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kmulder

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Hello everyone!

This is my first post here, and I made this account specifically to make this post. I apologize if I'm doing anything wrong!

I have quite a long story....

I purchased a Bushnell Trophy scope at a well-known Michigan sporting goods store and had it mounted to my Weatherby Vanguard .30-06. This was on 4/29/12.

I was told before mounting that the scope came with Butler Creek flip-caps, and that the fit "might be a little tight." I said I didn't really care if they were put on or not, but if possible, "go for it." When I came back to pick up my rifle, I saw the caps were installed. I assumed the fit wasn't too tight to prevent them from being put on. However, it was indeed WAY too tight, and they never should have been put on. Details will follow.

I spent a day attempting to sight it in shortly after the scope was installed. I became so frustrated with how inconsistent my shots were, that it I gave up and put the gun away. I thought I was just having a bad day at the range. Yesterday, I got the gun out and decided to try getting it sighted in again. I think I finally discovered why my gun will not shoot consistently.

In order for the front flip cap to be mounted to my rifle, the scope was placed as far forward as possible in the ring mounts. So much so, that my magnification adjustment actually scrapes on the rear ring mount. I now have a nice gouge on my "new" scope from changing powers just a few times.

The second thing is more alarming. The front flip cap "tube" is significantly compressed between my scope and barrel. The plastic's thickness is compressed to about 1/3 of its normal thickness between my scope and barrel! I tried removing the front cap, but it is impossible due to being compressed so much. The only way to remove it without damaging my scope (further?) would be to completely remove my scope from my gun.

The only way I see this situation as possible is if the flip-cap was put on the scope prior to putting the scope on the gun, and then the front scope-mount ring torqued down enough to get my scope level in its rings. There is simply no way someone could have pushed it onto the scope and squeezed it between my barrel and scope and compressed the plastic that much. I cannot even remove it, even after trying to apply oil between the barrel and scope cap and trying to rock it back and forth off the scope. The rear cap slides off easily with one hand.

There is no way this much compression is not putting stresses on my scope. Further more, as I take shots and my barrel heats up, these stresses must fluctuate immensely. I wouldn't be surprised to find that my new scope might have actually been bent in the installation process of putting the front cap on and tightening down the rings.

I really don't know what to do. I am disappointed in myself that I didn't notice this sooner, and am quite upset that someone would install the flip cap this way. As of now, I refuse to take my gun into the woods because I just don't trust it. Every shot I take varies by several inches at 100 yards. I'm not a professional sniper, but anyone you talk to who has seen me shoot knows I'm consistently accurate.

I definitely need to have my scope removed, re-mounted, and bore-sighted again before I can move forward (assuming my scope isn't damaged), not to mention all the ammunition I went through trying to sight it in.

It makes no sense to me why someone would mount it this way. The front cap never should have been put on the way it was. The installer should have either advised me to buy some rings with a higher rise, or never put the front cap on. Telling me it "might be a little tight" was quite wrong.

Here are some pictures of the setup. Any suggestions? I want to contact the store that sold and installed it to complain, but would feel better about doing so if someone would tell me "That's horrible!" or "You should NEVER have your scope touching the barrel!" Or maybe this gun just sucks and this scope setup is acceptable?

THANKS!

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I would not let the same person who did this try to fix it. I would however bring it to the attention of his boss. Maybe you can get some satisfactory resolution with the shop but that would not have been acceptable enough for me to have left the store with it.
 
Thanks for the response.

Yes, I do blame myself for even walking out of the store with it like that. I carelessly didn't inspect the job, just trusted they would do it right (since they probably put scopes on 100+ guns/week).

Searching around the interwebz some more, I see post after post that ANY contact is bad, let alone this much.
 
The scope should NOT touch the barrel in such a manner. Th objective is pre-loaded which throws off your point of aim. The scope is also getting slapped by the barrel flex caused with each shot.

The installation of the the scope is clearly wrong and the smith should have called and advised you of the problem before continuing
 
Guessing this was a buy our scope and we'll mount it for free deal as quite a few shops offer it. They're not going out of their way when they mount it for free, so they slap it on and hopefully bore sight it, then it's out the door.
 
i agree with theseposters. the scope must be pretty low and close but never touching the barrel or action. it stresses the scope, transers vibration into the wrong places and generally is no good. The scope might be ok if moved back a little and the front flip up removed. But it is no good now.. thats a fact!
 
Scope Mount? - Awful Job!

That mount is a completely unacceptable piece of work! As others have already stated, there is NO WAY that the scope should have been installed as it was.

- It could have been avoided with higher rings

- It might have been correctible with the objective cap removed, BUT

- If the scope were mounted at proper ring-to-bells dimensions and correct eye relief, it still might have "bottomed" on the chamber taper due to the low mount.

-Just for the heck of it, you might also check whether the crosshairs are correctly aligned with respect to the bore and stock (vertical axis same on scope and rifle). I wouldn't be surprised if the crosshairs were tilted off the centerline, either...

The scope mount most likely causes your problem with accuracy, but long eye relief and tilted crosshairs can also make it tough to get a decent group.

While you're right that you should have checked the mounting job before leaving the store with the rifle, we do expect that a shop where many rifles are set up with scopes on a regular basis knows how to do that properly.
 
That scope needs to come off and be properly mounted. It will never work that way.

Either take it back and tell them to do it correctly or have some one who knows how do it work on it. Likely the rings will have to be changed to reach the proper clearance.
 
I dont know how you can adjust your magnification properly with the adjustment wedged up against the scope base like that. I can promise you the scope cap compression against the barrel is causing harmonics problems. I have zero faith that the rings are aligned and the screws are torqued properly. I once bought a gun scope combo from Academy and had a kid who claimed to be a sniper do the scope mount and bore sight. I was only after the bore sight and knew full well I was going to have to align everything when I got home. Let me just say they will let anyone who pretends to know what they are doing mount a scope in these chain stores.
 
man take that rifle back and raise hell with the manager and if they wont fix it open the bolt and ask for a box of shells.
 
That's one of the poorest mounting jobs I've ever seen, and I've seen thousands and mounted hundreds. They should replace the scope and give you the choice of either higher mounts or removal of the scope cap.

I prefer a low-mount that doesn't result in the scope touching the barrel. If the scope cap were removed and the scope moved back, the objective will likely touch the barrel. You have two choices: 1. have a higher mount installed, or 2. get a scope with a smaller objective.

Give the store another chance to get it right, but with another person doing the installation.
 
I'd take it back, get slightly higher scope mounts, maybe even get the scope replaced, the amount of stress on it may have made something FUBAR inside of it. Ditch those flip up lens covers and get one of the rubber covers that go under the name of Bikini. I cannot imagine anyone in the firearms business mounting you scope as shown in the photos. Good Luck.
 
I would take it back. You using a 3006 which has a heavy recoil. I suggest a ADM mount. Never forget that you get what you pay for
 
Haven't ever used caps. Never needed them. But I don't hunt in snow, and rarely in drippy-drizzly weather. If I did, the rarity of such events would have me using a sandwich bag. :)
 
Hello everyone,

Sorry about not responding, my internet went out for a bit. Thanks for all your input! The store has been very understanding and will be replacing the scope free of charge, as well as throwing in some new rings. They were pretty shocked someone working for them would do such a thing, and want to make it right.
 
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