How tough are quality 1-4x optics?

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.Scarecrow.

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A couple years ago I put a Burris XTR 1-4x24 on my AR. One day I foolishly threw my rifle onto my bed. It bounced off a pillow, flipped over, and the Burris collided with the scope of another rifle sitting on a bipod. After close inspection, everything appeared to be fine, if I remember correctly it still functioned while shooting like nothing happened. The scopes collided on their adjustment turrets, so probably the worst possible spot. I could tell the corner of the illumination knob on the other rifle had hit the turret cap on the Burris, so basically a sharp metal corner hit the turret cap. Months later I noticed on one of the lenses inside, there was a small bit of tiny fluid droplets. They never increased or decreased as time went on. A few weeks later I decided to contact Burris about it. They said I should send it in right away because the accident I had may have caused a leak from the turret's lubricant into the scope tube. A buddy suggested I leave the rifle outside for a about an hour to see if I compromised the nitrogen purge. Luckily it was winter, so the rifle got cold fast, and after wiping the outsides of the lenses off, there was absolutely no internal fog, so we concluded that it was fine. Still I sent it in and they gave me a new one, (And a free Fastfire III). I'm still not sure if that fluid (Which was barely visible even if you were looking for it) was anything to worry about.

My question is, what kind of abuse can these kinds of optics take without experiencing damage? If that question can be answered. From what I saw, I feel that this scope got it relatively harsh, right on the weakest part, and struck right on the 90 degree corner of another turret.

I'm asking this because I don't want to baby the scope while training. I'm pretty sure that training won't cause accidents like I had, but if I could get some understanding that would be great.

-Thanks
 
According to this guy scopes seem to be pretty tough: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...&mid=9499BC7EA6D473FC1C3F9499BC7EA6D473FC1C3F

"Proper break in" notwithstanding, everything can be broken, just ask my grandson. Your question is a bit tough to answer as I've seen highly abused optics "take a lickin; and keep on tickin" as well as seen some high end scopes break the reticle after a relatively few shots.

My feeling is it's all a bit of a c**p shoot, so buy the best quality you can and keep the sales slip for warranty purposes. Many sales sites have user ratings and those are generally worth reading.
 
Well being that the reticle on this one is glass etched, I don't think I'll have to worry about that haha. Unless you're referring to some other kind of reticle breakage. But yes I have heard some horror stories of even $1000+ Leupolds that don't cut it. Generally though, I have found those to be few and far between. Thanks for your input though.
 
I have a Burris TAC30 (the cheaper version of your scope) that I have not babied at all for about 3 years, putting it through numerous cross country run n gun events, hunting trips, drops, rough terrain, etc., and is good to go. Chinese optics, on the other hand, are another story entirely. I had a Leatherwood CMR 1-4x on an M-14 that didn't last 100 rounds of leisurely shooting at the gun range before turning into an expensive baby rattle. No point babying your gear. Might as well put it to the test and see how it holds up. If it doesn't, you know you need to upgrade.
 
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Anything can be broken. But I'd have to say the best quality scopes can take a lot of abuse. We have a 2 x 7 Leupold VXII (std mounts) from the mid eighties that has spent most of it's life in a horse (Uncle Mikes) scabbard under the stirrup barrel forward (a few thousand miles at the least). Vibration doesn't get any worse than that. It fell out of the scabbard once (forgot to snap the restraining strap under the hood) when we were stepping over and jumping
through downed trees in an old fireburn. No damage at all and was still sighted in. Hard to say how many times the packhorses have bumped into it or rubbed
their heads on it.
Have a couple other Leupolds that have gotten about the same treatment without any damage or problems with being sighted in.
Also have a 2 1/2 x Lyman Alaskan on a Griffin and Howe sidemount that has stood up over many years of the same type treatment. A quality scope in its day. We don't use it that much anymore, but we may again.
We think there are many brands of quality scopes and mounts out there these days.
That said we don't intentionally throw them around either any more than we would a pair of eye glasses. OYE
 
As a brand Leupold has one of the better reputations for toughness, especially the fixed powers. The Burris FF-II is well thought of for toughness as well. I just don't know anything much about the Burris XTR.

If I were putting a scope on a hunting rifle that would be used in rugged terrain and for DG it'd probably be a fixed power Leupold. But I've never had any issues with any of the variables. I've had a couple of nasty fall's while hunting and none were any worse for it.
 
I saw one wrestle a grizzly bear in a pit of cobras and come out victorious. if that's not tough I don't know what is.
 
Vortex make a nice scope,I'm going to put the new Razor on my 17S,think is around 1399 and they also have the 1-4 PST that's a nice scope also........I'm kind of a Vortex person and Nikon user.
 
I saw one wrestle a grizzly bear in a pit of cobras and come out victorious. if that's not tough I don't know what is.
Click to expand...

If it was really tough, the zoom would actually not just bring the image closer, it would create a wormhole and bring the whole target closer. Then it would challenge Chuck Norris in hand to hand combat.
:neener:
 
I've always liked fixed power scopes -- in my crusty opinionated old opinion, 4X is ideal. I like the Leupold M8, but won't reject the Burris and Weaver 4Xs.

My dad hunted all over the world -- he was in oil exploration and would do two-year contracts back in the wilds of Sumatra, Ethiopia, and so on -- and killed tons of big game, liked the Weaver K2.5. I have two rifles mounting the K 2.5, and have never felt under-scoped even at that level.
 
Several guys have been running Viper PST 1-4 on their patrol rifles at work for several years. I haven't seen or heard of any problems from them.

I've also seen pictures of a sniper team that got hit by an IED. They had pictures that showed the rifles being broken but the scopes surviving. Now those were Nightforce and S&B but shows how tough modern scopes can be.
 
dont know if this helps but i dropped my scoped rem 870 with a leupold 1x4 out of my tree stand fell a good 20 feet later that day shot a doe at about 80 yards deer season was over so a few months before next season i shot on paper and was still dead nuts on so i put a fixed 4x on my AR works for me
 
Not a 1-4 scope, but my AR-15 took a tumble off a shooting bench onto patio blocks below. It landed scope first and dented the top turret cover of the Leupold VX3 2-7. Did not lose zero and other than a few scratches is working perfectly.

I certainly would not recommend this type of treatment, but they do seem quite tough.
 
Before switching it to another rifle (where it still works just fine) I had a Leupold 1x-4x on my .375 H&H where it withstood something over 500 rounds without breaking.
 
I have a Burris TAC30 (the cheaper version of your scope) that I have not babied at all for about 3 years, putting it through numerous cross country run n gun events, hunting trips, drops, rough terrain, etc., and is good to go. Chinese optics, on the other hand, are another story entirely. * * * .
Click to expand...

You know, ... I could never find out where the Burris Tac-30 is made, so I got something else for my low-power magnified optic.

My policy with optics anymore is that I'll presume it's Chi-Com junk until proven otherwise.
 
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Oh about a decade or so ago, maybe a little longer I picked up a Burris Compact in a 1.5x6 Electro Dot and now wished I had gotten two of them at the time.

This one I mounted on top of a little Ruger Compact in .308 to use as my stalking rifle. At the time my friend was waging war on the feral hogs on his properties and I usually had it, as well as a side arm with me whenever I left the barn. The rifle usually rode in a set of those rubber v-shape rifle rest on the front deck of my 4 wheeler. Since the hogs might be rode up on, around any given corner, I never installed those rubber straps to hold the rifle in place.

I cannot recall how many times it has taken a header out of those little rubber V's, but I guarantee it has been over a dozen easily. Usually it would pop up around 2-3' over the height of the deck, turn scope down and land with a resounding thud as I tried to come to a stop. Sometimes it would all bounce off the fender, sometimes the plastic front deck. Both it and the rifle tote a few light luv marks as a result. It has never had any issues what so ever other than being a little off zero after a REAL good bang.

The two things I have liked about my Burris scopes are one, their general no BS service on the lifetime warranty, and their prices being reasonable. I have sent in two other Burris scopes for issues like the one with extreme parallax, and another that one of the adjustment knobs came loose on after shooting it atop of my 7mm STW. I can't say that either was a real issue but they were replaced with new ones both times.

I have had a couple of Leupold's that I doubt would have stood up to the abuse that little Burris has, and till it finally croaks I'll cherish the use of it.
 
Scopes of decent quality are fairly stout when it comes to accidental abuse.

You`ll never know the limit till you cross it............ J s/n.
 
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