AStone
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These are pretty amazing stories. Even though I'll not change how gingerly I handle my scope, it's good to know such resilience is in there.
How much "abuse" can a good scope take?
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gamestalker
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Back in the 1980's I was hunting bear on the Mogollon Rim. I had shot one, and when I was climbing back up the cliff face, I decided to take a short cut and try to climb from tree to tree, bad idea. My rifle sling got tangled in the limbs and branches, and after several minutes of hopelessly trying to free it, I found myself in a situation where I was either going to fall 75 or 100 feet to my death on the rocks, or let my rifle go. I let the rifle fall.
It was a Remington 700 ADL, the old wooden stock, with a Leupold 3x9x40, and Burris Zee rings on it. It landed on the butt, and then tumbled down the rock slide. When I climbed back down to retrieve it, the objective bell was bent down some, not the tube, just the over hand in front of the lens. The stock didn't suffer any breakage, just deep scratches.
Anyway, when I took it out to the range to check everything out, it was only 3" off zero at 200 yds., I couldn't hardly believe it.
Since that incident, I haven't given much thought to carrying or lifting my rifle by the scope tube.
GS
It was a Remington 700 ADL, the old wooden stock, with a Leupold 3x9x40, and Burris Zee rings on it. It landed on the butt, and then tumbled down the rock slide. When I climbed back down to retrieve it, the objective bell was bent down some, not the tube, just the over hand in front of the lens. The stock didn't suffer any breakage, just deep scratches.
Anyway, when I took it out to the range to check everything out, it was only 3" off zero at 200 yds., I couldn't hardly believe it.
Since that incident, I haven't given much thought to carrying or lifting my rifle by the scope tube.
GS
AStone
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^ Whoa. Now that's the best story here yet. Really amazing. Glad you survived to tell it. You should sell that story to Leupold for their marketing/advertising team. (I visualize a re-enactment --- by a stunt man of course. 
)
Mogollon Rim is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been (especially if you ignore the existence of Sedona). I spent more time on it in NM -- west side of the Gila Wilderness -- but the rim was way more pronounced in AZ, especially in the Prescott/Sedona area.
)Mogollon Rim is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been (especially if you ignore the existence of Sedona). I spent more time on it in NM -- west side of the Gila Wilderness -- but the rim was way more pronounced in AZ, especially in the Prescott/Sedona area.
CaliCoastie
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Well earlier this week I was on a climb after a goat here in alaska, got up over a rock face about 1200ft up a mountain(had a prayer as I was free climbing a wet mossy 80ft section, not something I recommend). Realized that the remaining 1500ft was steeper, climbed another couple hundred feet. Started getting really cold, realized that we weren't going to get a goat that day, started down about a 65 degree slope on loose shale. I lost my footing slid down for 30ft or so on my rifle, caught myself on a small Alder(Chris farleys black sheep movie came to mind) . I couldn't care less that my scope was probably off, bore sighted it loosely when we got back, then the range.
At 100yds she was .5in right, and 1in low. It is a leupold 3-9x40 vx1, I have had burris and vortex fail me on a different rifle this year and the Leopold I rode down a hill is still running fine. Starting to drink the Leopold koolaid.....
At 100yds she was .5in right, and 1in low. It is a leupold 3-9x40 vx1, I have had burris and vortex fail me on a different rifle this year and the Leopold I rode down a hill is still running fine. Starting to drink the Leopold koolaid.....
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CaliCoastie
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AStone
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This thread is providing way more interesting answers than I anticipated.
Cali, I can relate to your climbing experience. I've never been to Alaska, but I've had similar hair-raising experiences in Colorado -- though not with a gun and scope, but during mountaineering/backpacking experiences in the high country. What I learned then the hard way -- and have confirmed by study since then -- is that going up is WAY easier than going down. Most mountaineering accidents and fatalities occur going down rather than on the way up. Discussing the 4 - 5 reasons here would be OT, but you can probably figure out why if you think about it.
Congrats on surviving, and thanks for the story. Leupold koolaid, indeed.
Cali, I can relate to your climbing experience. I've never been to Alaska, but I've had similar hair-raising experiences in Colorado -- though not with a gun and scope, but during mountaineering/backpacking experiences in the high country. What I learned then the hard way -- and have confirmed by study since then -- is that going up is WAY easier than going down. Most mountaineering accidents and fatalities occur going down rather than on the way up. Discussing the 4 - 5 reasons here would be OT, but you can probably figure out why if you think about it.
Congrats on surviving, and thanks for the story. Leupold koolaid, indeed.
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