Recommendations for a mid-grade scope?

[DirectDrive]

A Leupold 4.5x-14x VX3i is something I'd entertain for that rifle.
Boone and Crockett reticle perhaps.

30mm tubes are taking over for their advantages.

Arken and Athlon are winning the inexpensive but good riflescope category.
Again, 30mm tubes.

 

[oremike]

I'd leave it as is. Dad's rifle set up his way and all that. I've got a 6x Leupold that I've had forever and it's been a great scope. Right now it's on my 45-70 and zeroed at 100 yds.

 

[CLT65]

I actually bought the scope in my last post today, two hundred bucks. It seemed like a decent price, and right in my price range at this time. I've been on a buying freeze since spring and this is the first thing of any value I've picked up since then. I think it's the best of both worlds for this rifle. I'll keep the old scope in case I change my mind, and the new one is already mounted, ready to be sighted in.

My dad bought this back in the 1980's after a really bad experience. He never really liked guns and didn't enjoy shooting. He equated guns with killing, and he really hated killing. As a lifelong farmer he absolutely hated putting down a sick animal, and he never hunted. I don't think he ever shot this rifle more than a very few times.

I have strong mixed feeling about the couple of his guns that I own. The guns he owned were quality, but he always hated the fact that I was into guns the way I was, and he let me know it in no uncertain terms on many occasions.

 

[aasbra]

What do you all think of an OLD Leupold M8 12x AO? This one seems like it should work nicely for this old rifle.

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I have one like this on a CZ 527 22 Hornet. I like it, but haven't shot the rifle with that scope in many different types of conditions. Only from a bench at the range, but it works good for the distance I shoot the Hornet.

 

[gmerkt]

I shoot a lot of iron sight guns too, but something weird has been going on with my eyes lately. The sights are starting to get blurry. I went to the eye doctor several years ago and he just said I was getting old, that it happens to everyone once you approach the half-century mark. Wait, what?! No, can't be... It is frustrating though, trying to shoot like I used to with open sights. A lot of my favorite guns are the type I'd never put a scope on (old surplus rifles).

This is very definitely a thing. Aperture rear sights help some.

It is a pretty nice scope, for what it is. It has multiple crosshairs and range-finding dots out to 800 yards, don't know if that's custom or factory. The riflesmith that built the rifle had a close relationship with Leupold at the time.

I don't think I could bring myself to sell it though. It was my dad's. I'd probably put it on something else.

Keep it.

I think your M8 is a better option to keep era with era on your aught six.

Yes, "modern" scopes tend to be matte finish, doesn't look right on a vintage rifle with polished blue.

I'd leave it as is.

Yes, keep it.

For years my choice of scope was usually a $30 Weaver from the gun show. I've bought a couple of new Leupolds that I liked a lot. I have an older Redfield that I can't find fault with. I stupidly let go of a Redfield Widefield ("TV Screen") that I had. Rule No. 1, when you get ready to sell a rifle, never let a scope go with it. You practically never get what the scope is worth out of the sale. I actually have one NcStar cheap scope on a cheap single shot rifle that's been a pretty good unit
.
I've got one of those Bausch & Lomb scopes made in the 1950's, no internal adjustment. The adjustment was in the Balvar mount. It's a beautifully made scope. But my hope of finding the correct mount for one of my rifles is dim. Not to mention what these collectible mounts cost now.

 

[P7M13]

Rule No. 1, when you get ready to sell a rifle, never let a scope go with it. You practically never get what the scope is worth out of the sale

So true. I bought a beautiful rifle with a SWFA scope on it. Sold the scope for 65% of cost of the whole package.

 

[CLT65]

For years my choice of scope was usually a $30 Weaver from the gun show.

Same here! I have several of those old steel-tube, El Paso Weaver scopes, that I've picked up over the decades for $20 or $30. I've always liked them.

I hesitated on buying this Leupold because I've heard that the new glass is a lot better than older stuff, even on cheaper scopes, but I think it will work fine. After all, I'm not going to be tromping through snow covered mountains after elk or grizzlies. It will come out of its padded case occasionally to sit on a nice comfortable bench, to punch a few holes in paper.

 

[gmerkt]

I hesitated on buying this Leupold because I've heard that the new glass is a lot better than older stuff, even on cheaper scopes, but I think it will work fine. After all, I'm not going to be tromping through snow covered mountains after elk or grizzlies. It will come out of its padded case occasionally to sit on a nice comfortable bench, to punch a few holes in paper.

This here. It's my opinion that the scope you buy, brand, cost, etc. ought to be dependent upon how and where the weapon it's mounted on is going to be used.

 

[CLT65]

We took it out this afternoon and sighted it in. I enjoy shooting it more with a more powerful scope. When I was young, it seems like everyone I know had 4x, 6x, and 3-9x scopes on their rifles. I understand that the best magnification depends on the type of shooting/hunting, but I picked up a relatively inexpensive 36x scope some years back for cheap, and put it on a very accurate 22-250. I really enjoy shooting that rifle at paper from the bench. I'm happy with this 12x on this 30-06.

Anyhow, I showed my son how to bore-sight a rifle by looking down the bore and adjusting the scope. He was surprised that it was only about 1 1/2" from dead center on the first shot, at 100 yards. I wonder a little when I see guys burning through a box or two to get their rifles sighted in.

I adjusted the scope slightly and the next four shots went into a nice little .41" group. It was nearly dark, so he shot a few shots at little clay target fragments before we left. I forget what make the barrel was, but it was a top quality blank installed by a master riflesmith.

I did make one mistake. This is a double-hearing-protection rifle due to the effective muzzle break. I forgot and fired one round with just earplugs, and my ears rang for a while. I'm not a huge fan of muzzle breaks in general usage. They have their place and I have a couple of them, but they sure can be obnoxiously loud.