What makes a reticle fail? And a question on another scope.

[Orion8472]

So, in another thread, I was mentioning that my Oculus Scope failed. The reticle wouldn't moved much either horizontally or vertically. It would move a tiny bit, but that's all. What causes this? I know that many can fail with harsh recoil, but this was only used for a short bit on an AR-15.

This scope was going to go on a new 17HMR rifle. Right now, it has a crappy old BSA scope with pretty awful glass. My brother let me have a........*cough*.......nobody laugh, please........Famous Maker scope that I guess I'll use until I decide on what new quality scope to buy. Anyone heard of the...*cough*....Famous Maker scope? I mean,...it MUST be a good scope, right? After all, it says "High Tech" right on the box!!

 

[Hookeye]

IIRC Famous Maker is a brand, who actually makes the scope?

Was that model made for other companies and sold as?

Is it Chinese or Philippine or maybe w luck, Japanese?


As much as gas, ammo and drive time costs...............I just don't mess w bargain scopes.
See a few at my LGS.............saw one yesterday when I was there working on my Contender (used to work there- hanging out with the guys).........

it was in the trash can. One of those "package rifle" scopes.
Couple days before a Tasco was in there too (reticle came loose).
We tore that one apart to see how it was made, why it failed.
Entertainment value was decent enough.

 

[Hookeye]

Not laughing.
If the thing does what you want................run it.
Might get good use out of it.
Time will tell.

Hell my first deer shotgun ran a K Mart Tasco 4X. It never bobbled and had quite a few slugs through it.

 

[Orion8472]

There isn't really anything on it which states place of production. All there is is "HT41644" on the box,....which I'm sure has to do with the fact that it is a 4-14x44 scope.

On the bottom of the scope it says shows 04-100938

As for my Oculus scope,....I suppose there is no way to fix the reticles to work again?

 

[Slamfire]

This scope was going to go on a new 17HMR rifle. Right now, it has a crappy old BSA scope with pretty awful glass. My brother let me have a........*cough*.......nobody laugh, please........Famous Maker scope that I guess I'll use until I decide on what new quality scope to buy. Anyone heard of the...*cough*....Famous Maker scope? I mean,...it MUST be a good scope, right? After all, it says "High Tech" right on the box!!

Sounds Chinese to me. Based on a quick web search of that name, others who had the "famous maker" scopes did not think highly of them.

famous maker scopes
http://forum.snipershide.com/threads/famous-maker-scopes.73719/

As for my Oculus scope,....I suppose there is no way to fix the reticles to work again?

Not at my skill level. I have no idea how to unscrew the tube, pull out the reticle, and fix the cross hairs.

I searched and I think Oculus must be out of business. If you could have had the thing fixed under warranty, it would have been a replacement. A scope that inexpensive would have been tossed in the trash, because fixing it would cost more than sending you a new one.

 

[MihiT]

As for my Oculus scope,....I suppose there is no way to fix the reticles to work again?

Is your time worth anything?
If it is, then do your job and pay someone else for a better scope.

If it's not, or you're willing to spend it learning, then take the thing apart.
The reticle is mounted on a tube inside the main body, at the occular end. Remove the bell and It will be right there.
Difficult to guess why it's not moving. Could be something broke and is jamming opposite the knobs. Could be the knobs were bubba-ed past their adjustment and have stripped the threads. Could be the return springs have dislodged or failed.

 

[Hookeye]

I had a Redfield Tracker reticle come loose (heard a rattle).
On that (4X w 40mm front) I just unscrewed the eyebell and the reticle holder was attached w 3 screws (loose).
Tightened up and took to work.
Put pcs in clear plastic bag w as much air squeezed out as I could.
Put dry nitrogen hose (wafer storage) in bag and got it 50-75% full.
Tied off and then screwed it back together.
Didn't fog, worked great.

Cheap scope back then.
I know some have to have rear lens out to take retainer ring off tube to get eyebell off.
Dunno if that's needed. With rear lens out might be able to access reticle.

Fine wire, some are, easy to damage.

Best to send that in, unless of course you work in a good lab and have tools.........and want to take the risk.
My old lab was built in the late 80's for 5 million.
Miss that job. Good times.

 

[Hookeye]

Cheap scope at LGS w bent crosshair.......think last run Tasco.
Eyebell just unscrewed.
Reticle appeared to be glued to ring that threaded into erector tube.
Took front retainer ring and turret caps off, junked rest.
Figure somebody might need parts.

 

[MihiT]

.

Fine wire, some are, easy to damage.
times.

Traditionally made with spider's silk.

 

[Hookeye]

I thought they were chemical etched.

 

[Varminterror]

I thought they were chemical etched.

On some scopes, better quality scopes, yes, the reticles are “glass etched.” On most low cost, poor quality scopes, you’ll still find physical wires.

 

[Orion8472]

What sucks is that the Oculus scope "has a lifetime warranty". But I fear that it wasn't the "lifetime of the scope",....but the "lifetime of the company". There is absolutely no recourse on warranty repair for this scope. Pretty crappy.

I put the...*cough*....Famous Maker scope on and had it bore sighted. I'll sight it in sometime soon.

 

[LoonWulf]

FM is just another company badging Chinese scopes, they tend to have poor glass and be functional for the most part. I've used a number of similar scopes, and never broken one, but also never kept one on a gun very long.


There maybe a set screw in the eye Bell that well stop the bell from coming all the way off. There are usually 3/4 screws securing the rear of the erector tube to the body of the scope once those are removed the whole erector tube will usually come out the back.

The issue your having tho sounds like your adjustment screws are either backed so far out they aren't engaging threads, or the threads are stripped.
Those are also removeable, but usually the whole housing is glued in, and most of the ones I've looked at that didn't allow the adjustment screws to come clean out have a c clip on the bottom that requires the housings to be removed.
Take it apart as a learning experience if nothing else, you can't break it any more than it already is lol.

 

[Hookeye]

I thought wire reticles were made through chemical etching.
Was not speaking of reticle etched into glass.

 

[Skylerbone]

Some use actual wire, I’ve seen these snapped and looking something like a German #4. In at least one case the scope still worked but zero was way off. Others like Leupold use a thin “film” style reticle glued in place for many of their scopes. This process allows the “custom shop” to swap reticles without replacing any lenses. It also accounts for the translucent washout; a very detectable bronze coloration, when sunlight hits it. I may be misremembering Leupold’s process as my memory is hardly what it used to be.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

I fell temporary heir to a fancy BSA scope. The cross hairs were seriously cocked as in rotated. BSA took care of the problem. The scope was replaced by a higher quality BSA scope. Found out this replacement scope was sold outside the US. Scope was air rifle strong (air rifles can wreck a ordinary scopes). Had a very pleasant conversation with a rep making arrangements to have old scope serviced. Returned the new scope to the original owner. You get what you pay for in this class scope.