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Scope Checker Uses & How To Thread

X-Caveman

Gold $$ Contributor
I've been kicking around some ideas on a good way to share info on scope checkers. It looks like we may end up hosting a series of blog entries, photos and videos on our website. There will be too much bandwidth to do it all here, and I'm sure as hell not going to post YouTube videos.

It will take some time to accumulate and organize the info in a presentable fashion - especially during hunting season, with the holidays approaching and the hit or miss winter weather. We'll be bootstrapping it with my 10yr old son doing the filming & production, but what the heck, I think it we'll have fun and should be informative. As things develop I will update this post with links to articles.

As the first functional entry, I offer the attached two targets. In all cases, in order for the units of measure to be accurate, you must print them 1:1, or "Actual Size" in Adobe (on 11x17 paper). Don't just trust that it worked, either. I have provided measurements in inches that you'll need to confirm with a tape measure, rule, or calipers (if you're really nutty). You also need to use them at the yardages specified. The 50yd Elevation Tracking/ Tracking target must be at 50 yards. The box test has units for either 50 or 100 yards. You'll also have to do some cutting and taping on the travel target (photo). In both cases, use a plumb bob (weighted string) &/or a level to make sure the targets are hung as straight as reasonably possible.

Many of you will immediately realize how to use these, others likely will not. That's what our blog will be for (along with lots of other stuff). You need a rifle-mounted or bench-mounted (very rigidly) dual parallel scope mount (checker) to use these targets properly. The best way is on a bench rest gun, riding in your front rest and rear bag. Something that you can point VERY precisely. If it were move while cranking knobs, just re-point the reference scope back to the original POA. In NEITHER case do you need a frozen scope, or even live fire. In fact, a frozen scope would not work well at all.

More later. But for the time being, I hope you find these at least mildly useful...
 

Attachments

Theres a handful of tracking targets out there. You should print them up and sell them on your site. Maybe offer them printed to scale as an add-on option when buying a scope checker.

Don't forget to add a MILS option or there will be a bunch of folks whining on here about not having a target for their tacti-cool scopes on savage rifles ;)

For the record, I actually prefer mil turrets in a hunting scope. Less dialing
 
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I don't like FFP reticles. Pointless unless you are trying to range targets or use reticle holdover on shots. I prefer dialing with simple uncluttered SFP reticles with .1 mil turrets. The Spanish translation of .1 mil is 1/3 MOA per click ;)
.1 mil clicks were odd to me at a first, but once I got used to it, I was hooked.

Huskemaw was one of the first companies to use 1/3 MOA click turrets. They've been doing it since their inception on the market.

Vortex made a Viper scope with 1/2 MOA elevation turret (don't know if they still make it). Very short and fast dialing to get on target, but I feel that's on the edge of pushing you out of acceptable hunting accuracy adjustment levels at long range.
 
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I asked 3 or 4 scope companies about the best way to asses adjustment accuracy and repeatability. They all said to hard mount the scope focused on graph paper at 50 yards. All the variables in ammo, rifles and shooter aren't good enough to get meaningful data unless they shoot no worse than around 1/16 MOA all the time.
 
I see a lot about tracking in this thread. I assume that you all know that that is not what scope checkers are designed to measure or evaluate.

True, we started making them for checking POA holding capability. However, once you have them you realize how versatile they are. Plus, customers have shown me ways that they use them that I never considered. We plan to show many uses and hope others will chime in with things that they've used them for.

Things that I've done or seen done that don't require live fire or a frozen scope:
  • Ring lapping
  • Scope leveling
  • Mounting a single scope to a tripod - basically using a rifle scope like a spotting scope
  • Mounting two scopes to a tripod - great for qualitative comparisons
  • Rough zeroing a scope to match POA of a scope that's zeroed on a rifle
  • Turret tracking/ box test
These ^^ don't even require our lower assembly that allows the upper to be mounted to a rifle - just the $70 upper.
  • Turret tracking/ box test
  • Elevation tracking, limit testing
  • POA holding when adjusting power on a variable
^^ can be done, or done more effectively with the two scopes mounted on a rifle. Still no live fire nor frozen scope required, but it does require our lower assembly ($120).

I suspect the market for checkers doing these tests is much larger than those of us looking for 1/32 to 1/8 MOA shifts under recoil. My intention is to explore & demonstrate these things in addition to POA holding testing.
 
I see a lot about tracking in this thread. I assume that you all know that that is not what scope checkers are designed to measure or evaluate.

Yes they are. Maybe not originally 'designed' for tracking, but they are perfectly designed FOR tracking tests.

If I only wanted to check POA shifts under recoil, I would buy a scope checker.

If I only wanted to check tracking accuracy on turrets, I would buy the same scope checker.
 
Put a collimator in the muzzle then adjust scope reticle next to its reference. Twist the power zoom ring and watch the reticle make S or 8 shapes next to the collimator reference point.

Or adjust W and E knobs 1 click to see backlash.
 
Like a simmons or tasco?
Yes, and the Leupold and Nightforce I checked.

Another test is to check for range focus errors. One Nightforce I tested on a 200 yard target needed to be set at infinity to remove parallax effects. Had to look into them using a 7X monocular to magnify the target image and reticle.
 
Put a collimator in the muzzle then adjust scope reticle next to its reference. Twist the power zoom ring and watch the reticle make S or 8 shapes next to the collimator reference point.

Or adjust W and E knobs 1 click to see backlash.

That's just you shaking :D :p
 
I suspect the market for checkers doing these tests is much larger than those of us looking for 1/32 to 1/8 MOA shifts under recoil. My intention is to explore & demonstrate these things in addition to POA holding testing.

I admire your intent and wish you good luck with your endeavor.

In the mean time could you please advise us as to the weights of the uppers and lowers as shipped. Please also add this to the specs for each on your website.
 
Just a thought on the box test target - surely the "20 MOA at 200 yds" should read "5 MOA at 200 yds"
 

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