[RyeDaddy]

Posted about how my 1895SBL didn't shoot cast well and that I was going to lap my bore with a Beartooth kit. With Oregon Trail 350 grain bullets I was getting hits all over the place, like 12" groups. So I lapped my barrel and brought it back out to the range with the same loading I had trouble with before. Hmmmm... Same thing. BVAC's 400 grain JSP load has always shot well in my rifle, so I tried that, just to see. Same bad groups. Uh-oh I thought, I ruined my barrel by lapping it! Then it occured to me that I had never fired cast bullets without the scope on there because I was doing load testing. You know the feeling when it seems like if anyone were looking at you they'd see the comic book light bulb pop up above your head?

Took the NCStar 2.5X scout scope off and went back to the ghost ring sights and voila, good groups! Go figure! So I guess in the course of shooting those 400 grainers at high velocity I beat my scope to death. It worked for 120 rounds or so, I guess that's all I can expect from a $40 scope. Oh well, I'll be sending it in for replacement.

I guess I'll never know whether or not my rifle would have done fine with cast to start with, but I would think it would have, same as everyone else's seems to. I suppose the rifle is no worse off for having been lapped, it's easier to get clean now anyway. The groups with the known good load shoot the same as before, so I'm happy either way, but could have saved some steps.

One thing to come out of this is that feeling the need to lap my rifle finally got me to get in touch with Marshall Stanton of Beartooth. Great guy to deal with and since I was ordering the kit anyway I ordered the Piledriver Lite 350's, they've been excellent. I'll be ordering from him in the future. In a round about kind of way NCStar's scope failing turned out to be a good thing.

 

[gyrhed]

Why even bother, you will be sending it back again, and again, and again. I bought one and put it on my AR. My ARs are all tack drivers. Full float handgaurds, good match triggers etc. 1/2 MOA are the norm when I do my part. The NCStar scope would only hold a little over on MOA brand new, but I blamed it on me and the very high gusty winds of the day.

Next time out plinking we fired maybe 500 rounds through it. By the end of the day you couldn't hit a coke can at 50 yards with that scope.

I thought about sending it back but everyone I ever talked to with one had problems if not the bases then the reicle comes loose or wanders around. I decided I didn't want to be looking through the scope at a coyote, hog or something else that needed killing and miss because of the cheap scope.

 

[RyeDaddy]

You know, maybe you're right. I bought it because it was a cheap way to find out if I liked a scout scope on my rifle. For that it was worth $40. I read through the warrant paperwork, and I have to pay to send it to them as well as sending $10 for return shipping and handling. Probably not worth doing if it's gonna happen over and over.

It was a cheap entry into scope setups, so I'll just save and buy a Leupold or Burris as I do find the scope to be useful in certain situations. Now to see about maybe trading off the 30mm Leupold QRW rings I bought for it for some 1 inchers when I get a new scope.

 

[six_gunz]

Get a Leupold...........Leupold is King!

 

[Rowdy]

Get a Leupold...........Leupold is King!

That's what I did ;D
After my Burris handgun scope failed in the XS Scout mount :

 

[lever addict]

Get a Leupold...........Leupold is King!

Yep! I played with them all too. My last experience with two new Bushnells made me say NO MORE! If the Leupold ever breaks it's warranty is good for life even if your not the original buyer! If it's old and they can't fix it they will relace it! Let's see the others do that for you! If you are going to sink all kinds of money and goodies in your pride and joy levergun then don't put cheap optics on it unless it's only while your saving for the Leupold! ;D. The scope is what makes your gun perform to perfection. You wouldn't drive your high performance vehicle with four of those doughnut spares on it would you?

 

[Gaterskiner]

I bought an NcStar but couldn't bring myself to put it on the rifle. Then I used A weaver varible pistol scope on it. It worked ok at best. Love the leupold. Saveing money on scopes ia A pain at best!

 

[six_gunz]

I bought an NcStar but couldn't bring myself to put it on the rifle. Then I used A weaver varible pistol scope on it. It worked ok at best. Love the leupold. Saveing money on scopes ia A pain at best!

I bought a 336Y for my young one and it came with a NcStar...... I couldn't get it to zero....glass was pretty good for a $40 scope and all, but it didn't take long to get another Leupold and mount it on there.....It's not just a name you are paying for like many say on here.....last year my son took his first black bear at 10yrs old.......if it weren't for the light gathering greatness it gives you he would have missed his opportunity....I could barely see the outline of the bear with only a few minutes of legal shooting time left.....he told me he could see him clear as a bell through the scope....

 

[Rainier42]

Learned a long time ago that it just doesn't pay to go cheap on the glass. Truly one gets what one pays for and in the end, you wind up spending a lot more than if you purchased quality to begin with.

 

[IN1894SS]

Not surprised at all.

 

[gyrhed]

I resisted the leupold nazis for years. I tried them all just because they were $40 or so under the leupold with the same pictures. Fianlly about 10 years ago I bought my first ever leupold. Haven't bought anything other than the leupold since except for the NCStar. I just wanted somethnig cheap on my 16" AR that is mostly for play and rarely gets hunted since I got the 6.8 upper. The 6.8 has a leupold and so does every other rifle that I hunt with except the little taurus 63, and when its OLD bushnell finally gives up it will get a leupold.

Needless to say I am sold, i have drank the Leupold coolaid, I am now a card carring leupold nazi.

Not sure how the others stay in bussiness because they all seem to fail, evewn the ones with the life time gauarantees fail and I just get tired of sending them back.

 

[camerjam]

I resisted the leupold nazis for years.
Needless to say I am sold, i have drank the Leupold coolaid, I am now a card carring leupold nazi.

Not sure how the others stay in bussiness because they all seem to fail, evewn the ones with the life time gauarantees fail and I just get tired of sending them back.

Yes I drank the Leupold koolaid. I had a Tasco 4x12 on a ruger 77 243 and the point of impact would shift on me. I got mad because I tried everything. Bedding, reloads, bullets, primers, etc. It drove me nuts. Put my t-20 weaver target scope on the rifle went out and shot a .3" group. Went home, threw the tasco in the trash, and went out and bought a Leupold and never looked back. I drank the koolaid and just keep drinking it. One less worry.

 

[CalvinMD]

I put a BSA Classic fixed 4x on my 444 and basically laughed knowing it would give up the ghost probably in very short order...that was 3 years ago and its still there....it will get a Leupold when its all said and done but thought you would find it interesting that its still hanging on so far

 

[eaglesnest]

I have an NcStar on my 1894 as I wasn't sure I even wanted a scout scope. Someday when I can afford it I will be replacing it with a Leupold. I'm really not crazy about scopes on levers that much but they do help out old eyes especially in low lighting conditions. I really like that Leupold is a US made product, even if it wasn't the best in its class that would weigh heavily.

 

[CalvinMD]

I just noticed after checking that I put silver NcStar on my S&W 686 8 3/8ths barreled 357 Mag hunting pistol...totally forgotten about it but I plan to shoot it this week in a club shoot...I'm using 180gr silhouette loads that should send it to heaven if its not up to the task ;D

 

[statjunk]

I bought an NcStar but couldn't bring myself to put it on the rifle. Then I used A weaver varible pistol scope on it. It worked ok at best. Love the leupold. Saveing money on scopes ia A pain at best!

I did the exact same thing. LOL. Still in the box.

In my opinion the cross hairs are so faint you can hardly see them.

Tom

 

[swany]

Must be the reason for the last 125 years heavy hitters had iron sights on them.

First thing I do when I want a sight for a heavy hitter is get to the shotgun scope section, figuring a H&R single shot 12 ga with a rifled bbl and scope sights there has to be something that will hold up to that punishment, and the 100% guarantee on such scopes is researched to not fail.

 

[master_shriller]

If you can run to it, buy a good quality scope such as a Leupold, it will last for many, many years and is a pleasure to look though and use.

Buy once, cry once

Ben

 

[Wild West Hero]

I once bought a cheap NCStar scout scope to try on my Mosin. Long story short, the mosin was more accurate with good ol' iron sights. Like shotgun to 1" groups more accurate. Oh well, live and learn.

-Wild West Hero

 

[Vance in AK.]

No doubt the Leupolds are great scopes, but so far I'm plenty happy with my 2.75x Burris scout on my 1895M.