Does a turret lock matter to you?

[redchinviking]

Part two of my previous thread. When purchasing a new hunting scope, is it important to you that the turret has a locking function? Do you wish your other scopes locked? I’m hoping a few people are listening;-)

 

[Steve300xcw]

Couldn't care less

 

[BRTreedogs]

Yes absolutely
Locked elevation.
Capped windage.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Could care less

Could care less or couldn’t care less.

If you could care less how much less would it be?

 

[rickyw]

I missed a caribou at 300 yards once because the scope I was running did not have locking/capped turrets and was bounced around enough in the sled behind the snow machine that the windage turret was off. I caught it, but it was so far off that when I rotated it back to “zero”, I actually rotated it a whole rotation off zero. So, I was 36” right at 300 yards and missed completely. Figured it out later at the range. Never again.

 

[Seeknelk]

No. But I tape the windage knob. Never touch it once zeroed and would prefer windage to be capped.

 

[SloppyJ]

I won't have a hunting scope without a capped windage turret. I don't even want the possibility of it moving. As long as I have a good zero stop on my elevation turret then my job as a hunter is to make sure that the scope is zeroed and that the zero stop is set accordingly. Since I started shooting longer ranges and have scopes that are made to dial, I can't say that I have taken a shot where I haven't checked my elevation.

So it's hard to answer the question for me. I think you should specify which turret you're talking about. If you're considering a scope that has an exposed windage turret, then by all means it should be locking.

 

[JRem257]

Capped windage and locking elevation would be ideal. I cannot see the downside of a locking elevation turret

 

[dieselchessy]

I prefer capped windage and locking elevation.

 

[Dioni A]

I would prefer a lock on elevation and capped windage, but it’s not the criteria I pick a scope over.

 

[LongLeader]

I’ve ran an exposed non-locking/zero stopped elevation turret (old vx3) for the last 12 years. Several hundred days in hand western backcountry hunting in that time and I can’t remember it ever being more than a click or two off zero. I think that has only happened twice. It is a low profile dial though.

I agree with the above that I wouldn’t want an exposed windage, and I don’t see a single downside to a zero stop.

 

[Weldor]

Locked turret and zero stop yes. capped windage sure.

 

[ElPollo]

I would prefer a lock on elevation and capped windage, but it’s not the criteria I pick a scope over.

Agreed.

 

[waspocrew]

It's never been an issue so far, but most of my scopes are exposed elevation and capped windage. I have two Mark 5s and the turret lock is nice, but not absolutely essential.

 

[Marshfly]

Capped windage for sure because holding wind is how you do it.

You should be in a habit of checking your elevation dial before every shot anyway so I have zero need for a lock there. If your practice involves lots of shooting at different ranges (it better) your brain will get to where you just check the turret position always and it becomes a nonissue.

At this point I find myself glancing over to check other people turrets also. That's what lots of practice does.

 

[Macintosh]

I HAVE had the elevation dial inadvertantly spin on me. Since 99.9 % of my hunting shots DONT require dialing, I personally find it more difficult to groove-in the habit of checking. All of my scopes that I use regularly here in the east have capped turrets for a reason—even if accidentally spinning a turret is a rarity, they are more reliable than a scope where its *possible* to spin the turret.

A locking turret would be a big plus for me on a hunting gun. The scope on the rifle I take west does not have a locking turret, it has a zero stop, non-locking elevation, and capped windage. if there had been an option that met my other criteria that had a locking turret I would have chosen it instead.

 

[ChrisAU]

I would prefer a lock on elevation and capped windage, but it’s not the criteria I pick a scope over.

Ditto

 

[cuerro viejo]

Preferred but not mandatory

 

[SamsonMan22]

I would prefer a locked elevation and capped windage. I really liked the system on the 4-16 Atacr. That being said majority of my scopes have neither.

 

[ndlawrence]

Nice to have - but at the bottom of the list. My preference is locking elevation and capped or locking windage.