The Case for Hard Cases

[okie john]

Just took my Model 70 to the range for the first time in several months. To my surprise, the scope was not in focus and POI was about a foot left of where it had been. I fixed those things and wondered how they had come to pass. Then I remembered that this rifle had been in a soft case in the trunk of my car when I totaled it a few days after Christmas.

The scope is a Leupold VXR 3-9x40 with a fast-focus eyepiece. 1/8 turn makes things blurry, and I think that the impact may have caused the POI and focus changes.

So check your zeros after an MVA, and don't transport nice rifles in soft cases.


Okie John

[farscott]

Not sure a hard case would have done any better, and a hard case may cause more issues as is more readily transmits forces from the vehicle to the rifle and scope. While scopes and mounts are designed for acceleration in two axis (parallel with the optical path and up/down), they are not so good with lateral forces. I have experienced a loss of zero as the result of driving on a bumpy road. Most scopes still use springs to position the erector lens and a force larger than the spring force can cause the erector lens to move.

[okie john]

Not sure a hard case would have done any better, and a hard case may cause more issues as is more readily transmits forces from the vehicle to the rifle and scope. While scopes and mounts are designed for acceleration in two axis (parallel with the optical path and up/down), they are not so good with lateral forces. I have experienced a loss of zero as the result of driving on a bumpy road. Most scopes still use springs to position the erector lens and a force larger than the spring force can cause the erector lens to move.

Not surprising. I'm considering expenditures for a Nightforce T&E.


Okie John

[littlejerry]

I've watched the baggage handlers body slam my pelican case at the airport. Still haven't lost zero on my NXS + Unimount.