Not a bad Leupold VX 3i 3.5-10 x 40?

mobilefamily

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
Messages
135
Bought this new to upgrade a 338 WM Thompson Encore I have had for years.

Mounted it with medium Warne rings using the existing one piece base. The gun grouped but shot 5” high and I ran out of elevation adjustment.

Came home and shimmed the rear of the base with a piece I snipped out of soda can. Went back and shot again. No change.

Ordered 250 grain Swift bullets to try versus the 225 Core Loct I started with. Also changed to low Warne rings.

Back to the range and no change. The gun will group well but it’s way too high, 5-6”. Removed the scope at the range, checked the base screws, and remounted the scope in a different position (slid it back a bit and moved the rear ring forward to the next notch). No change.

Came home and took it all apart again. Checked everything and don’t see any issues.

I’m at my wit’s end! Any ideas other than calling Leupold, which I will do tomorrrow.

Note: I recently had the gun Cerakoted. They left the base on so it is coated as well.

Thanks.
 

swehrman

Lil-Rokslider
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Dec 14, 2019
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158
Location
NW Montana
There could be something out of spec with the base. Also, I think you want to shim the front of the base to raise it up relative to the rear, not raise the rear relative to the front. Bases that have MOA built into them for shooting long range are tapered so that the rear is higher than the front.

-- Scott
 
Joined
Nov 16, 2017
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Central Oregon
Are you sure the base is on correctly?
Sure your dialing the correct way?
Leupold is the original lifetime warranty company.
I had a problem with one and I didn't even call just download the form and sent it in. Even admitted it was my fault for mounting the ring to close to the power dial.
3 weeks later had it back like new.
 
OP
M

mobilefamily

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
Messages
135
Are you sure the base is on correctly?
Sure your dialing the correct way?
Leupold is the original lifetime warranty company.
I had a problem with one and I didn't even call just download the form and sent it in. Even admitted it was my fault for mounting the ring to close to the power dial.
3 weeks later had it back like new.

I am sure I am dialing correctly. I moved the impact down from the original point and was making progress. I just ran out of clicks.

There is only one way to mount the base. If it was backwards the gun wouldn’t close.

Thanks for replying.
 

Fatcamp

WKR
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May 31, 2017
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Sodak
Either throw a different scope on the Encore or the Leupold on a different rifle.
 
OP
M

mobilefamily

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
Messages
135
There could be something out of spec with the base. Also, I think you want to shim the front of the base to raise it up relative to the rear, not raise the rear relative to the front. Bases that have MOA built into them for shooting long range are tapered so that the rear is higher than the front.

-- Scott

Thanks Scott. I’m going to order a new base and move the shim up front.

But if none of that works I’m throwing the whole damned thing in the ditch by the range!
 
Joined
Jul 9, 2019
Messages
361
Location
Washington State
Also if you have made a lot of windage adjustment to one side or the other you are not going to have all of the elevation adjustment to play with. You can quickly re-center the reticle by placing the scope on a mirror with the objective lenses down and look through the scope. You will see two sets of crosshairs. Just click the adjustments until they line up.
 

rayporter

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Jul 3, 2014
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arkansas or ohio
ok, say that again. the rifle shot high so you shimmed the rear base?

do your self a favor and get a set of burris signature rings and a 20 moa insert and cure the problem by putting the insert in the front ring to lower the impact.
 
R

RHR280AC

Guest
mobilefamily;

I suggest you take "rayporter's" advice with the Burris Signature rings. They come with "0" moa plastic
inserts and protect the scope from being scratched etc. from the rings. However, Burris makes an insert
kit that features 3 different moa inserts you can install to adjust the elevation w/o using the scopes internal
adjustments to get you on target. Once there, you use the scopes internal adjustments to fine tune. These
things really work and I am surprised that other manufacturers have not jumped on this type of system.
FYI, the 30mm rings do not have the moa insert kit option. Just the 1" (which works for the VX-3i in question).
I would also swap out the base(s). Hope this helps!
Rg
 
Joined
Dec 30, 2014
Messages
9,698
Are they vertical Warne rings? If so I would bet that they are the culprit.

More info on why here:
 
Joined
Jan 26, 2017
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Location
PA
I had vertical split rings on a vx3 3.5-10x40, and could not get the elevation correct, I think it was maxed out and still 1 moa low. Switched the rings to a horizontal split and solved the problem.

Sent from my LM-G820 using Tapatalk
 
OP
M

mobilefamily

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
Messages
135
Update: the base must have gotten bent in the cerakoting process.

I installed a new base with no shims and got the gun to shoot properly today. Comparing the old base to the new base shows a very tiny droop at the end of the old one and on this gun the base isn’t flat on the barrel all the way out.

Thanks for the input.
 
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