and magnification changes sometime. One of my optics jumps at the extreme ends of the magnification change and turns just a bit. It can actually be felt when changing the power ring. My PAO Centerpoints have the least movement of almost all my optics believe it or not. A Vortex I checked had no movement, my Burris's were fine also. Just checked out a new optic recently that had no movement between infinity and 50 yds. and 2 mils movement from 50 to 10. Seems like most of the apparent reticle movement with parallax change is between 50ish yds. down to the optics closest parallax range. A buddy has a PAO Leupold that moves 4 MOA along his parallax range of adjustment.

Norm Johnson used to write some about his optics tests and he said that he had an optic once that wouldn't track well and he just took the turret and ran it back and forth about 50 times and it seemed to fix the problem. It was in a Varmint Hunter issue awhile back.
 
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