Help before I go insane (Updated)

[Antlershed]

When we went out shooting at 970 yards yesterday my scope was maxed out at 103 clicks, and Jeremiah was only at 84 clicks on his scope. We both sighted in at 200 yards. He could go all the way to 106 clicks of adjustment on his scope. The only difference on our scopes is his is the 6.5-20x50 Conquest and mine is the 4.5-14x50 Conquest. So, why would he still have 22 clicks of adjustment left and me maxed out, shooting the same bullets?  

[Steve C]

How many clicks up from the bottom range is each scope when sighted at 200?  Maybe the difference at distance is the difference that you start with at the sight in point.

[Antlershed]

How many clicks up from the bottom range is each scope when sighted at 200?  Maybe the difference at distance is the difference that you start with at the sight in point.

Why would we be 19 clicks different? And, if we are both dead on at 200, why would it take my scope 103 clicks and his only 84 to be on at 970? I'm not too concerned about mine maxing out at 106 and his at 103, as I am the 84 vs 103. I can't make it make sense...   

[Antlershed]

I'm not sure how many clicks up from the bottom each one is, but I was wondering that as well.

At 970 yards each click equals 2.425", so if we are both dead on at 200 yards, he is adjusting his scope 203.7" while I am adjusting mine 249.7". The only thing I can think of is that my gun somehow got knocked off and isn't on at 200 anymore (haven't shot 200 since that day), but I don't know how it would have got knocked off. We were out shooting 200 yards friday evening. 

[luvtohnt]

I don't know much about scopes, but could the difference in power cause this?

Brandon

[Bob33]

Maybe your scope really "maxed out" at 84 .  Do you know for sure the last 19 clicks actually moved the point of impact?

Also, it is assumed that the clicks on each scope move point of impact the same amount. That assumption may not be true.

[Curly]

Have you chronoed your loads?  Maybe his barrel is a little faster?

[woodswalker]

unless both scopes were centered AFTER sighting in and you knew how many total clicks of adjustment you both have, you have no real data.

to get a baseline you both need to know how many TOTAL clicks you each have from bottom to top...and how many off center you are when sighted in at 200...

THEN you can compare the scopes. 

Loads...have you chronographed your loads?  from each gun?  If not you could be several hundred fps different ....which WOULD matter at 900+ yards.

ONLY after you have nailed the variables can you start looking at scope adjustment variability.

A

[littlebuf]

with a 4.5x14 how the hell could ya see 970 yards any way? were ya shooting on faith 

[jeepasaurusrex]

Before sighting in a scope, I put it in V-blocks and rotate it while looking through it at a spot on the wall. I adjust the cross hairs to they do not rotate in an eccentric. Then I know the scope zero'd out.  Was this done on the scope in question?

[Antlershed]

What do you mean you adjust the crosshairs? The windage and elevation? What does that do since once you start sighting in you will be moving them around anyway. Not sure what you mean by zeroed out either since the scope wouldn't be on the rifle at that point.   

[HUNT]

The difference between the two could be the click position that it took to zero at 200 yards.  The height of the crosshair vs the bore (ring height among other variables) could be the difference....

[JackOfAllTrades]

Reading this thread.. What Woodswalker, Hunt and Littlebuff said, went through my mind.

with a 4.5x14 how the hell could ya see 970 yards any way? were ya shooting on faith 

The height of the crosshair vs the bore (ring height among other variables) could be the difference....

There could be several factors in scope design for that power rating, objective or tube diameter and the turrets installed. If the rifles, mount and height of scope rings are not identical, then the relationship for the center of the scope to the center of the bore will not be the same, so you may have the same amount of clicks for elevation, as you burned some of them up before you got to 200yd zero. (If his scope sits higher than yours, then he will have used less clicks getting to 200yd zero 'from bottom' than you will have.)

I say this, since you did not indicate total amount of click adjustment from bottom to top. I assume you're counting from zero to top.

I'll bet though, that since his scope is of higher magnification,that his turrets are different. You might want to contact the scope manufacture.

-Steve

[andrew_12gauge]

I don't know much about scopes, but could the difference in power cause this?

Brandon

I was kind of thinking the same thing if hes on 20X and you are on 14X couldnt the difference in field of view make up for the difference in how much adjustment you would need to make? Just wonderin dont blast me too hard

[jeepasaurusrex]

Zeroing out your scope prior to installation ensures the scope windage and elevation nobs are centered so you are not starting way off to one side and having to adjust back, eating up available clicks. Something else you may want to try is putting a shim under the scope tube on the back mount. That will free up some clicks for longer range shots.