Vortex Factory Defect...?

[Clancy]

Factory AR and factory ammo, I wouldn't get too excited.

I highly doubt it's the scope. I'd be looking elsewhere.

Also, how well do you shoot ARs? Because I can shoot 1/4-3/8 MOA from my bolt 223s, but when it comes to my AR it's just not happening. They take a lot more finesse to drive straight apparently...

Uhhhh it’s not an AR.

 

[Clancy]

Just to be clear…. These are the two “groups” fired at 200 yards?

It’s extremely likely that it’s the optic. Only other things I can imagine are an ATROCIOUS ignition problem or if it’s a clamp in style barrel it could be shifting back and forth giving you a widely different exit timing with each shot.

Didn’t soak the ammo in a bath overnight or anything?

 

[moondog]

Like others have said, either put another scope on or move that scope to a proven rifle. It's not that hard. I did just that on a buddies 22, not a Vortex scope though.

 

[Rob01]

View attachment 1683288View attachment 1683289

Just to be clear…. These are the two “groups” fired at 200 yards?

It’s extremely likely that it’s the optic. Only other things I can imagine are an ATROCIOUS ignition problem or if it’s a clamp in style barrel it could be shifting back and forth giving you a widely different exit timing with each shot.

Didn’t soak the ammo in a bath overnight or anything?

Could be the barrel or how it’s mating with the action or the muzzle device or if he didn’t mount the scope correctly or a number of things. He needs to test the rifle with a different scope and also put the scope on a known rifle before jumping to conclusions.

 

[Rob01]

I highly doubt it’s the optic in having about 7 of those scopes and using them hard in matches.

OP when you tightened the ring caps what were they torqued to?

When you installed the mount on the rifle did you push it all the way forward in the picatinny slot until it stopped and then torqued it down? To what torque?

Also did you retighten the knobs after zeroing at 100? The single screw.

@SartechJF any answers to this post?

 

[kyotekiller25]

Uhhhh it’s not an AR.

Lol you're right. To be fair, it looks like one, and I didnt see the other side of it to see it had a bolt knob.

 

[SartechJF]

Thanks for the suggestions here!

Took off the barrel, base, and scope, remounted and torqued everything to specs. Went to the range and did initially swap scopes from my Tikka to the Barrett. Scope was fine after re-zeroing on the Tikka. Shot the Barrett with my Sightron LR. Barrett shot fine. Remounted my Razor, and it shot fine.

Shot that same batch factory ammo to start, and it was okay. After everything checked out, I moved over to the 200 yard line. The last 4 groups, I shot some initial handloads of 147gr and it shot not too bad at 200 yards.

Also, Taylor from Vortex did call me this morning. He tried to call yesterday, but I was with my daughter at her college orientation all day and couldn't talk with him. When we connected this morning, he spent way more time than he needed to troubleshooting with me, even though it was pretty clear it probably was not the scope. It's not his responsibility to talk through a new rifle or new barrel with me, but he did. I've glassed mostly Vortex over the years (I like to support my Wisconsin businesses, including Vortex, Griffin, etc), and I do have to say they really are a great company with some awesome folks representing them. He even offered to take the scope in and check it out if that's what I wanted to do. Great guy and great company.

So, all in all, as evident as it was to everyone else, I have to say I jumped to conclusions and just needed to go through my setup and troubleshoot it. Now it shoots like it should.

I appreciate the thoughts and help, all.

Pic attached for reference between the initial problem and today.

S/F

 

[SartechJF]

@SartechJF any answers to this post?

@SartechJF any answers to this post?

Sorry. I'm not on the computer too often, but I try to reply to the comments that are reasonable if I start the thread. I must have missed this one.

When I mounted the Geissele base, I pushed it foward, tighted and torqued, as I would with any other base or ring.

Mounted my scope to my eye relief with the base where it worked for me, torqued the Geissele base to 40 inch pounds. Tightened my rings to 18 inch pounds. After talking with Taylor at Vortex this morning, though, after I disassembled and reassembled this morning, I torqued the rings to 25 inch pounds.

I generally check torque on my base and rings before I shoot most days. I'm a little (or a lot) OCD. I have presets from Fix It Sticks I use for that so I don't overtighten over time.

Thanks for the help. Everything seems to be working well now!

 

[Rob01]

Sorry. I'm not on the computer too often, but I try to reply to the comments that are reasonable if I start the thread. I must have missed this one.

When I mounted the Geissele base, I pushed it foward, tighted and torqued, as I would with any other base or ring.

Mounted my scope to my eye relief with the base where it worked for me, torqued the Geissele base to 40 inch pounds. Tightened my rings to 18 inch pounds. After talking with Taylor at Vortex this morning, though, after I disassembled and reassembled this morning, I torqued the rings to 25 inch pounds.

I generally check torque on my base and rings before I shoot most days. I'm a little (or a lot) OCD. I have presets from Fix It Sticks I use for that so I don't overtighten over time.

Thanks for the help. Everything seems to be working well now!

I usually torque all my ring caps to 20 in/lbs. glad you got it all figured out.

It’s a bad idea to constantly check torque as it puts stress on the screws. Torque them and leave them. If that OCD then degrease them and use a little blue loctite. I don’t use loctite and have scopes that have been torqued in rings for years and used in matches that have never moved.