Dropped off my CVA 50 caliber magnum at Alpine to have a Simmons 3X9X50 scope mounted and sighted in and they just called and it won't zero in. One time it will be on then next it is 2' off paper. Bought a used scope. Don't think it is the gun as I just killed a doe in Kansas and with the iron sights it was on at 2" high at a 100 and was getting consistant groups, good with my old arsed eyes. Guess I'll take a scope off of another gun and try on it before I go buy another just to make sure it is the scope and not the gun or shooter. Any suggestions appreciated.

Sounds to me like you have got it figgered out. Do you know if they tried moving over to the 50 yard range and firing a few shots to see what was happening there? I am going to go with scope problem, and maybe a little bit of operator error. I think you'll solve that problem.

Randy are you sure they are loading it the same way you do. Are they useing the same pellets? If they're measuring loose powder they may not be doing it the same way as you or not the same way for every shot. Also I have found if using saboted bullet some people do not seat the bullet properly and the gun will sling the bullets. Hope this helps.

I left them all my loads and pellets. They said the scope checked out when they bore sighted it in. I am taking it with me this weekend and shooting it myself, if it does the same I will then put another simmons I have on a 270 and try it.

Try removing the scope and reinstalling it. Had the same thing happen on a rifle and it fixed it.

Everything, rings and mounts too? Or just the scope?

Not sure if they did try the 50, I'll ask.

Tried the scope on a different gun and the scope is fine. Tried a second scope on the 50 cal and the same problem. Did not change out the mounts though. Has to be the mounts huh? Open sights it is fine.

Look hard at the mounts, sounds like one may be a little higher than the other! Also did they clean/brush the barrel between shots, good ideal to fire a fouling shot than brush or patch between sighting shots. JMO

One higher than the other would cause it to move around? I think we got a bad set of rings and/or mounts? That is the only thing I did'nt try differant.

Yep one mount higher than the other will make the shot move around the target, as your not seeing the same sight picture each time your cheek hits the stock,(Eye relief) Also you could have a loose screw on the mount causing it to float, movement would be very slight, but would cause your problem.You know the gun shoots good with open sights so it has to be in the scope/rings/mounts or how they were installed. Hey one last thing is your hammer striking the scope or rings, we had to heat/bend the hammer on a couple of the CVA models to correct this trouble before. I'm not sure what model you have.

I'm showing my ignorance here. Why would one mount that is a little higher than the other cause the sight picture and thus the bullet strike to change? Is it because the scope is not firmly locked down at each mount? I can understand a loose screw causing a sight picture to "walk" but have very little knowledge about mounts.

Thanks,
Dave

No the bolt is off to the side. Alpine told me to bring it back and they would warranty the new rings and mounts they sold me and put new ones on it and try again, there going to charge me for re-sighting it in. I call B.S. on that. It is there equipment that failed not mine. I don't mind paying for something I get but don't charge me twice when it was faulty equipment or install that failed. If it is my hicky I'll pay but if it is there's they should warranty it. Has to be mounts or rings not seating correctly, I double checked everything for tightness, even the base.

Dave, Eye relief is what I was talking about. Sometimes a shooter will move thier head around to get a clear sight picture through the scope, some will move the Rifle around breaking the cheek to stock mount, If one mount is higher then the other a shooter may not get the same cheek to stock mount each time due to eye relief, If you move your head on a shot then make adjustments then next time you move the rifle and shoot the point of impact will move with the rifle!! You can make an adjustment for eye relief on some scopes, but this is best done with the scopemounts or base.JMO The Best thing HTRedneck could do is start over and try again. Muzzle Loading Rifle can be harder to sight in/zero due to the changes in loads, rounds, shooters and an host of other things. JMHO

HT Redneck Hey man just do the sighting in yourself ?? Have them boresight the scope only takes about 2 mins time. Then take it to the range and shoot a group of three without making any adjustment from 25 yards, this will show what kind of groups you have to work with. Then move to 50 yards and so forth till you get the rifle sighted in.

Wish I had time, between work and guiding and now we have 3 households that we are trying to manage time is a valuable commodity that I don't have enough of. I will take it and play with it more this weekend, if I can go by and get them to exchange the rings and mounts.

Well good luck with it, I would help if it wasn't 3.5 hours each way, Anyhow be sure you zero it for yourself before hunting with it, There will be a little different in zero's between you and who ever sets it up for you.

I appreciate it.

Hey Randy,
First let me preface this with I no SQUAT about muzzle loading. As for scope mounting/sight in, well, I do that ALOT for a lot of folks, and don't see that the mechanics would be much different.

Lots of good advice here. First check tightness of everything. Scope rings misaligned bad enough (one too high or low, or offset/drilled wrong) can cause the scope to "clip", or only tighten with the edges of the rings. This would cause the scope not to have enough friction between the tube and the rings, thus allowing it to move ever so slightly from shot to shot. (one micrometer of scope movement is about 6 inchs at 100 yards...)

If the ' and " were correct above, moving two feet sounds like either really bad alignment or a defective scope (stadia broken or not in alignment with friction pads). Since the scope did fine on another gun, I'd lean toward alignment.

Find some alignment bars, 1 inch aluminum or steel rods, ground to a matching point, mount them instead of the scope. See if the points match. If not, and they are off less than .125 inch, you might can lap steel rings and make them fit (aluminum rings suck, throw them away). If its off more than .125, probably have to consider reboring/tapping one or both base mounting plates.

Also, if you are using a one-piece base, and it is aluminum (and very rarely steel), it could be tweaked a little. Might try another set of bases and rings before firing up the drill press.

Best I can think of this morning, while I am at work early hoping to get through early, and everyone else I know is in the woods hunting!

Sig226fan, well put post that's what I've been trying to tell him along, you did a good job putting the detail in words. Thanks

Thank you sir. I have a new set of rings that I am going to try and see if makes a differance, if not then change the mount then take it to a gun shop. LOL. My cuz is a tool and die maker, I'll have him build me an alignment rod with points. Thanks again.