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

 

[tjason6tdy]

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.

Yes, it will wear. My first Vortex Diamondbacks 6‐24 had elevation problems after 6 years. Shot from 20 to 240 yards. Not a vortex fan boy but they sent me a new in the box scope with all the extras. Do the box test.

 

[ELR LVR]

If you are a turret twister
You must consider the scopes construction
Many use brass internals, it is easy to machine and relatively cheap
even Higher priced scopes use this material
---
the top teir scopes like Kahles (only maker I know of that actually advertises the materials used internally)
will use steel and tungsten for their internals so as to prevent wear as much as possible
---
So yes brass will wear out faster than a steel/tungsten ball constructed internal mechanism
FWIW - an example of a tungsten ball in everyday life is a ballpoint pen
you have never seen the ball of a ballpoint pen wear out

 

[Dgd6mm]

Anything mechanical can fail. The difference in durability and lasting is what the parts are made out of and the quality. JMO.

 

[SKWERLZ]

To me it’s amazing they last as long as they do.
The scope on my main bolt action has burned up a few barrels and regularly sees dialing 0 to 20+ mils and back from the zero stop.

 

[hoz53]

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.

yes they will wear. i think about this everytime i dial one from 20 to 5 moa which is often.
i dont think there is a specific amount of movement that will cause one to get worn enough to cause problems rather i think it varies. what i want to know is how do we tell its happening. it seems to me if the internals are worn enough that would cause inconsistancies. if your movement is constant over a period of time it should be good.

 

[tominboise]

yes they will wear. i think about this everytime i dial one from 20 to 5 moa which is often.
i dont think there is a specific amount of movement that will cause one to get worn enough to cause problems rather i think it varies. what i want to know is how do we tell its happening. it seems to me if the internals are worn enough that would cause inconsistancies. if your movement is constant over a period of time it should be good.

Mine started to get inconsistent on the dial up and down settings. For instance, I had to dial it up further then I had been and it would take a lot of fiddling to get it where I wanted. The fall off in performance happened pretty rapidly, like one match it was good, the next it started to get wonky and the one after that is where it really took a lot more dialing then it used to.

I did buy a new NF scope and it seems to be fine, and also requires less vertical adjustment at 200 yards than the old scope did, even though both have the same click values. Another indication that the old scope was getting tired.

 

[hoz53]

Mine started to get inconsistent on the dial up and down settings. For instance, I had to dial it up further then I had been and it would take a lot of fiddling to get it where I wanted. The fall off in performance happened pretty rapidly, like one match it was good, the next it started to get wonky and the one after that is where it really took a lot more dialing then it used to.

I did buy a new NF scope and it seems to be fine, and also requires less vertical adjustment at 200 yards than the old scope did, even though both have the same click values. Another indication that the old scope was getting tired.

thats interesting info. definately sounds like you had an issue. i wonder if the internals get worn it seems like there could/would be POI shift other directions also. something to keep an eye on for sure. I usually dial down to 100 when im gonna shoot 1K and see if poi is same as last time. Did you get an NF comp? I use one now and like alot about it but i wonder a little—nothing perfect out there. i hope it works out well for you.

 

[jds holler]

I've watched a couple guys on YouTube mount Vortex scopes and do a quick torture test - stop to stop, wrenching the knobs back and forth, prolly more abuse than years of shooting would involve, and all was well.

I think the main point is that if there is nothing mechanically worn out or broken, things are peachy. AND-- a quick torture test doesn't replicate years of recoil. jd