Leupold Engineer's Comment on Tracking.

[B_Reynolds_AK]

I listened to a podcast the other day that referenced a Leupold engineer saying that when their scopes
fail to track properly, it is because when the internals are put together and lubricated, the grease does not always get spread
throughout the erectors full range of motion.
He said that when you get a new scope, to follow this procedure of turning the elevation and windage back and forth a bunch of times to
spread the lubrication around properly.
Also, always dial "up" to your elevation adjustment, meaning return the turret to zero before dialing an adjustment again.

I thought this was interesting and wanted to put it out for discussion.

 

[9.3koolaid]

Make sure your fingers are crossed and spin around 3 times as well.

 

[brockel]

Make sure your fingers are crossed and spin around 3 times as well.

Mule deer buck chasing does “he’s 325 but won’t stop. He stopped range him again. He’s 380 now. Ok hang on I have to go back down to my zero and dial back up to 380”. Christ sake.

 

[TSAMP]

This makes sense to me from a mechanical standpoint. Essentially starting from zero helps control the backlash (slop between gear teeth).

 

[sbaker0029]

Have a link to the podcast?

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Have a link to the podcast?

I’ll have to find it. Can’t remember off the top of my head, as I listened to several random podcasts while I was working. They didn’t give more specifics than that and didn’t name anyone in particular.

 

[TxLite]

Also, always dial "up" to your elevation adjustment, meaning return the turret to zero before dialing an adjustment again.

What do we do when it doesn’t return to zero?

 

[brockel]

What do we do when it doesn’t return to zero?

You are suppose to knock on wood before doing it

 

[Drenalin]

This makes sense to me from a mechanical standpoint. Essentially starting from zero helps control the backlash (slop between gear teeth).

Is it possible to quantify how much this slop translates to in MOA/mils? I would imagine less than one click of travel, but could be misunderstanding the internals of a scope as I've never had one apart.

 

[eightyeight mag]

So now we have scope break-in as well as barrel break-in.
Haha what a joke

 

[PNWGATOR]

And many wonder why their products don’t work.

 

[TSAMP]

Is it possible to quantify how much this slop translates to in MOA/mils? I would imagine less than one click of travel, but could be misunderstanding the internals of a scope as I've never had one apart.

Absolutely. Leupold has the data. It'd be a cost/benefit analysis. Tighter tolerances cost more to manufacture but will reduce backlash. Id guess they found the middle ground where the average shooter isn't capable of noticing.
Just look a cheap slider sight on a bow compared to a high end one for a example.

 

[Fatcamp]

This makes sense to me from a mechanical standpoint. Essentially starting from zero helps control the backlash (slop between gear teeth).

Same as the old mills and lathes when I was training to be a machinist.

 

[sbaker0029]

I’ll have to find it. Can’t remember off the top of my head, as I listened to several random podcasts while I was working. They didn’t give more specifics than that and didn’t name anyone in particular.

Gotcha. No worries if you can't find it.
I do the same, my random variety of podcasts are all over the place on subject matter haha

 

[hicountry1]

Do you also have to stand on one leg while dialing?

WTF

 

[Titan]

If it were that easy, wouldn't they do it at the factory to avoid issues after the sale? The concept seems legit, but not fixing that or at least giving those instructions on the first page seems crazy.

 

[SirChooCH]

If it were that easy, wouldn't they do it at the factory to avoid issues after the sale? The concept seems legit, but not fixing that or at least giving those instructions on the first page seems crazy.

This right here. Why wouldn't they dial it up and back down during QC check before shipping if it's that easy?

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

As a 20 year employee of an optics manufacturer… That’s not how that works.

These companies are making it more and more tempting to venture into the sporting optics market and make shit that actually works.

 

[InteriorAKPopsicle]

Interesting - I could see the initial 'break in' with spinning the dials a couple of times.
It also makes sense for the greatest level of accuracy to return to zero to make sure that everything is lined up.
I think in the field I wouldn't be doing that at the ranges I'm shooting - but if I was going to be shooting 1500-1600 yards than I would. You would also have the time.

 

[TxLite]

As a 20 year employee of an optics manufacturer… That’s not how that works.

These companies are making it more and more tempting to venture into the sporting optics market and make shit that actually works.

Please do. This thread has some good ideas of what several of us consider the perfect hunting scope. Can’t remember if you were on there or not but there was discussion about trying to get something going.