troubles sighting in

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fuzzy

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good afternoon

I went to the local range this morning to put a box of ammo through my browning bbr in 7mm mag topped with a luepold vx3 1.5-5 scope. my first 3 shots at 100 were a good enough in there grouping bang on for elevation but about an inch and a half right. i took a couple of shots at 200, not even on paper, so back to 100 1 shot real close to the other 3, adjusted a couple of clicks for elevation and a couple of clicks to adjust it left and the next 16 were not even on paper. i never let the gun get hot, 3 shots then a long cooling period.scope and rings are tight.i am going to take the action out of the stock and double check everything that i am capable of but that is not much.

any help and insight would be great

thanks
 
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Move your target in close say 25 yards and see where it is hitting. No use blasting away at a target if you are not hitting it. Could be something internal with the scope, push comes to shove try another scope even if you only borrow one to see. Good luck.
 
Go back to shooting at 100 yds.

Set your scope and gun to be hitting 2 inches high at 100 yds.

This should put you pretty close to a 200 yd zero with that caliber.
 
my first 3 shots at 100 were a good enough in there grouping bang on for elevation but about an inch and a half right. i took a couple of shots at 200, not even on paper, so back to 100 1 shot real close to the other 3, adjusted a couple of clicks for elevation and a couple of clicks to adjust it left and the next 16 were not even on paper.
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If you were only 1-1/2" off center at 100 yards before adjusting the scope a couple of clicks,either your target paper is very small,or you adjusted the scope more than a couple of clicks.
 
I have had this experience a few times and it alway came down to the scope rings &/or mounts getting loose. ALWAYS!!!
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If the gun shoots a good group at 100 yards,but doesn't hit the paper at 200 yards,then again shoots to the same point of impact at 100 yards,I doubt that the cause is loose rings or mounts.After all,it shot close at 100 yards,until he adjusted the scope.
 
on further examination i was checking over the scope base, they are a one piece base and on the back of them, there are 2 screws one on each side that go horizontally to secure the scope rings. i dont really know how to explain it better. anyway the screw wasnt snug on the right hand side. i grabbed screw drive and started to tighten, got that little hmm is this tight enough, then woops, turned the head of it right off!! CRAP :mad:. well at least that screw is tight now:D. I guess i have to get that taken care of by a smith now??
 
i grabbed screw drive and started to tighten, got that little hmm is this tight enough, then woops, turned the head of it right off!! CRAP . well at least that screw is tight now. I guess i have to get that taken care of by a smith now??
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What brand is the base?Leupolds seem to have good quality screws,but some other brands(millet or redfield) are very soft.In any case,you shouldn't need a gunsmith to remove the screw.Just loosen the other screw,and it shouldn't be hard to remove if you use a sharp object to turn it.
 
the bases are a one piece browning, i dont even know if my local gunstore would carry a replacement and i have no idea where else to look.

fuzzy
 
I would just get a pair of Leupold screws.and be done with it,they are better quality anyways.If you can't find screws,just buy a new Leupold base,they aren't that expensive.
 
I hate those windage rear bases with a passion. I prefer dual dovetail or Leupold slot style (Weaver style)
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I have used the Leupold windage type bases on many rifles,including 300RUMS,7mmstws,and a 338x8mmremmag,yet I have never had one fail in use.
 
444shooter said:
I hate those windage rear bases with a passion. I prefer dual dovetail or Leupold slot style (Weaver style)
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Me too. I still have that set up on many rifles, but am weeding them out slowly and not buying anymore. Until they're all gone there's red loctite. A quality Weaver style has never let me down, holds equally well on both rings and doesn't suggest using a 1000 dollar snipe to remove and replace the scope.
 
444shooter said:
I hate those windage rear bases with a passion. I prefer dual dovetail or Leupold slot style (Weaver style)
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I don't like them either. I use warne steel weaver bases, leupold dual dovetail or talley's (either style). Tough to beat steel weavers ant burris zee rings IMHO.

I also bought a torque wrench. I now torque all my scope base, ring and action screws. I used to have trouble over torquing scope rings and then my scope wouldn't adjust properly. I also like knowing that all the screws are the same torque and everything is nice and even.
 
No need to repair. Flow some blue loctite onto the screw stub. To remove the scope, you only need to slacken the screw on the other side.
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If as he posted,one screw head is twisted right off,there is definitely a need to repair it.The rear ring is normally held in place by being sandwiched between the two windage screw heads.With one screw head being twisted right off,there is nothing holding the rear ring in place.

i grabbed screw drive and started to tighten, got that little hmm is this tight enough, then woops, turned the head of it right off!!
Click to expand...
 
Spend the $$ on good rings&bases and you won't have any more problems for as long as you have the rifle.

The best set-up I have found, after switching from leupold standard and then dual dovetails, is a weaver rail with leupold PRW rings. They are excellent rings, and if tightened to 10 inch/pounds with a torque wrench you will never have to worry about anything moving or coming loose. Check them out. I use matte low for my large variety of rifles with 40mm scopes.
 
What you're describing sounds suspiciously like a loose erector, or even broken erector spring.

Have an Elite 3200 3x10x40 Compact on my Marlin, bought slightly used. For every 2 rounds it would put where i wanted, would throw 3 about 5" high and 4" to the left. Sent it back to Bushnell, the erector had come loose. Fixed no charge and returned, groups great now.

One loose screw on a ring cap does not seem, IMHO, to be sufficient to cause the problem you're having.

Following a couple of forums, clearly Leupold, while their warranty is reliable, does have their share of problems, too.

When snugging ring and base screws, I always use an Allen wrench, never anything bigger. Too easy to over-torque with bigger tools and twist off one of them little fasteners. You don't get the sensitive feedback with regard to feel through a screwdriver that comes through an Allen wrench. Of course, if one has the proper torque wrench, this is the optimum tool to use.

As noted in previous post, loosening off the other screw should loosen the broken one and make it easy to remove.

FWIW.
 
One loose screw on a ring cap does not seem, IMHO, to be sufficient to cause the problem you're having.
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The loose screw was not on a ring cap,it was one of the windage screws that actually holds the ring onto the base.One loose screw,means that the rear ring is floating on the base.

Personally,I believe that the problem is merely an adjustment issue.
 
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