I hate to name drop (other forums) unless it's funny or somehow makes a point but....
There's a 25 page thread on Accurate Shooting on scope testing.It's centered (ha) on shifting reticals within some pretty $$$ scopes.Nightforce,March,Leupold.The test is being carried out "about" as scientific as you could ask for.It entails using a "frozen" scope as the control,mounted on a dbl base,along with the scope you're testing.
The "problem" is making repetitive clicks.A little different from the normal 4 corner "box" test of running the clicks say,10 left,10 up,10R,finishing 10 down....and hopefully being back where we started.
Also,different from drawing a straight line on a 3' tall target,hung "plumb"....and running the vertical clicks from bttm to top.Both of these examples are,IMO...tracking.
The test they're getting jiggy about is;dial in say,4 clicks in a direction and......the scope is taking several shots to settle,and hold that point.I've fixed enough junky,cheap scopes internals....and externals(bent scope tubes) to "sort" of know what the problem is.But have a hard time explaining it....when if you were to see it,the issue is easily recognizable.That's cheap scopes with a capital "C" however.No one wants to void the warranty or bubba a $2k scope.Which quickly crosses into...."I paid ___ $$ for this scope,it better hold zero".
The deal is like buying several rifles,or handguns? ....shooting them,keeping the one that came from the factory,"right"....passing the goobers on.If say,you were competing in a "stock" class.Or don't have the resources to fix the factory setup.The deal with scope co.s is,IMO they aren't testing on rifles.Instead tap and bump the scopes on padded fixtures,and check through their collimator.It's not the same recoil impulse.So you send your $$$ scope in complaining of not holding zero,they smack it around again,send it back.
Rifle/ammo accuracy has outpaced scope "design".Also marketing,in the form of larger,and larger objectives is where we're "at".It's like having a Mustang with too much HP,not enough traction.The heavy objectives are a help in light transfer but hurt in,lense alignment (which,along with seal accuracy isn't being considered) and recoils effects on the internals which are being leveraged....for lack of better term.
