Rifle Scopes Tracking issues with Leupold VX3 with CDS

[Punkur67]

I took my Remington 700 30-06 to zero and set the CDS before I leave for my hunting trip. I went to the desert and zeroed at 100 to set the knob. I hit steel at 200, 300, and 450 first shot each time. I was stoked on how good the CDS worked. I shot about 20 rounds alternating targets. I was very confident and happy with the new setup.

Two weeks later I went to the indoor 100 yard range to really dial in the zero to be perfect. First shot on the rifle was 4" high. Take a second shot and still 4" high. So I move 12 clicks down to work my way back but impact only moves an inch. I turn it 4 more clicks down and impact 1" low. I continued to chase it up and down for about 30 rounds. The windage was good throughout the session. I decided to come back later cause I was frustrated.

Second trip to the indoor range I brought my lead sled and had the same results as the first outing and chased up and down for about 30 rounds while the windage stayed true. I could get it close to zero but never perfect.

I am pretty confident that the scope has a problem. Has anyone seen this problem with their Leupold or other scopes? Unfortunately I leave for my hunting trip today. I have a couple other scopes so I am going to put one on. I have a Burris fullfield ii on now or my Nikon M308. I am going to hit the range this afternoon and fly out tonight.

Couple things to mention:
- Remington 700 30-06 with timney trigger with about 80 rounds shot
- I confirmed the scope base and rings were tight
- Confirmed the scope is level
- Tried to zero with both CDS dial and the standard one
- I let the rifle cool down every few rounds
- Hornady 178gr Precision hunter ammo
- I shot a second rifle on the first day at the indoor range and had it dialed in 6 rounds

Thoughts on this? Also feedback on what glass to use between my options?

 

[phlegm]

There are a lot of variables here, but your description of your problem sounds more like a parallax issue than a problem with the scope. Shooting indoors is very different than shooting outdoors.

 

[Poorboyr]

Dumb question, but your indoor range is a 100 yards?

 

[Punkur67]

Dumb question, but your indoor range is a 100 yards?

Not a dumb question. Yes its 100 yards

 

[Poorboyr]

Not a dumb question. Yes its 100 yards

Thanks. Just never seen an indoor 100 yard range.

I have had CDS dials fail on a vx2 but not a 3i yet. It sounds like your internal adjustments are sticking. I remember having to hit the scopes back in the day so they would move to the correct dial after adjustment. I believe the springs were getting stuck.

I would bet that is what is happening to yours.

 

[Punkur67]

I remounted the scope and am not encountering any parallax movement. I spun the turret a few times and zeroed again. Then moved the dial back and forth a few times between shots and it tracked well. I think it may have been sticking from sitting in the safe? I brought a spare scope in case I have issues again

 

[phlegm]

I remounted the scope and am not encountering any parallax movement. I spun the turret a few times and zeroed again. Then moved the dial back and forth a few times between shots and it tracked well. I think it may have been sticking from sitting in the safe? I brought a spare scope in case I have issues again

Sitting in a safe shouldn't cause any issues. Trouble sources could be:

1) Indoor use and it's effect on parallax (temp, lighting, etc)

2) Your scope rings were too tight, which can deflect the focus lens or the mechanism that holds it, or bind the erector assembly.

3) Unintentional movement in diopter setting that changes parallax setting (unlikely)

All precision shooting is an exercise in statistics and the related sample size. We periodically try to compress the process for time or luck into (mostly) consistent performance, and start to think it can always be that quick. Sometimes, it just takes a bit of extra work to iron out the kinks.

 

[wade2big]

I remounted the scope and am not encountering any parallax movement. I spun the turret a few times and zeroed again. Then moved the dial back and forth a few times between shots and it tracked well. I think it may have been sticking from sitting in the safe? I brought a spare scope in case I have issues again

I do what you just did with a new scope before I bore sight it. Whether it does anything or not I dont know.

 

[spife7980]

I do what you just did with a new scope before I bore sight it. Whether it does anything or not I dont know.

Doesn’t hurt. I do it too. I also tap the top of my beer cans first too.

 

[Punkur67]

Well, got to the range here in new Mexico and had the same thing happen again with the leupold. Chased it around and said screw it. I put my Burris fullfield ii on and have it sighted in now with a good group. I will be shipping my VX3 back when I get home and hunting with the Burris.

 

[Jabot]

Check action screws

 

[Dirty8404]

My experience with the VX2 and VX3 Leupolds has been what you just experienced. I sight 2.5 inches high at 100y and call it good.

They don’t track for shit. I think the trick is not to “chase” the impacts while sighting in and tap the scope a bit after adjusting. The recoil of a few shots seems to help settle it in as well. Once you get it where you want do NOT adjust in the field, just know your holdovers.

 

[Punkur67]

Action screws, rings, and bases were all torqued to specs

 

[Hogrider2000]

I had let one of my Leupold scopes sit in my safe for over a year and the internal adjustment screws would not work properly. Sent the scope back to Leupold and they replaced the internal parts and it works perfectly. Turn around was under two weeks.

 

[Punkur67]

Just got my scope back from leupold and it needed new elevation and windage turrets.

 

[ChrisAU]

Plenty of stories of Leupold's not tracking the last few years. They did a private video chat a few months ago with members on 24HCF where they basically called all the members stupid and also said that once a scope comes back the third time it is usually fixed. No way I could trust one on a hunting rifle I intended to dial.

 

[Punkur67]

Hopefully that's not the case with mine. I will find out as soon as I sight it back in, or try to....

 

[hlee]

So, how did the hunt go?

 

[b2lee]

Look at the bright side....once you send it back two more times...it will usually be fixed.

 

[PFG]

This isn’t surprising, at least to anyone who’s owned a Leupold. They’d be smart by stopping the CDS on all lower tier scopes. Doing nothing but putting their reputation in the dirt.

I owned my last Leopold about 4 years ago. And - shocker - I don’t chase zero any more. I don’t tap elevation caps any more. I don’t spin past my zero and come back to it any more. All the tricks that were tried to make up for shatty erectors. No mas.

 

[Punkur67]

So, how did the hunt go?

Tagged a cow with my cheap Burris fullfield ii scope on the rifle

 

[b2lee]

Tagged a cow with my cheap Burris fullfield ii scope on the rifle

Silly...that's not a cow...this is a cow:

j/k