Interesting find on Facebook, optics edition

[Krob95]

Scrolling through the ol Facebook when I come across this post. I have quoted it in its entirety below:

“Just curious if anyone here ever exercises the turrets on a new scope or on a scope with tracking issues? I’ve read of several folks on the accurateshooter forum that swear by it. Also got the info below off of 24hrcampfire.

"I recommend that you condition both turrets and then repeat a box test at the range. Conditioning is done in the following way:

Find the mechanical center of both turrets. That's the midpoint of the total adjustment range.

Start with the elevation turret.

Rotate the turret clockwise to the limit, then counterclockwise to the opposite limit. Repeat nine more times. Return the turret to the mechanical center.

Then repeat the same process with the windage turret.

Then repeat the previous cycle (elevation turret ten times, windage turret ten times) nine more times. Then you will have exercised both turrets 100 times.

I've used this conditioning process to cure scope tracking problems. If the scope has turret knobs, I always condition the turrets when the scope is new. I perform the same process for the power ring - it solves POA drift problems with the zoom mechanism in the erector tube.

The conditioning process takes a while and can create fatigue in your hand. I wear a leather glove and perform the process in groups of 20-30 cycles, then rest for a few hours.

I read about this process in an article in precision shooting. I tried it and found it to work."

Has anyone ever heard of “conditioning” turrets? Sounds easier to just run irons if this is the case.

 

[Eric32]

I have heard you should move the turrets to spread the lube on the internals. So it doesn't sound completely crazy but its close.

 

[Just Macca]

How was that recommended number for turret movements arrived at? I think the answer is “arbitrarily”.

Also considering the turret is basically using a fine thread to reposition the erector by specific increments, how can it be “exercised” into correct alignment? It’s either machined and calibrated correctly or it’s not.

From what I’ve read; the old Leupold Mk IV used to benefit from overshooting an intended adjustment before dialing back to it. Whether that’s a quirk of the springs in the erector or a superstition, I don’t know - I wouldn’t trust a Leupold to track without testing in 2021 let alone then anyway.

I also used to hear that you had to break in barrels and bullets go to sleep

 

[supercorndogs]

I think SWFA scopes used to come with instructions to turn the turrets from stop to stop X number of times to spread out the grease.

 

[Fig]