aaaaaaaaaargh!!!

[encoreshooter]

I've been waiting 7 weeks for my .300 Whisper barrel from the T/C Custom shop.  12" stainless heavy.  Got it in Thursday, got everything put together.  Burris 2-7x32 posi-lock with ballistic plex reticle in Leupold rings on a Leupold mount.  Friday after work, head out to sight in.  First shot is low and right.  Make appropriate adjustments and reload.  On the second shot, the Burris scope tanks, can't see anything but fuzz on the higher powers.  Call Burris and ship scope to them.  Customer service says about a week turnaround time.   This is my first T/C handgun, and I was so excited!  Now I'm bummed.  Has anyone had experience with Burris customer service?  Will they fix my scope, or send me a new one?  I'd rather have new.  I want a scope I can trust, as I will be leaving the rifle in the safe this fall.  Oh, well, thanks for letting me vent.

encoreshooter

[Dan Chamberlain]

I can't make promises...but my experience is very positive with them.  Cross your fingers.

Dan C

[Gregory]

I had to send one in that survived only 10 shots on my 44 Mag TC and they repaired it.

[fyrepowrx]

I just received a 3-9x compact back from burris that i managed to tear up on my Rem custom shop kevlar stocked .350 mag... it survived about 5 shots, then the reticle broke & developed a hairline crack in one of the internal lenses... unfortunately they repaired the reticle, but didnt replace the lens, so it will have to go back a second time. Also managed to tear up a 2.5x Leupold scout on this gun (not very fun to shoot...only weighs about 5#) so its not entirely their fault, their is a limit to what scopes will take, the reticle broke on the leupold also. Yes, i am having a brake installed on this gun!... Burris did repair the scope quickly, but i was a little disappointed about having to send it back twice. i have a 4x Burris compact on my .445 supermag contender carbine & it has help up so far, but i guess every manfacturer has a scope failurs now & then. :cry:

[Graybeard]

Reckon I've heard more bad than good stories of Burris' customer service and more tales of folks sending back Burris scopes than any other brand. Heck once when I was trying to buy one from one of their largest distributors they convinced me to buy a Leupold instead. And the fellow I was talking to got a $50 I think bonus for each Burris he sold.

Still I've owned a good many of them, mostly handgun scopes. So far I've not needed to return one for service. I did have one I bought directly from Burris that came to me with a bad piece of trash in it. Sold it here at deep discount, the new buyer returned it and had it fixed. Never heard back from him on how it turned out.

BUT regardless, when you get it back, dump those Leupold base/rings and buy you a Weaver base and Burris Signature Zee rings. You'll never again have a scope to fail on it. Or put it back in the same rings with same base and return the scope again in a few days or weeks. Your choice. But if you leave it in the same rings you will return it again.

[encoreshooter]

Thanks for all the advice.  Graybeard, what type of Weaver base are you talking about?  The standard T/C base or something else?  Do the other type bases (Leupold, etc.) put too much stress on the scope?  I really need to get this thing lined out quickly, our archery season opens in less than three weeks.  Won't have much time after that.  Too much deer hunting, duck hunting, hog hunting, pheasant hunting, squirrel hunting- well, you get the picture!  

Thanks again,
encoreshooter

[Possum]

Here is what my experience has been with two scope companies. One charged a service charge (10.00) to fix a 9 year old rifle scope.  The other, which was Burris, fixed my pistol scope with a 2 week turnaround.  I call that pretty quick considering shipping.  I then had a windage screw missing from a Burris base and they sent me two screws free.  

My scope tore up because of the base I was using.  The 3x-12x was mounted on  a 30.06 Encore 15"barrel that is tapered after it leaves the chamber area (most Factory 30.06 barrels would be like this, I think).  The front of the Weaver base was unsupported by barrel for the first 3/4" and like all 4hole mounts, the screw holes were torward the rear of the base.  After the scope broke a fine gentleman and member of this forum from Orangeburg, SC suggested that the base was probably flexing under recoil.  This in turn caused the main tube of the scope to flex and therefore break.  I was using 4 burris signature zee rings.  

The whole point is if your base is not fully supported and attached, it may not matter what is holding your scope on.  I sent mine back to EABCO and had them drill and tap two additional holes on the front of the base for a 6 hole mount.  They also drilled a 7th hole right at the front end of the base.  That is the first time I have seen that done.  Now I know the base is fully supported and I am betting I will not have anymore trouble from the scope.  

I know you get what you pay for, but I think a lot of problems are occuring at no fault of the scopes, but the way they are mounted.  At least, that was my case.

[tnwill]

I have Leupold DD bases and rings on my 44 Mag. contender and on all of my rifles and have never had a scope fail because of them. If they are installed properly they will not cause a scope to fail.

[Graybeard]

Thanks for all the advice. Graybeard, what type of Weaver base are you talking about? The standard T/C base or something else?

Yes the standard Weaver style TC base is what I'm referring to. The main thing is to avoid like the plague those generic "Redfield" bases with the twist in front and windage adjustable rear rings. They "can be" made to work OK but are the very weakest type of mounting system. And if not mounted correctly which they seldom are will break a scope in no time.

Do the other type bases (Leupold, etc.) put too much stress on the scope?

As mentioned above it's really not the base/ring type that stresses the scope but the improper mounting that does. Trouble is with almost all of the installations of the generic type base it will be mounted incorrectly and will break scopes.

The Weaver type base combined with Burris Signature rings cannot stress the scope and will never be the cause of a scope failure.

I have Leupold DD bases and rings on my 44 Mag. contender and on all of my rifles and have never had a scope fail because of them. If they are installed properly they will not cause a scope to fail.

How true. How very true. The operative phrase here however is:

If they are installed properly

and sadly most often they are not.

If you have the proper tools to do the job right and take the time to do it right then this is a strong and solid mounting system. It is what I almost always use on my R700 rifles. But on any handgun with heavy recoil I want the very lightest base/ring combination I can get. The heavier the base/ring/scope combination the more likely damage will occur with heavy recoil.

With a set of alignment bars and a lapping tool the dual dove tail base can be an excellent choice. Unless you have them and know how to use them tho any system that requires turning in the rings to the base is a bad one.

[tnwill]

GB, I have to agree. Most are not installed properly. I stopped by a local gun shop a few days ago. The man behind the counter was mounting a scope for another customer. I watched him mount the standard Leupold bases and install the front ring on a $500 Leupold scope and used the scope to twist the front ring into the base. Then he installed the rear ring, stuck a boresighter in the muzzle, and used the windage screws to adjust the windage. The customer never said a word.

[Graybeard]

And no doubt that customer will wonder why the heck his "professionally" mounted scope failed so soon. The sad part is most professionally mounted ones are done the same way.

While there is no way I'm gonna let someone else mount mine if I had been that customer when he started to turn that ring in with the scope I'd have told him I changed my mind and didn't wanna buy one there.

[encoreshooter]

Thanks for all the help, guys.  Graybeard, I just ordered Weaver style bases and Burris Signature rings for all my Encore stuff (two rifles and a pistol).  Some folks may not agree, but I figure it's cheap insurance.  There are some mighty big bucks that run where I hunt, and I'd hate to have an equipment malfunction when I have one in the crosshairs.  

The more I learn, the more I learn how much there is to learn.

encoreshooter

[encoreshooter]

Thanks cknight98, those are the ones I got.  When I took apart all my current mounts, I got a shock.  The front ring on my .50 cal was held in place by the scope!!!   :shock:   I will never have another of those mounting systems!  Man, that was an expensive lesson.  I suppose those are the kind we take to heart.  Thanks to everyone for a very informative discussion.  I'll keep you posted on my situation with Burris.

encoreshooter

[Graybeard]

I've been telling folks this same information for many years now. It sure opens folks' eyes when they see just what I'm talking about.

I ordered a new Whby. 257 Mag. today and you can be sure I'll be using Weaver bases and Burris Signature Zee rings on it. Scope will be a Bushnell Elite 4200 2.5-10.

[fyrepowrx]

has anyone else tried the Weaver split-top style rings? i think they call the 4x4's ..each ring has not one but 2 seperate top straps, the idea is to double the "edge" of the ring that is in contact with the scope tube.. so in theory you get a weaver style base & rings, but with increased "gripping ability" on the scope. i put one on my .35 rem barrel, and it has held up so far.. looks sorta cool too... just wondering as to whether anyone has had success or failure with this ring... i have a new 14" .445 supermag on order from the TC cstm shop & when it comes i plan on using a B-square weaver style base with 3 of these split top rings to hold on to the scope.

[Graybeard]

Actually I'm quite impressed with the scope already and haven't even mounted it yet. FOV is very wide at 2.5X setting for any close range use and eye relief seems quite adequate. Just holding it up and looking thru it I'd say it seems longer than the stated numbers for it.

Extremely bright and clear. Physical dimensions aren't much larger than most 3-9x scopes. Overall I think it is a real winner. Will report more on it tho once it is mounted and in use.