Rifle Scopes Do Scopes Go Bad With Age?

[mrobles3808]

Like everything mechanical, one would expect scopes to "go bad" with age. Now, I'm not an optics professional who knows the proper terminology, but I'd love to get your feedback on this. Over the last five years, I've had the opportunity to own some very nice optics, more directed toward precision rifle shooting. With so many options, I was plagued and just couldn't resist trying as many optics as I could.

With that said, I have resorted to more of a practical sense (for my situations) and have sold all of my optics that retail over 2-3k. I have come to the reality that most all of the optics sub 2k are more than sufficient to get the job done, and done exceptionally well. As I shop for optics in the PX, there is no doubt great buys are to be had. But, my concern is age. Do the "guts" of an optic go bad over the years? Can a scope that has been a safe queen for a great amount of time not track true because of lack of use?


I hope what I am asking makes some sense,


Mark

 

[mwinter501]

I wouldn't think many of the working parts of a scope would deteriorate over time. I would be more inclined to believe that increased use would cause them to more rapidly deteriorate.

I'm not necessarily knowledgeable about the inner workings of scope adjustments, but it seems to me that the interfacing parts would have to be relatively small and very precise if they're to be repeatable and consistent. I would imagine that the tolerances between those parts would grow larger as they wear from use. I wouldn't think the tolerances would grow larger from time alone. I can't speak to certain seals or coatings, but I wouldn't think the adjustment accuracy would deteriorate over time alone.

 

[supercorndogs]

Yes. If you call the manufacturer with your serial number. They will tell you its expiration date.....

 

[truth]

Only if they have tritium.

 

[lennyo3034]

I suppose it's possible if a scope has rubber seals. Although being hidden away inside a scope, I can't imagine it deteriorating as quickly as rubber exposed to the elements.

ETA: that would affect optical quality more than tracking.

 

[skinnj1]

If you have scope set up with a lot of spring bias (ie bases and ring setups with of extreme slope compared to the overall travel) you can loose tension on the erector springs over time- this is why it is not a good idea to leave a scope bottomed out on the erector for long periods.

Some lens coatings degrade in constant direct exposure to sunlight but who is leaving the scope out in the elements....

 

[samnev]

Some of my scopes are over 30 years old, 2 Leupold 6.5-20X40's) and are still working fine. Also several other scopes in the 20+ year old range that are still working as the did when I got them.

 

[Fig]

I have no idea what the scope was, but I remember very clearly my dad pulling hairs from my brothers to see if they were fine enough to replace the actual cross hairs out of an old WWI or WWII scope where the hairs (real hair) had deteriorated and broken. Other than that (consumables like bateries or tritium) there is nothing to deteriorate mechanically.

 

[mrobles3808]

If you have scope set up with a lot of spring bias (ie bases and ring setups with of extreme slope compared to the overall travel) you can loose tension on the erector springs over time- this is why it is not a good idea to leave a scope bottomed out on the erector for long periods.

Some lens coatings degrade in constant direct exposure to sunlight but who is leaving the scope out in the elements....

This is what I have heard -- and to be honest, most concerned about when buying an older used optic.

 

[SuckitTrebek]

it would have to be old as hell to have issues just from age

 

[WVHick]

If you have scope set up with a lot of spring bias (ie bases and ring setups with of extreme slope compared to the overall travel) you can loose tension on the erector springs over time- this is why it is not a good idea to leave a scope bottomed out on the erector for long periods.

Some lens coatings degrade in constant direct exposure to sunlight but who is leaving the scope out in the elements....

So if I have say an ATACR 7-35 in 0 MOA Spuhr rings, zerod at 100 yds, is it wise to “store” it on it’s zero setting or dial it to a particular value?

 

[skinnj1]

Hook's law dictates that the force on a spring is liner and related to both the spring constant and the amount the spring is displaced.

How well the spring resists fatigue is related to the spring material type, the materials heat treating and the amount of force placed upon it. We have no control over 2 of these variables.

I personally do not worry about a scope that is in the middle third to 2/3'rds of its total travel. I have a 338 lapua for ERL that is set up to go beyond 2000 yds. It has 45 moa in the mount and 20 moa in the base, bottomed out on the erector I have to hold under the target of it is closer than 300 yards- I run the turret up a couple of revs before storage then when I go to shoot it I bottom the turret again and apply the comeup....

 

[kujuak]

I have had two Leupold hunting scopes have the power adjustment ring freeze after 10+ years of infrequent use. Both were replaced with new scopes under Leupold warranty. These were VariX II and III models.

 

[Dthomas3523]

So if I have say an ATACR 7-35 in 0 MOA Spuhr rings, zerod at 100 yds, is it wise to “store” it on it’s zero setting or dial it to a particular value?

I personally figure out where the mechanical center (approximately) is compared to my zero and when I’m done for the day I dial it to that.

Does it help? I dunno, but it makes me feel like I’m doing something to help.

 

[supercorndogs]

A properly designed and heat treated spring will not wear out from a static load. Springs wear out from being compressed and released.

 

[Crang]

Plenty of WWII era scopes up and running in those circles- German, Russian, American, etc. Some have had the seals go bad and dust flecks inside the lenses. I would imagine with more modern materials and designs the higher end scopes of today would survive just as well.

Of course glass is an amorphous solid- not quite a solid but not a liquid, so in literally an eternity the lens may melt a tiny tiny bit as its molecules restructure. So theres that.....

 

[Subwrx300]

I recently had a 10 yet old Nikon Buckmaster show some signs of odd tracking. Couldn't figure out why I was getting random shifts in group (like double groups 2-3moa apart) with 17hmr that wants to shoot ~1moa prior.

Long story short, I isolated it to a sticky elevation erector. Scope has sat idle for better part of 2 years; I ran the turret up/down then left/right through it's range several times (30+) in quick succession and groups stopped splitting and has stayed right around +-1moa since.

Can't explicitly say it was erector springs but it sure seems that way. Now that example is a cheap budget scope with single spring setup. I'd be very surprised/disappointed if a $2000+ scope with multiple springs had the same issue.

Although, If I did let a 2k+scope sit idle for 2 years, it's time for me to find another hobby...

 

[Deleted member 10043]

I see a lot of people with old scopes shooting poorly with good rifles all the time. Especially, just before season and they are failing getting a simple zero set. Eventually, nitrogen leakage is inevitable too. I've also seen people get good ol' scopes overhauled with great success. But craftsmen are getting rare due the scope becoming more of an appliance grade device that is break and replace. Thus, the lifetime warranty becoming more of the norm. It is more common to get a new replacement than your scope returned as repaired.

 

[RTH1800]

In my lifetime of over 50 years of scope use I have seen a lot of obsolescence and little to no expiration of shelf life. I still use some scopes that are nearly 100 years old. They preform just as they were designed to.