Thread: Old Scopes

Greetings All,
Our first range day since March was today. Two days lost to Covid 19 and two to the weather. On our last range day I had attempted to zero my Bergara single shot after the addition of a suppressor. Missed the target completely and ran out of time. After a check on my 60 metre home range showed it shooting way high and some adjustments today it would be zeroed.
The rifle is a Bergara single shot .308 I bought a couple of years back. I had an old 2.5 power Tasco on it until a friend took pity on me and loaned me a Leupold Vari X 1.5 to 5. I have to admit this improved the sight picture considerably and the 5 power certainly was handy. I sat down at the bench at 107 metres, don't ask no idea, and fired two shots. 20 mm apart and 25 mm left of centre. A quick move of the friction grip adjustments and the next two went into 30 mm right where I wanted it. Job done.
I don't know what more I could have expected from a new scope. So if you have an old scope or three in your cupboard and they are clear enough to use, give them a try. Perhaps not on your no 1 rifle, but one of the others cluttering up your gun cupboard. You might just be surprised how good they are.
Grandpamac.

hah....my best scope is made before 1974.......horses for courses .

You never regret buying an old high quality European scope I have a few dating back to the sixtes the glass is superior to some of the modern scopes
costing two to three times what you would for the older models.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

hah....my best scope is made before 1974.......horses for courses .

I have an old 4 power Pecar reticle moving scope here with a 26 mm tube. There are a set of 26 mm rings in the box so I might see if I can fit it to my scoped .303 as an alternate scope for some retro cred. It is certainly clear enough but they can be a dog to adjust.
Grandpamac.

Last weekend my son and I had a bit of a range session on gongs, just with hunting rifles. He successfully smacked the 460 metre gong several times with his 308 and 4X Weaver using hold over, made it look easy. This weekend I helped him load a few more boolits for the 308 and after he went home I thought it might be time to check my 308. Haven't shot it in maybe 3 years. Down to the range, 3 shots about 50 mm left of centre and a tad high. So moved it 6 clicks left, 2 down. Next three shots were a tad low, and a tad to the right. At that point I remembered the old Kahles was 1/2" clicks and took it back 1 and up one. Then 3 shots on a 150mm gong at 235 metres, smack in the centre, and just under the horizontal - job done. Gotta love them old Kahles scopes that move exactly as they should, no dicking around, and crystal clear to look through.

I’ve got a 1960’s ‘Count’ 4x32 and an old ‘Mitchell Magnum’ 4x40 scope and I feel I would indeed be surprised if I used either of them but possibly not pleasantly!
The ‘Count’ scopes adjustments are opposite to what you would expect ie the “L” moves the crosshair to the left, not your point of impact.

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

I’ve got a 1960’s ‘Count’ 4x32 and an old ‘Mitchell Magnum’ 4x40 scope and I feel I would indeed be surprised if I used either of them but possibly not pleasantly!
The ‘Count’ scopes adjustments are opposite to what you would expect ie the “L” moves the crosshair to the left, not your point of impact.

the old redfield bearcub 2 3/4x was the same but also had the dreaded 1/2" per click.....drove me nuts till I worked it out

a boresighter/colimetre saves a lot of hair pulling...get Xhair close to centre...fire a group and readjust USING colimetre...remember to take it off rifle and recheck where projectiles are going....Ive been know to do final adjustment at home and not fire another shot to confirm...naughty but Ive got away with it so far.

I have a old 2x7 Vari II Leupold, bought in Aussie in 1981. This scope has been on many rifles over the years and has served me well. It's currently on my 338 Win Mag and shooting well and is still clear to look through. Great old scope.

Leupold 2-7 new in 1983 with a left hand Anschutz 22 and steel hilver mount.
Never been off the rifle
Probably only been re sighted a handful of times in all those years.
Still perfect for that rifle

Greetings All,
A quick inventory of pre 1980 scopes currently in service yielded the following. Leupold M8 4 power on my Martini. Lyman 2.5 power on my scoped .303. Pecar 6 power (26 mm tube) on my M38 6.5 and a Lyman 8 power AO on my Savage .22. Most of these scopes were likely made in the 60's but all perform well.
Grandpamac.

I had a 2.5x old steel Weaver on my 303. Would be 25-30-years old. But have changed it to a 2-7 Nikon Prostaff because my 57-year old eyes don't like a 2.5 when sighting in at 100m anymore!

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

I had a 2.5x old steel Weaver on my 303. Would be 25-30-years old. But have changed it to a 2-7 Nikon Prostaff because my 57-year old eyes don't like a 2.5 when sighting in at 100m anymore!

Yes I have found it harder with the low power scopes as the years go by. Have got over it to an extent by using a different aiming marks. Mostly I use a Deerstalkers 100 metre target at that range which is fine with scope power of 4 and up with reasonably fine cross hairs. For the others I make up a hollow square with red insulation tape, on paper, sized to suit the reticle. When I was much younger I could use the traditional black cross quite well but as the years passed it became practically useless.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Yes I have found it harder with the low power scopes as the years go by. Have got over it to an extent by using a different aiming marks. Mostly I use a Deerstalkers 100 metre target at that range which is fine with scope power of 4 and up with reasonably fine cross hairs. For the others I make up a hollow square with red insulation tape, on paper, sized to suit the reticle. When I was much younger I could use the traditional black cross quite well but as the years passed it became practically useless.
Regards Grandpamac.

I can relate to that!

Also I have noticed as the years go by I have to wind out the focus on my scopes, bit by bit, year by year...

It's a bugger this old age thing especially with the eyes.

I've had a bunch of flash modern scopes, and while they were very nice, it's just a lot of $$ to have sitting on top of an ordinary hunting rifle. I can't justify it personally. For long-range shooting or target shooting - maybe. But not on a general purpose rig which spends most of its time being carried.

Bought an old Leupold M8 4x32 off the forum recently for next to nothing. Was a bit skeptical about the sealing, so I left it on the lawn overnight where it endured some frost and plenty of moisture. I then dunked it in a trough full of cold water.

No issues whatsoever. It took it like a champ. I was pleasantly surprised!

I bet it'll hold zero without any problems. I love how svelte and lightweight those fixed power M8's are. The glass isn't anything amazing, but it's 'good enough'.



+1 on those old Kahles scopes. The clicks are insanely crisp and the glass is top notch.