Scope failures

[dntworry]

New member looking for some input

I am shooting a R700 LA / 26" Carbon Fiber Barrel / Magpul Hunter 700 Stock 300WM, gun is fairly light weight, with no muzzle break.

I did a bunch of research and decided on the Vortex Razor HD AMG as it has great glass, is lightweight (in terms of tactical scopes) and all the great things I heard about their support. I had issues with the side focus, when the scope first arrived you could set it to 100 yards then once you started shooting it would get blurry and you would have to adjust focus every couple shots until I had my focus turned all the way down to 25 and image was still blurry. This is shooting from a lead sled, with no muzzle brake as mentioned before. I had vortex fix the scope and it had the same problem again within a few shots. Vortex was unable to offer any advice aside from lead sled is bad, anyone have any idea what might be causing it?

I am concerned that whatever scope I get next will do the same thing

 

[cohunt]

That would be parallax (not focus)
I had a Nikon do it once-- Nikon doesn't fix the scope, they just require you to send your old one in then send a brand new one back..

I have heard rumors that lead sleds are bad for scopes but not sure anyone has proven it. I use a set of bags or bipod and bag, never had a lead sled because I know I wont have one In the field with me so I like to practice with similar set up as what I use in the field ..I'm not a ladled fan.

 

[jasent]

Yup I've also heard the lead sled is bad ju ju for scopes. Never used one one my self

 

[Holycity73]

The sled may be the issue. Anything that limits recoil will direct the rear moving energy into the weakest point of the system. In this case, it sounds like your Optics. I've never had success on a sled. I prefer a front rest and rear bag. Being a smaller shooter, it allows me to actually mount my rifle and monitor my target while cycling and ultimately, firing my rifle. The bag and rest also allow you to farmilarize yourself with the system as you would in the field. Like cohunt essentially said, train like you hunt and hunt like you train.
The sled is best left to gunsmiths poofing a questionable action or hot charge.

As or the amg, it's a vortex. They'll fix it or send you a new one.

 

[dntworry]

I have heard this before but never actually seen any evidence that it's the sleds fault. I have also seen some optic manufacturers highly recommend against them than there are others that say it doesn't matter our optics can handle anything you throw at them.

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

I would ditch the sled. I've tried one before and my groups were absolutely terrible compared to my bipod or my Caldwell br rock front rest. I'm assuming this is a larger cartridge. With no brake, the energy from the recoil has to go somewhere

 

[Jjeffhunter]

I've had nothing but problems with vortex I wouldn't recommend them to anyone and all I've owned in the past was there razor line there warranty was easy they always gave me a new one to try after failure of original but when spending that much money you should never have to send it in let alone two three times. I had the same trouble with one razor HD and it never saw a led sled I exchanged mine for a Nightforce and never looked back

 

[FEENIX]

I have been using lead sled (old model) for many years now and have not have any issues on scope (including entry level models) or rifles. It has its placed when used properly, most articles I have seen that ran into problems are using excessive weight to eliminate recoil as supposed to reducing it. I don't use weight at all. The only problem I have with the old lead sled model is that I cannot cradle to comfortably and have nice and consistent cheek weld.

As Creedmoor shooter noted, the transfer of energy has to go somewhere and the weakest point (i.e. stock damage) will have to give.

 

[the hunter]

I've had nothing but problems with vortex I wouldn't recommend them to anyone and all I've owned in the past was there razor line there warranty was easy they always gave me a new one to try after failure of original but when spending that much money you should never have to send it in let alone two three times. I had the same trouble with one razor HD and it never saw a led sled I exchanged mine for a Nightforce and never looked back

The first leupold I ever got came with a canted reticle, and this scope was in the $1,250 price range.

 

[the hunter]

New member looking for some input

I am shooting a R700 LA / 26" Carbon Fiber Barrel / Magpul Hunter 700 Stock 300WM, gun is fairly light weight, with no muzzle break.

I did a bunch of research and decided on the Vortex Razor HD AMG as it has great glass, is lightweight (in terms of tactical scopes) and all the great things I heard about their support. I had issues with the side focus, when the scope first arrived you could set it to 100 yards then once you started shooting it would get blurry and you would have to adjust focus every couple shots until I had my focus turned all the way down to 25 and image was still blurry. This is shooting from a lead sled, with no muzzle brake as mentioned before. I had vortex fix the scope and it had the same problem again within a few shots. Vortex was unable to offer any advice aside from lead sled is bad, anyone have any idea what might be causing it?

I am concerned that whatever scope I get next will do the same thing

I used a guys lead sled to shoot a little .308 I got, it came with a scope, and the sled put a crack in the scope rings. Not the best rings in the world, but I do not think that they would break like that. I shoot prone now.

 

[Deputy819]

I also had experiences like Creedmoor shooter. Had a custom Rem 700 that shot absolutely awful in a lead sled, but put it on Protektor sandbags and it shot great. I don't own a lead sled anymore.....once more variable to NOT have to worry with.

 

[gohring3006]

That combination of components and the lead sled would be my guess.
That rifle probably looks like a whip when fired.
Extreme barrel whip can send a violent shock wave thru the scope. Combined with a rigid rest like the lead sled, the last place for the standing wave to exit would be thru the scope and back down the barrel.

 

[Rflamm250]

Another thing to consider. What rings and bases are you using and did you lap the rings. R700 are known for being misaligned, I have a Rem 700 that I put a set of Talley Lightweights on. Lapped them and As soon as I got to around 8lbs of toque on the cap screws the parallax adjustment on my Ziess scope would go out of wack. When I would take the scope out of the rings everything would be back to normal. I ended up installing a rail with a set of seekins rings and everything works great, Just something to consider. I would take the scope out of the rings after it malfunctions and see if it corrects itself. If so you know its an issue with your mounts.

 

[dntworry]

Another thing to consider. What rings and bases are you using and did you lap the rings. R700 are known for being misaligned, I have a Rem 700 that I put a set of Talley Lightweights on. Lapped them and As soon as I got to around 8lbs of toque on the cap screws the parallax adjustment on my Ziess scope would go out of wack. When I would take the scope out of the rings everything would be back to normal. I ended up installing a rail with a set of seekins rings and everything works great, Just something to consider. I would take the scope out of the rings after it malfunctions and see if it corrects itself. If so you know its an issue with your mounts.

ARC M10 rings on an EGW base. It worked fine in and out of the mounts torqued to 55in/pnd (special design) until you fired a few times then things were messed up, mounted or not