Does a turret lock matter to you?

Does an elevation turret lock matter to you on a hunting scope?

  • Yes

    Votes: 60 63.2%
  • No

    Votes: 35 36.8%

  • Total voters
    95

Sled

WKR
Joined
Jun 11, 2018
Messages
2,270
Location
Utah
Capped windage and locking elevation are a plus. If not, they better be solid clicks that don't move when carried by sling over the shoulder.
 

Choupique

WKR
Joined
Oct 2, 2022
Messages
764
Currently have no locking, no caps, no zero stop giant knob SWFA. It hasn't turned unintentionally on me yet in a couple years, but I am militant about checking them both any time I load the rifle and periodically while hunting.

I would greatly prefer capped windage and locking elevation to not worry about it.
 
Joined
Mar 25, 2013
Messages
727
Location
Alberta
I don't put variable zero scopes on my hunting rifles. ;)

As part 2 of your other thread, you just put a scope that won't hold zero on your rifle if it isn't capped or locked. Exposed dialling turrets seem to be just as bad at losing zero as any other reason rifles or scopes lose zero.
 

Macintosh

WKR
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Messages
3,041
Hard to argue with that ^^. At a minimum its something we can control. Open for debate what an acceptable level of control is, but having had it happen myself once I cant fault the logic, and its a reason why I would not consider an UNcapped turret on a rifle I use +\- entirely in the east—at some level it’s simply more liability than it is asset.
 

Kurts86

WKR
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
656
I would prefer it but since Leupold holds the IP on it and sued Nightforce to not use it I don’t have it on a lot of scopes.

Technically it’s a good thing but it’s prolific on iffy scopes and nearly absent on good ones.
 
Joined
Mar 25, 2013
Messages
727
Location
Alberta
I would prefer it but since Leupold holds the IP on it and sued Nightforce to not use it I don’t have it on a lot of scopes.

Technically it’s a good thing but it’s prolific on iffy scopes and nearly absent on good ones.
Re Leupold zl fighter:

All nightforce has to do is take this.

https://www.nightforceoptics.com/riflescopes/nx8/nx8-1-8x24mm-f1-capped (Dmx reticle)

And give us a 1.5-12x42 version. Done deal. It could put final bullet into Leupold hunting options. Zero and never even see or touch a dial in field. Ballistic binos spit solution, go straight to reticle, data card backups(screenshots etc) and remove the dialling loss of zero variable completely. Possibly add parallax adjust and even a 2-16x42 option while at it but if like the nx8 1-8x where reticle is very usable from 5x-8x or 37% of top end of mag range a 1.5-12x would be usable from 7-8x onward and the 2-16 might be more like 10x onward. I’d be all over the 12x top end as 7-10x be sweet spot in the glass/Eyebox etc. Maybe they can tune reticle to be as usable for 50% of top end of mag range instead of 37%?

We see the future...hope they are reading here. 😉
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Messages
1,170
Even a zero stop isnt a big deal IMO. Yes it is a nice thing, I wont argue that. But with the exception of 22lr or really stretching some of the smaller calibers. It is kinda hard to get lost in turret land.
 

Stango424

FNG
Joined
Sep 22, 2021
Messages
4
I had this same thing happen to me with the rifle in my pack after a day of riding in the mountains. The scope was a diamondback tactical with both turrets exposed and non locking. I don't use any scopes now that don't have a zero stop
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.

and turret lock.
 
Joined
Mar 25, 2013
Messages
727
Location
Alberta
I can visually verify the turrets as I'm closing to 200 yards.
apparently 55+% of folks find this an unnecessary and nearly impossible step to do ;)

I'd be in that camp but there is no verification needed with what goes on my hunting rifles so variable completely removed, and we kill more stuff before the rangefinder comes out than not, because we zero for it properly and we minimize gear possibility off losing zero, it's not 'closing distance', it's just where we first see them which is usually when they see us and the very short countdown clock begins, he who moves quickest fills the tag ;)

you play with fidget spinners while hunting and it's a lot of variable you're willing to risk on the 2nd biggest reason we miss....holding zero

lot of people seem to forget to 'verify' turrets 'while closing' lol, even more when it's a mutual surprise

must prepare for shoot first ask questions later, like 'how far was that?' 'good question, here let me range it, get your tag out and head over there' haha, this is how we roll, you do however you like
 
Last edited:

WCB

WKR
Joined
Jun 12, 2019
Messages
3,663
Capped windage...elevation don't give a rats ass as long as it has a zero stop. I have also never had a problem with the the elevation in and out of countless scabbards, bouncing around on wheelers, or beating the crap through brush for miles.
 
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