How bad is the glass on SWFA 3-15

[littlebigtine]

Has anybody encountered tracking issues with these scopes? I was just at the range.
Confirmed a 1/2” zero 5 shot group
Shot out to 900 yards prone
Dialed back down to 400 to practice some sitting/kneeling positions
Impacting left and low
Went to confirm on paper and shot a 1/2” 5 round group .7 down, .6 left
Never touched the windage the whole day
Recorrected the zero before leaving the range.

Any thoughts?

Um rings paint penned/torqued to 30 in/lbs
Base screws to 60 in/lbs

The gun never sprayed shots on paper. The 5 shot groups stayed consistently 1/2, just completely shifted low and left.

 

[littlebigtine]

Nvm figure it out. Any guesses what failed?

 

[Caseknife]

The operator?

 

[littlebigtine]

The operator?

Close, paint pen failed to dry on the base screws. They came loose and sheared the dovetail pins. One of the pins sheared off higher then the bottom of the ring bases which kept them in place. Kinda amazed at how tight the groups were knowing the rings were loose.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

So much for the paint pen is foolproof theory.

 

[Bater]

Good to know, kind of figured it was not the SWFA…

 

[KenLee]

Been looking at the reviews on Mil-Quad reticles, SWFA in general, you name it...

Is there a big problem with the glass on the 3-15? It seems like there must be some catch that I'm missing, as it gets nowhere near the attention the 6X, 3-9, or 5-20 gets.

Anyone with input on what everyone else knows that apparently, I don't?

I wouldn't trade an old Nikon monarch 3 3-12x42 for two SWFA 3-15x if I had to actually hunt with them. The SWFA doesn't trip my trigger.

 

[Bater]

I wouldn't trade an old Nikon monarch 3 3-12x42 for two SWFA 3-15x if I had to actually hunt with them. The SWFA doesn't trip my trigger.

Don’t worry, nobody will offer to make that trade…

 

[5811]

So much for the paint pen is foolproof theory.

Called it!

 

[KenLee]

Don’t worry, nobody will offer to make that trade…

That's fine, but folks saying the 3-15 SWFA is fine in low light conditions are delusional. I enjoy killing deer when everyone else is already back at their truck.

 

[Alpha Echo]

A couple of S2H podcast episodes ago Jake said not all colors of paint pen are created equal, and UM now only uses certain colors. No joke! But he didn't say which ones are good and which to avoid.

 

[Formidilosus]

So much for the paint pen is foolproof theory.

Who’s said that? And it wasn’t the paint that was the issue- bet money. It’s his cut away action and where he mounted the ring. “Paint” coming loose isn’t causing a screw to lossen up enough to shear a pin- nor is loctite…. But mounting the ring too far forward where the dovetail isn’t full depth will…

Not the first cut away action with busted pins either.


Here’s one, and if the recoil pin was used, it would have broke it too-

 

[Formidilosus]

That's fine, but folks saying the 3-15 SWFA is fine in low light conditions are delusional. I enjoy killing deer when everyone else is already back at their truck.

And yet when actually tested side by side- they last longer than lots of “low light” scopes.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Actually, you've been the one saying that loctite has a failure rate and the paint pen doesn't. Others have chimed in too.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Close, paint pen failed to dry on the base screws. They came loose and sheared the dovetail pins. One of the pins sheared off higher then the bottom of the ring bases which kept them in place. Kinda amazed at how tight the groups were knowing the rings were loose.
View attachment 881760
View attachment 881759

View attachment 881762

Which paint pen brand and color did you use?

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Who’s said that? And it wasn’t the paint that was the issue- bet money. It’s his cut away action and where he mounted the ring. “Paint” coming loose isn’t causing a screw to lossen up enough to shear a pin- nor is loctite…. But mounting the ring too far forward where the dovetail isn’t full depth will…

Not the first cut away action with busted pins either.


Here’s one, and if the recoil pin was used, it would have broke it too-
View attachment 881834

This seems much more likely to be the root cause. I have seen instances of non oil based paint pens being used that were worthless.

 

[Formidilosus]

This seems much more likely to be the root cause. I have seen instances of non oil based paint pens being used that were worthless.

No doubt. We are seeing between 75-100 rifles used for at least 1,000 rounds each a year. 15’ish being used for 3,000 to 4,000 rounds a year. On average no matter how it’s applied, blue loctite is not setting up in about 5-10% of screws weeks to months after being applied. Paint pens- some are better than others (thicker); are about one out of 20 screws or less. To date, no screw using finger nail polish has still been wet weeks later, on any screw- though I’m sure there is some level of dilute too.

 

[littlebigtine]

Maybe I didnt shake er up enough before applying? I been using isopropyl alcohol as a degreaser. Is there a better alternative?
I gotta say though. I tried my girlfriends finger nail polish before the paint pen and that was a disaster.
That being said, I am not trying to claim that my experiences should be considered . I am just trying to follow some of these protocols and have had some interesting results. Just sharing my process. I think not all nail polish is created equal.

 

[littlebigtine]

I had full depth on the dove tail. Used the forwardmost screw in pin and the first mounting hole in the rings.

 

[Formidilosus]

I had full depth on the dove tail. Used the forwardmost screw in pin and the first mounting hole in the rings.

View attachment 881864
View attachment 881866

The front lip is barely on the angle in most I have seen when mounted on the cut away actions. Which means even when torqued down, there is movement happening (notice the front of the hole is buggered as well).


What was the torque you used for the base screws?