# Does your ATV gun rack throw your zero off?



## flintlock hunter (Aug 25, 2020)

I've got a King Quad the wife gave me when my health went the wayside and it became the only way for me to get in the woods, and make it out again.

One of the first additions I put on it was Koplin gun racks bolted to the front carrier. During archery season the Nikon on my Xbow changed zero,twice. I rezeroed and finally sent the scope for warranty repair, which seemed ok. During gun season the Leupold 3X9X40 on my deer gun went out of whack by a few inches @ 100 yards, when a deer I shot wasn't hit where I was holding, and after the archery scope thing, I checked the zero. Both guns were carried in the rod rack only a few times, but both changed zero.

Leupold said the scope checked out fine, they couldn't find a problem, but just in case they replaced something they felt could possibly cause it. Whatever they did, it does seem to hold zero now. My question is has anyone on the forum experienced some questionable equipment failures after a scoped rifle/Xbow suddenly lost zero? And was carried in one of those on-the-rack gun carriers?

The Nikon? maybe. First one I've owned, but the Leupold? first one I ever had jump zero.

Thanks in advance for your input.


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## Railroader (Aug 25, 2020)

Not likely unless the scope took a hard hit, or some sustained metal on metal rattling or vibration and shook something loose...Should be no different than riding in the truck. Or on a horse. Or on your back...


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## flintlock hunter (Aug 25, 2020)

Appreciate the feed back. I'll give it a shot with the Xbow again. Season opens up on 9/19/20, and I'll have it riding in the Koplin holder again, really hoped they wouldn't put something out there that would be trouble, but needed to check with other hunters.

Thank you.


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## treemanjohn (Aug 26, 2020)

Quality scopes should not have a problem. They're very rugged. Ive never seen a leupold jump and I have a lot of them. Ive shipped and driven them all over the country.


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## zedex (Sep 2, 2020)

I have the kopplin racks on the front of my 4wheeler and use it for unscoped rifles and the padded kopplin case for scoped rifles.

I cant see how the racks would cause loss of zero.


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## transfixer (Sep 2, 2020)

Only way I could see the zero being off by riding in a rack would be if scope mounts weren't tight, or rings weren't tight,  quality scopes shouldn't be affected by whatever vibration or jarring will occur,  I've carried mine in a similar rack on a 4wheeler for years,  and now carry mine in a upright rack on a golf cart,  never had an issue with zero being knocked off .  thats with various scopes,  from Redfields to Leupolds to Weavers,  and a Hawke on my xbow


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## Darkhorse (Sep 5, 2020)

I've got a pair that mount on the handlebars, can't remember the brand. I installed them in 2003 and all my scoped rifles, and muzzleloaders, including my flint longrifles, have spent a lot of time riding in them.
None have had a problem with the zero changing.
You can enlarge the photo if that helps any.


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## flintlock hunter (Sep 6, 2020)

First time I'm seeing mounts for the handlebars, interesting. Mine mount on the front rack, but are similar. You guys have pretty well convinced me to give it another try with my scoped rifles and crossbow, if no one else has eperienced their zero moving after being carried in the gun racks it must just be a fluke.

I like your ATV, looks like mine, only difference is I use one of those kiddie plastic snow sleds to drag my deer back to the truck. I drilled the sled about every nine inches, thread parachute cord thru the holes like lacing your boot to tie the deer in place, then use a stout rope to tie it to the quad same as your deer is. Really only a plus when you want to keep the mud out of the chest cavity.

Looking at your photo, what I'm doing just might be overkill. Thanks for the response!


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## Darkhorse (Sep 6, 2020)

The trick is to not field dress until you are out of the woods. That keeps the carcass cleaner.
I think those gun racks are Kolpin and with them you can mount a gun nearly any way you want to.


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## dixiecutter (Sep 6, 2020)

I'll add my $.02.

In my lifetime i've used ATV for two things: get to a spot that's mucked up so bad my truck can't do it, and to drag deer. There's a culture in hunting now where you automatically are on an atv or a utv to go hunting. Im not that guy. If I had a nice cabin on private and needed to run a utv for a mile in the morning I might be: but I don't have that.

On the fourwheeler I just bought (front rack) are those u-shaped gun holders. They make me LOL. I'll take those off. If I ever have to take me and the rifle "in" on that forwheeler, conditions dictate there's no chance my gun goes in those things, to be covered in mud and beat to smithereens.

My rifle rides in the truck, or in a hard case ratchet strapped on the front rack. Any condition that allows me to take the rifle another way- would thereby allow me to just take the truck.

I can't answer the scope/atv/hold zero question. Rifle/scope belongs in the truck or in a hard case


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## flintlock hunter (Sep 7, 2020)

Darkhorse said:


> The trick is to not field dress until you are out of the woods. That keeps the carcass cleaner.
> I think those gun racks are Kolpin and with them you can mount a gun nearly any way you want to.




My racks are also Kolpin, and after I read your previous posting I saw that they could be moved to the handle bars as well, but I installed some grip warmer, a thumb warmer, and some elbow length "cold protection" that doesn't make moving the racks too feasible. Winter can get a bit nippy up here in the areas of Pa that I hunt.

I really don't have an option to field dress back at the truck since it's parked next to the farmers barns and house, but that isn't a bad idea at all.


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## flintlock hunter (Sep 7, 2020)

dixiecutter said:


> I'll add my $.02.
> 
> In my lifetime i've used ATV for two things: get to a spot that's mucked up so bad my truck can't do it, and to drag deer. There's a culture in hunting now where you automatically are on an atv or a utv to go hunting. Im not that guy. If I had a nice cabin on private and needed to run a utv for a mile in the morning I might be: but I don't have that.
> 
> ...





You have a point. But at my age I sort of drive like an old man, and avoid bouncing and splashing as much as I can. 

Two years ago it got really sloppy at the farm, but the worse that happened was the Quad got muddy on the bottom and a buch of mud in the wheel wells.

I think a hard case might help out a bit, but I just don't feel too comfortable having to leave it with the ATV on those times I'm on public land, but your experiences are an interesting read and make some sense.


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## DAVE (Sep 9, 2020)

I don't care if a thousand people have never had a problem, there is no way I am going to take a chance on hunting with a weapon that may have lost zero due to vibration and bumps. If I carry a scoped gun on a 4 wheeler it is on my back.


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## flintlock hunter (Sep 9, 2020)

DAVE said:


> I don't care if a thousand people have never had a problem, there is no way I am going to take a chance on hunting with a weapon that may have lost zero due to vibration and bumps. If I carry a scoped gun on a 4 wheeler it is on my back.





Interesting that you brought that up Sir, because since I had reasonable belief that the rack was responsible for the zero moving, I have also been doing exactly that, slinging the scoped weapon over my back.

I started thinking that other guys are using the racks, and I wondered if I was alone with the zero problem, so I started this thread. I also contacted the manufacturers of the optics for not only their opinion, but warranty service to certify the suitablity for hunting. If you read my results, Nikon just repaired the problem with the Xbow scope, and Leupold went above and beyond, replacing parts that did check out ok, but _MIGHT HAVE_ contributed to the problem. The seasons begin here in about a week, and I plan on using the racks primarily on the ride back to the truck, and since I am retired, the plan is to be at the range the following morning, and for as many times as it takes for me to rebuild confidence in the ability of the optics to handle the quad  rack and maintain zero.

I would like to commend you on your due dilligence to be certain that no animal is needlessly wounded by something that is under your control. Ethics in hunting means a lot.


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## flintlock hunter (Sep 9, 2020)

Just as an FYI, I utiliize my ATV for hunting for one primary reason. The reason is in addition to getting on in years, (gettin' old ain't for sissies), I am handicapped, and it is the type that qualifies me for permits to hunt from quads, motor vehicles, and other things most of which I refuse to take advantage of. The quad? Without it I could no longer hunt.


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## JohnK (Oct 9, 2020)

I use the koplin gun boot and go every where and no issues. I've dropped a couple out of trees and no issues either. You might want to get a small torgue wrench and use factory specs to mount the scope.


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## flintlock hunter (Oct 10, 2020)

JohnK said:


> I use the koplin gun boot and go every where and no issues. I've dropped a couple out of trees and no issues either. You might want to get a small torgue wrench and use factory specs to mount the scope.




I do use a torque wrench on all things firearm and crossbow. I picked up a Wheeler years ago, and really happy with it.

Going back over everything with it, on the Xbow I discovered the single scope mount screw was about 3/4 turn loose. It's back to shooting one inch thirty yard groups again.....with broad heads.

The slug gun,(I'm in a Special Regulations Area where shotguns and muzzleloaders are all that's allowed), has been fine since Leupold went over it and replaced something with the errector.

Very sound advice, thank you!


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## Milkman (Oct 10, 2020)

Maybe you would feel more comfortable using a gun boot. 

https://www.kolpin.com/en-us/shop/a...carriers/classic-gun-boots/gun-boot-iv-black/


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## flintlock hunter (Oct 10, 2020)

Milkman said:


> Maybe you would feel more comfortable using a gun boot.
> 
> https://www.kolpin.com/en-us/shop/a...carriers/classic-gun-boots/gun-boot-iv-black/





May just look into that should the rack seem to cause future problems for me. I off-load the Xbow into my Block target at 20yards after each hunt now, just in case.

Thank you for the suggestion, and the link!


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