Is this normal?

[Texas Republic]

I have a vortex viper PST mounted on a savage 111 in 338 lapua with steel warren rings and factory EGW base. I've taken the base off twice trying to install a 20 moa base from EGW. Long story there. But I put the factory back on tight with locktite.

Anyhow. While waiting on my barrel to cool and dry firing the trigger, I noticed the crosshairs slightly jump/wiggle when the trigger is pulled. Everything seems tight, but I'm no gun smith. Problem or normal? I rarely dry fire any of my rifles while looking through the scope, so I'm not sure if it's a problem. Should there be in any movement at all in the scope when trigger is pulled?

 

[barnesuser28]

The same happens to me with two different scopes on two different guns so I think it is normal.

 

[Browninglover1]

The crosshairs should never wiggle around within the scope itself. What you are probably seeing is how much your gun actually moves by you pulling the trigger; that is why dry firing is such an effective tool, because you can perfect your technique until you've eliminated as much of that movement as possible.

The firing pin dropping actually causes a little bit of gun wiggle too, so depending on how heavy your gun is and how strong your firing pin spring is you will notice it more. I never really notice movement when I dry fire with my 12 pound 22-250, but I see them move a lot more when using my 7 pound 300 WSM if I'm not using good technique.

 

[Bart B]

Well, most scopes will have their reticules wiggle a bit when the rifle's dry fired. Consider the following.

The optical tube that's moved by the adjustments is spring loaded at one end pressing it against the adjustment flats. That tube has weight. Snapping the firing pin sends shock waves through all the parts of the barreled action as well as anything attached to it. The scope's attached. So, some of those shock waves impart energy to that optical tube. And that causes it to bounce off the adjustment flats a tiny bit. Scopes with stronger springs will have less observed jump.

The lens group that has its mechanics move to change power in zoom models can also jump a bit from dry firing shock. That'll make the reticule appear to jump, too.