Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,516
- 4,751
OT3 brought that up, and I thought it deserved a thread of its own.
How many here are guilty of frequent scope switching? Occasional scope swapping? Or who never switches a scope???
I noticed years ago that I had done a fair bit of scope swapping among my hunting rifles, but that the 4.5-14x Leupold on my SWAT rifle NEVER got switched. That way it was ALWAYS properly and permanently sighted-in. I can remember twice in the past 20 years that it's been swapped:
1. I had an opportunity for a six month test & eval of a very expensive US Optics SN3 scope, and the Leupold needed to be removed for that. Not a problem! :grin:
2. The windage adjustment on the Leupold failed, and I sent it back to Leupold. I swapped on a fixed 12x Leupold from a target rifle of mine and zeroed it. Thought I might need it, nope. Leupold had my scope back in about a week, for free. Still, the rifle was ready to go during that time.
Other than that... Doggone I used to be a scope-swapper! :mrgreen: Seemed like I was always wanting to try this scope on that rifle, and all sorts of nonsense. Gradually it dawned on me that the One Rifle that was Always ready to go, was my SWAT rifle, the Green Machine, and that was largely because I rarely changed the ammo, scope, stock or anything else. It's been very close to the same for nearly 20 years now. Exception being a few new barrels along the way...
Also recalled that Dad has scopes on a couple of rifles, and they just stay there, where they were put initially. He has the same 2-7x Redfield on his .30-06, that I bought him back in the 1970's. It's still properly zeroed too. He put the compact 2-8x on the .308 Browning BLR that my oldest son uses. It's always been on there, 25+ years now I'd guess. And it's still nicely zeroed with 165 gr ammo. He put a wonderful 6.5-20x on his .22-250 varmint rifle, and zeroed it some years back. Guess what? It's still zeroed... Dad's main rifles are always ready to go, and he never swaps scopes from one to another. I think I learned part of my lesson from him.
After using the 4.5-14x on my .25-06 for a season or two, I stole the 6x off my .300 RUM, and put it on the .25-06 rifle instead. It's lived there happily ever since. Have only had to make minor dope changes when I went from 100's to 115's. Otherwise it's always ready to go. I like that. Grab it in February or March for coyote duty, and it's still properly zeroed from mulie season in October. Yes, I use the same ammo all the time in it anymore, 115's at 3100+ fps, zeroed at 300 yards.
The .30-06 Model of 1917 ended up with the other fixed 6x, and is constantly zeroed at 200 yards with 165's. It's been real simple for my son to KNOW which scope to expect, and where to hold, whenever he grabs that rifle. He also conned me into putting a 3.5-10x on "his" 6mm Remington some years back, and it's stayed constantly on that rifle, and constantly zeroed ever since.
Overall, although I used to be a scope swapper, I just don't like it anymore. My rifles stay ready to go, pretty much all the time now. I like that.
You?
How many here are guilty of frequent scope switching? Occasional scope swapping? Or who never switches a scope???
I noticed years ago that I had done a fair bit of scope swapping among my hunting rifles, but that the 4.5-14x Leupold on my SWAT rifle NEVER got switched. That way it was ALWAYS properly and permanently sighted-in. I can remember twice in the past 20 years that it's been swapped:
1. I had an opportunity for a six month test & eval of a very expensive US Optics SN3 scope, and the Leupold needed to be removed for that. Not a problem! :grin:
2. The windage adjustment on the Leupold failed, and I sent it back to Leupold. I swapped on a fixed 12x Leupold from a target rifle of mine and zeroed it. Thought I might need it, nope. Leupold had my scope back in about a week, for free. Still, the rifle was ready to go during that time.
Other than that... Doggone I used to be a scope-swapper! :mrgreen: Seemed like I was always wanting to try this scope on that rifle, and all sorts of nonsense. Gradually it dawned on me that the One Rifle that was Always ready to go, was my SWAT rifle, the Green Machine, and that was largely because I rarely changed the ammo, scope, stock or anything else. It's been very close to the same for nearly 20 years now. Exception being a few new barrels along the way...
Also recalled that Dad has scopes on a couple of rifles, and they just stay there, where they were put initially. He has the same 2-7x Redfield on his .30-06, that I bought him back in the 1970's. It's still properly zeroed too. He put the compact 2-8x on the .308 Browning BLR that my oldest son uses. It's always been on there, 25+ years now I'd guess. And it's still nicely zeroed with 165 gr ammo. He put a wonderful 6.5-20x on his .22-250 varmint rifle, and zeroed it some years back. Guess what? It's still zeroed... Dad's main rifles are always ready to go, and he never swaps scopes from one to another. I think I learned part of my lesson from him.
After using the 4.5-14x on my .25-06 for a season or two, I stole the 6x off my .300 RUM, and put it on the .25-06 rifle instead. It's lived there happily ever since. Have only had to make minor dope changes when I went from 100's to 115's. Otherwise it's always ready to go. I like that. Grab it in February or March for coyote duty, and it's still properly zeroed from mulie season in October. Yes, I use the same ammo all the time in it anymore, 115's at 3100+ fps, zeroed at 300 yards.
The .30-06 Model of 1917 ended up with the other fixed 6x, and is constantly zeroed at 200 yards with 165's. It's been real simple for my son to KNOW which scope to expect, and where to hold, whenever he grabs that rifle. He also conned me into putting a 3.5-10x on "his" 6mm Remington some years back, and it's stayed constantly on that rifle, and constantly zeroed ever since.
Overall, although I used to be a scope swapper, I just don't like it anymore. My rifles stay ready to go, pretty much all the time now. I like that.
You?