Need Help with Scope

Hello All need quick help here. I have been taking my father to the range to get him ready for gun season. I have also been shooting. Last time we went I had my 30-06 sighted in one inch high and was shooting good groups of 1.5 inches at a hundred yards with a 7400 remington 30-06. We went to the range a couple days ago and my first few shots were eight inches low? I really had to crank the scope to get it back on. The left and right had not moved. It shot consitantly after I re tuned the scope. The current scope is a Bushnell 3x9x40 nothing special. The gun had not been bumped or even out of the hard case since I had shot last. A friend of mine that I believe knows what he is talking about says that it is a cheap scope that can't hold up to the 30-06. I have shot about 120 rounds through it this year, actually in the last couple of months? He said he thinks the rectical locks are probably shot? Looking for advice. I shoot well but do not have any knowledge of scopes, I have always shot iron before picking up this rifle. Should I get a new scope and if so what? I will be putting it on a semi-auto 30-06 remington 7400? Again any advice will be appreciated. I have way to much money wrapped up in the hunt to have something go wrong in the field.
5,278
TheGreatwhitehunter
You can contact Bushnell and see if the scope is covered under their lifetime warranty if it is make arrangments to send it back ASAP for repair.

Better yet Buy a new scope that you can afford nothing worse than going on a hunt with a piece of equipment that may fail you when you need it most.

You can get into several good quality brand scopes for $200 or less, Bushnell ELITE 3200, Buriss Fullfield II, Nikon Buckmaster, Leupold VX I all these scopes offer good optics at a reasonable price and come with a Life time warranty.
8
killerbee
if your last shot from the gun on your previous trip was still good, there is no way the recoil could have been the problem. well i guess from the first shot of this next trip?
anyway- a good scope will have absolutly no problems holding a zero. you have an inexpensive scope that might have those issues. and ther last thing you want on your mind during a hunt is if the gun is still zeroed.


at the very least , i'd say - if you can afford it- spend the 199.00 that you can buy an everyday priced leupold vxII at walmart, sportsmans, etc.... you will get rid of those problems.

now if you have the money, another issue. BUY THE BEST OPTICS YOU CAN AFFORD!
8
killerbee
HAH, TGWH, i hit submit on my reply and it told me another person had replyed. funny part is -- it's basically word for word:)
8
NotEnufTags
"killerbee" wrote:HAH, TGWH, i hit submit on my reply and it told me another person had replyed. funny part is -- it's basically word for word:)
 I hate it when that happens.

Harvey, I've had the Leupold VariXII that Killer is talking about on my 30.06 for 22 years. I sighted it in when I was 16 years old. It has held zero for all these years. Even after a couple of falls in steep hunting country. The other scopes mentioned by Great white should be close to the quality of the VXII. I know your hunt is getting expensive, but I would put a new scope on and sight it in before the hunt. Good luck.
8
ridgetop
Are you using the same bullet. A different bullet, even with the same weight can fly much differently.
8
TheGreatwhitehunter
If you do decide to buy a new scope check out http://www.elkhuntersports.com he has the best prices on Leupold I have come across he also sells other top brands such as Zeiss, Nikon Buriss ect.

I buy almost all my optics from Mark, you cant go wrong doing business with him.
8
Loafer
I would look at ungrading to a better scope. Lower cost scopes can get the job done, but longevity and durability almost always become an issue.
8
southwind
While it may be worth sending it back I would guess you don't have time to deal with that. I would take the others advice here and look into a new scope. Any of those mentioned by Greatwhitehunter are sound choices at reasonable prices.

You have to have confidence in your equipment before heading to the field.

Good luck.
8
Default Avatar
Ok went to the gun store today along with check book! Was going to purchase new scope. Man behind the counter talked to me for a while and asked me how many rounds in between cleanings. Cleaned it last year after season. Have been going to the range a lot this year. Fired 150 to 200 rounds through mine. Could barrel fouling cause that much difference? No difference in left to right, gun still shoots 1.5 groups (after hot), just that the groups all of a sudden dropped six inches? I am in the process of thoroughly cleaning gun. Man behind counter says he believes fouling and not scope. ? What say you guys?
8
Tonoonyi
In my opinion you will never get 9" of bullet swing from one shot to the next with fouling. It may start to wander a little and have the groups open up some but I would tell you there is something wrong with the optics.
I have had a scope jump for no apparent reason and then stay for a couple of years but it usually comes back to the scope just giving up.
If the mounts are all tight and loctited down, that scope and 06 should print 1.5 inch groups for the next 1000 rounds. :-k
8
Default Avatar
I am definately in the market for a new scope. I am either going to go with a Nikon or Leopold vx11, If the Nikon I purchased a Nikon Monarch 4x16x50 for my father. Really nice. A lot more scope then the gun warrants though. But it is real nice. I have the rifle all cleaned up but I just don't believe the tolerances on that semi-auto are tight enough to have caused a drop like that due to fouling? Not saying I didn't wait a little to long in between cleanings too though.
8
Default Avatar
Ok well now I have a new Nikon Monarch to sight in. Hopefully it does as well as my Dad's. That is what I got for him and when I look through it, it is amazing compared to the cheap bushnell I had. I am hoping to get the scope sighted in next week. Then I will have time for one more trip to the range, or back yard before we go. If I can keep hitting 1.5 groups at 100 yds. I should be fine out to 200 or 250 huh? I am going to sight in for about 2 inches high at a hundred.
8