Help need a vintage scope

[ldg397]

I have acquired my first pre 64 model 70 featherweight in 270. It is a really nice looking rifle but has had a butt pad added and it has some stock dings and a few scratches on the metal. Which suites me just fine. I am not much of a collector of things I shouldn’t shoot. I plan to do bare minimum to get it shooting well and want to keep it as close to period as possible.

Which brings me to this post. It currently has what I think is a weaver k4 with weaver mounts. Was wondering if you think I should keep this scope or try to upgrade to an early Leupold m8 or something else. Would like to maximize the glass and lightweight mounts and keep as close to period as possible. Any suggestions??

 

[RaySendero]

If you plan to shoot it and hunt,
put a good scope on it.

Take your time finding a vintage scope.
put it on only when you decide to sell it.

 

[SJB358]

I run a Leupold M8 4x on my P64 270 Win. It was light years brighter than the K4 weaver that was on it.

Just be warned, it still isn’t a great scope in the woods to my eyes. Serviceable and usable, just not a super bright optic.

 

[cloverleaf]

Sorry - Ill be the Devils advocate here. The K-4 will not5 be as bright as the latest thing out there, that's almost a guarantee. However, if you appreciate the "classic look" of your classic rifle, don't discount the old weaver. I have two of them and they all hold zero and have done so for many years of hard hunting. They are both 4X so shooting tiny groups takes some practice.

it can be done....


Dads rifle Circa 1964. Obviously, sentiment means these two will never be parted


Moms rifle would look wrong w/ anything else:


I have not used these guys but you might try Vintage gun scopes for a refurbishment. They will clean, verify operation, and recharge w/ nitrogen.

https://www.vintagegunscopes.com/

They aint cheap, so you'd have to decide if the asthetics appeal to you.

For me, these old scopes are a "set it and forget it" deal. Dialing really isn't what they were made for. Again, for example, a VX freedom, for the money would give you some more flexibility, but a "K" is a very user friendly serviceable hunting scope w/ a classic look. Hope this "complicates" your decision. CL

 

[Elkman]

Long ago I got rid of all my Weavers as I transitioned to Leupolds. I still have a majority of them but Zeiss is working its way into the herd. While I understand your desire to keep the rifle within the period, if you are going to hunt it at all you will need something newer for optics.

 

[ldg397]

Thanks for all the comments, I mostly have z3 and z5’s on my “new” guns. I am not much of a dialer I prefer to set and forget and hold most of mine have a brh reticle. So I know this won’t be in the same universe but it looks so good together. I am sure i could shed some weight with up to date mounts as well. I may go with newish Leupold vari x which still have a somewhat classic look. Maybe go somewhere in between.

Just can’t bring myself to mount a zeiss, vortex, nf, Nikon, etc just doesn’t seem right.

 

[SJB358]

The older M8’s don’t look to outta place to me.

 

[DrMike]

Handsome piece, Scotty. Wouldn't expect less of a Model 70.

 

[cloverleaf]

Handsome piece, Scotty. Wouldn't expect less of a Model 70.

Absolutely, a handsome rifle. CL

 

[Alderman]

I put an old Redfield Tracker on mine.

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[noslerpartition]

The older M8’s don’t look to outta place to me.

At first I thought the scope was mounted backwards.
Never saw one with the eye-piece that large

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[cloverleaf]

I think some of that is just Camera angle... that's just a 32mm objective lens. The Occular is probably the same size. Proof that an "interplanetary telescope" is not required on a rifle. CL

 

[bdbrown66]

OP, I have a 60's vintage Mannlicher-Schoenauer with the original scope still on it. The scope is a Pecar Berlin 4-10x. These were well-made scopes, and it's plenty bright and clear enough for my purposes. They still fetch a pretty good price today, probably $400+ on eBay. But maybe you can locate one for less. These scopes actually have replaceable reticles, which I've never seen any other scope have.

 

[gbflyer]

I’ve got an old K4 with a steel tube but it doesn’t track. We looked into rebuilding it and found a place with help from a poster here. The cost was just too much though.


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[SJB358]

I’ve got an older Redfield 2x7 Widefield that may be decent as well.

 

[ldg397]

I finally picked up my rifle and got it cleaned up yesterday.

It has an old El Paso Weaver V8 looks a little cloudy when you look at the lenses but looks remarkably bright when I look through the scope. It is a crazy setup with what looks to be fixed crosshairs and an external piece with set screws that adjusts the scope??

I took everything off to clean it because the whole thing was shifting back and forth I am sure that it wouldn’t have grouped at all with it like that.

Does anyone have any experience with these? Deciding whether to put it back on go with and older gloss Leupold.