Had an accident in my SxS and my scope got whacked really, really hard. I shot it immediately afterwards and it's about 2' to the left and 8-10" high. Should I just re-zero and move on or take the scope out of the rings and remount it?

Base and rings seem to be tight, but which option is best? Is it possible it won't get back to zero?

I have a hard time imagining it being this far off and something isn't broken or messed up internally....

Thanks for the advice.

Wife dropped her rifle one day, not far, maybe from the waist down. It was off probably 8-10 inches low and 4-5 inches left. Quick zero and it’s been good for the past 4 years.

Others?

Take it apart, and verify everything is tight, particularly the base. You cannot tell if the base is loose with the scope on it.

Bire sight, then see if it will go back to zero. After that, I would be inclined to do somewhat of a box test with the knobs or turrets.

(If it's a Vortex scope, I'd just send it to them. It's probably broken inside)

2' to the left? There's probably no way you could get enough dial to move it back. If you can, re-zero and hope for the best. When I have to move a scope a good ways to re-zero, I'll tap the scope tube gently several times (after the large dial turn)
with a plastic screwdriver handle before shooting. Don't know if it helps, but....

Definitely take it apart and reassemble, preferably with a torque wrench and blue Loctite.

In addition to FJG’s comments, also loosen and retighten receiver screws.

Out of curiosity, what kind of scope, rings, and base are on the rifle?

It's a Leupold VX-6HD, EGW one piece rail, and Weaver Tactical 6 hole rings.

The scope got smacked so hard it dented the steel cross bar on my SxS. I can't believe it didn't break the glass.

Yes, somewhere between 20" and 24" to the left just at a quick glance when I shot it. I'll take it all apart and retighten...I'm afraid something may have gotten bent and it won't work properly, but I'll cross my fingers.

You may want to send it back to Leopold to have them go over it. If they send it back and say it is perfect, then at least you know and don't have to wonder.

Doc,

changing the screws on the pic rail to receiver connection might be a worthwhile effort.

This box of screws is pretty handy to have around a hunting camp.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1007121069?pid=447347

Thanks guys for the advice.

Picture of scope? Dent adds character, hope you can salvage it.

If you hit it hard enough to bend the bar on a SxS then I would definitely start at the bottom. I’m a big fan of EGW but they are aluminum.

To move 2 feet it probably has a slight bend in the tube. You need to put it in a v block and rotate it to see if you have any runout. I don't think there will be enough internal adjustment to get in on again without the erector jammed all the way to one side. Box it up to Leopold for a repair.

Sent it back to Leupold and have checked out.
Lifetime Warranty!

Make sure the scope tube didn't bend; if it did, you can't trust the scope. Send it in to Leupold.

Yeah, wondering how the aluminum scope tube held up after denting the presumably steel sxs component. My suspicion would be something other than the scope created that damage. Also with that amount of change, i would assume something is bent.

Had mine get run over by a truck on the dirt road,.that was 5 years ago and shoots straight. My rifle and I have been through a lot.

cmon doc. ur overlooking the obvious... whack it in the other direction

Could very well be a bent tube. I haven't had a chance to take it apart yet. It was definitely the scope that dented the cross bar, there's a perfect matching dent in both. The dent is right on the bell end of the scope cap. The gun was sitting in the back seat.....for reference here's the SxS....

Impressive the stock did not break in half. Wow!

Are the receiver screws possibly also bent?

What kind of rifle and stock is this? That is just amazing.

It's an APR custom 7mm-08, Grayboe stock, 18" barrel. I hope it's not too jacked up because it shoots great, much better than I am capable. Once I get it taken apart in the next few days I'll try to report back....here's a pic of the rifle:

Sooooooooooo



What caused the Polaris to wind up in the shape its in??

Going to follow this. I could learn a lot from working through this mishap. It would probably end with me sending the scope to Leupold. Any impact to the suppressor? Was the group that was way off a tight group?

Jeff, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the gun probably wasn’t hit by the front of the SxS. I’m guessing it was inside and took a good smacking as this SxS experienced almost instant deceleration.

The bell is dented? or the tube? or the cap? What cap? I say send it in to have it checked no matter what if its something you ever want to rely on again to be accurate.

Now.... if it was a nightforce would you have this problem... id love to know, but nobody probably ever will.

Nobody will ever know like you said. I know when I had mine I treated it as if it were delicate. I’ve never owned a NF but have had many SS fixed power and 5-20s. They’re a hammer compared to the VX-6HD. It’s my understanding the NF is as durable or better than the SS.

Little update, and to answer a few questions....

Suppressor was fine, no damage.

I took the scope off in the rings and noticed a dent on the bottom of the tube where it hit the one piece base during impact. But it must have rebounded because there was still a gap between the tube and the base. Ring screws were a little loose so I tightened everything up and remounted. The metal cap on the bell end was also dented. It did not look like the tube was bent. Gonna shoot again tomorrow to test it out and see if I can get it to zero.

The accident....I was checking game cams and pulled up and hopped out while leaving it running just like always. My son was with me, and normally he gets out. He turned around to face backwards, I guess to look at me, and then stood up and put his feet down. When he did he stepped on the gas pedal and didn’t realize what was happening since he was still facing backwards. He ran into a tree. Thank the Lord he wasn’t hurt. It was a very scary moment for both of us and both were pretty shook up afterwards. Stupid mistake on my part not turning off the buggy, but thankfully he was ok. It could have been very, very bad. I don’t even care about the SxS, it can be fixed, at least I think. It shoved the winch into the radiator and busted it, as well as caved in the bumper and bent up all sorts of stuff under the hood.
Just a reminder to all and to myself to never take anything for granted and always be extra safe and careful with little ones around.

I’ll update again once I shoot it....thanks again everyone for the help.

Fireman is spot on.

I’m confused....the gun hit the crossbar in front?

Man, sounds like God was on your side that day. Similar thing happened to my cousin. She got off her SxS to open a gate and her son turned around to watch her and stepped on the gas. She was in reverse and got pinned between the gate and her SxS with the receiver hitch impaled in her calf. She would have bled out if the neighbor wasn't outside and heard what was going on. From then on I always cut mine off when the kids are with me and I get out.

Sorry about the event, but glad it wasn't worse. We've all had close calls, and count them as blessings and lessons learned cheaply that could have otherwise been tragic. Learn, shake it off.

Post up on the scope performance. A lot can be learned from incidents like this.

Agreed. You have to dig fairly deep to uncover the details on how manufacturers design and build their scopes so you can decide for yourself which ones will take a beating and keep on ticking.

Based on what little I have been able to learn about scope design, a severe shift in the POI after the scope taking a hit is due to a shift in the screen-loaded mechanism that some scopes use in their design. It would seem some type of loading or pressure on the mechanism that controls the position of the scope's reticle is needed to secure it in a set position. I could see where a severe hit that's stronger than the pressure being exerted by the springs would cause a shift in the setting. Of course, better scopes have a better and stronger spring mechanism.

Well, looks like I’m gonna have to send it in. I couldn’t get the scope to zero. Got it about 2” high and 2” left and then adjusted and it wasn’t on paper again. Also, the trigger is acting funny. One light primer strike and one discharge when I jacked a shell into the chamber. Finger was not on the trigger and it was on fire.

Guess I’ll take it all apart, replace the trigger, send the scope in, replace the base and rings, and maybe even drop it off at APR to have them look at it.

It was a lot of force when it slammed into the bar in the back seat as you can tell by the damage to the front end. I’m disappointed, but mostly I am thankful my son wasn’t hurt.

Wow, that’s terrible. Yes, God was looking out for him for sure.

Doc, depending on where you are, I'm all over dfw and my office is by APR. If you need help getting it there, holler at me

Why did you do this?

Update on this thread....finally got around to dismounting my scope and sent it off to Leupold today. Will update with details once I get it back. Also, I threw away the base and rings and will get new ones to remount since I did not have confidence they weren't damaged in a way I couldn't see.

Good call. Ammo is so expensive these days I wouldn't have even tested it, just sent it back.

Thank God your son wasn't hurt. Everything else is replaceable.

Thank you.

The cost to fix the Ranger was around $5600...luckily I only had to pay my $250 deductible and insurance covered the rest. I'll throw my plug in for Cody at Farm Bureau (Varmintslayer on here)...super easy to work with and made the repair process a piece of cake.

Guys on my lease look at me like I'm crazy when they find out I have insurance on my 4 Wheeler, and Travel Trailer. I paid cash for both, totaling about 14K. Insurance on stuff like that is cheap, and been a great investment for me.

Update....mailed the scope off to Leupold and got an email yesterday saying it would take about 5 weeks for the repair. Not sure exactly what their diagnosis is, but will keep updating as I get more info.

Thanks for the update Doc. I had an accident similar to that in my golf cart several years ago where my daughter hit the gas pedal. I chased it down before she hit anything, but it scared the tar out of me, and I never leave anything with it turned on and them in it anymore. Glad everyone was ok, and hopefully the scope gets fixed up by Leupold.