Thread: Restless Scopes

Greetings all,
I firmly believe that my rifles and scopes are capable of independent thought. They sit, tucked up in their safes, discussing which scope should go on which rifle. When they have reached a consensus the result is communicated to me via some sort of telepathy that I do not pretend to understand. Recently all the postings on .303 rifles has had my head in a spin about what I should be doing with the two that reside here. Both have scopes that are well down the pecking order in my scope collection. One .303 shoots pretty damned well based on testing with an ancient Lyman 2.5 power scope. The scope and rifle committee had communicated that more power was required which narrowed the choice to 3 scopes. A VX1 3-9 Leupold, a 10x40 fixed power Bushnell and a 3-12 Bushnell. The last 2 have turrets. In the end the 10 power won. The rifle shoots the 174 grain Hornady round nose very well indeed so a base zero for that will allow other projectiles to be tested and some comparisons made. More on this later. I hope that the scope and rifle committee approves of my choice.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings all,
I firmly believe that my rifles and scopes are capable of independent thought. They sit, tucked up in their safes, discussing which scope should go on which rifle. When they have reached a consensus the result is communicated to me via some sort of telepathy that I do not pretend to understand. Recently all the postings on .303 rifles has had my head in a spin about what I should be doing with the two that reside here. Both have scopes that are well down the pecking order in my scope collection. One .303 shoots pretty damned well based on testing with an ancient Lyman 2.5 power scope. The scope and rifle committee had communicated that more power was required which narrowed the choice to 3 scopes. A VX1 3-9 Leupold, a 10x40 fixed power Bushnell and a 3-12 Bushnell. The last 2 have turrets. In the end the 10 power won. The rifle shoots the 174 grain Hornady round nose very well indeed so a base zero for that will allow other projectiles to be tested and some comparisons made. More on this later. I hope that the scope and rifle committee approves of my choice.
Regards Grandpamac.

I have a similar problem in my gun safes
Some rifles have been breeding
So I need too start keeping members of the same species apart.
They do not seem too cross breed though
Although some have been very naughty and there are some random crosses with unknown barrels.

Ah the things that happen behind locked gun safe doors

The 3x9 would have won in my stable... Fixed ten is more dedicated range / snipe scope in my mind.not really a SMLE role ...usually. funny the scope committee does have similar mutterings in my cabinet,some times I think they must take turret caps off and put them in bowl on table for rifles to pick out!!!!!

I have had my Lithgow for fifty years now. It has the factory heavy barrel with the step up behind the front sight. The gentleman i got it off did military shoots over 900 yards with Parker Hale peeps which I have two or three sets to sell if anyone has the need. Anyway it has only ever had a Tasco 3-9x40 for most of its life. Didn’t have much choice back in the mid seventies where I came from until it got here to NZ and found it was a bit lacking for the long shots so has been left in the safe unless going in the bush or where quick close shots are needed. But then I had a look through the Nikko Panamax 3-9 and man what a difference in field of view. So that’s what it wears now and yes I know it’s not a Leopold etc but for the number of times I use it I haven’t been let down. Not sure if they still make it


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Hahaa i enjoyed this observation they do cross breed maybe its all that dry heat in the cabinet
regards to all

Originally Posted by gregdudehunter

I have had my Lithgow for fifty years now. It has the factory heavy barrel with the step up behind the front sight. The gentleman i got it off did military shoots over 900 yards with Parker Hale peeps which I have two or three sets to sell if anyone has the need. Anyway it has only ever had a Tasco 3-9x40 for most of its life. Didn’t have much choice back in the mid seventies where I came from until it got here to NZ and found it was a bit lacking for the long shots so has been left in the safe unless going in the bush or where quick close shots are needed. But then I had a look through the Nikko Panamax 3-9 and man what a difference in field of view. So that’s what it wears now and yes I know it’s not a Leopold etc but for the number of times I use it I haven’t been let down. Not sure if they still make it


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The jap made Nikko Stirling gold crown 3x9x40 has one of the best fields of view on 3 X of any scope I've seen. Compared by counting fence pails at thirty yards is great way to see just how wide you can see.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings all,
I firmly believe that my rifles and scopes are capable of independent thought. They sit, tucked up in their safes, discussing which scope should go on which rifle. When they have reached a consensus the result is communicated to me via some sort of telepathy that I do not pretend to understand. Recently all the postings on .303 rifles has had my head in a spin about what I should be doing with the two that reside here. Both have scopes that are well down the pecking order in my scope collection. One .303 shoots pretty damned well based on testing with an ancient Lyman 2.5 power scope. The scope and rifle committee had communicated that more power was required which narrowed the choice to 3 scopes. A VX1 3-9 Leupold, a 10x40 fixed power Bushnell and a 3-12 Bushnell. The last 2 have turrets. In the end the 10 power won. The rifle shoots the 174 grain Hornady round nose very well indeed so a base zero for that will allow other projectiles to be tested and some comparisons made. More on this later. I hope that the scope and rifle committee approves of my choice.
Regards Grandpamac.

funny bugger.

Once I have my rifles sorted, I don't like to mess with them, but a new .308 wanted the scope that was on my rimfire and my rimfire wanted a new scope. What was I supposed to do?

I ran the same Leupold 2-7 on my Anschutz 22 for 40 years and then gave it an upgrade to a VX3 2.5-8

Some things don't need too be changed
Others evolve and scopes need too change with them
And then there's aging eyes and reduced mobility which
play into these changes also

AI rifles and scopes aye? Still, some work to do on treaty agreements between all various AI's for ditching a pecking order and just be happy for being there and still useful.

I switch and get all stuffed with FFP and SFP. Much prefer (FFP/mrad) just works for me with a good Reticule, but the scopes are heavy. So having both requires some thinking, ok if I have time to strelok the shot in SFP. So 308 has a Z5 SFP with traffic light system and 223 a Razor light FFP/mrad.

Ps - happily swap the as new Z5 for a Razor light, Swaro does have the edge glass wise.

After a right balls up in the weekend.i have had to admit the combination of my "getting older" eyes a fixed 4x scope and fallow deer at more than two hundy yards is not a good combination...so with great reluctance the four in in spare draw and 3x9x40 is now on big rifle and the varmits rifle has gone back to fixed six...have to check zeros again ...grrrr

Zeroing today was relatively painless. A hare obliged by crouching just in sight at about 80 yards confirmed the trebly was near enough to begin with. On target board I struggled to see X at 125 yards with the wee pig Plex on 4x but the "circle of death" around Xhair goes pretty neatly around A4 paper... The 270 not only had scope swapped but I moved one ring back on base for shorter body of scope.two shots were 8" right n 4"low. I fired two more and thought 'drats it's going to be one of those days' when looking through scope.walked up to target and changed mind. The 223 was given sic clicks up.the 22-250 four down. 222 got four across n four up. I'm happy enough now.

Originally Posted by gregdudehunter

I have had my Lithgow for fifty years now. It has the factory heavy barrel with the step up behind the front sight. The gentleman i got it off did military shoots over 900 yards with Parker Hale peeps which I have two or three sets to sell if anyone has the need. Anyway it has only ever had a Tasco 3-9x40 for most of its life. Didn’t have much choice back in the mid seventies where I came from until it got here to NZ and found it was a bit lacking for the long shots so has been left in the safe unless going in the bush or where quick close shots are needed. But then I had a look through the Nikko Panamax 3-9 and man what a difference in field of view. So that’s what it wears now and yes I know it’s not a Leopold etc but for the number of times I use it I haven’t been let down. Not sure if they still make it


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I have a Panamax I inherited from someone else and I think it's great value for what it can do