Problem sighting in scope Help please.

RangerBrad

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Joined
Dec 26, 2010
Messages
290
Location
Booneville, Ar
Hey fellas, Got my new Nightforce scope in last week ( very excited) Mounted it myself using EGW picattiny rail and TPS-TSR rings. I locktighted down rail but did not lock tight down rings or lap them. Centered the eye reliefe to my eye and corrected verticle of reticle with level. Took to the range to sight in and that is where my problem started.

This is a very sharp shooting rifle with good hand loads. The problem and what I noticed is that if I make no turret corrections I am getting .2-.6 accuracy Sounds great right?

However when I make a turret change lets say down 1 moa I might get down 2 moa and 1 moa right. Or maybe make a turret cange of left 1/2 moa and get 1 1/2 left and 1 moa up. I can't believe it's the scope. It was just inspected the 18th of October and a change to horizontal should not effect verticle and the oppisite is true. What really throws me is that if no changes are made to the turret it will drive tacks so it don't make since that the mount or rings are loose. Can yal help me? What is up with this? Thank's, Brad
 
Oh, and I don't know if it makes a diffrence at all but, I'm doing all my sighting in at 22 power but, am on bags and very steady. The parellaxe is set correctly with no apperant movement and clear. I have shot at 100 and 200 yds with same effects. Brad
 
I read a post I think here awhile back saying that before using a new scope you should run the elevation and windage adjustments top to bottom side to side a few times to get everything to settle down. All it would take is a little piece of debris to screw things up. I have no idea if it does any good but it sure can't hurt. Give that a try and post back. I'm curious to see if it helped.
 
Hey fellas, Got my new Nightforce scope in last week ( very excited) Mounted it myself using EGW picattiny rail and TPS-TSR rings. I locktighted down rail but did not lock tight down rings or lap them. Centered the eye reliefe to my eye and corrected verticle of reticle with level. Took to the range to sight in and that is where my problem started.

This is a very sharp shooting rifle with good hand loads. The problem and what I noticed is that if I make no turret corrections I am getting .2-.6 accuracy Sounds great right?

However when I make a turret change lets say down 1 moa I might get down 2 moa and 1 moa right. Or maybe make a turret cange of left 1/2 moa and get 1 1/2 left and 1 moa up. I can't believe it's the scope. It was just inspected the 18th of October and a change to horizontal should not effect verticle and the oppisite is true. What really throws me is that if no changes are made to the turret it will drive tacks so it don't make since that the mount or rings are loose. Can yal help me? What is up with this? Thank's, Brad
Brad I'd say pull it off and lap the rings.

Also something I've started doing right/wrong or neutral I don't know is when I mount my rings on the rail I leave them almost loose, not quite snug. Set my scope in them and snug down the rings lightly.

I then torque the nuts tightening the rings to the rail, before proceeding to level the scope and torque it down.

Of course if you'd do this with an alignment bar, then lap the rings, and then just drop the scope in you'd probably be money ahead in the long run.

As for the "symptoms" overall it certainly sounds like something is out of kilter pretty bad so I wouldn't do any more shooting till you get it figured out for sure.
 
As I don't have the mounting tools ( lapping equipment, rosin, and such) and this was my first time I'm going to take it to the smith on monday and let him do it professionally just so I'll know for sure. Then I'll know that if I still have a problem I really have a problem. Brad
 
As I don't have the mounting tools ( lapping equipment, rosin, and such) and this was my first time I'm going to take it to the smith on monday and let him do it professionally just so I'll know for sure. Then I'll know that if I still have a problem I really have a problem. Brad
I didn't either till recently but I tire of being dependent upon others. For less than the cost of getting the local smith to mount one scope I picked up a complete Wheeler scope mounting kit for 1" and 30mm scopes on Ebay.

For an alignment bar if you have a local machine shop/welding shop for about five bucks or maybe even less you can get them to cut you a piece of scrap shaft material.
 
I hope all this gets figured out quick as this is the end of deer season and though coyote season started a while back I don't get excited about it till after deer season then, I get real excited about it as in every day excited about it. I had to take my old Simmons 2.5x10x50 Pro50 off that has worked well for me for 14 years. That broke my heart but, I did it thinking this would be a quick fix. Mount scope, take to range, sight in and I'm golden however, nothing ever seems to work that easy. Done went through a bunch of shells trying to figure this out now back to square one. This will get fixed this week or I'll simply put my old scope rings and base back on and work with it till the off season (end of March) it just seems wierd. the logic behind these impacts makes no sense to me. Thank's, Brad
 
I hope all this gets figured out quick as this is the end of deer season and though coyote season started a while back I don't get excited about it till after deer season then, I get real excited about it as in every day excited about it. I had to take my old Simmons 2.5x10x50 Pro50 off that has worked well for me for 14 years. That broke my heart but, I did it thinking this would be a quick fix. Mount scope, take to range, sight in and I'm golden however, nothing ever seems to work that easy. Done went through a bunch of shells trying to figure this out now back to square one. This will get fixed this week or I'll simply put my old scope rings and base back on and work with it till the off season (end of March) it just seems wierd. the logic behind these impacts makes no sense to me. Thank's, Brad
I know how you feel man, sometimes it just makes you nuts when things make no sense.

I wouldn't discount the possibility of something being wrong with the scope itself. If the mounts are not really screwed up, that's the likely cause especially since you are still shooting well, just not getting logical or consistent adjustments.

Get it checked and remounted then get to the range. If it's still all over the place, well... . Time to Call NF.
 
Brad: Id also suggest you remove it and start all over again. Im not a big believer in lapping scope rings...and I wont go into all the details though..at least not here.

Get the top half of the rings OFF and make sure the ring is tight; clean...etc...etc. Top half clean also...etc.

Lay the scope in the bottom half of the rings ONLY and very gently slide it fwd and aft...basically with little or almost no pressure on it. If it slides....your good to go.

Lay the top half on them and start a proper tightening sequence and if you dont have one of those ounce inches torque screwdrivers...then use the torx wrench that came with the rings and only gasp the short end of it.

Make sure reticule is lined up and square and tighten down ( and it dont take much) using ONLY the short end of the little wrench....NOW go to the range

At FIFTY yards set up a target with a night big RED dot ( I cant see the black ones for crap). With the rifle sandbagged remove the bolt and BORE SIGHT the rifle. Re-insert the bolt and fire ONE ROUND. Do this at 50 yards...its lots easier to see holes at 50 yds. Its also helpful if you know the published trajectory of your load... You know...1" hi at 50 yds makes you 1.5 inches high at 100 yds...also 2.5" high at 200...etc.

Once you get it shooting where its suppose to at 50...then back off and try it at 100 and 200...etc

Where did it hit? Move the reticule to that hole. Dont matter if you move it 1 click or 20 clicks...you got to have that cross hair on that bullet hole.

Fire a second round. Did it hit where you aimed? If not..do it all over again..even if you have to re-bore sight ( this time on that hole..not the bullseye) and go at it again.

It will coem around for you
 
Sully, Thank's for your advice. I did notice that when I tried to adjust eye relief and verticle while in the rings but with screws loose that the scope didn't want to adjust easily( that may be part of the problem. I bore sighted as you described at 50 yds but did not shoot at 50 and first shot at 100yds put me on paper 7 cliks high and 9 cliks left. I adjusted 9 cliks right and shoot . Impact still 7 cliks high right above bullseye (perfect). Adjusted 1 click down, this is where things went south ( looking to hit 1.3moa high at 100yds) but impact is 2 cliks down and 3 cliks right. Shoot another shot to confirm and I get 2 bullets and 1 hole. I'm thinking ok let's try this agin. Adjust 3 cliks left and shoot. Impact is7clicks left and 2 cliks high. Now getting mad. Adjust 4 cliks right and shoot but, impacts 9 clicks right and 1 click high. Last adjustment5 clicks left and 2 cliks down and shoot, impact is 6 clicks left and 5 cliks down.

Frustrated with out making any adjustments moved to a diffrent target on same sheet and fire 4 shots I get all 4 in .7 moa. I'll get this mounted professionally then back to the range. Then we'll see.
 
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