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Rifle Scopes Elevation eye relief strangeness

VS762

Private
Minuteman
Nov 22, 2018
11
3
Just curious if anyone else has ever seen this. Brand new Vortex razor scope had a weird shadow shadow at top or bottom when elevation was maxed out either direction. Looked like you were basically seeing the lens hood or something ie poor alignment/relief. As you dialed back to mechanical zero, sight picture would correct then start shadowing the opposite direction as you went through elevation. Needless to say this was about to be sent back. Thankfully I have two other people here and all had the same issue. As I was writing Vortex I was confirming how much of the sight picture was lost at max elevation, it corrected itself. Ran it through calibration charts and it was fine. Shot 80 rounds, box test, yadayada, all was good. Has anyone else ever seen this? All I can think of is maybe a bound return spring.
 
Have you considered the possibility of "vignetting"? (If you have, disregard.) If I understand what you are saying, that sounds like a contender.

Simply a matter of the geometry of some scopes' erector, hood, and lens alignment, in particular as you approach the limits of erector travel. If memory serves, there can be both a physical (like from the hood, etc) and optical (from the lens alignment and that effect of light waves, etc)

If that's what you are experiencing, then there is likely not anything "wrong" with the scope.

The "correcting itself" part though, that's interesting. Seems possible there could have been some binding through torque problems or ring/mount problems, too, but that's speculation. Seems like a bound return spring would show up through usage.

That's just best guess. Curious what the real experts have to say though...
 
Not vignetting, as it was not gradual. It seriously looked like you were catching top or bottom or tube depending on if it was adjusted low or high. Setup hundreds of rifles over the years and only seen it one other time and it did not fix itself. Weirded out by it and will be paranoid until I forget which rifle this is on.