I had a horrible day at the range today! My M70 7mmRemMag usually shoots 1/2" at 100yards all day long. I have approx 1,000 rounds through it.
I started getting flyers 3 inches away from the group. A few groups later, all I could get was 4".
I tightened all screws,mounts, etc, but same thing. The scope in question is a Zeiss Conquest 4.5x14.
I am leaving for Zimbabwe in a few weeks, so I am freaking out here!
I have it boxed-up already, and I will overnight it to Zeiss. Do you fellas think that this is a scope failure? I cannot think of anything else that it could be.
Your opinions would be appreciated. Thanks!

BTW....any experience with Zeiss customer service, and do you think that they will fix ASAP??

Don't send the scope back yet. Instead switch it to a rifle thats shooting well and move that scope to the 7mm.

I'm with Savage 99 on this,try a different scope to verify that it is a Scope problem

Thanks fellas,trouble is that I only have this one rifle that I use for everything.
What else could it be besides the scope? I checked all of the screws, mounts,rings, and bedding screws.

Be sure to also check the crown under a good loupe. Even a minor ding can cause erratic grouping.

quote:

Originally posted by Wolfgar:
I had a horrible day at the range today! My M70 7mmRemMag usually shoots 1/2" at 100yards all day long. I have approx 1,000 rounds through it.
I started getting flyers 3 inches away from the group. A few groups later, all I could get was 4".
I tightened all screws,mounts, etc, but same thing. The scope in question is a Zeiss Conquest 4.5x14.
I am leaving for Zimbabwe in a few weeks, so I am freaking out here!
I have it boxed-up already, and I will overnight it to Zeiss. Do you fellas think that this is a scope failure? I cannot think of anything else that it could be.
Your opinions would be appreciated. Thanks!

BTW....any experience with Zeiss customer service, and do you think that they will fix ASAP??

You have a real time problem. Tell you what. Email me at donmartin29@hotmail.com if your interested in driving up to Southington, CT. I have a range there and I can bring some scopes for you to try and will bring tools. I usually can figure this stuff out. We have 200 yds there and the range is quite private.

Directions to the range



To add: Contact Doug at Cameraland right now if your anywhere near the city and pick up another scope there today to bring with you. You need another rig anyway. I have some I would let you have. They are on good shooters now and I could prove that. Some of them are Conquests in 3-9 and a VariX 111 3.5-10.

http://www.cameralandny.com/

Hey Savage,
What an offer! Thank you so much, BUT...I already sent the scope to Zeiss, and they are over-nighting a loner Conquest to me free of charge. I would like to take you up on your offer anyway when I get it. How far are you from Danbury?? I live just outside of NY City, and I don't think that we are too far from each other.
By the way to everyone, Karen at Zeiss repair dept went way out of her way for me, even over-nighting the loner scope, since she said that my scope has to go to their factory for repair, and they cannot be sure of how long that will take to fix. She was so nice and sweet and called me back several times too. Makes you glad to pay a little extra for their products.

It's certainly nice to hear those type of customer service stories...

Wolfgar,

The exit # is on the directions but in any case the range must be about an hour from you.

Since it may not be the scope I will bring other mounts, rings screws and scopes along with shims and a bore sighter. You should bring lots of ammo.

If you get the scope by Thursday or Friday that would be good for me. The range opens at 10 AM and I am not going to stay, at least on Friday past 4:30.

Still waiting for the scope from Zeiss...should be tomorrow.
So, do you all think that the 1,000 7mm rounds shook something loose....remember, I checked all of the screws.

Anything could have happened.

Do you have other guns? If not ...........

If your going to use my range you had better send an email and get my phone #. I am really busy right now and have to deliver a boat today. I can and will help you however.

Maybe you shot out your barrel or it needs a good cleaning?

I have had far more problems with mounts that turned out to be loose than with scopes that turned out to be bad.

Not that it can't happen..... but even with the expensive tactical 1-pc bases... The only way besides welding, silver solder, or pinning is to chemically strip the receiver and bases, loctite primer and red loctite, work the 2 together, then screw in per directions. So far, this is working out.....

Best regards

John

bump for ....the rest of the story

THE 7mmREm is a hot round. You can reach a point where is seems all of a sudden they start throwing rounds and you think it hads to be scope bases, loose stock bolts when it could be you have eroded the bbl to a point where they give up trying. My .340wby went from shooting sub inch to throwing all over in about 30 rounds once it reached the let go point. It took about 2500 rounds to get there.

First really clean it, not just run a rag with Hoppes through it but REALLY clean it. Sweets will pull the copper and also take care of any nose hair problems. Us in a WELL VENTILATED area and clean and clean and clean, copper brush then clean some more.
you will be amazed what will come out of a bore.

THEN
since you have shipped the scope, throw another on it and try it out. IF you don't have one... Even a cheapie from wally world or Kmart will tell you whether it was the rifle or the scope. it only has to last long enough to to get a few rounds down range. Then you can throw it into the bag for emergency emergency duty.
HOWEVER, glass is like anything else in that you get what you pay for.