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Author Topic: A good and bad range day with the 30-30  (Read 642 times)

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Offline stever

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A good and bad range day with the 30-30
« on: March 30, 2007, 02:45:38 PM »
The day began with lots of sun, birds chirping and animals rooting around. The day was good but windy. I got out to the range with everything. I got the scope zeroed quickly at 25 yards and was ready for 100 and 200 yds.

The rig looks like this.



Anyway, I shot the first 5 shot group. They were factory loads - 125 grain Remington Managed Recoil. Not too good.  I figured the rifle didn't like them. The group measured 3.25 inches @ 100 yd.

Then I tried the 160 gr. Hornady LeverRevolutions. Yuck! Something was wrong!! Nasty vertical stringing, eh? A hair over 5 inches worth. But that wasn't the only thing. I'd shoot, reload and adjust the rifle in the rest. Oh, dear!  The reticle was sloooowly turning to the left INSIDE the scope!  At first I thought that I did not tighten down the rings. Nope. The tube wasn't moving, just the crosshairs.

So, a brand new (cheap) Simmons Master Pro Sport 4x scope bit the dust after less than 15 shots from a 30-30.  This was a day that proved a bad day at the range is better than a good day at work. Amen!  I'll put a 2-7 Elite on it like I was going to do in the first place.



Safe Shooting!
Steve
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: A good and bad range day with the 30-30
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2007, 02:48:23 PM »
Nothing can ruin a day more than a bad scope experience! :-\

Tim
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Offline Scootter

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Re: A good and bad range day with the 30-30
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2007, 03:01:37 PM »
As John Taffin has been known to say, "A cheap scope is almost always to expensive".

It's close to that anyway :D

Scootter
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Offline stimpylu32

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Re: A good and bad range day with the 30-30
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2007, 03:16:32 PM »
Yuck , i hate it when that happens , i had an older Simons 4x on my 45/70 for about 10 shots till it came apart and also had a 2.5 BSA that lasted 12 rounds on my 41gnr . so i feel your pain .  >:(

stimpy
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Offline MSP Ret

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Re: A good and bad range day with the 30-30
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2007, 03:44:58 PM »
That's to bad buddy, oh well it's a Simmons so just send it back to them and they should repair or replace it for free, that should help some....<><.... :)
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Offline myarmor

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Re: A good and bad range day with the 30-30
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2007, 08:19:16 PM »
I agree with MSP, send that thing back, let them replace it and put her on a 22.
Save your existing loads and mount up that Elite. They are nice scopes.
It's a shame this happens, but it has happened with almost every manufacture at one time or another....though some are more prone to it than others.
Looking forward to hearing how things turn out for you.



-Aaron
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Offline Mac11700

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Re: A good and bad range day with the 30-30
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2007, 04:04:54 AM »


Bummer...I hate it when that happens...Looks like you still have your open sites on it..have you tried shooting it with them?

Mac
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Offline R Cubed

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Re: A good and bad range day with the 30-30
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2007, 04:41:37 AM »
I took a Simmons off my 30-06 and replaced it with a Bushnell for nearly the same reason plus the zoom function was gritty! The scope/Handi were purchased used. The Bushnell came from my 10/22. I was at the range yesterday until the wind picked up too much to zero a scope - the scope held up well as my groups at 25, 100, and 200 yards were tight. I will work up some more hand loads and return to the range in a few weeks...

Rick
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Offline stever

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Re: A good and bad range day with the 30-30
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2007, 05:32:24 AM »
It just goes to show you that age and wisdom don't always go hand in hand.  ;D  There was an article a while back by John Barsness talking about the Simmons Master series scopes.  He talked about the improvements, new mechanical interiors, etc.  so I thought, what the heck.  My opinion?  Same old crap in a different wrap.

I never bothered with the iron sights with this rifle.  I should have though.  They're solid.

I've got the scope wrapped up and I'll send it off for repairs.  I think they'll just replace the thing.  I think I'll try whatever they send me on my 22 Hornet.

Safe Shooting!   ;D
Steve
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Offline Sourdough

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Re: A good and bad range day with the 30-30
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2007, 05:58:18 AM »
I bought a .223 Ultra a few weeks ago.  Since Sportsman's warehouse did not have the scope I wanted at the time I put an old Simmons scope on it when I got it home.  I had taken this scope off something else, when I bought a long range varmit scope.  When sighting it in I found out that the first shot after making an adjustment was always off.  I could only use the second and third shots as a grouping of where the gun shot.  Finally got tired of it and put a Bushnell Elite 3200 on it.  I gave it away to some kids that needed a scope for a .22RF.  Explained to them how they needed to adjust the scope.  Their happy, I'm happy, my world is good.
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Offline tony212

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Re: A good and bad range day with the 30-30
« Reply #10 on: March 31, 2007, 11:55:51 AM »
I haven't had really good luck with Simmons scopes either.  I bought two Simmons pro 50s last year one for me and one for my son.  I couldn't get mine to hold a zero to save my life.  His was kind of blurry all the time and wouldn't hold a zero either.  We tried everything, new bases and rings, different loads, even though the ones we were using were fine before we put the Pro 50s on the guns, they just wouldn't work for us.  I sent them back to Simmons and besides paying to ship them to Simmons they wanted an additional $20 to ship them back.  I told them to keep them, I didn't want to spend any more money on them. Just my $0.02. Sorry for complaining.
Tony212
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Offline MSP Ret

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Re: A good and bad range day with the 30-30
« Reply #11 on: March 31, 2007, 01:01:10 PM »
It's odd how things work out, I have a couple of Simmons Scopes and they all have been superb. I use the cheaper ones only on my rimfires and have a 6.5x24x50 Whitetail Classic on a H&R .223 which has been wonderful, holds zero, clear and bright and great adjustments. I heard a lot here about the Bushnell Elites, tried one, compared to my Whitetail Classic it was piece of junk, not clear, poor light transmission and overall unsatisfactory, I got rid of it in a hurry. Different experiences is all it is I guess, I have never had a problem with any Simmons scope....<><....  :)
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