Leupold VX3I issues tracking?

Elite

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Sep 4, 2018
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Hey guys I have a leupold VX3I. I am at a lost and can’t understand what is going on with this scope. I recently zeroed it for 200 yards and it was good. I know have loaded some custom rounds for it. It’s a 7mm-08. Load data is 140gr AccuBond with 44gr of Winchester 780. I shot at 100 yards to see how well it grouped and it was about 3 inches high. Which is normal I thought. So I decided to dial the moa dial up to 350 yards. I missed the steel plate. So I installed some paper targets at 200 yards. Dialled the scope Down to zero. Shot 2 rounds and both hit 5-6 inches high?? So I figured the scope didn’t track right so I dialled it all the way out and slowly back to zero. Boom still shooting in the same group as the last 2. Here is the really confusing part. I tried a quick 100 yard shot before it got dark on me and it hit exactly the same original group that’s 3 inches high??? What am I missing here guys??


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Was this your first time going through this exercise with scope and were you using confirmed inputs (velocity, BC?

Assuming you have done your part in properly mounting scope and had the correct information to dial 350 I would try zeroing rifle at 100 and try again. 200 yard zeros have never worked well for me.

I hope it’s not the scope as that can be frustrating for a guy for sure. I have had bad experiences with Leupold scopes dialing in past as well and moved away from them.
 

thinhorn_AK

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I’ve had good experiences with the vx3i scopes but not what I’d choose for dialing, sort of a set and forget thing imo.
 
OP
Elite

Elite

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Was this your first time going through this exercise with scope and were you using confirmed inputs (velocity, BC?

Assuming you have done your part in properly mounting scope and had the correct information to dial 350 I would try zeroing rifle at 100 and try again. 200 yard zeros have never worked well for me.

I hope it’s not the scope as that can be frustrating for a guy for sure. I have had bad experiences with Leupold scopes dialing in past as well and moved away from them.

No I have done it before with factory ammo and was just seeing if the hand loads would shoot similar to the factory. I was expecting it to shoot exactly the same but I am wondering if it is something with the scope internally.


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I’ve dialed mine all over the place just to see if it had any issues and it has performed very well. Get a solid 100yd zero and dual from there and see how it goes
 

nobody

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This is interesting to me. It almost sounds as if you've maybe got some inconsistent stock contact to the barrel, or maybe a hot barrel that is causing barrel whip. My VX3i with the CDS has been dead nuts accurate for 3 years. Perhaps there's some other inconsistencies, such as sight picture on your part, or maybe an inconsistent cheek weld that changes your perceived point of aim? Since you were able to get it to hit right later that night after it had sat some though, I would bet money it's an issue with barrel whip from the heat.
 

slowelk

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Send it back to Leupold, then sell it and buy something else if you want to dial. Rokslide hates most Leupold's, and for good reason. They are notoriously inconsistent with their ability to track, return to zero, and hold zero.
 

Sandstrom

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1 From what I am understanding, you sighted in the rifle with factory ammo.

2 You then tried some ammo that you hand loaded and it shot 5 inches higher than the factory ammo that you originally used to sight in the gun.

3 After dialing the scope up and down it still shot the 5 inches high at 200 and 3 inches high at 100 compared to the other ammo that you originally sighted in the gun with

If I am understanding this correctly your scope is tracking perfectly. Your new hand loads are shooting to a new point of impact and the scope needs to be re zeroed for the new hand loaded ammunition.

Hope this helps.
 
OP
Elite

Elite

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Well I spoke with leupold today and they basically said to verify there is adjustment left. So I checked the windage knob and I had 3 full revolutions to make it go right. And about 1/2 a revolution for the left. I also checked elevation and that was pretty much centred. I marked everything before I turned it and set it back to where it was. So I went to my range in the back yard and shot 2 and now I am over a solid 12 inches to the right??? I think this scope it screwed internally? I have sighted in many scopes before so not a newbie here. Doesn’t look like the scope has moved at all in the bases. Everything is solid still. I have wasted a lot of money on ammo with this damn scope


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OP
Elite

Elite

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1 From what I am understanding, you sighted in the rifle with factory ammo.

2 You then tried some ammo that you hand loaded and it shot 5 inches higher than the factory ammo that you originally used to sight in the gun.

3 After dialing the scope up and down it still shot the 5 inches high at 200 and 3 inches high at 100 compared to the other ammo that you originally sighted in the gun with

If I am understanding this correctly your scope is tracking perfectly. Your new hand loads are shooting to a new point of impact and the scope needs to be re zeroed for the new hand loaded ammunition.

Hope this helps.

Yes that is correct, But in my mind if I am zeroed for 200 yards and I am hitting 3 inches high at 100 which would be normal. My issue Is how am I hitting 5 inches high at 200?? The factory ammo was also Nosler AccuBond 140gr. Reloads were the same bullets and maybe a slight but more powder in them.


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SDHNTR

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I read your post 3 times and I still don’t understand it. Kinda hard to do a tracking test while switching ammo at the same time. At least I think that’s what you said. Keep everything the same and try again.
 
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Sandstrom

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I would re zero for the hand loads and then try tracking the scope with the hand loads and only the hand loads. Only use one type of ammunition, that way the only thing changing is the scope.
 

Motown

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I would re zero for the hand loads and then try tracking the scope with the hand loads and only the hand loads. Only use one type of ammunition, that way the only thing changing is the scope.

What Sandstorm said above! Your problem is not at all with the scope and it is with the ammo you are shooting. You cannot expect ammo to shoot the same if you switch from factory to hand loads regardless if its the same bullet or not.
 
OP
Elite

Elite

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What Sandstorm said above! Your problem is not at all with the scope and it is with the ammo you are shooting. You cannot expect ammo to shoot the same if you switch from factory to hand loads regardless if its the same bullet or not.

I agree with that. But factory loads were zeroed perfect at 200. There isn’t a hand load out there that would shoot 5 inches high at 200.


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SDHNTR

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Sure there is! I have a wonderfully accurate CZ 6.5x55. Prints itty bitty groups with anything you feed it, but at dramatically different poi. My normal handload is beautifully grouped at 1.5” high at 100. Pop some factory Winchester ammo in there and it will also group beautifully, but about 8” low at 100.

Listen to all the advice here. Keep everything consistent and try it again. You were chasing your tail.
 

BassAssassin04

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I don't think there is a scope on the market that can make two different loads shoot the same. I've seen different loads impact drastically different at 200 yards. 5" is not very much.
 
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I agree with that. But factory loads were zeroed perfect at 200. There isn’t a hand load out there that would shoot 5 inches high at 200.


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I had loads shoot almost 3" different at 100 yards only doing a seeting depth change.
 
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Put me in the likely “blaming scope for an ammo issue” camp.

regardless, you won’t find solid answers unless you validate tracking at a single distance with a single ammo.
 
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