Hey guys, I have a question. I have a couple Leupold scopes which I bought new, a 16 year old Vari-xII (3x9) and a 14 year old Vari-xIII (6x20). How do you know if you have "bottomed-out" the adjustments? Will they just stop? Can they be ReZeroed?

I have mounted the 3x9 on a couple different rifles and through the course of siting them in, I don't know how far right or left, up or down, they have been adjusted.

When you buy a used scope, how do you know how much more adjusting it can take? (I am looking at a Zeiss Classic)

adjustments are just like any bolt. When you run it to the bottom you can't turn it anymore. just don't try to turn it anymore or you can really wreck the scope. You don't know anymore about adjustment in a new scope than a used one. its whatever the factory puts in it, using it doesn't change anything. if you're having adjustment problems, you are more than likely having mounting problems instead.

When you have no idea where the adjustments are set within the range, it is a good idea to carefully turn the adjustments to the maximum limit (don't force anything), then turn them back to the opposite limit counting the turns, then reverse that by half the number of turns, leaving the adjustments very close to the mid point. This is the best place to start the zeroing process.

You should use any adjustment available in your mounts first if the scope appears to be significantly misaligned with the bore.

I dont remember where I learned this (it might have been here)but take a mirror and put the scopes objective side on the mirror. Then look through the scope and line up the two sets of cross hairs (the reflection and the actual cross hairs) and now you are centered again. Little trick here is to to do this somehwere where you can get a little light at an angle to the mirror so you can see. BTW some scope mfg specificlly state NOT to turn all the way to the stops

Not only should you not turn/force the windage and elevation all the way to the stops, my 'smith says you should not run the power change ring all the way to the stops and leave it there. He says to bump the min/max power then back off a smidgen. He says when you hit the stop, it can move the zero adjustment away from where it should be. Can't say that I've ever noticed a problem but it doesn't hurt and now I just don't jam the ring up against the top anymore.

That's the first time I've heard anything like that, dustoffer. I'd be pretty surprised if there's any truth to it with a quality scope.

I sort of took it with a grain of salt, but like many "urban legends" it is hard to disprove. And, my 'smith has never steered me wrong on any other thing. And, it is a case of "no harm, no foul"

MC;
If the adjustment knob stops, you have probably reached the limit of travel. As others have said, do not try to turn it any further. Before mounting a scope, new or used, I take a small cardboard box 4 or 5 inches in width and cut a "V" notch in each side. Place the scope in the "V" Look through it and line up the cross hairs on a reference point on a far wall for example. Without moving the box, slowly rotate the scope through 360 degrees and take note of how the cross hairs move around the reference point. Turn the adjustment knobs a little at a time until the cross hairs stay centered on the reference point when rotated. The scope cross hairs should now be centered within the scope. When mounting on the gun, follow Stonecreek's advice and use any adjustments in the mounting system first. Hope this is of some help to you

I wrote about the mirror trick in Varmint Hunter magazine but give its credit to Garth Kendig at Leupold.

There are lots of scopes that bottom out well before they stop clicking. Leuopold VARI-X III target models bottom out well before they stop turning. The easiest way to tell is to put a borescope in the rifle and click. Does the reticle move in relation to the grid? If so, you have not bottomed out. If you have, it will not move.

Another problem with bottoming out is that you can get erratic windage adjustments (or elevation if the ele is maxed out).

That max power thing sounds pretty fishy to me.

I have some optics stories on my website that explain these and other things.

Thanks guys. I havn't bottmed either scope out, but they have been mounted on different rifles and sighted in. I did have my 3x9 go from sighted in, to 2' right this year on an elk hunt. I havn't quiet figured out what happened, but before I get to far into the "discovery" I wanted to know about the bottom-out and ReZero.

I am a good hunter, but I never have been knowledgable concerning the specifics of my guns and optics.

Thanks to all the responses.....Very helpful.

MC,

I do this and you may want to give it a try.... I turn the turret until it stops and then, I count the turns until it stops in the other direction. I then turn it back half way and stop. Do this w/ both turrets and you get the adjustments somewhat centered.

I only do this when installing a scope on a rifle. I even use this method to align windage adjustable mounts at times (While using a bore sighter of course).

Good Luck

Reloader