Drop Evaluation RTZ and “Tracking”:
For an explanation see-
Scope Field Eval Explanation and Standards
The “test” consists of three 18” drops on a mat- one left/right/top with a shot to check zero after each drop. Then the exact same thing repeated from 36”. Then three drops on all three sides for nine drops on the last part- 15 drops total. This is not “abuse”. The 18” drops are a joke really. The 36” start showing something. And when a scope make/model consistently goes through the whole thing without losing zero, and makes it through the high round count portion, failures in actual use are almost unheard of.
This one was conducted on soft soil, with a 1/2 rubber padded mat top.
The rings were degreased and installed with 65 in-lbs on base screws, and 20-lbs on ring cap screws.
Note: the rings were not removed after the Revic scope eval, the scopes were just swapped in place.
Ammunition used was Federal 168gr Tru. The 20 round proof group with this ammo was 1.2 MOA.
Zeroing:
Bore sighted, fired two rounds, used the spotter to read the adjustments, adjusted. Fired three rounds at top left dot. Adjusted right .75 MOA. Fired five rounds at top center dot- no movement. Adjusted right again .75 MOA- fired two rounds at top right dot Again no movement. Adjusted right .75 MOA again, and fired one more round at top right dot- no movement.
Went and put three more dots on the target. Adjusted right 2 MOA, and magically it moved. Adjusted back left 1 MOA, and fired three rounds. Went to the drop portion.
Drop evaluation:
Diring the single 18” and 36” drops or shifted right approximately 1 MOA. The 9x36” drops I did not see the impact, so shot another round. I saw it to the right edge of paper, and then noticed the first shot had hit the clip holding the target on.
Total and complete failure.
Scope was pulled off to test another scope. The rest of the eval will be conducted with another rifle.
Initial conclusions:
It is a Leupold hunting scope. That is; it looks good, weight is good, eyebox is good… but it is an abortion as an aiming device. Doesn’t adjust correctly or hold zero. “Zeroing” was the common “Leupold shuffle”, shoot, adjust, shoot adjust, shoot adjust- resist the urge to throw it off a cliff.
It is apparently hopeless for Leupold to make a scope that matches a scope that they made 40 years ago…
TBC….
