Dropped rifle shooting bad now

[bdc]

I was pulling a couple rifles out of the safe this morning and had already put the BLR in a zipper case and leaned it against the table. It fell over and hit the floor. When I got it to the range it was shooting about 4 inches low and to the left. Grouped about 3 inches or more too. It has always been able to put a 1 inch group an inch and a half above poa at 100yd but that fall looks to have knocked something out.

Weaver steel bases. Warne steel rings. Leupold VX-I 3x9.

It all still seems rock solid so I don't know if I should have to take it all apart and remount the bases, rings, and scope or just adjust the reticle back to place. I didn't adjust the scope, just shot a coulple groups to see where it was hitting. What would you guys suggest?

 

[Jim K]

First, I think it unlikely that the rifle was damaged. It is more likely that the scope was bounced around. I would take off the scope, check the bases, then check the scope mount. If all looks OK, and things are tightened up, I would then shoot the rifle. If it still shoots off from its previous setting, I would then adjust the scope. If something has been knocked loose in the scope, then that will have to be addressed.

Jim

 

[BBBBill]

You've definitely got to pull the scope, bases, and rings. Something got twisted out of place to make the groups open up. The rings and bases may be tweaked, putting the scope in a bind, or the scope itself may have issues. If it is the scope, at least it's a Leopold. You can send it in for service/repairs.

 

[243winxb]

Rezero the rifle, see if it holds 0. Some forearms will draw moisture over time, or dry out, resulting in change of 0. I dont know about your model, but Marlin 39's do it.

 

[toivo]

No doubt it's the scope. I had the experience of getting T-boned in a small pickup when I had a scoped .22 rifle in a case behind the seat. The scope had been dead-on zero ever since mounting it three years before, but after the accident it shot about two inches low and three inches left. Re-zeroing it fixed everything.

It may feel to you now that the scope is solid, but the mounts may have been twisted so that there's some kind of torque on the tube. That would cause your groups to open up.

 

[bdc]

If the internals of the scope get jarred out of place, can it simply be dialed back to another position and expected to hold, or should it need to be sent in for service? I can't think of any type of machine that wouldn't need a major repair if the internal components got out of time and place.

 

[Jim K]

The only way to tell if the damage is so bad the scope can't be zeroed and hold the zero is to try it. No way anyone here can know how much damage has been done.

Jim

 

[BBBBill]

Pull everything off. Then reassemble as if starting from scratch. Verify base/ring alignment as you go BEFORE mounting the scope. Beg/borrow/buy the scope base alignment tool to be sure that the base/rings are straight and not putting the scope tube in a bind. Then when you mount the scope, you can focus on adjusting the scope. If it won't zero/group after that, you know that it is the scope.