My son bought a Rigby style rifle earlier this year and to match it, I found a "vintage" Leupold 2 X 7 Vari-X II. We finally got the rifle to the range yesterday and the scope ran out of elevation adjustment with the POI still about 2" low at 50'. To say I am not happy would be an understatement. He wants to use the rifle for an elk hunt in November, and time is starting to become an issue.

Do any of you know if Leupold can "add adjustment" to a scope that might be 35 years old? I can't shim the scope bases, as they were machined to fit and then the rifle, with bases, sent to Turnbull for CCH.

Any suggestions short of calling Leupold and asking, or trying to find another scope in the second hand market and hoping it works? All the new stuff is going to look incredibly wrong on this $5K rifle...

TIA for any suggestions, or knowledge.

If you can't alter the bases, what about the rings? Have one ground down a few thousandths, that might change your alignment enough to move your POI. You might be able to lap one down enough to do it yourself, but I'd have a smith grind or mill the rings. I don't think you could shim rings and have it hold up, but you might be able to have a few thousandths jewel welded in to heighten a ring too.

To answer your question directly, I don't believe there is any way for Leupold to make the erector more adjustable upwards.

First, determine whether the scope tube is bent. I had this happen with a Nikon scope I got in a store liquidation.

It just didn't have enough upwards adjustment. When I checked it by rotating it in a v-block, I could see the objective bell rotated in an eccentric orbit. Nikon replaced it free of charge.

If the tube is not bent, consider using Burris Signature ring with the appropriate inserts to compensate for the lack of adjustment.

George

quote:

Originally posted by GeorgeS:
To answer your question directly, I don't believe there is any way for Leupold to make the erector more adjustable upwards.

First, determine whether the scope tube is bent. I had this happen with a Nikon scope I got in a store liquidation.

It just didn't have enough upwards adjustment. When I checked it by rotating it in a v-block, I could see the objective bell rotated in an eccentric orbit. Nikon replaced it free of charge.

If the tube is not bent, consider using Burris Signature ring with the appropriate inserts to compensate for the lack of adjustment.

George

George, you are correct. I contacted Leupold and they cannot "add correction" to the scope, and we have gone with a set of Talley rings to allow the scope to be removed and the irons used if necessary.

Leupold still offers a matte 2 X 7 X 33, with some 75 minutes of adjustment both vertically and horizontally. I didn't want to buy more glass, but I guess that will be the answer.

Thanks; and I mean that.

It would seem to me that if there wasn't any issue with the scope itself which can be ascertained by trying another, then one needs to focus on the root cause of the issue. I would not feel completely comfortable using a scope at or near the end of travel. If you're using something like Leupold mounts and rings I believe you could temporarily place a shim under the rear ring to see if this would solve the issue. Once you've determined the proper thickness needed to "center" the group with the scope near center, you might consider having a higher rear ring machined so that it has the proper thickness to fully solve this. Otherwise I'd actually consider making the proper rear base and having Turnbull case color that one to match the original. Good luck...

Edward, with all due respect. as I have stated, time is beginning to become an issue. Additionally, the Talley rings do not lend themselves to shimming between them and the custom machined bases due to the way Talleys attach.

And I believe I know the root cause of the issue: this scope/base/ring combination just does not work together as originally designed on this rifle, and the fix is another scope of greater adjustment or shimming the rear ring upward by using shim stock atop the base, which will not work. The rear base is not "improper", as you suggest.

Another problem is the scope's age and lack of modern adjustment capabilities...

It appears the only "fix" to continue using this scope is to have the rear ring opened up by about .020" and then shim so the ring fits the tube diameter. That will in effect point the scope downward below current POI and should give another ~25 minutes at 100, which will be plenty. I just have to talk to my riflesmith to get that done.

Burris rings with inserts would work as well, but in my estimation would not look "period correct" for this 1920s Rigby stalking rifle styled firearm.

Thanks for the input.

I think your original outlook of trying to stretch the adjustments somehow is all wrong. For optical integrity you need to have the zero near the centre of adjustments, not scrabbling for one out at the edge. Getting a gunsmith to mill the mounts would be the only way I can think to make it work without replacing some component in the set-up.

There is always a build up of tolerances in scope mounts, rings, receiver bridges and rings, and barrel thread straightness. All of the above contribute to your scope not pointing the same place as the barrel. You don't need a new scope, you need someone to trouble shoot it and see what the root cause is; it is not that the scope doesn't have enough adjustment. I would look first, at the custom machined bases.