Gun on the ground

It happened. Never dropped, significantly bumped or mishandled an optic until the rifle I just finished getting to group hit the ground from the tailgate I was shooting off of. Was at the lease and just wanted to quickly see how well the action performed in the refinished stock with new scope. I was headed to the target and was careless in the way I left the gun on the front rest and rear bag. It slipped off and I heard it hit. This was a Vortex Diamond Back, Leupold mount, Leupold rings on a 700 action. The action screws, mount and rings were all torqued to spec's. After I ran out of F'bombs, I dusted it off, shot it. No change to zero. Good products and a Fat Wrench, good to have.

that might not happen every time, try it again just of grins

The Simmons scope I had as a kid would change zero without even being dropped.

Scope was brand new, everything else original from 1979.

I slamed the barrel of my deer rifle in the door of the truck once... took paint off the door and door jamb of truck and finish off the barrel on both sides, but it held zero fine. Leupold base rings and scope.

If you have the type of rings I posted below, feel very grateful they didn't get knocked off. These rings linked below are the worst for keeping a scope zero'd. The rear base with the screws on the base that squeeze the "ears" on the ring are the worst. I've seen magnum rifles sheer these "ears" off the rings. I'm not a fan of them.

https://www.leupold.com/scope-mounts/std-remington-700-2-pc

Last spring a buddy had his rifle sitting on the ground on the bipod and managed to kick it over. His POI moved almost 4 inches at 100 yards. This was a Gen2 Razor in Seekins rings. You just never know.

It's a one piece base, with the front ring that is turned into place. It's the only set up like this I own. Before the scope:

I don't believe a windage-adjustable rear mount is going to fail every time the rifle suffers a mishap, but I agree in general with Chad. It must be about the weakest system you can buy. Glad it didn't cause you any heartburn this time!

A friend brought his rifle on a plane and had those on his gun. We went to check that the gun was on and he had rounds going all over the place. He could not get it to zero. I asked to try it and as soon as I got behind the scope, I noticed the whole back ring had lifted out of those damn windage screws. Same happened to a friend's gun after he dropped his rifle. I don't trust them.
I had them on an old rifle and they actually worked great for 10 years on a 7 mag. Then suddenly the scope wouldn't zero. That one turned out to be a base screw backing out.

I had a nightmare experience this weekend. I was at the range and one of the bipod legs collapsed and my LWRC REPR took a tumble off the bench onto the concrete. It knock the Razor scope (mounted with Vortex rings) back about an inch. I remounted the scope and the gun shoots great again. Just a few scrapes on the scope cap and stock. I was lucky!!

Not lucky, you purchased robust equipment. It's supposed to be like a Timex watch.

Wait a minute like a timex watch? all I remember about wearing timex's was that when they quit working you just bought a new one lol

I think every center fire rifle I know of in my family is mounted in leupold base and rings. None have had a problem ever that I know of, of course I was taught not to use the scope as a handle to. Ill shoot them till they give me cause to replace them.

"Takes a licking and keeps on ticking"

My last $35 Timex lasted 10 years. The machine was keeping time, but the housing wouldn't hold a band pin.

Gotta remember that every time you shoot the gun it goes through more stress than what it did with that fall on the ground. Granted if the scope hit first or something then it could have damaged the scope; but in theory at least, a 3-4 fot drop should not alter one thing on a quality weapon...with quality parts and put together with quality workmanship.

Fat wrench torqueing things to proper levels probably helped more than anything!

Couple years ago I knocked my .44 Mag Encore off my treestand. Took about a 20 foot tumble and landed like this. Cleaned it up good and took it to the range. No change in POI...got very lucky.