Thread: Going ‘old school’

Back in the day I shot over 250 deer with my Marlin 30-30,mostly Waipakihi,Umukarikari,Poronui,at all ranges out to around 400m,just aim higher!,my mates 308 was we thought the long range rig,now days with fast loads,untold projectiles,range finders,drop charts etc it seems amazing I managed to fluke any deer with my 30-30

Quote.A 45-70 with Skinner peep sight fitted, which I will try to stretch to 300m for a laugh. Needs tested to 250m.

Have the same thing...doesn’t do too bad at 300.....Ive heard “stories” further out,not for me....as with most,it takes a few rounds to find “the spot”.....I wasted a box of 20 on a gong 200mm in diameter,at 300......only missed 4.....

Isn't this what you meant by old school

This morning I came across a yt video which to me embodies the true ethos of hunting. I don't think I have ever seen better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBy9VW-BQvA

Originally Posted by Woody

This morning I came across a yt video which to me embodies the true ethos of hunting. I don't think I have ever seen better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBy9VW-BQvA

Yeah Woody I have watched a bit of Randy’s stuff and I get it. His stuff is mostly really good, bearing in mind he’s in the US and it’s all about product endorsement..... I like that he’s a public land hunter, and does the hard yards off his own back.

I should have named this thread ‘going moderate’. I’ve just bought the scope for the new ‘all rounder’ a VX3i 2.5-8. Just a middle of the road scope that can be used in every hunting situation in NZ, on a middle of the road .308. Light ‘enough’, powerful ‘enough’, accurate ‘enough’ for everything out to 300, and thats ‘enough’ for me!

Originally Posted by Woody

This morning I came across a yt video which to me embodies the true ethos of hunting. I don't think I have ever seen better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBy9VW-BQvA

I really like his channel too. Seems a decent guy. He sure puts in the hard yards; especially when you think that he is often hunting at 11,000 feet! Been binge watching the channel a bit this week.

Yes, and Jim Shockey and his muzzle loader are also genuine.
Incidentally, lasy weekend was start of season shooting at Te Puke rifle club. I have a plain VX3 duplex 2.5-8*36 scope on my 6.5*55. From cold bbl start I shot 7/7 bulls at 600 yards with group anslysis @.97moa, using a pack only as support.
I've never shot a deer at that distance so I guess I prove to myself repeatedly that really high magnification scopes are special purpose for small game at long range and for F class type super precision competition. I used to hunt rabbits and hares in my young days and sell them dressed for pocket money. 100 yards with apeture sight on Rem .22 was quite normal. A low power scope is a great asset in dull light though and I really loved my first one; a little Bushnel Banner 2 1/2* post and crosshair. It got a heck of a beating and standard equipment on hunting trips was a bottle of clear fingernail polish (from the missus) . Whenever the little scope got another bash it would be placed near the campfire for an hour and then the rims of the lenses resealed with the girlie glue. Lasted me for years

I've found "older eyes" dont do dialing. Cant see the numbers without my glasses. Holdovers with set parallax suit me and 300's pretty much as far as I'm happy to shoot at animals.

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It is a bugger isn't it

Originally Posted by erniec

It is a bugger isn't it

Yeah it certainly is I bought a Bushnell with 22lr and 17hmr spare turret caps a couple of years ago. Trying to read the bloody things in daylight was bad enough let alone at dusk.
Sold it and bought a Nikon Rimfire with a reticle full of little bloody circles. Works ok if you can remember what ranges there for.

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@Steve123.
Mate; not remembering what those circles are for is the next stage. When you get there you'll be a sitter for parliament

Interesting thread. I have a 308 with a vx5 3-15 on it but I feel like that’s more than I need very often. I was thinking about getting a 1” lower power and lighter scope for bush hunting etc. Any recommendations? VX 3i 2.5-8 is clearly one. What about swaro z3 3-9 x 36?

Originally Posted by WillB

Interesting thread. I have a 308 with a vx5 3-15 on it but I feel like that’s more than I need very often. I was thinking about getting a 1” lower power and lighter scope for bush hunting etc. Any recommendations? VX 3i 2.5-8 is clearly one. What about swaro z3 3-9 x 36?

Either of those two would be excellent scopes. Have no first hand experience with the swaro, but have a mate who likes his. I recall that the Duleys used one of these on their "bush pig" series a few years ago. Also great is the Nikon monarch 2-8X32, I have one on my .308, a little cheaper for those on a budget.

The thing for me is that I don't consider these "old school", just sensible sized scopes for general NZ hunting. But then I have no interest in shooting over 300m or so. So perhaps I'm old school after all.....

Originally Posted by WillB

Interesting thread. I have a 308 with a vx5 3-15 on it but I feel like that’s more than I need very often. I was thinking about getting a 1” lower power and lighter scope for bush hunting etc. Any recommendations? VX 3i 2.5-8 is clearly one. What about swaro z3 3-9 x 36?

I just put a 2.5-8 on my ‘new to me’ 308, and at 8x I shot groups equal to and better than the groups I shot with the 4-20 I had on the heavyweight 5R .308. The new rifle was harder to shoot as its 3.5 lbs lighter, and the 5lb trigger wasn’t helping, but when my technique was good I could have shot deer just as far out as the 5R.
However, I’m acknowledging that I don’t need or want to shoot that far anyway, but it gives you a measure of confidence that the system (the rifle plus shooter) can make it count within the distance I have determined is ok. For me that is the point where the bullet still retains 1500ftlbs energy. Yes, I know that the experts say 1000ftlbs is the minimum, but I want to make sure I can retrieve that deer in the scrubby areas I hunt. With the .308 that works out to be around 300yds, and that’s more than enough for this guy.
In terms of scope magnification, I have heard that you need 1x for every 100yds when shooting at deer size targets. My observation is that this is correct for a reasonably well practiced rifleman. Be conservative and make it 2x per 100yds and I think you can’t go wrong

I've got an 'old' 1-3X x 20 on my Parker Hale 308.
Looking to get it out soon and confirm that I can shoot the old thing with a plastic butt plate.
Else I'll be looking for a Limb Saver.
Good to see that others have worked out that big mag scopes don't make you a better shooter.
Learned that also from shooting F/TR from 300-1000yds with an 18lb rifle off a bipod.