Saturday, November 05, 2005

Scopes

Most of my regular readers know that I eschew the use of scopes on rifles. More correctly, I prefer to use iron sights when I can, but I am not so backwards that I decry the use of telescopic devices on every rifle. The beater rifle that I use for deer has iron sights, the Sharps has iron sights, the Renegade has iron sights.

My .22 sports a scope and the Savage has a scope.

The one scope that I use most is the one that sits on my workbench in the garage. It is an old Tasco 4x that was taken from a pawn-shop rifle and placed on the shelf. As it turns out, it is convenient when I see something down the street I want to look at. A crash at the red light? I'll pick up the scope before I call it in. The neighbor lady weeding the flowers in a bikini, I'll pick up the scope. Some kids arguing in the street? I'll pick up the scope. It is also useful for birdwatching and squirrel spying. That old Tasco is a good scope. The bell is dented but it works. It is clear and fine and I can see anything I want to look at.

Nowadays we see very few fixed power scopes of any quality on the local store counters. Fixed power scopes don't sell. I think they are the best value in the market. Most folks don't really use the variable feature on a scope. They set it at some arbitrary magnification and leave it there. Consumers like those features, though, and those features sell scopes. Things like target turrets, variable magnification and huge objective lenses make a scope more salable. Many times nowadays the cost of the scope alone will be equal to or greater than the cost of the rifle. That seems extravagant in my opinion.

Not one rifleman in ten can hit a three inch target at 100 yards, from field positions. Not one in a hundred can hit a 10 inch target at 500 yards.

I'm not so curmudgeonly to say that we shouldn't buy a $1500 scope. It is your money. Spend it anyway you want to spend it. Some of the low-end variables are good values for 99% of the hunting public.

That said, I recently purchased a Weaver scope, the classic K6. It is a 6 power fixed magnification scope. I have not yet mounted it on a rifle, and I had to buy it online because not one local shop stocked it. Paid $135.00 for it. It was a purchase I made to pamper myself. I have always wanted one and I bought it just in case it becomes unavailable in the future. I might mount it, or I might just leave it on my bench.

It'll make that bikini so much more viewable. I guess I need to buy a good binocular.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My hunting rifle has survived two wars, and countless abuse since its birth in 1917. The sights are dead on, why mess with a good thing. Alas, I will need to buy a new sling, the issue one broke several months ago, and that Eddystone is too darn heavy to lug by hand when dragging a deer out.
I could never bring myself to tap it for a scope.
I bought a savage with a 3-9X scope last year. My son will hunt with it. I'll stick with the iron.