Don't forget to tap your adjustment knobs!!!

Contact the folks from Leupold, they'll tell you that in their older versions that it's not uncommon for the crosshair bbls to stick a little. The light tapping is their recommended fix. If the tube is so extremely misaligned in the rings that it's causeing the sticking, the scope is probably hooped. It may cause some visual distortion and paralax but there should be a fair amount of room in there. Wether this is the case with their newer one piece tubes, I can't comment. bearhunter
 
Perhaps that might be an "acceptable" fix at the range bearhunter, but nevertheless, a temporary band-aid to a misaligned or stressed tube. But what about when you're out hunting. Let me see?....I've got a 300 yd shot on a monster buck, should I or should I not tap my scope? Sorry, I've never heard of it either and I've been shooting mostly Leupold scopes for all of my life, never had to tap one, never plan on it. In all my years, I've not had to call upon Leupold's legendary warranty, I guess that's why you pay the extra $$$ for quality.
 
I remember the old tube type TVs when the vertical hold acted up you gave 'em a smack and they'd smarten up. But i'm with gitrdun on this one, second guessing your equipment is just plain silly when hunting.
 
That is a good article, thanks Win94. In my career, I have been involved in precise alignment of machinery such as gas fired turbines and turbo compressors. This involves precision optics and laser alignment equipment. This is where I draw the "precision" approach from. Never did we accept tapping of optics or lasers to get them into a home position shall we say. The fellow does write a good procedure, but the tapping with a shell casing is still "his" opinion. Like I said, great article, I still ain't tapping my scope, although from past experience, I wholeheartedly agree with going past the required clicks and then coming back to the desired amount. :D
 
If it gets to the point where I have to tap my turrets to get a scope to adjust and hold point of impact then I'll tap it with a 3lb ballpeen hammer and chuck it into the trash cause it's no good. If the crosshairs don't settle with the recoil of a couple or three shots then tapping the turrets is useless, the old Leupold friction adjustment scopes were famous for that.
 
That is a good article, thanks Win94. In my career, I have been involved in precise alignment of machinery such as gas fired turbines and turbo compressors. This involves precision optics and laser alignment equipment. This is where I draw the "precision" approach from. Never did we accept tapping of optics or lasers to get them into a home position shall we say. The fellow does write a good procedure, but the tapping with a shell casing is still "his" opinion. Like I said, great article, I still ain't tapping my scope, although from past experience, I wholeheartedly agree with going past the required clicks and then coming back to the desired amount.
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Gitrdun, i know where you are coming from. I just made it a habit from numerous articles i have read growing up on the subject. I guess its kind of controversial like "breaking in a barrel" some do it and some laugh about it and their will be various opinions about each till the end of time.:D
 
Like I said, it won't hurt none. If you shoot a muzzle loader, chances are you tap the butt on the ground to shake off any particles sticking to the bore and to settle the charge before you seat the ball. It just helps things out. Same poop, different pile.
 
I am forced to wonder if tapping can affect the position of the crosshairs in a rifle scope... exactly what can the recoil of a firing the gun do to them?
I have tracked hundreds of scopes using a bore sighter and on paper while sighting in. Quality scopes do not require tapping... if they do they are crap.
 
BIGREDD said:
I am forced to wonder if tapping can affect the position of the crosshairs in a rifle scope... exactly what can the recoil of a firing the gun do to them?
I have tracked hundreds of scopes using a bore sighter and on paper while sighting in. Quality scopes do not require tapping... if they do they are crap.
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My IOR's have the crosshairs etched onto the glass, so tapping won't affect them.

They're tough enough that a drop won't effect them either!:D
Cat
 
Guys the tapping is useful on scopes that have seen better days or have been left at one setting for years, then need to be adjusted for whatever reason. I agree not an ideal situation and I will usually send a scope that has this problem back for repair or cleaning. I lap all of my rings before putting a scope into them.
Once the scope is adjusted, it doesn't come out of adjustment. It just needs a little touch to get there in the first place. and is totally reliable if another adjustment is needed for whatever reason, such as elevation for rangeing or changeing from rifle to rifle. bearhunter
 
If the errector assembly is so sticky that you have to create vibration to get it to move, you've got issues.
As stated earlier this is a hold over from the scopes of yester year, the tolerences were crappy and the errector assemblies had a tendancy to be sticky, hence the habit of rapping/tapping/ thumping the scope to get the assembly to settle into place. If a scope is of newer manufacture and of a manufatrurer of good reputation, and it takes a knock or two to settle the errector assembly into place, you've got a pooched scope or a scope that is so torqued up in poorly aligned rings that it's most likely going bad in a big hurry.
Get a proffesional to lap your rings, or learn how to do it your self, and stay away from fire sale scopes. Save the knocking for your buddies door when you come to brag about your groups.
 
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