Simple tracking test? Thoughts?

[Shootnwrench]

Well curious what the experts think of this method. Been wanting to do a tracking test on this NX8.

Rainy day and no ammo loaded up at the moment so how do I do it at home real quick is the question.

So any reason this doesn’t make sense? Or doesn’t work?

So here we go,

First 10mils is 10mils right? Range to aiming point is irrelevant as long as you can see it clearly and dial out the parallax.

Stick the rifle on a solid setup, in this case a ARCA rail equipped rifle attached into a RRS 34L Anvil 30 tripod. Find a solid fine aiming point, dial out the parallax and put the reticle 10mil hash mark on the aiming point. Then dial on 10mils of up elevation(the reticle will move downward), at this point the center of the reticle should be on your aiming point if the scope tracks 100%. If not what hash mark is? This NX8 looks to be .2 beyond. So it tracks 102% and is actually .102mils per click. Obviously I’m just floating my head above the stock and not touching the set up while doing this.

Now I did play with the turret a lot and was confident with every time I put it on 0 the aim point was still the same to rule out the set up moving around, this set up is solidly repeating to the same spot with every crank up and down of the turret.

I used the back yard fence, one of the post tops has a bell shape, that has a defined flared bottom edge that’s white in color. Put the upper edge of the 10MIL hash mark on the bottom edge of that white line for my fine aiming point.(Think line of white technique with irons)

Initial 10MIL mark with 0 on the turret.

10mils dialed on the turret. Showing .2mil over tracking in the reticle.

Close up

What do you think? Does it need to be done anymore complicated then this? I did try it with a verified 100% ATACR that Enoughsaid just tested at a class in June and came up with 100% again doing it this way.

 

[KnowNothing256]

Nope, you got it. I did mine with a tape measure at the range, but your method is good to go.

ETA: And I agree with your assessment, 102%.

 

[ken226]

Only question is, how certain can you be that it's the tracking that's off 2%, as opposed to the reticle being off 2% ?

It probably doesn't matter, as long as you know which it is. It is more likely to be the tracking, than the reticle anyway. Just an academic thought.

If you have an accurate distance to the fence, 2 marks with a sharpie spaced 10 mils apart could settle that question.

 

[Shootnwrench]

Only question is, how certain can you be that it's the tracking that's off 2%, as opposed to the reticle being off 2% ?

Yep roger that, it should be checked as well to be sure, figured this was a quick way to check regardless of range being that it’s usually stated the reticle is correct but…..

I’m actually curious to hear from someone in the know, what’s the tolerance window for the reticle? can’t say I’ve ever seen that addressed.

 

[smoothy8500]

What’s the chance that there is some image distortion at the edge of the ocular lens where you used the reticle?

 

[Shootnwrench]

@Enough Said

In light of our conversation this afternoon. If I didn’t explain the idea well.

 

[Enough Said]

I think you are onto something that removes range from the equation, but it sacrifices rock-solid stability during the process without a stable base to mount the scope to. So, yes, it can reasonably test tracking as long as stability is present.

We stopped documenting tracking failures because certain scopes tracked predictably over or under 100%, while others were ALWAYS at 100%. Side-by-side.

We continue the process, absent the documentation, in order to:
Instruct the student on parallax definition, symptom and resolution. (1)
Removing vertical reticle cant due to a scope mounted out of plumb. (2)
Identifying gross tracking error. (3)

Great work, @Shootwrench, in isolating a very decent tracking test by thinking OUTSIDE the box!!

 

[_Windrider_]

Yep roger that, it should be checked as well to be sure, figured this was a quick way to check regardless of range being that it’s usually stated the reticle is correct but…..

I’m actually curious to hear from someone in the know, what’s the tolerance window for the reticle? can’t say I’ve ever seen that addressed.

It’s not the reticle. You should reverify it at 100yds. You might be surprised to find it actually tracks 100%. When reticles are off it’s usually a canter reticle.