Can one wear out a scope dialing for elevation a lot?

[tominboise]

I shoot a club 200 yard Silhouette match with 22lr rifle, prone from cross sticks. This requires dialing up from 50 yards to 100 to 150 to 200 and then back down again. I currently am using an older Nikon Monarch 6.5-20X with target turrets. I assume dialing up and down over and over again will cause wear on the internals. My question is, how many trips up and down before a scope of this quality starts to have issues? It has always tracked well and been pretty repeatable thus far (the last 5 years or so) but yesterday I seemed to have some issues getting enough elevation at the farther ranges, having to dial more then my notes indicated and also not seeing the POI movement I would expect for a certain # of clicks.

Maybe I am just trying to justify a night force replacement in my head.

 

[B y r o n]

Your problem might be related to ammo velocity.

 

[TIMO]

Try a box test at different ranges to see how it does and compare to your come up data. A lot of variables can be associated with data that was recorded previously that may affect your current adjustments, (ammo, location, weather conditions, rifle tune, .etc).

Just from my experience/.02

Tim

 

[steve210]

Cold temps will make a huge difference in elevation

 

[moondog]

Yes, I wore a Schmidt out.

 

[steve210]

All scopes break, some more than others! Everything man made does. I think exercising the adjustments helps, constant use would induce wear, have no idea which would be the lesser of two evils.

 

[jelenko]

I've had a couple Leopold loose tracking

 

[243winxb]

https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/how-scope-adjustments-work/

Springs get weak, worn and sticky.

Put custom hash marks on the scope lense. Gun & ammo can be sent to a company that calibrates things.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

I shoot a club 200 yard Silhouette match with 22lr rifle, prone from cross sticks. This requires dialing up from 50 yards to 100 to 150 to 200 and then back down again. I currently am using an older Nikon Monarch 6.5-20X with target turrets. I assume dialing up and down over and over again will cause wear on the internals. My question is, how many trips up and down before a scope of this quality starts to have issues? It has always tracked well and been pretty repeatable thus far (the last 5 years or so) but yesterday I seemed to have some issues getting enough elevation at the farther ranges, having to dial more then my notes indicated and also not seeing the POI movement I would expect for a certain # of clicks.

Maybe I am just trying to justify a night force replacement in my head.

I have the exact same riflescope. It's the Nikon Monarch 6.5-20X44, a gorgeous riflescope that I acquired circa 2005 and used for one season of pre-2007 F-TR competition on a tricked-out AR-15. A great scope, that has been in a drawer not for almost 20 years. I never used it much so I can't talk about the longevity of the turrets.

In answer to the question, I hear from PRS shooters that wearing out elevation turrets is a very real issue for some riflescopes, and no, I will not get into brand bashing. Knowing a little bit about turret designs, I would think some would indeed wear out faster than others. The symptom to which you are referring is indeed indicative of such an issue. I'm NOT saying that's what it is, just that it "looks like it".

 

[Bottom Fodder]

I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong
When you go from say 100 yards to say 300 yards setting your relying on a spring to adjust the internal scope and when going from say 300 to 100 the internals are “pushed” so one test would be go to your 500 setting and as you shoot go down to 400, 300, etc. and see if it track if so then could be weak spring or sticking, any way just one way to check