I have a NF ATACR F1 5-25x56 MilR mounted on my RPR. And a Burris XTRII on a savage. I haven’t done a tall target test on the scopes yet and before I finally get serious about shooting (right after deer seasons over in another week) I should probably check my scopes. Would it be better to just shoot the tall target (maybe human error involved but it’d be good to see the scope holds the POA/POI?) or use a scope checker tool? On that note I think I could save myself $200-$350 depending on brand and just build my own. Looks like it could be easily done with flat stock 1/2 steel base ontop of that a short section of I Beam with a pic rail welded on. Add a few holes and weld a few nuts on for bolts to go through as legs and I think that’d work. I could add a picture if needed...
Scope tracking checker
- Thread starter Kramerica
- Start date
X-Caveman
Gold $$ Contributor
I hope to be doing something like a tall target test on one of our checkers this afternoon & will post methodology.
I’m not following your design, but you need two parallel rails, two scopes, and a way to attach to your rifle (at the same time). There cannot be any relative movement between the rails for testing integrity.
$200 is a bargain, IMO. A lot of thought/ work goes into them and the market is a lot smaller than it should be. You can’t tool up and make hundreds of them to drive the price down. Most shooters are afraid to kick Shroedinger’s Cat. They’d rather just assume their expensive scope is doing it’s job. Maybe it is, but there are many that are not. Testing your scope in your mount is the only way to know for sure. This is regardless of make or model. Customers have sent me pictures of their test sessions where there’s easily $20k in optics lying around. The price of a checker should be inconsequential. The difference between MAP and calling a great vendor on a single one of those scopes is more than $200!
I’m not following your design, but you need two parallel rails, two scopes, and a way to attach to your rifle (at the same time). There cannot be any relative movement between the rails for testing integrity.
$200 is a bargain, IMO. A lot of thought/ work goes into them and the market is a lot smaller than it should be. You can’t tool up and make hundreds of them to drive the price down. Most shooters are afraid to kick Shroedinger’s Cat. They’d rather just assume their expensive scope is doing it’s job. Maybe it is, but there are many that are not. Testing your scope in your mount is the only way to know for sure. This is regardless of make or model. Customers have sent me pictures of their test sessions where there’s easily $20k in optics lying around. The price of a checker should be inconsequential. The difference between MAP and calling a great vendor on a single one of those scopes is more than $200!
Looking forward to the post, I got the idea for my design from a video posted by Frank Ghalli (hope I spelt that right) on YouTube. I think he was using something from targets USA? He only had one scope on that particular checker and the rifle was not attached. So that method is flawed? I’m not arguing or being sarcastic im genuinely curious about the best methods and what’s just acceptable.
Alex Wheeler
Site $$ Sponsor
Using a single scope to check tracking is possible BUT the problem is how little a scope has to move to effect where its pointing. So if your using a single scope on a plate and clamp it to the bench I would be scared to touch it. The nice thing about doing that test with a scope checker and frozen scope is you can just look through the frozen scope to be sure its still on it original poa and nothing moved. Even if something moved you can just realign that frozen scope to it poa and still check your tracking with the other scope. You cant check poa stability (holding zero) without a scope checker and frozen scope under recoil.
Thanks for clearing that up, makes sense now.
I have the targets USA checker and it is well worth the $. The latest version is much more refined than what you saw in the video.
John
That’s why I thought I could just build one similar to that. Even if the I beam wasn’t perfectly level then the bolts could be used to take care of that. Sounds like guys like the two scope checker design better though.I have the targets USA checker and it is well worth the $. The latest version is much more refined than what you saw in the video.
John
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
What good does that thing do when it comes to checking scopes? If you want to see if your scope shifts how in the world will having an independent scope sitting on a mount over on the side help you see that?
Alex Wheeler
Site $$ Sponsor
I think they use them just to check tracking. Problem is you dont know if the scope didnt return to zero or the whole fixture moved. Made one years ago for that purpose and its in the scrap pile now because of that reason.
group therapy
Gold $$ Contributor
way cool looking tool, but I was wondering the same thing
I got a hunk of 6160 AL 1" diameter by 6ft long to cut into "scope tubes"
I ordered up a bin full of these;
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUPISFG/?tag=accuratescom-20
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074XJZLBW/?tag=accuratescom-20
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001WJ0CFQ/?tag=accuratescom-20
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0772G5CZX/?tag=accuratescom-20
Stuck the whole agglomeration into a toolbox marked 'pickafrickintinny' and I tell you what.... ain't NO SCOPE nor mixture of scopes I cain't Rube Goldberg up to test!
Jus' don't let the neighbors see. It makes a tac'd up AR look benign
I ordered up a bin full of these;
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUPISFG/?tag=accuratescom-20
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074XJZLBW/?tag=accuratescom-20
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001WJ0CFQ/?tag=accuratescom-20
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0772G5CZX/?tag=accuratescom-20
Stuck the whole agglomeration into a toolbox marked 'pickafrickintinny' and I tell you what.... ain't NO SCOPE nor mixture of scopes I cain't Rube Goldberg up to test!
Jus' don't let the neighbors see. It makes a tac'd up AR look benign
group therapy
Gold $$ Contributor
there are probably RED FLAGS going off everywhere in our protective capital. better watch out ordering to much of that kind of stuff at once, if you do means you might be dangerous and THEY might have to protect us from you. which, of course, is a job they take very serious!!!
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
dude they've got a ROOM for me and 4 people permanently assigned to monitor me 'round the clock......there are probably RED FLAGS going off everywhere in our protective capital. better watch out ordering to much of that kind of stuff at once, if you do means you might be dangerous and THEY might have to protect us from you. which, of course, is a job they take very serious!!!
It all started when I went for my FFL a few yrs ago.
EVER'body told me "tread lightly"...... "don't poke the bear"..... "be really really nice so they don't have reason to turn you down" ...... Don't make the interviewer guy mad" ....... etc etc. To which I of course replied " Yeahhh right, I'd like to see them STOP me from getting licensed!!".... "THIS oughtta' be fun!"
I knew I was pretty hard on the ATF agent in our phone interview.... telling him how I'd been set up for entrapment by the BATF twice, how an acquaintance ended up dead directly thru BATF actions, how Lon Horiuchi should be in jail and how in the 80's the agency got so out of hand they had to change their official monicker to BATFE etc etc...... How I looked at the FBI as a bunch of dysfunctional morons, the ATF as dysfunctional cowboys, the TSA as criminals and the background check system as a complete boondoggle........but I didn't know HOW hard until our actual meeting. I set him up to interview me at 8:00 on a Saturday nite (I'm all about maximizing taxpayer expenditure) and to call when he was on the driveway and again when he got to my front door.
Sooo..... second call, he's at the front door. I open the door and he's about 20yds out with his back to me, hands up, spread stance big white ATF acros't his jacket...."tell me when I can turn around sir"....
And from there the interview was a complete joy. The guy was very professional, explaining how they're back to ATF now, and trying to clean up a tarnished image. He talked about working with TR and ICE for many yrs, how, for him the ATF gig was new but he liked it. He loved to hear stories about the bad ol' days of the BATF and corroborated some of my assessments....
I even told him as how ever'body told me to keep things on the down-low and how that din't really WORK for me LOL! That "I'd love to see some bureaucrat try deny me an FFL." He got a 'YUGE kick out of my "criminal history".... how my only count was for "leaving my spearhouse out on the lake 2 days past the deadline" when I was 15yrs. And when I showed up to serve my time in community service the warden took me out for breakfast and sent me home...
Of course I got my FFL, he even talked me into going with an 07 which I wonder about each time I renew but whatever...
But now.... since I'm in the system it's worse.
I'm the guy tangling with the TSA guy at the airport. I've still got an open case where I tried to take bullets on an airplane (and will try AGAIN next time I'm flying alone)
I'm the guy who called NICS background checks when the voters in my state "passed a law" making them required for borrowing or private sales... I actually got an agent on tape telling me "we don't care about your stupid WA laws! QUIT BUGGING US!"
They tried to fish me for a pistol acquisition, I recorded 4 different FBI agents as they got testier and testier until I finally told them on record to "take a flying f@CK at a rolling donut"....
nawww..... if yer scared of yer goobermint peekin' in....I'm NOT the guy you want to be associated with
Ohhh I got one a' Charlie's the first year he made 'em.... and I've got two machined picatinny ones..... but these scopes just keep getting wider!
You folks make a fine quality product!
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
You can use any scope. If every scope fails then suspect your control scope. Go get a 4x12 leupold and you can use it just fine
group therapy
Gold $$ Contributor
dude they've got a ROOM for me and 4 people permanently assigned to monitor me 'round the clock......
It all started when I went for my FFL a few yrs ago.
EVER'body told me "tread lightly"...... "don't poke the bear"..... "be really really nice so they don't have reason to turn you down" ...... Don't make the interviewer guy mad" ....... etc etc. To which I of course replied " Yeahhh right, I'd like to see them STOP me from getting licensed!!".... "THIS oughtta' be fun!"
I knew I was pretty hard on the ATF agent in our phone interview.... telling him how I'd been set up for entrapment by the BATF twice, how an acquaintance ended up dead directly thru BATF actions, how Lon Horiuchi should be in jail and how in the 80's the agency got so out of hand they had to change their official monicker to BATFE etc etc...... How I looked at the FBI as a bunch of dysfunctional morons, the ATF as dysfunctional cowboys, the TSA as criminals and the background check system as a complete boondoggle........but I didn't know HOW hard until our actual meeting. I set him up to interview me at 8:00 on a Saturday nite (I'm all about maximizing taxpayer expenditure) and to call when he was on the driveway and again when he got to my front door.
Sooo..... second call, he's at the front door. I open the door and he's about 20yds out with his back to me, hands up, spread stance big white ATF acros't his jacket...."tell me when I can turn around sir"....
And from there the interview was a complete joy. The guy was very professional, explaining how they're back to ATF now, and trying to clean up a tarnished image. He talked about working with TR and ICE for many yrs, how, for him the ATF gig was new but he liked it. He loved to hear stories about the bad ol' days of the BATF and corroborated some of my assessments....
I even told him as how ever'body told me to keep things on the down-low and how that din't really WORK for me LOL! That "I'd love to see some bureaucrat try deny me an FFL." He got a 'YUGE kick out of my "criminal history".... how my only count was for "leaving my spearhouse out on the lake 2 days past the deadline" when I was 15yrs. And when I showed up to serve my time in community service the warden took me out for breakfast and sent me home...
Of course I got my FFL, he even talked me into going with an 07 which I wonder about each time I renew but whatever...
But now.... since I'm in the system it's worse.
I'm the guy tangling with the TSA guy at the airport. I've still got an open case where I tried to take bullets on an airplane (and will try AGAIN next time I'm flying alone)
I'm the guy who called NICS background checks when the voters in my state "passed a law" making them required for borrowing or private sales... I actually got an agent on tape telling me "we don't care about your stupid WA laws! QUIT BUGGING US!"
They tried to fish me for a pistol acquisition, I recorded 4 different FBI agents as they got testier and testier until I finally told them on record to "take a flying f@CK at a rolling donut"....
nawww..... if yer scared of yer goobermint peekin' in....I'm NOT the guy you want to be associated with
moondog
Gold $$ Contributor
With my luck,I'm sitting on 18k worth of junk!
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