Scope failures

[Rich Coyle]

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

This reminds me of back in the '90s when I was shooting a Freedom Arms .454. Broke about a dozen scopes of different brands. Finally the second Leupold Vari-X 2 1/2-8X32 lasted thousands of rounds.

 

[dntworry]

Update on this, ended up getting a Burris XTR II 4-20x50mm after reading numerous great things about it and found it on sale for $715. No focus issues but could not get it to hold a zero at all, rifle previously shooting 0.5MOA or less with a known good load and could not get better than 2.0MOA and POI was shifting all over. Mounted with brand new Seekins Precision 34mm Rings (had to get new rings as old scope was 30mm)


Side note: I am really wanting to get a 5-25x56mm ATACR but just was not able to pull the trigger on that yet been waiting for a sale to make it easier to justify

 

[Pdvdh]

Fighting flawed and failing scopes can be a shooter's nightmare. Sorry to hear you're having additional problems.
You might mount a known good scope on this rifle at this point simply to re-test this rifle's performance. Of course, that means you'd need another scope of your own. Or maybe a shooting buddy had a spare?

 

[dntworry]

The only scope ever mounted on this rifle to not have problems was my dad's swarovski hunting rifle Z3 4-12x50. With this it shot 0.5MOA or better all day, with the AMG it also shot great the only problem was the image and reticle focus was all sorts of messed up but POI was never an issue.

 

[Pdvdh]

Ok. Well it could, of course, be two bad scopes in a row. That would place you into unlucky territory for sure.
Hope you find a solution soon, because bad scopes rob riflemen of the satisfactions of shooting and hunting like little else can.
In the same category as hitting a game animal properly with an expanding bullet that fails to expand.

 

[dntworry]

Is it possible this damage could be caused by a rail that is uneven and was not bedded causing the rail to not be straight and true ?

 

[theoutdoorconsultant]

Sandbags all the way. Led sleds are trouble

 

[Heavyiron]

I have used sandbags for a long time, considered a lead sled. I think will stay away from the lead sled.

 

[Pdvdh]

Is it possible this damage could be caused by a rail that is uneven and was not bedded causing the rail to not be straight and true ?

Only God knows, but I think it unlikely. Unless the scope rail or any other scope to receiver fasteners are loose.

 

[Litehiker]

CRAP! dntworry, I wanted a Vortex Razor AMG but now I'm not so sure after reading of your problems with it.

Eric B.


UPDATE: That NF ATACR you mentioned below is supposed to be one of the very top tactical scopes in the world according to Tom Beckstrand, a very knowledgeable writer on optics and former Special Forces Sniper.

Eric B.

 

[dntworry]

Ended up giving in and bought a 5-25x56 F1 ATACR, seems to be holding up great so far.

 

[Newbweatherby]

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

Iam sorry if i am repeating the same information over and over,I had the same problem with a diamond back hp 4x16 x42mm when i mounted on my unbraked 300 weatherby,it shot fine untill i mounted on a Caldwell lead sled,and the same thing hqpp ed,Vortex sent me a new scope and said not to use the dead sled