Is tapping scope turrets still relevant?

[Hugger-4641]

My point was if it moved the way you want with tapping, recoil or bumping, what keeps it from moving back to the original position with further tapping, recoil or bumping?

The tapping, or recoil, only assists the erector in moving to the new adjusted position. Once "settled" it should stay there, but I think most people are aware that a severe enough "bump" can knock any scope off of zero.

 

[The Glockodile]

The age old method was to take your pocket knife or something similar and tap on the turret caps or right on top of the dial. The vibration would make the erector settle in to the proper position. This is not needed with most newer scopes, especially those with dual erector springs.

Thanks!

Really was unaware of this.

 

[skfullen]

I still do it. Force of habit is hard to break.

But, I also still blow the smoke back down the barrel of my revolvers after I shoot. JK!

 

[FL-NC]

I do it with RDS sights- even quality ones like aimpoints and eo techs. Sometimes the insides stick a little bit, but the recoil of the first round fired after adjustment "fixes" it. As a result, the first round ends up being a flyer outside the group. I know one thing- tapping after an adjustment can't hurt.

 

[taliv]

We’re only talking a small amount. The lash or whatever it’s called in the screws inside. Like half or quarter MOA off.

 

[dh1633pm]

Who doesn’t tap the torrents? Has a good feeling about it that exudes confidence.

I also still blow the smoke back down the barrel of my revolvers after I shoot.

And who doesn’t like to blow the smoke?

 

[Laphroaig]

This is valid for some older scopes, and maybe some cheap newer ones.
The reason is the erector springs are weak.
If you are making a "down" or "left" adjustment, its not needed. If you are making a "right" or "up" adjustment, tapping on it can help the erector move to the correct position, but it's a much easier and better practice to just go a few clicks past your intentended adjustment and then dial back down or left .

I don't think that thread backlash is why people had do it. Older scopes didn't have as precise adjustment internals as todays do. I have heard the "right" "left" directions but could never remember them when I was at the bench. Adjustments when working against the erector springs often would stick and not move. Remember, back in the day a hunting rifle was sighted in once a year, if that often, and turret cranking was a rare event. Some dirt, hardened grease or oil, or general lack of use sometimes resulted in sporadic POI response. Tapping was just a way to help insure the mechanism didn't stick. Scopes are better today in many ways, that is just one of them.

 

[Johnm1]

I suspect that tapping is a thing of the past for most if not all modern equipment. Though I must admit I still do it. I'm an old fart.

Now this one does require it. Although the crosshair adjusting mechanism is accessible and the tube is not nitrogen filled, I'm not willing to risk damaging the crosshairs to freshen up the 80 year old lubrication.



It now resides on an age appropriate Mossberg 146B.

 

[jmorris]

Makes more sense than kissing the bullet before you send it…

If it’s part of your mental game, I say keep doing it. As long as your not tapping them with a ball peen hammer, what’s the harm?

 

[Rockrivr1]

Seen my Dad do this many times with his old Wilson scope he had on a Savage 99. When I got my first scoped gun I did it as well. I stopped as it didn't seem to make any difference with newer scopes and I didn't want to mess up an expensive scope.

 

[Varminterror]

Mechanically, if 1) a scope’s erector tube is prone to sticking, and 2) it has sufficient room to move during an energetic impulse, and 3) does move so, then it seems naive to think 1) the erector tube will only move favorably, or 2) the tube will not stick in the unfavorable position during energetic impulse, and 3) the tube won’t move under recoil but will under light taps.

Equally, as @taliv mentions, the lash can really only be fractionally proportionate to the adjustment, else we’d see much more significant “gain” (error) in the adjustment.

So I don’t really buy it. I was told young to tap on my turrets, then I was told that it wasn’t pertinent while I was still young - and understood later why it shouldn’t be pertinent. Pretty simple, show me a scope which benefits from it, and I’ll show you a busted scope.

 

[taliv]

Again I think it was for minor adjustments. Take a 90s era leupold with 1/2min clicks and a big sheet of paper. Dial up 10 min and oops I went a click too far dial back down one. shoot a 5 round group. Usually you can put them in a tight group but sometimes, the first round will be 10.5 MOA and then the recoil settles the screw and the next 4 go into your tight group at 10 moa

I don’t think it happens every time but often enough for most trainers back in tha day to recommend a couple taps to settle the threads


Edit to add I think it’s prob even more common for people trying to fine tune their zero. Shoot and adjust up a click. (But reticle doesn’t move because you’re in the lash). So you Shoot again and round goes same elevation. Dang let me adjust up another click. Now reticle goes up two clicks worth and Next shot goes high. Dang let me adjust down a click. (Reticle doesn’t move cause it’s in the lash) etc. etc then you’re cussing your rifle or Ammo because it couldn’t be that expensive leupold glass.

 

[sparkyv]

I too, still do it. Old habits are hard to break.

I still do it. Force of habit is hard to break.
JK!

Who doesn’t tap the torrents? Has a good feeling about it that exudes confidence.

Seen my Dad do this many times with his old Wilson scope he had on a Savage 99. When I got my first scoped gun I did it as well.

 

[olgeorge]

I can't see any harm in it if you don't overdo it. I have an old Japanese-made Simmons Gold Medal Presidential series scope which hadn't been used in several years and wouldn't respond to the adjustments. A little light tapping with a small rubber mallet got it working again. I think the lube had hardened a little and stuck it in place. These were pretty good scopes, in their day. Later on, Simmons decided to go cheap and sold Chinese-made scopes which aren't that good, or at least not consistent. I had a 44MAG 6-24X which would move zero through the power range by several feet at about 400 yds. and by about half as much by running the parallax through it's range. I returned it and they said it was unrepairable. They sent a new Pro-Target which works OK if you don't get much off center of the glass. I guess it might be OK on a .22 rimfire or maybe a .223 bolt rifle, but what reviews I've found say it's not good for long range. Any new scopes will be a better grade.

 

[Driftertank]

I don't tap on scopes, but it's sort of become muscle memory for me to go 1 click past my intended adjustment and then back.
Does it help? Probably makes no difference.
I've never opened up a scope and examined the erector assembly, but if the springs used are leaf springs or otherwise have any allowance for parts moving against each other, I feel like there's a capacity for striction or other tension to be stored in the movement that can be relieved by shock or vibration. As minute as the possible movements are, I figure just going back one click should alleviate any "preload" remaining in the assembly.

Never NOTICED any issues with POI changing from the first shot after an adjustment, but then every rifle I own that's accurate enough to show such a small shift, doesn't have a cheap enough optic that I'm worried about it. But then muscle memory is what it is, and while it may not help anything, I'm sure it doesn't hurt either.

 

[redneck2]

I have seen this done also and wondered why

I was told by a guy I feel was extremely knowledgeable that there is some type of lubricant on the internals. The adjustment mechanism on the reticule has springs that pull it into position. The lubricant may be thick enough that the reticule hangs up and doesn’t move fully until jarred, either by tapping or by recoil

Back a few lifetimes ago I worked at the LGS. And yes, when we mounted a scope we tapped it with a screwdriver handle, and yes, on a cheap scope they do hang up. Or at least did then.

 

[JohnKSa]

Scope adjustments are typically driven only in one direction. That is, in one direction, the adjustment of the turret actually drives the internal mechanism physically. In the return direction, the adjustment simply backs off pressure and the return movement is driven by a spring. For a number of reasons, the spring may not be strong enough to force the mechanism to move against static friction and tapping the turret can jiggle things enough to let the spring drive the adjustment to the proper position. Once it's in place, the spring will hold it there with enough force to keep it from moving, but the actual movement process can need a little help if it's the spring doing all the work.

Below are some links that show diagrams of the internal adjustment mechanism.

https://precisionrifleblog.com/2014...rformance-part-2/how-a-rifle-scope-works-png/

https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/H05df70e1ebde4c9eb76bc91f2f1997f9Y.jpg From https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2255800868148697.html?gatewayAdapt=4itemAdapt

 

[Zerodefect]

I go past my adjustment and back.

Some go past adjustment and back in one direction. But adjusting the other direction, they go past, bring it back too much, then advance it to correct setting.

Long range shenanigans hurt my head.

 

[Walkalong]

Scope adjustments are typically driven only in one direction. That is, in one direction, the adjustment of the turret actually drives the internal mechanism physically. In the return direction, the adjustment simply backs off pressure and the return movement is driven by a spring. For a number of reasons, the spring may not be strong enough to force the mechanism to move against static friction and tapping the turret can jiggle things enough to let the spring drive the adjustment to the proper position. Once it's in place, the spring will hold it there with enough force to keep it from moving, but the actual movement process can need a little help if it's the spring doing all the work.

Below are some links that show diagrams of the internal adjustment mechanism.

https://precisionrifleblog.com/2014...rformance-part-2/how-a-rifle-scope-works-png/

https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/H05df70e1ebde4c9eb76bc91f2f1997f9Y.jpg From https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2255800868148697.html?gatewayAdapt=4itemAdapt

Love that second pic, saved it.

 

[Walkalong]

Long range shenanigans hurt my head.

They don't have to.