Scope got knocked; Has it spoiled your hunt?

[Jonoton]

While I've never had a scope get knocked and verified to have lost zero, I've had that thought in the back of my mind a few times- especially when I don't have a chance to check zero in the field.

Has it happened to you? Did it affect your hunt, and to what extent?

I building a mountain rifle, in 7-08 AI. My plan is to shoot lighter Hammer Hunters really speedy quick. I want to get into backcountry hunting as well, abd this is the rifle ill do that with.

I am considering adding iron sights to the build, as cheap insurance- but my own (rather limited) experience supports that they are not really necessary. I thought I'd poll y'all, see what some more experienced backcountry hunters have to say. Anybody not had irons, and wished they ha

 

[Bravo 4]

Yep, had a relatively cheap scope just decide to not hold zero once. Was out shooting the day prior and it was spot on. Had a huge 8 point whitetail @ 75 yards with a solid rest, remember thinking this is a chip shot. At the shot he just stood there and I was shocked, thinking why isn't he crappie flopping on the ground? Took me a second to come to my senses and run the bolt, that's when the doe he was bulldogging took off with him in tow. They ran across the 350 yard field and when I went to check for blood they ran back across at the far end, unharmed. I took my water bottle and placed it at 100 yards on the side of a hill and was shooting a few feet over it.
Have also had a mount come loose and cost me an elk, that was an expensive one.

 

[FreddyG]

Yes. Just get a reliable scope and be done with it. Considering the cost of hunts, fuel, food, supplies, etc., it's penny wise and pound foolish to run anything else.

 

[Bravo 4]

Yes. Just get a reliable scope and be done with it. Considering the cost of hunts, fuel, food, supplies, etc., it's penny wise and pound foolish to run anything else.

That can be easier said than done. I have had many scopes over the past several years and only one has stood the test of time, it is a NightForce NXS. I've had some fairly expensive scopes (> $1500) crap the bed on me for no reason other than I mounted and used them. When it comes to riflescopes I have trust issues.

 

[WildRose]

While I've never had a scope get knocked and verified to have lost zero, I've had that thought in the back of my mind a few times- especially when I don't have a chance to check zero in the field.

Has it happened to you? Did it affect your hunt, and to what extent?

I building a mountain rifle, in 7-08 AI. My plan is to shoot lighter Hammer Hunters really speedy quick. I want to get into backcountry hunting as well, abd this is the rifle ill do that with.

I am considering adding iron sights to the build, as cheap insurance- but my own (rather limited) experience supports that they are not really necessary. I thought I'd poll y'all, see what some more experienced backcountry hunters have to say. Anybody not had irons, and wished they ha

The 7-08 is not going to be a high velocity round no matter what bullets you choose due to the limited case size. If sending things down rage really fast is your goal you're going to have to look at 7's with more powder capacity.

I've had some incidents where I have bumped a scope off in the field. When I thought I might have done so I simply take a practice shot and see if/how much it is, adjust accordingly and move on.

The only times I've wounded an animal and had a hard time finding and recovering it due to such a bump was when I talked myself into believing, "Naa, it should be fine" in spite of the incident.

It always pays to be sure.

 

[sp6x6]

I didn't check zero one spring , lazy, gun was always on Cost me a miss on bear First one was around 800 yards thought me. Second was 400, third around 100 This was in two evening hunts Always verified after My son lost track of revolution on 325 wsm was before ZS

 

[Ckleeves]

There is a reason some guys deal with 30 oz scopes in the mountains. It's not for training weight. I'm one of them. I'll take extra ounces for something that can take a beating and not lose zero.

 

[WildRose]

While I've never had a scope get knocked and verified to have lost zero, I've had that thought in the back of my mind a few times- especially when I don't have a chance to check zero in the field.

Has it happened to you? Did it affect your hunt, and to what extent?

I building a mountain rifle, in 7-08 AI. My plan is to shoot lighter Hammer Hunters really speedy quick. I want to get into backcountry hunting as well, abd this is the rifle ill do that with.

I am considering adding iron sights to the build, as cheap insurance- but my own (rather limited) experience supports that they are not really necessary. I thought I'd poll y'all, see what some more experienced backcountry hunters have to say. Anybody not had irons, and wished they ha

I have Lupold quick mounts and backup Irons on the guns I take to Africa and would recommend them for anyone hunting off out of state or in the backcountry. Sometimes when a really close shot opportunity arises and I'm not likely to get a longer shot I have been known to yank the scope off and use the Irons too.

 

[JMW67]

On my first trip to Africa we got to camp went to shoot rifles and found that the swarovski on my 375 had taken a crap on the plane ride planning ahead I had a leupold set up in warne quick detach rings swapped scopes in about one minute fired two shots scope was dead on went hunting and had a great 14 days I would suggest this set up on any out of country or state trip

 

[MagnumManiac]

Yes, and I lost a huge Sambar because of it, he would have gone 30"-32", which is huge here in Australia.
The reason has had me gutted for several years.
I was hunting with Dad, in his truck and while I was getting binos and rangefinder sorted and ready, he decided to unzip the gun bags before getting them out of the truck. When he was getting mine out, the rifle slipped out and the scope landed straight onto the tow hitch….he failed to tell me it had fallen.
When I fired at the deer, it impacted feet to the left totally missing the animal.
That was the end of that…..
When I tried to verify zero back at the truck, he then proceeded to tell me what had happened. The scope, a Leupold VX-iii 3.5-10, was physically damaged just near the wind age turret.
I sent it in and got the tube replaced.
I am not angry that it fell, just perplexed that he didn't say anything.

Cheers.

 

[FreddyG]

That can be easier said than done. I have had many scopes over the past several years and only one has stood the test of time, it is a NightForce NXS. I've had some fairly expensive scopes (> $1500) crap the bed on me for no reason other than I mounted and used them. When it comes to riflescopes I have trust issues.

Yep. I run nxs, and ATACR scopes. Some like swfa, and I have a few, but I don't like to put up with blurry glass.

 

[500000KV]

While I've never had a scope get knocked and verified to have lost zero, I've had that thought in the back of my mind a few times- especially when I don't have a chance to check zero in the field.

Has it happened to you? Did it affect your hunt, and to what extent?

I building a mountain rifle, in 7-08 AI. My plan is to shoot lighter Hammer Hunters really speedy quick. I want to get into backcountry hunting as well, abd this is the rifle ill do that with.

I am considering adding iron sights to the build, as cheap insurance- but my own (rather limited) experience supports that they are not really necessary. I thought I'd poll y'all, see what some more experienced backcountry hunters have to say. Anybody not had irons, and wished they ha

My uncle and I are pretty tough on gear in the backcountry and in general I suppose. I slid about 20' down a rock chute with my Mile high built 28, this year in the backcountry my uncle tripped and his LPR 28 landed right on the scope On a rock. Nice ding in the bell. All our guns wear NF NXS. All verified zero after the accidents with them. There's a lot of great scopes out there that are rugged and durable. That's what works for us. A great warranty is worthless 8 + miles in the backcountry. Never wished I had iron sites, even with the bull I plugged at 40 yards this year.

 

[FreddyG]

There is a reason some guys deal with 30 oz scopes in the mountains. It's not for training weight. I'm one of them. I'll take extra ounces for something that can take a beating and not lose zero.

I agree. No one wants to pack heavy scopes, but the alternative is worse.

 

[Reelamin]

Nope not for me......banged them hard and never had one loose zero. I always check them if I bang them....sometimes in the middle of a days hunt if I am a long ways from camp or the rig. Worst was horse flipped over landing on the scabbard and bent the scope. Yep, that one got sent back to Leupold and the spare rifle came out to finish the hunt. Nephew banged his hard enough it dented the obj. housing last year. He missed a bull with four shots, and was totally irresponsible to have even tried to shoot it. Knocked his scope off by about 9" at 100 yards when we checked it the next day, and he was shooting at almost 400. Clean miss by maybe 4-5 feet, and another guy with him killed it after nephew emptied his gun.