Heir Kommt Die Sonne
Member
Makes me feel like a sniper. It works very wellbut if it works for your task,
sarcasm
Makes me feel like a sniper. It works very wellbut if it works for your task,
Come on now, you can’t post a picture of lovelies like those without the details, models, calibers, scopes?My eyesight used to be excellent, well above average as a young man. Since my late 40s it has deteriorated quite markedly, both farsightedness and astigmatism having reared their dual heads. I can drive a car without glasses, and read without my cheaters in outdoor light, but I can't shoot very well anymore with normal open rifle sights -- the front sight won't properly focus without a corrective lens/aperture such as that shown in my avatar at left.
Some telescopic sights present problems for me too. Unless its eyepiece focus has a large enough adjustment range, the reticle doesn't sharply resolve for me.
When I look through an electronic sight, the red dot looks like a nuclear trefoil:
View attachment 1203004
I can still determine the center, but it's hardly optimal.
I recently bought a Primary Arms 1x prism sight with an ACSS reticle that I can just barely focus by positioning the sight very close to my eye and cranking the focus ring all the way in. I like it.
I've also recently been experimenting with a cheap ($100), heavy Monstrum 4x fixed-power compact scope that also features an illuminated ACSS reticle. Rather surprisingly, I can clearly resolve it's reticle very easily within a fairly large eyebox. An optician could probably tell me what's going on here; all that I will say is that a reticle I can clearly resolve is my first priority with any optical sight.
As my eyesight has deteriorated, I've been growing quite fond of older, low-magnification fixed-power telescopic sights. Often the simple post or crosshair reticles resolve quite well with my eyes. The glass and coating quality back in the 1940's-60s doesn't compare to the present state of the art, the W&E adjustment usually isn't as positive and older scopes are notorious for fogging. However, those that have been well-cared for are still a big improvement on iron sights. Plus they don't cost very much on the used market.
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I'm not sure what this has to do with money spent on optics, except that unless eye surgery can improve things I'm inclined to stay near the cheap end of the spectrum.
I totally disagree. Cheap scopes(and binoculars)may work well in the sunshine. But at pre dawn and post dusk they suck. I only use Meopta/Leupold Vx III's and Swarovski. And I will tell you that Swarovski Z5's and up will allow you to to use every minute of legal shooting light. Our legal times for deer are 1 hr before sunrise to 1 hr after sunset. Cheap glass just won't cut it.Expensive scopes are a hard pill to swallow. IMO, for hunting scopes, diminishing returns start around $500 and really level out around $1000. For PRS or other longer range stuff this can be adjusted.
I just bought two $1500 Browning 1885s. One is a 270 and the other is a 454 Casull. I scoped the 270 with a $500 Leupold 2.5-8x36. It is a lightweight svelt looking scope and doesn’t take too much away from the traditional looks of the octagon barrel 1885. I haven’t decided on the 454 yet but will probably use a Leupold VX-Freedom 2-7x33 that I already own. Lightweight and trim like the aforementioned VX-3 but half the cost. The 454 has shorter range than the 270 and IMO just doesn’t need a lot of scope.
There was no way I was going to pay another $3000 to scope these rifles. Maybe another $1500 but as it is I think I will do fine with what I got. Good glass has become marginally less expensive while good rifles have become much much more expensive. The axiom of “pay as much as you paid for your rifle” may have been good advice 30 years ago but today, not so much.
I, to my great delight, have none. My sole card is a debit linked to my checking account. Does that make me frugal? In a manner of speaking I suppose. I buy nice things if I have the money or I wait until the money is there.Sure, I can - I have a credit card.
You can’t spend money you don’t have, so the price has to come down to meet reality, ergo the scope options shrink too.
Besides appreciating a quality “tool,” I think in terms of what it “could cost me” vs what it did cost me. I traveled about 5 hours to a long-range rifle competition about 10 years ago. My 3-15 SWFA scope failed internally about 1/3 the way into the match. So, I became a spectator. Gas, travel, food for 3 days to be a spectator. If I were going to go on an Elk hunt out west, you can bet all my gear would be appropriate for the task and likely I would use a top tier Leupold scope. If I’m going out in the backyard to hunt deer at 35 yards or so, my Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 ($50) will be fine.
I wouldn't know if that makes you "frugal" or not. My wife's and my rule is to never put more on our credit card than we can pay off the next month. I've heard that paying off a credit card every month (before there's any interest added on) makes a person a "deadbeat" as far as the credit card companies are concerned.I, to my great delight, have none. My sole card is a debit linked to my checking account. Does that make me frugal?
Credit card companies still make money off transaction fees they charge to merchants for each transaction. Believe me, you are not a "deadbeat" to the credit card companies.I've heard that paying off a credit card every month (before there's any interest added on) makes a person a "deadbeat" as far as the credit card companies are concerned.
Not for the first time, but OK ...Come on now, you can’t post a picture of lovelies like those without the details, models, calibers, scopes?
To each his own. I also use Meopta (Cabela’s labeled) and Leupold but just can’t bring myself to spend what they are asking for Swarovski. Having compared them side by side with Leupold my admittedly undescriminating eyes just don’t see $2000 dollars difference.I totally disagree. Cheap scopes(and binoculars)may work well in the sunshine. But at pre dawn and post dusk they suck. I only use Meopta/Leupold Vx III's and Swarovski. And I will tell you that Swarovski Z5's and up will allow you to to use every minute of legal shooting light. Our legal times for deer are 1 hr before sunrise to 1 hr after sunset. Cheap glass just won't cut it.
I totally disagree.
To each his own. I also use Meopta (Cabela’s labeled) and Leupold but just can’t bring myself to spend what they are asking for Swarovski. Having compared them side by side with Leupold my admittedly undescriminating eyes just don’t see $2000 dollars difference.
I’ve told my story about bear hunting in Canada, but I’ll relay it again because it’s so incredibly interesting. OK, at least I think it is.I have only ever hunted in a 1/2 hour before and after sunrise and sunset area.
I suppose that would revise my statement about $1000 being where returns level off for hunting scopes.
The credit card company doesn't care if you pay off the card each month. They make there money on both ends. They charge the retailer 2-4% for purchases you make. I use a credit card for the vast majority of my purchases. Never a debit card as they don't have the same security as a credit card.I wouldn't know if that makes you "frugal" or not. My wife's and my rule is to never put more on our credit card than we can pay off the next month. I've heard that paying off a credit card every month (before there's any interest added on) makes a person a "deadbeat" as far as the credit card companies are concerned.
Dave, thank you for indulging me. Your MS is beautiful. How did you get the checkering so clean? You are a man of great taste.
Until they don't.I totally disagree. Cheap scopes(and binoculars)may work well in the sunshine.
That's pretty much the same as us. That is, firearms and other major purchases are cash (or check), while usual, everyday monthly purchases go on the credit card - which is paid off every month.When I buy a new firearm it has always been cash. Everything else is normally on the card and paid off every month.
Same thing happened to us. Fortunately the bank caught it immediately.I stopped using my debit card after it was hacked twice. The first time I was away from home and had no other source of funds. Now I use a couple credit cards and pay them off each month.
They show up pretty regularly on eBay. Folks are wise to the "Instinct" line being Meopta Meo-pros tho, so it's pretty rare to see them at steep discounts.“To each his own. I also use Meopta (Cabela’s labeled) and Leupold but just can’t bring myself to spend what they are asking for Swarovski.” I agree!
In 2011 Cabela’s put their Meopta-made scopes on clearance. I picked up a superb scope for $280. It was going to be on my 7mm Wby a gunsmith friend made. Things changed and I ended up trading the scope for a new Takamine acoustic-electric guitar. If I see another Meopta like the one I had I will not hesitate to buy it.