scopes not holding zero ?

[jamiedenny]

Hiya,

 

I went out for some excellent rabbit bashing with the .22lr and the air rifle at the weekend, however over the last couple of times using the lr i have noticed the scope didn't hold its zero. i have since tried 3 different scopes (falcon menace and hawke) with the brand new bushnell legend currently on top. After returning from the permission I took the lr out for a quick test and the zero had shifted high left (about half a mil each way). I thought it may be the rifle but a 25 shot group at 65 yards was well within an inch (no flyers thanks eley). The air rifle also shifted zero and that is very unlikely to be the rifle.

lr is a cz style with various (currently bushnell) scopes and has a floated barrel (by me just sanding) no bipod, and bench rested on bags (i also dont use a sling)

the air rifle is a HW100 - nuff said

all distances were lased and the rest (bench rest) was how the rifle was zeroed the day before.

 

The drive to this permission and is about 10 - 15 mins on typical English a&b roads. both rifles were transported in a slip and hard case laid out behind the front seats of a generally slowly driven volvo. the shift is not always the same but never hugely dramatic.

 

So does anyone else have a problem with zero shifting ?. I haven't really noticed it much before but my lr and air rifle are work horses and used a lot at dusk so turning up to zero is a bit of a pain every time.

 

anyone else have problems with holding a zero, i have put it down to the drive but i drive to every permission ?.

 

 

Ta

[harry69koi]

I have the same issue m8 but my scope is a cheap crappy job £20 worth lol,so i expect it

[jamiedenny]

I have the same issue m8 but my scope is a cheap crappy job £20 worth lol,so i expect it

ha, yeah scopes were a little more so would hope they are not that bad

the hard case is quite tight to shut but surely that couldnt be an issue. I'm sure I have had the same issue in the slip; I don't keep one gun to one case so cant be 100 % i suppose.

[Olliesims]

As the .22lr has no recoil what so ever any scope should be suitable, there's a few things you should try first, have you tried it without a sound moderator? Rounds could be clipping the baffels in side, and causing the effect of not holding zero,

Try different ammo, might just be a dodgy batch, put a different make down range and see if you have the same problem,

Another thing is give the barrel a good clean

using a good lead/copper cleaner like parker hale/hoppes 009 liquid after awhile a build up of wax and lead could be affecting the accuracy,

Check that all screws are tight on the mounts and not lose,

Has it always been like this or just a recent thing?

[Olliesims]

Also I forgot to mention it could also be parrelex error

[jamiedenny]

thanks

paralax adjusted for on scope

 

I will give it a good clean, i could understand clipping etc if the group opened up or wasn't accurate but the zero shifts to one point and remains.

its been like it for the last couple of uses.

[Olliesims]

There is no reason why a scope like a bushnell legend would not hold zero on a .22, I used a nikko Stirling mountmaster £40 job on mine and it never lost zero, even on my other scopes with parrelex adjustment (mtc mamba) I was getting some error, not alot but a few centimetres here and there

[Olliesims]

I noticed you said you use a few different scopes? Make sure the screws are all tight, you could try turning the mounts around to face the opposite way to what they are now, there's alot of different things to try, I'm sure there will be someone else along with more experience soon to give a input

Edited May 7, 2013 by Olliesims

[jamiedenny]

I noticed you said you use a few different scopes? Make sure the screws are all tight, you could try turning the mounts around to face the opposite way to what they are now, there's alot of different things to try, I'm sure there will be someone else along with more experience soon to give a input

thanks matey,

tried different mounts as well, i have to admit my cleaning regime isnt exactly spotless :-). ill give it a run through with 009 and the rod

[goodo123]

Try working your scope so it's zeroed roughly mid range off adjustment.

[jimmyb79]

I have a similar issue with a Leupold VX-R. Has gone back to Leupold today but I have only experienced it with that scope- the others are fine.

[peek-at]

Try working your scope so it's zeroed roughly mid range off adjustment.

 

Might be worth shimming the rear mount with a piece or two of cut down drinks can to lower your aim point a bit.... then zero.

This will put you into bottom part of your adjustment range slightly with a bit more pressure on the internal workings meaning less chance of movement.

 

Have a look at this clip -

 

(bear with it, the relevant bit is about half way through)

Edited May 8, 2013 by peek-at

[jamiedenny]

Great, ill give it I try,

[bicykillgaz]

Not zero'd it in a crosswind have you? Seems strange all your scopes do it, not snatching at shots? Are your stock screws tightened up?

 

My money is on the stock isn't the style a plastic stock, how much have you floated it by, could you be getting it touching in places?

[jamiedenny]

I would have thought its the stock because its a style. But no bipod or sling for that reason and it remains deadly accurate (well under an inch and closer to half at 65yards) but with a poi shift. No cross wind and was zeroed before the days shooting. Looks like I just need to do some playing around and range time.

I have floated it enough for a £5 note to slide under the barrel so its not likely to be the issue.

 

Btw - the bushnell legend scopes are ace, the low light ability from the 44 objective version is excellent. I would certainly add them to anyone's list to look at.

[goodo123]

 

Might be worth shimming the rear mount with a piece or two of cut down drinks can to lower your aim point a bit.... then zero.

This will put you into bottom part of your adjustment range slightly with a bit more pressure on the internal workings meaning less chance of movement.

 

 

 

That's what I ment, try work it at a different part of the range, I usually find their one side or the other

Have a look at this clip -

 

(bear with it, the relevant bit is about half way through)