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Rifle scope failures

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Category: Scopes
Forum Name: Rifle Scopes
Forum Description: Centerfire long gun scopes
URL: http://www.opticstalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=11389
Printed Date: March/29/2024 at 10:41
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: Rifle scope failures
Posted By: Dolphin
Subject: Rifle scope failures
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 08:10
I am curious as to how many of the OT member have had failures with their rifle scopes and how many.  I am curious as to the types of failures and the reasons the members believe their scopes failed them.  Was it due to manufacturing problems, abuse, cheap scope to begin with with an expected high rate of failure, high recoiling rifle, improper scope mounting, etc.  Was the problem minor and could be fixed by you, such as a loose magnification ring that needed to be glued back on or did it need to be sent back to the manufacturer?  How was you CS experience?  I would also like to get feedback from Chris as to percentage of returns for malfunctioning scopes by brand and model, not because the customer did not like them.  I would also like to get feedback from Koshkin as to the percentage of manufacturing defects from factories that produce scopes, not necessarily by brand, but by the factory as they may make scope for various companies, if this information is available and he has access to it, as he would be the one to know.  If your scope is not listed, please feel free to comment on your brand.

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D. Overton



Replies:
Posted By: Dale Clifford
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 08:15
how do you vote in multiple catagories?? take the poll that many times?? just wondering


Posted By: cheaptrick
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 08:35

I had problems with a USO SN-3, 2.5-10x IOR Tactical and a 3.5-10x Zeiss Conquest and a Barska.

With so many variables and situations, it's damn near impossible to glean any real world conclusions from these types of polls, but we'll see.   
 
 
I'll be back later.
Chopping firewood today......
 
 


Posted By: Dolphin
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 08:51
Originally posted by Dale Clifford Dale Clifford wrote:

how do you vote in multiple catagories?? take the poll that many times?? just wondering
 I set it up so you can vote multiple times.  Let me see if CT can fix it.
 


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D. Overton


Posted By: Dolphin
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 09:05
Originally posted by cheaptrick cheaptrick wrote:

I had problems with a USO SN-3, 2.5-10x IOR Tactical and a 3.5-10x Zeiss Conquest and a Barska.

With so many variables and situations, it's damn near impossible to glean any real world conclusions from these types of polls, but we'll see.   
 
 
I'll be back later.
Chopping firewood today......
 
 
That is true, that is why I put the emphasis on curious.  Obviously if a company sells one million scopes they are going to have more failures than one that sell half as much with all other things being equal.  In manufacturing failures are a reality.  Look at Mercedes Benz.  According to Consumers Union, their repair rate is off of the chart while most Japanese makers are continuing to do well.  American makers have made strides in the short term, but their long term reliability still remains poor.  My only failure is with my Simmons that I purchased recently, that I attribute to trying to pack too many features into a low cost scope.  Its like trying to buy a Steiner watch, probably made in China with a bunch of features for 129 dollars and expect it to function like a Blancpain, Minerva or Union Glashutte costing much more money.  Its just not going to happen.  However, the better the quality control and the better made the product is for its intended use, the lower the failure rate should be.

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D. Overton


Posted By: Mike McDonald
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 10:42
S&B 1
Leupold 8
Redfeld 2
USO 5
Weaver 2
Nikon 2
XOTIC 1
 
S&B CS fixed with a how' you do that? question.
Leupold CS Ok, long wait ime to get them to go to the post office.  2 weeks  once in house.
Redfield Old Redfield LE scopes, poor cs and hugely long turn around.
USO, fast promt repair and return so it could be broken the next outing.  No warranty replacement after admitting they could not solvethe issue.  That was the "old" USO.  Understand things have markedly improved.
Weaver, just send you a new unit.  About 4 week average.
Nikon, good cs and turn around, about 2 weeks iirc.
XOTIC, after 5 years of abuse it finally went.  Built a purge tank and fixed it myself ( elevator spring )  'cause I was curious if I really could.
 


Posted By: mercenary1947
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 10:52
 Believe it or not I have an old world class tasco that won't die .... and she's oooooold . Retired it to my 22 ... thinking it would go .... was on a 30-06 and then a 308 forever . Go figger .....

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One Shot One Kill .... *S.O.F * Head Shots Only
               SWFAM


Posted By: Rancid Coolaid
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 11:38
Broke a wire reticule in an old Leupold mounted on a .338 Lapua many years ago.
Had a turret fail on a Mark IV Ultra back in the day too.

After those 2, no more Leupolds, no more failures (granted, I'm not shooting .338s any more and not shooting to prevent the enemy from shooting me.)

I did have a Nikon that didn't fit the rings (rings worked great on the scope that replaced the Nikon) and owned an IOR that might have had an issue - but sold it (with the buyer knowing the situation) before I knew if it would fail - this being the SH 3-18 and the reason I don't buy high-end, newly released IOR any more.


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Freedom is something you take.
Respect is something you earn.
Equality is something you whine about not being given.


Posted By: martin3175
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 11:56
I had a new Monarch 3x9 give up windage tracking after a half a dozen rounds from a 30-06...Absolutely rotten CS..took 5 calls and 6 emails to get a response . I sent the scope out, and they hit me with a $169 repair estimate .. 3 calls and another email, and "Ed" from NIkon called and apologized..Nikon would cover the repair on my 3 week old scope. I got it back 6 weeks later with 2 new 1/4' scratches ...That being said, I do have several other Monarchs that are solid ..


Posted By: hunter12345
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 13:16
My Sightron SII got a little blurry on 9 power and mailed it back on Monday and on Thursday had a brand new scope.That is what a every company should do period.No questions asked.My Docter scope was broke never mounted took 4 months to have it repaired.The importer no longer offers warranty work on the scopes he sold.Leupold is OK with CS so if you own a Redfield they just bought the company and have them honor repairs.  


Posted By: Dale Clifford
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 13:33
from the law of large numbers you study will show that the largest sample will have the most and the least failures.


Posted By: JPinSC
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 15:12
The windage adjustmenf on my sightron pisol scope came off and my local dealer mounted a new one for me on the spot! No paperwork, no sending off; a new scope and back out the door. (I have been a good customer of his over the past few years,)


Posted By: pyro6999
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 15:15
im lucky i guess knock on wood ,never had an issue with any scope i have ever owned.

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They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
"good ride cowboy"


Posted By: Ed Connelly
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 15:33
I have never had a problem with any scopes, but I did buy one out of Gun List 10 years ago ( a Weaver K4) that had some condensation in it.  Like a dope, I didn't take it outdoors to play with it for a week, and never noticed it....so I never worried the seller about it.  He had inherited about 20 Weaver scopes when someone had died, and was selling them off....I'm figuring he hadn't spotted it, either.  You couldn't see it indoors looking at a white painted wall.........
 
oh well..............


Posted By: Ed Connelly
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 15:37
Doggone it!! Now Weaver has got a GREEN MARK against it!!! I should have lied and said it was a Leupold!!!   Dang it!! Bucky    


Posted By: Dolphin
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 20:18
You know, the CS department for he camera division at Nikon is excellent.  Although I have never had to send back a camera, ever time I call for some tech assistance for one my Nikons, they bend over backward to find the answer.  I wonder what would happen if I had to send one back.  I attribute my lack of failures to the number of rifles I have and the fact that I spread them around so much that none of them get a lot of shooting time.  The Howa 300 Win. mag. with the pre-Meade Simmons Aetec has gotten the most use and I have never had to sight it in over many years and has always held its poi perfectly.  Of course it is a simple 3x9 w/o an AO of course, unlike that piece of crap Simmons I bought recently with a side focus, fixed eye relief, rainguard, etc for less than 200 dollars that the sf did not work after mounting, but did before so.

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D. Overton


Posted By: helo18
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 20:24
Had a Bushnell and a Simmons blow up on me.  One on my 270 and one on my 300 win mag.

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To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.

GEORGE WASHINGTON


Posted By: Average Joe
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 21:26
Never had an issue with any scope so far.(iv'e jinxed myself havent i?)

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I'm classic shag nasty type.


Posted By: sakomato
Date Posted: May/31/2008 at 21:33

Had to vote twice for Leupold.  One fogged inside and one would not hold zero.

Experience with Tasco, Bushnell, Simmons, Burris, Kahles and Zeiss.  None failed but Leupolds.



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Guns only have 2 enemies, rust and politicians


Posted By: supertool73
Date Posted: June/01/2008 at 00:15
I have had problems with 2 Bushnells they both just went all fuzzy not usable.  Repair ticket said it was parallax.  1 IOR got little lubricant spots on the glass but it was still usable , 1 Meopta got black spots on the glass and would not hold zero.  2 Old school 4x Weavers both got water inside and fogged up.  2 Tasco's, both had fell apart on the inside. 

Damn I have had some serious issues with scopes, typical for me though.  It seems like most of the stuff I buy ends up with a problem.

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Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.

"A Liberal is a person who will give away everything they don't own."


Posted By: tahqua
Date Posted: June/01/2008 at 08:12
The light collector on a Burris 6-24 Signature failed. I am getting it fixed, soon.


Posted By: mercenary1947
Date Posted: June/01/2008 at 09:06
Originally posted by Ed Connelly Ed Connelly wrote:

Doggone it!! Now Weaver has got a GREEN MARK against it!!! I should have lied and said it was a Leupold!!!   Dang it!! Bucky    
 
 I knew if I needed a laugh to start off the day ... just search for a post by ED  ....  him and Squeeze crack me up every darn day !  Excellent


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One Shot One Kill .... *S.O.F * Head Shots Only
               SWFAM


Posted By: mercenary1947
Date Posted: June/01/2008 at 09:10
Originally posted by Dolphin Dolphin wrote:

You know, the CS department for he camera division at Nikon is excellent.  Although I have never had to send back a camera, ever time I call for some tech assistance for one my Nikons, they bend over backward to find the answer.  I wonder what would happen if I had to send one back.  I attribute my lack of failures to the number of rifles I have and the fact that I spread them around so much that none of them get a lot of shooting time.  The Howa 300 Win. mag. with the pre-Meade Simmons Aetec has gotten the most use and I have never had to sight it in over many years and has always held its poi perfectly.  Of course it is a simple 3x9 w/o an AO of course, unlike that piece of crap Simmons I bought recently with a side focus, fixed eye relief, rainguard, etc for less than 200 dollars that the sf did not work after mounting, but did before so.
 
  Yea Dolphin ... I've seen some thumpin on Nikon CS here ... but I called many times bothering the devil out of them when I got my first Monarch .... polite ... helpful ... and full info everytime ! But they would'nt send me a free hat ..... I tried .....   LOL   Clown


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One Shot One Kill .... *S.O.F * Head Shots Only
               SWFAM


Posted By: koshkin
Date Posted: June/01/2008 at 09:47
I do not know the statistics on the return rate for all of the brands out there.  I know it for a couple of companies, but I was told to not make that info public.

As for the failures that I have seen, I think I have seen at least one scope have a problem from just about every company.  That is mostly a function of the sheer number of scopes that have gone through my hands over the last few years.  The conclusion here is that everything made by man can break (another conclusion is to never let Mike MacDonald have anything to do with your personal scopes; he breaks things).

My Super Sniper has never given me any problems, but I only have one and it has not been abused too badly.

Trijicons have never had a problem in my hands, but, once again, I have not really beaten them up a whole lot.

Of the scopes that I have spent more substantial amount of time with Elite 4200 have never failed in any way shape or form and fixed magnification IORs have worked like a clock. 

With the IORs I have a little more statistics, since roughly 15-18 of various 3x25, 4x24, 4x32, 6x42 and 6x30 IOR scopes passed through my hands and were abused quite thoroughly.  Never any functional problems.  Still, this rather anecdotal evidence.

WIth Leupys, I had a few overly stiff magnification rings, and some wandering zero issues.

With Weaver, I had some where glass turned milky on my: made for  anice diffuser, but a crappy scope.

With Millett, I have had some crap from the inside of the tube settle on the reticle.

With Nikon (and this one was a long time ago) I had the knobs stop working and front lens start moving around.

With Sightron, I had a focus problem with a lower end S1 scope.

and the list goes on.

ILya


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Posted By: Dolphin
Date Posted: June/02/2008 at 07:17
Thanks for your input Koshkin.  That is my problem.  While I have a lot of scopes, none of them have seen a lot of shooting and therefore I do not feel qualified to give a strong opinion about the reliability of any of them except for a few and still that is anecdotal.  As I said, that pre-Meade Simmons Aetec has seen a lot of action without problems and the Trijicon has made it through I believe two seasons with a couple of strong down pours of rain without any problems.  The rubber magnification ring did come loose in a small area and I glued it back without any problems.  Probably from the recoil of the 300 Wby. magnum.  Interesting it had a beautiful well made aluminum ring beneath it.  I wish they would have left that in place without the rubber and made their marks on it, but the rubber ring is easier to turn, especially in the rain, I suppose. 

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D. Overton



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