traveled full scale up and down. At first, reticle travel would deviate from its true vertical line, but deviation gradually lessened as I performed this maneuver. Though not perfect, I was able to ac- complish a significant improvement in reticle travel as the knob was turned repeatedly as if to break it in. Here I will further show how I
set out to evaluate two variable power scopes using both my scope testing device and a fairly heavy recoil rifle capable of delivering superb accuracy. These two scopes were purchased ex- pressly for this purpose. I shall describe the two scopes by type, brand, and price. To hold them out they appeared very similar to one another and just as similar in outward appearance to a number of scopes on the market. Both were variable power target/varmint scopes … one a Tasco 5-20x50, which I paid $71.97 for, and its closely resem- bling counterpart … a Barska 6.5-20x50 which cost me $40.47. Both were new from the same mail order catalog as bargain closeouts. Each was separately put through the routine scrutiny on my scope test device, revealing the usual problems as I have described herein as- sociated with reticle instability during power adjustment as well as windage and elevation changes to a varying degree. Optically each displayed quite good lens quality. I could actually read back-lighted 22 caliber bullet holes at 300 yards with each scope. Parallax was totally removable at all ranges and both reticles came into crisp, black focus. For all general purposes, these scopes would appear to pass the test of most riflemen/ hunters in search of a suitable varmint/ target scope. Buyers are usually at the mercy of the dealer anyway as a scope is purchased … quality unbeknownst. Both scopes had been through the
therapeutic measures of correction for reticle-crawl on target as shown by my scope test device. Some small amount of reticle shift was not correctable with power changes on the Tasco, but when power settings were made from lower to higher, as I have previously described and recommend, all was quite accept- able. My prescribed reticle modalities took somewhat longer to get the Barska scope to conform, but it came through nicely with very acceptable reticle stabil- ity as both the power selector ring and windage/elevation knobs were repeat-
edly used. My theory was working but the big test was yet to come. As aforementioned, I would
mount one of the scopes on a rifle with well established, superb accuracy. This rifle would deliver all the recoil needed to cause a shifting reticle to move around enough to affect point of im- pact changes to some degree, if present anyway. The rifle was a 700 Remington converted to a single-shot and cham- bered to 270 WCF with a 28" five-groove Broughton barrel. This rifle is capable of extreme accuracy in the sub-half minute class with at least four bullets near full velocity. My primary objective was to determine how this scope would hold up in the grouping arena on a rifle of known accuracy with some kick behind it … again using a rifle to test a scope. The Barska 6.5-20x scope was
mounted and a series of five-shot groups was shot at 100 yards with the proven loads. During the testing I even moved the power selector ring from a lower setting to 16x after each shot for one of the groups, and the grouping now remained undisturbed. Four groups were shot with two different scopes set at 20x and 16x respectively. Scope “X”, a higher priced scope of known excellent performance, delivered 0.462" and 0.460" groups, while the Barska scope shot 0.443" and 0.542". Though these break-in maneuvers may not be a panacea for all scopes, a convincing statement was being made here.
Bighorn Arms Custom Rifle Actions
Ph 303-655-8405
BighornArms.com
As I drew closure to these tests,
there were some pretty revealing con- clusions. It isn’t always what we don’t know or believe in that holds us back … it’s what we think we know that isn’t so, that’s the problem. The scope really shouldn’t become a questionable issue in our quest for accuracy and bullet impact stability (shooters rely heavily on anything that can make them bet- ter), but it sometimes looms more a hindrance than an aid when we most need it. I found it encouraging to learn there was something I could do when things weren’t quite right. Sometimes a bit of innovation will be required to bail us out. This comes down to an aware- ness among us shooters that our rifle scopes, though they have come a very long way, seemingly have a personal- ity of their own, as do our rifles. I have come to place a great deal of trust in the riflescope and, though not entirely free of problems, the riflescope has been there for me in creating some very pre- cious memories.
The Cheetah AR-10 Custom Built Rifl e
• Magpul® PRS™ Stock • Quad-rail Picatinny hand guard • (1) 19 round magazine
• 12 ½ lbs • NM two-stage trigger • Break-in procedure provided
• Accuracy within 1 MOA • 24" or 26" barrel length • .22-250, .243 or .308 caliber • Badger Barrels® broach-cut chrome-moly barrel
"built by competitive shooters, for competitive shooters"
www.NorthernCompetition.com
www.varminthunter.org Page 71
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