Re: Nightforce Alternative
This might get long, lots of details, I'll probably miss a few, but here goes
Okay, well yes I was being a little sarcastic with the high-end scope remark. Good catch. These, the Buckmaster & the Menace, are "known good" scopes, work great on some of my .22lr's, hold zero, adjust accurately, etc. Since I don't have a rack of true high end scopes these are all I had to use. Which kind of comes to the point, I wasn't sure it was the NF, that's why I used these scopes. And they both worked fine on the same rifle under the same courses of fire that the NF didn't
And yes I realize a variety of factors can cause a change in zero or POI shift, just usually not within a twenty or thirty shot range session, say something like shooting Lowlight's practical tactical target.
So the whole story goes something like this. Wanted to shoot in a local competition, real minor bragging rights thing. Hadn't shot in a while, wanted to make sure everything, mostly the shooter, that would be me, was up to speed. Shot the hide group target, POI started to shift on about the 4th group. Finished the target's 5 groups. Let rifle cool 10-15 minutes, started in on the second, same style, target, POI dropped about 3 inches. FWIW, the temperature and barometric pressure hadn't changed significantly and to my knowledge my elevation hadn't changed.
Over the course of two or three range trips the POI dropped roughly 2 mils, around 7 inches.
Called NF, it's been a while, but I'm pretty sure I talked to Ken. Went something like this.
Hi Ken I'm a nobody with a NF scope, I not a sniper superstar, a shooting know it all, just another guy with Rem 700 trying to have some fun shooting. I explained the problems I was having to Ken.
Ken told me to get the stock bedded, so I did. Same shit.
BTW NF base, NF rings, torqued to NF specs from the beginning. Intention of buying a NF was to INVEST in a quality scope I could build a rifle under and work out to longer range shooting. I guess shooting out to 600 yards accurately was my original intent.
Called NF again, talked to someone in sales-can't remember who. Asked for help, again I offered that I wasn't sure it was the scope, but I just wasn't sure what else to do.
Told this person that I had mounted a <span style="font-style: italic">Falcon Menace</span> on the rifle and it had shot fine in the same situation that NF hadn't. His reply...how much does the Menace weigh compared to the NF
, and then something along the lines , well I guess you can send it back. Hmm, about this time I'm thinking I'm on my own here, but I'll keep trying to figure it out.
When I mounted the Menace it was in Millett weaver style rings.
After switching to a two peice NF 20 moa base and having the same issues I decided to try the Buckmaster. The Buckmaster is in TPS TSR tactical scope rings. I bought this scope & rings for a 22 build some time after purchasing the NF. Well I noticed in mounting this scope that the TSR rings fit much better in the rail than the NF rings did, almost no slop compared to the NF rings which slide easily back and forth.
Again FWIW I mic'd the cross bolt on the different rings. TSR .195 on average, NF .140 on average. Well shit, I'm thinking the problem is in the effen rings.
So, yup here we go again, called NF, I got to start writing these names down because I'm not sure who I talked to but it started with a B. Asked him about their rings, any way I could tell if I had authentic NF rings, asked for specifics on fit, explained that the TSR's fit much better on the rail than the NF rings I've been using (I measured the cross-bolts later). Also explained again the issues with the scope and that I was doing everything I could think of to isolate the problem. No straight answer was given by the NF person as to why such a sloppy fit, no offer that maybe they would like to look at the scope, and no suggestions as to further troubleshooting.
So, as I sit here and type, I'm awaiting shipment of another pair of NF rings. I think this is the last variable. When they get here I'll compare them to the set I have had on the scope and see where I'm at.
Okay, I've typed enough, flame away.
Curt