Back to talking scopes!

[Perleyu]

Hello all. A while ago I had a thread on here about budget scopes. A lot of you answered with your input, opinions, etc. And I appreciate all of the comments. I reported then that I had purchased a used scope on ebay, a Weaver 4x38 fixed power. For 55 bucks I figured it was right, especially with me having owned a couple of weavers over the years. But alas, it didn't work out. I finally put it on my Savage 340 (30-30) and attempted to line it up. Long story short it failed miserably. Shot over a box of (precious) ammo and could not get it to align. It would shoot a little to the right, so we would move the crosshairs a little to the left. Then it wouldn't even hit the target. Then move it back to the right a little and it would hit in a different place. In spite of numerous attempts like this, just wasted ammo. I reported earlier that it was an ebay buy, so I contacted the seller who was adamently defiant about the deal. Said he stated in his ad for it that it was non-returnable. When I got it I left favorable feedback due to the cosmetic condition and the shipping/packaging, so he says that I was happy with it and that he would not do anything. He suggested that I send it in to Weaver for fixing. But I'm not the original owner and I feel it is not my obligation to do this, but his as a seller. I've bought nearly 900 items through the years that I've been on ebay, and have only had problems with one other seller before this. What would you do???? Perleyu

[Hawg]

IMHO since you left positive feedback you're screwed. About all you can do at this point is contact Weaver.

[lefteye]

You should adjust the scope cross hairs to the point of impact of the bullets. If the bullets were hitting to the right you must adjust the cross hairs to the right. Adjusting the cross hairs to the left caused the bullets to go even further to the right.

The barrel determines where the bullets go so the shooter must adjust the scope to where the bullets go.

[Cowboy_mo]

Make sure the cross hairs are centered in the scope before bore sighting and shooting.

You do this by "clicking" the adjustment all the way in one direction (for example UP). Then carefully click it all the way back down while CAREFULLY counting the number of clicks to get all the way down. Divide the number of clicks top to bottom by 2. Then carefully count that number of clicks up. That puts the horizontal bar exactly in the middle of the scope. Do the same with the windage adjustment. Now your cross hair will be centered in the scope.

I had a similar problem when I purchased a used scope. After I centered the cross hair and made my adjustments, VOILA, the scope was perfect.

Good luck.

[AllenJ]

It would shoot a little to the right, so we would move the crosshairs a little to the left.

If your scope is shooting to the right, you need to move the crosshairs to the right to correct. Try shooting a group of 3 or 5 shots, center the gun back on the target and hold it steady and firm, then have a friend adjust the crosshairs until they line up on your group.

[.284]

First, you did not mention how you were doing the site in. Not to be skeptical but, are you sure it's not you moving the point of impact? Are you shooting off sand bags or some other solid rest? What type of ammo are you shooting? Often times matching the ammo that your gun likes is a process.....not every box of cartridges is going to clover leaf the target.

I would make every attempt to take the human element out of the site in....that's first. A lead sled is great for doing this.


Second, if you determine that the scope is bad, I would look to get an adequate replacement. I gather you're on a budget so here's my recommendation. This is a nice USA built scope that is now owned by Leupold. I find Redfield to be a quality product.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Redfield-Rev...item51b384b29c

[reynolds357]

CowboyMo, there is only one way to truly re-center a scope. Put the tube in a device that will hold its centerline constant while you turn it. You then adjust both axis until the cross hair center does not move away from a fixed point as the scope is rotated.

[lefteye]

1. If the windage adjustments were made in the wrong direction, would it not be better to correct that error before attempting to re-center the cross hairs?

2. I assumed the OP had a stable rest such as sand bangs. A stable rest is necessary to properly adjust a scope.

[ZeroJunk]

I would send it back to Weaver. Odds are they will just send you a new one.

[Perleyu]

Yes, I agree, first problem was leaving positive feedback, I should have waited until I got it on a gun and tried sighting. However, here I am where I am. These replies are very interesting to be sure, especially the ones relative to crosshair adjustment. And the ones about first centering the cross hairs. I have never heard that one in all these years, but it makes sense. I suppose there will be a gazillion clicks to count in the travel from one extreme to the opposite? Whew, can I count that high, and can I keep track of them. (Small minds, don't-cha-know)! LOL.
I did contact Weaver and a rep sent me back an email requesting the number off the scope, so maybe!!!!!
But, I am going to run through that excercise again soon, be more patient and armed with the aforementioned information.
Yes, I have really taken notice of those new Leupold 'Redfields' and wish I had one, BUT at my age and position in Society, two hundred bucks or so would be damn hard to squeeze out of the (limited) budget. I know, don't scoff, but here I am at 70, totally unprepared for retirement and out of the labor market-----------Take note you youngsters, SAVE some while you can! Thank you all for your input. perleyu

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Late with this comment but better late than not at all.
Well at the very least you still have the open barrel sights to fall back on.
Yes indeed sighting a scope in at times is troublesome for many. {Including those who make a living doing it} My suggestion: give it one more try if you can spare a few shells (4-5) maybe. But before taking that 340 to the range. Go have the scope remounted and bore sighted first at a well stocked sporting goods store or a popular gun shop first. Tell them what you encountered at its sight in. You might be surprised to find all it takes is a different mounting system to accommodate your scope. There are adjustable base mounts available that help to relieve the many turns needed sometimes in a scope's adjustment. And to be honest the less adjustment off center in/with any scope the better. You certainly have a good rifle there for the purpose. I always like those little 340s myself. Short barreled with a man size stock on it. A good woods rifle. Good luck to yaw.

be a gazillion clicks to count in the travel from one extreme to the opposite?

Not the clicks, but full turns side to side.

[g.willikers]

Life is short, ammo is too expensive for excessive sighting in, and there's plenty of other irritating issues to deal with these days.
If you don't have confidence in this scope, park it and get one that you will.
See how simple it can be.

[redneck]

You should adjust the scope cross hairs to the point of impact of the bullets. If the bullets were hitting to the right you must adjust the cross hairs to the right. Adjusting the cross hairs to the left caused the bullets to go even further to the right.

The barrel determines where the bullets go so the shooter must adjust the scope to where the bullets go.

That is how it works in theory, but most scopes I have used are marked accordingly so that if you crank the direction labeled "right" it moves the point of impact to the right. If Perleyu was moving the cross hairs left then he was backwards but if he was cranking the dial in the direction labeled "left" he was probably doing the correct thing.

[thallub]

It's much easier to boresight the gun before firing a round. Saves a lot of money on ammo too.

How to boresight a bolt action rifle:

http://hunting.about.com/c/ht/00/07/...0962933346.htm

[Perleyu]

Thank you all sincerely. I am so completely confused now that I feel like tossing the scope and just use the iron sights. As I (think I) stated previously, the gun shoots quite good with open sights. At 25 yds (paced) it shoots a group of three that you could cover with a quarter! Only trouble is these 70 year old eyes do not see what a scope does! This moving the crosshairs right if the bullet goes to the right seems totally wrong! In fact, by observation, moving the adjustments like that seems to move the crosshairs in the wrong direction (by looking through the scope).
My Brother-In-Law has a Savage 110 in 30-06 that he says I can use for the season. I don't like shooting these big power guns though, that's why I got the 340 in 30-30. I'd been away from hunting for many years until last fall when he talked me into getting a lifetime license, CHEAP, and go shoot a partridge! Then he wanted me to go deer hunting with him. He loaned me a Savage 99c in 308 last year, which I didn't have to shoot at all after a few shots to check alignment. SIGH.
Well, OK, as soon as my eye heals up from my eyelid surgery of today, I WILL give it one more honest session and follow the suggestions offered previously.
Thank you all truly. perleyu

[bamaranger]

You don't mention if your Weaver is a vintage USA model, or one of the newer made overseas models. Just curious.

Irregardless, there are bound to be LEFT/ RIGHT and UP/DOWN markings on the dials. Follow that and don't watch the reticle move in your sight picture. As a broad comment, most scopes adjust bullet strike, just like the dials move.....screw the elevation dial "in/down" and the bullet strike does same. Same with windage, screw it "in/left" and the bullet strike moves left.

Failure to zero can be many things...loose mount system, bad scope, loose action/stock screws. As I remember, Sav 340 used a funky sidemount like arrangement, be sure and check your mount screws.

Sounds like you can shoot, and the rifle will too. Good luck with it. I guarantee you will shoot the scope better when you get it all worked out.

[fatwhiteboy]

Put the scope on another rifle then see how it shoots... And let someone else do the shooting... FWIW, I have a Savage 340 in .30-30 and it is not an accurate rifle...

[SteelChickenShooter]

It's obvious from a couple posts the OP makes he does not know how to adjust a scope and gets confused by what he sees or thinks. Since it has already been misadjusted, set it to optical zero, put the cross hairs on the target and fire off a hole or two. Now carefully place those crosshairs at the same exact aiming point, and while holding still, adjust them to intersect where the holes are. If you slip or move, you can really mess up and then you have to re-shoot to establish a new scenario. Have a buddy move the crosshairs while you watch and direct him. Don't make the adjustments too slowly, it gives you a chance to move your scope off the aiming point. Watch the Larry Potterfield easy way to adjust a scope on YouTube. I can see shooting a couple or a few rounds to zero. But if you shoot a box, it suggests you're doing something backwards or wrong, or the scope is no good or you don't get it.