my M14 is eating scopes

the_big_mike

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hey guys

my m14 is just eating my scopes. Its broken two of them already this month! One within 15 shots! Whats going on?
 
he is using the same scope i am using a bushnell 3-9x40. i didnt see the first one but the second got brought to me to figure out what was wrong. the objective houseing with the lens popped out of its threads. now i am using the exact scope and havent had any scope related problems in about 500+ rounds in my 303 which has aboat load more recoil then his m14 *yes i know i have shot both side by side for comparison. so its got us both bewildered
 
SignGuy said:
he is using the same scope i am using a bushnell 3-9x40. i didnt see the first one but the second got brought to me to figure out what was wrong. the objective houseing with the lens popped out of its threads. now i am using the exact scope and havent had any scope related problems in about 500+ rounds in my 303 which has aboat load more recoil then his m14 *yes i know i have shot both side by side for comparison. so its got us both bewildered

Which Bushnell? Elite, Trophy, Legend...:confused:
 
My M305 destroyed a Mueller 4-16 X 50 Sport Dot scope after about 200 rounds. I can't get warranty on that so I put a M4 clone 40mm that I got here from jackyiscxd. I only have 40 shots or so from that one, time will tell. I will not put an expensive scope on this rifle until I can get it shooting a little better than is is right now, it groups like poop (my welded up SKS actually groups better than my m305!!) I will put a Bushnell Elite 4200 on it when I get all of the work done to it to accurize it.
 
agilent_one said:
Which Bushnell? Elite, Trophy, Legend...:confused:
umm i think its the sportsman or somthing like that. see i could understand the quality of scope being a factor if it was an internals issue but the entire objective lens house was blown right off it stripped the threads and all. the boggling factor is my scope which is the same has got 500+ through it no wandering zero no loose parts fogging glass etc and it gets more kicking and banging as my bush/truck/range gun.
 
A thought.

Problems like these are fairly common on spring powered airguns due to most rifle scopes not being reinforced against reverse recoil. It's unlikely, but concievable, that on a S/A like the M14 the action could close forcefully enough to create enough reverse recoil force to pop the lenses out.
 
Exoce† said:
A thought.

Problems like these are fairly common on spring powered airguns due to most rifle scopes not being reinforced against reverse recoil. It's unlikely, but concievable, that on a S/A like the M14 the action could close forcefully enough to create enough reverse recoil force to pop the lenses out.

Interesting.

I ordered one of the leupold wannabe's from 1337 tactical. They say its 100% shockproof so we'll see how that performs!
 
Hi

I had a mini14 that broke two Bushnell scopes. I got a Leupold 6X42 fixed power and it worked fine. Sold the gun, but that scope has been on a half dozen rifles, including an m14 with no problems. That scope is now over 15 years old, still works. You get what you pay for.
 
Suggestion Here the buy higher end scopes Bushnell,Burris,Leupold,Simmons, ect you actually get a better built scope.Cheap /entry level scopes = failures in most semi auto gun
 
buckbrush said:
cheap scopes and cheap mount. bad combination

Ditto. Invest in a Leupy, can get an M8 for cheap. :) I'd spring for an ARMS #18 or Smith Ent mount while you're at it, cheap mounts on the M14 are kind of a waste of time I find. :) The old adage "the scope costs as much as the rifle" is very true, in fact, optics packages on most of our M14's run far more than the cost of the Norc in the first place for a lot of us here. In fact most scopes I use cost more than the rifles, it's what lets you actually place the rounds.

But... I understand the $ considerations. My latest and favorite M14 will wear just Springfield match sights :)
 
quite buying crappy scopes, bases and rings. the glass mount and rings "should" equal or exceed the cost of the rifle.

a rifle is only as good as it's scope.

iron sights for the win

bushnell elite should be the bare minimum for a lower end scope for any rifle let alone a jack-hammering, gas driven pig like the M-14/m305
 
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SignGuy said:
he is using the same scope i am using a bushnell 3-9x40. i didnt see the first one but the second got brought to me to figure out what was wrong. the objective houseing with the lens popped out of its threads. now i am using the exact scope and havent had any scope related problems in about 500+ rounds in my 303 which has aboat load more recoil then his m14 *yes i know i have shot both side by side for comparison. so its got us both bewildered
It's alot different recoil then a bolt gun, lots of metal slamming into metal......this is not a new phenomenon the M14 destroying scopes.:)
Buy something good.
 
The Big Mike,
Welcome to the wonderful world of Bushnell.:mad: I have a Browning BAR that ate Bushnell 3200s like a cow eating grass. I have had them break before I got home from the range the first day. A mini14 took out another Bushnell. Junk on Junk, that was a winning combo for sure.;) Anyway, a Leupold VariX-111 cured the BAR, and selling cured me of the Mini-14. Nothing, I'm convinced will help the Bushnells.I even had a 4200 pck it in on a .22 rimfire.
Some thoughts to consider with autoloaders and handloads:A scope is subjected to a lot impacts and vibration. I'd wager that the bolt is slamming back and forth at speeds that exceed the recoil velocity considerbly. Many of the slower burning powders that work so well in bolt guns change the pressure curve,exposing the gas mechanism to higher pressures and much higher action speeds than they were designed for. Most people know that bullet energy increases based on the square of the velocity, but few realize that the same physics apply to the bolt slamming back and forth. A little increase is a whole lot of extra abuse on the system. Most people will never fire their rifles enough to notice the premature wear, but the scopes are a different story. When they get sick, they tell you!
I won't pretend to be knowledgeable on M14 clones, but all gas guns share certain characteristics. It seems that the concensus on the M14 is that bullets heavier than 150 grains are to be avoided because they batter the action. If the steel is getting hammered, believe me that piece of aluminum and glass is taking its whacks as well. There are several experienced shooters of these rifles on this site that can provide you with easy on the gun loads.
The first step is to get rid of the Bushnell though. Somewhere a garbage- can awaits.
 
Dogleg said:
The Big Mike,
Welcome to the wonderful world of Bushnell.:mad: I have a Browning BAR that ate Bushnell 3200s like a cow eating grass. I have had them break before I got home from the range the first day. A mini14 took out another Bushnell. Junk on Junk, that was a winning combo for sure.;) Anyway, a Leupold VariX-111 cured the BAR, and selling cured me of the Mini-14. Nothing, I'm convinced will help the Bushnells.I even had a 4200 pck it in on a .22 rimfire.
Some thoughts to consider with autoloaders and handloads:A scope is subjected to a lot impacts and vibration. I'd wager that the bolt is slamming back and forth at speeds that exceed the recoil velocity considerbly. Many of the slower burning powders that work so well in bolt guns change the pressure curve,exposing the gas mechanism to higher pressures and much higher action speeds than they were designed for. Most people know that bullet energy increases based on the square of the velocity, but few realize that the same physics apply to the bolt slamming back and forth. A little increase is a whole lot of extra abuse on the system. Most people will never fire their rifles enough to notice the premature wear, but the scopes are a different story. When they get sick, they tell you!
I won't pretend to be knowledgeable on M14 clones, but all gas guns share certain characteristics. It seems that the concensus on the M14 is that bullets heavier than 150 grains are to be avoided because they batter the action. If the steel is getting hammered, believe me that piece of aluminum and glass is taking its whacks as well. There are several experienced shooters of these rifles on this site that can provide you with easy on the gun loads.
The first step is to get rid of the Bushnell though. Somewhere a garbage- can awaits.
- it's 180 grains and above- the 150-168s shoot fine- a lot of us use them- esp handloads- on the other hand, i've had a scopechief 4x12 with a gen 2 scope mounted for years and never had a problem
 
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