I Seek Wisdom, Please...
The facts, as I understand them to be:
*- Just mounted a new scope on my Rem 700 AAC-SD - 20” heavy barrel - .308 - Bell & Carlson A-5, fully adjustable cheek rest & LOP - 20-MOA rail - “decent” tactical / LRP rings...
*- NEW SCOPE: Vortex Viper PST 6x24x50 FFP GENERATION ONE. It’s important to note that it’s the GEN 1, I reckon, though I bought it as a NEW scope, not used.
*- So, as I understood things from the Vortex Corp website, a “new” Vortex scope should arrive with elev. & wind. turrets at “Optical Center”.
*- I mount said Vortex PST on a 20-MOA rail with “capable” 4-bolt Leopold tactical rings...
*- I go to a local indoor range with a 100-yd rifle bay, & I zero to a (theoretical) 200-yd zero. My last 3-shot group was inside a quarter - or maybe a half-dollar - but right & tight for now until I can “super-tweak” for LRPS.
*- Satisfied with my “90%-ish” zero, I proceed to install the CRS Zero Stop shims on the elevation turret; the zero mark on the elevation turret ends up positioned nicely between 2-3 on the turret knob shroud... like buttah.
*- I go to reposition the windage turret to the “zero” mark & realize that sadly, something is catiwompus...
*- First, remember that new Vortex scopes are (presumed) to arrive tuned to “optical center”; I did not take note of where the turrets rested when I began my zeroing process.
- The number of windage adjustments that I made on the turret before reaching windage “zero” was roughly 10-12 - 1/4-MOA / clicks - or roughly 2 - 2 1/2 inches at 100-yds.
- When I loosened the turret screws on the windage turret to reposition the turret knob to the “zero” position, I realized that the markings on the windage turret FINAL position had the “zero” line on the turret lined up to position 5 on the shroud; in effect, I have maybe ONE full rotation of right windage, & maybe 4-5 full rotations of left windage... it’s not even close to being positioned to allow for relatively even right / left windage adjustment?!
*- I called Vortex & was told that the finite imperfections that are inherent in assembling any rifle - particularly in a rifle with the performance expectations of an LRPS rifle - can cause such “discrepancies” that a (new Vortex) scope might require excessive adjustment in order to achieve ZERO... Really, is that normal or true?
*- The thing is, I ONLY made 10-12 clicks of windage adjustment to the turret before I was at zero?! Now way 10-12 clicks at 1/4 MOA takes a windage turret from “Optically centered” (between 2-3 on the turret shroud) clear out to 5 on the shroud where there’s maybe one full rotation to the right, but 3x that to the left?!
?? - Is any of this making sense at all?
Dude at Vortex suggested I order some “windage adjustable rings”...
Another dude I met felt like if there was enough wind to require a full right rotation, then the wind is going to be too strong to make a precision shot (at 700-yds plus? 500-yds?)
Someone PLEASE tell me if I need to throw some cash at this problem (for windage adjustable rings), if I can justify the knowledge that for now, I’ll only have one full rotation of right windage, or quit being a pussy & learn to use hold-over marks?
Many thanks, Fella’s
Best - s
FYI - if pictures would help make this issue easier to understand, lemme know & Ill take a couple...
The facts, as I understand them to be:
*- Just mounted a new scope on my Rem 700 AAC-SD - 20” heavy barrel - .308 - Bell & Carlson A-5, fully adjustable cheek rest & LOP - 20-MOA rail - “decent” tactical / LRP rings...
*- NEW SCOPE: Vortex Viper PST 6x24x50 FFP GENERATION ONE. It’s important to note that it’s the GEN 1, I reckon, though I bought it as a NEW scope, not used.
*- So, as I understood things from the Vortex Corp website, a “new” Vortex scope should arrive with elev. & wind. turrets at “Optical Center”.
*- I mount said Vortex PST on a 20-MOA rail with “capable” 4-bolt Leopold tactical rings...
*- I go to a local indoor range with a 100-yd rifle bay, & I zero to a (theoretical) 200-yd zero. My last 3-shot group was inside a quarter - or maybe a half-dollar - but right & tight for now until I can “super-tweak” for LRPS.
*- Satisfied with my “90%-ish” zero, I proceed to install the CRS Zero Stop shims on the elevation turret; the zero mark on the elevation turret ends up positioned nicely between 2-3 on the turret knob shroud... like buttah.
*- I go to reposition the windage turret to the “zero” mark & realize that sadly, something is catiwompus...
*- First, remember that new Vortex scopes are (presumed) to arrive tuned to “optical center”; I did not take note of where the turrets rested when I began my zeroing process.
- The number of windage adjustments that I made on the turret before reaching windage “zero” was roughly 10-12 - 1/4-MOA / clicks - or roughly 2 - 2 1/2 inches at 100-yds.
- When I loosened the turret screws on the windage turret to reposition the turret knob to the “zero” position, I realized that the markings on the windage turret FINAL position had the “zero” line on the turret lined up to position 5 on the shroud; in effect, I have maybe ONE full rotation of right windage, & maybe 4-5 full rotations of left windage... it’s not even close to being positioned to allow for relatively even right / left windage adjustment?!
*- I called Vortex & was told that the finite imperfections that are inherent in assembling any rifle - particularly in a rifle with the performance expectations of an LRPS rifle - can cause such “discrepancies” that a (new Vortex) scope might require excessive adjustment in order to achieve ZERO... Really, is that normal or true?
*- The thing is, I ONLY made 10-12 clicks of windage adjustment to the turret before I was at zero?! Now way 10-12 clicks at 1/4 MOA takes a windage turret from “Optically centered” (between 2-3 on the turret shroud) clear out to 5 on the shroud where there’s maybe one full rotation to the right, but 3x that to the left?!
?? - Is any of this making sense at all?
Dude at Vortex suggested I order some “windage adjustable rings”...
Another dude I met felt like if there was enough wind to require a full right rotation, then the wind is going to be too strong to make a precision shot (at 700-yds plus? 500-yds?)
Someone PLEASE tell me if I need to throw some cash at this problem (for windage adjustable rings), if I can justify the knowledge that for now, I’ll only have one full rotation of right windage, or quit being a pussy & learn to use hold-over marks?
Many thanks, Fella’s
Best - s
FYI - if pictures would help make this issue easier to understand, lemme know & Ill take a couple...