Swarovski Customer Service

[Buckdog]

You guys have probably caught on by now that I like good glass and here is one of the reasons why.
I leave Thursday for DG hunt cape buff, giraffe etc and my swaro 1-6x24 went to hell last thurs and I think it was from me shooting 416 too much in lead sled, so LOOK OUT FOR LEAD SLEDS
.
BUT SWAROVSKI CAME THRU FOR ME WITH AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE NEXT DAY AIR ME A NEW 1-6X24 NO QUESTIONS ASK KEEP IT AND SEND US THE BROKEN ONE WE WILL CALL IT A SWAP!! EVEN OFFERED TO SHIP TO AFRICA IF NEED BE.

NOW THAT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WHY I LOVE SWAROVSKI

 

[BRICKBURN]

Have fun sighting the rifle in with the new scope. (sans leadsled)
Enjoy your trip.

 

[sierraone]

You guys have probably caught on by now that I like good glass and here is one of the reasons why.
I leave Thursday for DG hunt cape buff, giraffe etc and my swaro 1-6x24 went to hell last thurs and I think it was from me shooting 416 too much in lead sled, so LOOK OUT FOR LEAD SLEDS
.
BUT SWAROVSKI CAME THRU FOR ME WITH AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE NEXT DAY AIR ME A NEW 1-6X24 NO QUESTIONS ASK KEEP IT AND SEND US THE BROKEN ONE WE WILL CALL IT A SWAP!! EVEN OFFERED TO SHIP TO AFRICA IF NEED BE.

NOW THAT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WHY I LOVE SWAROVSKI

I had been warned earlier by Rookhawk about possible damaged rifles and scopes when shooting big bores off of lead sleds. So it seems you have just confirmed his warning!!!

 

[mdwest]

That is some outright awesome customer service...

 

[gillettehunter]

GREAT customer service. Please do a write up on your hunt. Good luck and shoot straight. Bruce

 

[Buckdog]

I think i should post a warning about leadsleds as swaro pretty much said that the lead sled wrecked the scope, what do you guys think? i know i will not be using much anymore. already got the new scope on sighted in and she is packed and ready to rock. an old black bull giraffe gets the first 400 grains.

 

[twilly24]

I'm not sure customer service could get any better. That's why I buy Swarovski.

 

[CAustin]

Have a great hunt sir!

 

[rookhawk]

Lead sleds, making tears of sorrow since 1990.

Swarovski, taking it up the ass on a $2400 scope broken due to no fault of their own, only to make the customer happy.

-Swarovski is an amazing company! You've got a great scope, will you please throw the lead sled away before it destroys something else you love?

So happy Swaro stood behind you as a customer and saved your hunt!

 

[Bullthrower338]

That is SWAROVSKI! Nothing but good things to say about them, you wear it out honestly they rebuild it to brand new. More money on the front end saves a lot of money on the back end.

 

[Buckdog]

Lead sleds, making tears of sorrow since 1990.

Swarovski, taking it up the ass on a $2400 scope broken due to no fault of their own, only to make the customer happy.

-Swarovski is an amazing company! You've got a great scope, will you please throw the lead sled away before it destroys something else you love?

So happy Swaro stood behind you as a customer and saved your hunt!

Rookhawk do a post on lead sleds please! first year I have ever used one and it ruined a perfectly beautiful scope. WILL NEVER USE THAT LEAD SLED POS AGAIN

 

[Dr Ray]

You guys have probably caught on by now that I like good glass and here is one of the reasons why.
I leave Thursday for DG hunt cape buff, giraffe etc and my swaro 1-6x24 went to hell last thurs and I think it was from me shooting 416 too much in lead sled, so LOOK OUT FOR LEAD SLEDS
.
BUT SWAROVSKI CAME THRU FOR ME WITH AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE NEXT DAY AIR ME A NEW 1-6X24 NO QUESTIONS ASK KEEP IT AND SEND US THE BROKEN ONE WE WILL CALL IT A SWAP!! EVEN OFFERED TO SHIP TO AFRICA IF NEED BE.

NOW THAT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WHY I LOVE SWAROVSKI

I thought that such a great scope manufacturer would come to the party
This is great to hear

 

[RolandtheHeadless]

Shouldn't a scope be built to survive lead-sleds? If a scope breaks down with 250 shots off a lead-sled, who's to say it wouldn't break down in 500 shots from the shoulder?

Does Leupold have a similar problem with lead-sleds?

Don't get me wrong; I own one of the same scope (Z-6, 1-6 x 24). Glad to hear Swarovski's customer service is good, but disappointed to hear the scope wasn't more durable.

 

[rookhawk]

Lead sleds will break most any scope. Here is the equivalent of you don't believe me. Place a loaded gun butt end against a concrete wall and fire it safely at a target. Broken scope and maybe broken stock is the result.

Recoil must go somewhere. Shooting off sticks or a rest allows the recoil to move. A lead sleds bolts the gun down so all that energy is held in place so the only give is the scope and it's mounts, maybe the wrist of the gun too .

The lead sleds create a problem of physics on guns bigger than .300.

 

[RolandtheHeadless]

Thanks for the explanation. I almost bought a lead-sled to deal with a .416 Rem. at the bench, but instead I learned to take the recoil. Glad I skipped on that purchase.

 

[rookhawk]

Thanks for the explanation. I almost bought a lead-sled to deal with a .416 Rem. at the bench, but instead I learned to take the recoil. Glad I skipped on that purchase.

I know someone that did just that. Scope flew off and knocked him unconscious. He went to a big box store and showed him the gun and mounts...they tightened it all up and he went back to range as it was "fine". Shot again, scope came off, knocked him unconscious.

Today he's not the same. His personality and habits are different. Two traumatic brain injuries in a row on the frontal lobe will screw you up.

All thanks to a lead sled and a 416 Rigby!

 

[Shootist43]

Rookhawk, does it make a difference how much weight is put on the lead sled? From a previous AH post re. the use of portable lead sleds I thought it was ok to use them PROVIDING the weight put on the sled was limited to under 20 lbs. or so. To me it seems like the use of a lead sled with limited weight on it for heavy recoiling rifles would reduce the recoil BUT not prevent rearward movement. Thus avoiding the "concrete wall" which precludes any and all movement. Not wanting to put my theory to the test, I shot my 416 Rigby for the first time a week and a half ago sans lead sled.

 

[rookhawk]

Rookhawk, does it make a difference how much weight is put on the lead sled? From a previous AH post re. the use of portable lead sleds I thought it was ok to use them PROVIDING the weight put on the sled was limited to under 20 lbs. or so. To me it seems like the use of a lead sled with limited weight on it for heavy recoiling rifles would reduce the recoil BUT not prevent rearward movement. Thus avoiding the "concrete wall" which precludes any and all movement. Not wanting to put my theory to the test, I shot my 416 Rigby for the first time a week and a half ago sans lead sled.

That would certainly help, but I don't know where the breaking point is and if too light, it nullifies the purpose of the sled. All the while, these shots from a sled do not reproduce the behavior of the gun shot normally as harmonics and POI are often different.

Wouldn't sight in and shooting off sticks be much less painful and closer approximate real world accuracy?

 

[Philip Glass]

I use a led sled for some initial sighting in. I only put 25 lbs of weight and do not strap down the barrel. It helps in some circumstances. I've read the horror stories and that is why I use it the way I do. You have to do final sighting in without it however because it changes the point of impact.
Regards,
Philip

 

[Buckdog]

@rookhawk is 100% right on lead sleds I had never used before but was working up loads so solids shot to same POI had 50lbs on it and then quickly changed it down to 25lbs. did most shooting off sticks what happened was put the gun in the sled for one last check of the 200 yd zero which I knew to be 5 clicks up. clicked it up and it didnt go up, dialed it back to zero and it went way up and rt, then just every where obviously it broke something in the reticle travel housing or screws?? I know the swaro guy pretty well and he confirmed lead sleds eat scopes in the big bores as the energy like rookhawk says goes right into them and toasts the reticles. SO ANYBODY WANT TO BUY A SLIGHTLY USED LEAD SLED! never again for me