MVA Scope Test with 45-110 Shiloh Sharps LR Express

[Kenny Wasserburger]

MVA Scope Test Report


Well I finally got the chance to take my new MVA scope out to the range for some testing yesterday.

Test launcher was of course my 45-110 Long Range Express Shiloh Shars. We played around a good bit to get it zeroed, I lucked out as a new local shooter was at the range to help me get zeroed in. Shot over 40 shots at a small gong and a bull on paper to get zeroed and to play with the adjustments. The scope is easy to adjust but the pleasant part was that it did not require much elevation to get on at 200 yards. It’s looking like that I will have plenty of elevation for out to 1000 yards with it.

The adjustments are smaller then I figured also but once it was sorted out, was not a problem, I used the coarse front adjustment to zero for no wind as it was quite calm at the range Saturday afternoon. One thing to remember is that with front mount, one moves it the opposite direction to move the impact the way you want, ie move the front mount left to move bullet impact to the right. Easy way for me to remember is move the front sight or mount towards the bullet hole. Its kind over simplified but it works for me.

Anyway the scope works very well and the mil dots are easy to see and give good reference points. The fine adjustments may prove hard for folks with vision problems. And the scale is mounted on the right hand side of the mount making it great for a left handed shooter. I had to get used to that and the other thing was pulling the scope back to battery after each shot, I noticed it as soon as I looked into it the field of view and eye relief was wrong then I would pull it back and was good then.

After close to 50 shots on the gong and a target I decided to put up a new bull they are 600 yard reduced targets for 200 yard shooting for high-power or bpcr mid-range. This bull is 11-3/4 in size and when u center the scope in the bull, two mill dots bracketed the bull just perfect so from the center dot to the next dot on the crosshair is about 6 inches or at 200 yards about 3 MOA. I set down with some match loads left from Missoula last, September and shot a 10 shot group. Shot #3 I broke low and told my spotter that it was a very bad break low of center. It was out of the group 2 shots #5 and #6 were above the group but the other 7 where in a very nice group even with the 2 high shots the group size for 9 shots was 2.975 tall by 1.975 wide best as I can mesure, discounting the bad shot it’s a great group. The other 7 shots were in an incredible group 1.975 wide and 1 inch tall! This was after 50 shots and no cleaning with my 45-110.


Load is as follows:

Norma Brass trimed to 2.875 and annealed FL sized

107 Grs of Fg Goex compressed about .370

.060 Poly Wad with a newsprint wad over that

Bullet: Paul Jones Creedmoor 540 grs seated with inline die made by Redding for the 45-110 or 45-100 from Buffalo Arms.

Primers: WLR old White box

Load Chrono’s about 1335 fps and ES of 11 and SD’s of 3 fps

Lube is Dick Hanson’s with Lube Gard in it.

I used 7 full deep breaths after each shot.

Temp was 43 degrees and humidity was in the 60% range overcast skies slight wind less then 3-5 mph
When it did blow. Clean up was 4 or 5 patches not to bad considering that that amount of shots and over 2 hr shooting period. I was most pleased with the fouling and how clean the barrel looked after that many shots.

All in all the scope worked great and is a good investment in optics for the vision challenged shooters and also allows one another option in Silhouette and perhaps Long Range for more shooting. The MVA scope is of excellent Quality as what one expects from this company. The MVA scope has a learning curve but a couple range sessions with it, will iron that out for the new scope owner. If you were thinking of a scope in the future the MVA is a good choice. The scope has a few things one will have to get used to if a right handed shooter but then again to me its not a big deal.


Kenny Wasserburger

[Texas Shooter]

Kenny:

Real interesting post. Thanks for taking the time to put it up.

Ty O'Neal
Texas Shooter

[kamotz]

Hi Kenny, Thanks for the scope post. This is of great interest to me because I have an MVA mil-dot scope at Shiloh right now waiting to be installed on a No. 1 32" barreled in 45-110 to be built in @ 4 weeks from now. Before I sent scope to Shiloh I got a chance to look it over.Yes it is a crisp unit, in construction and clarity.I would like to hear more of your findings with the scope, especially at 1000 yds. range.,such as sight settings, and how repeatable it is, when you get the chance. Looking forward

[Nick B]

Kenny: Any way you can post some pics of that rifle and scope?
Thanks, Nick

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Sorry guys the wife has the Digital Camera at the moment and is out of town I will try to post some pics of the rifle and scope in the next week or so.

Kenny Wasserburger

[Ray Newman]

Kenny: glad the ‘scope worked out to your satisfaction. For years, I’ve been saying that if you can’t see it; you can’t hit it! Sure does make the target a great deal easier to see doesn’t it?

One of the best things ‘bout the MVA & the Parson’s ‘scopes is that you can mount them via the ubiquitous Unertl/Lyman dovetail bases. One ‘scope will fit many rifles. All you need to do is carefully record the settings & then remember were you put it!

After awhile returning the ‘scope to battery becomes second nature--been there & done that.

Hopefully there will soon be a 'scope class for NRA mid & long range/Creedmoor....

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Ray,

How true, I think that a scope class is coming soon to LR and Mid-range.

Kenny Wasserburger

[Michael Johnson]

Kenny, how far apart are your scope blocks mounted on the rifle barrel? -Mike

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Michael,

As per MVA's instructions its 10.3 inches.

Kenny Wasserburger