I'm learning to fly so I can do more moose hunting. I like flying, and I like the backcountry, and I like hunting moose. It's a natural fit. I've wanted to do it for a very long time.
I use a .308 for moose hunting. It's a Model 70 Winchester Featherlite, pre-64. It was my fathers, and before that, my uncle's. It's been in the family a long time and there is some sentimental value. It's a nice rifle.
Like most high powered rifles, this one has a scope. It's a 4x Scope Chief, by Bushnell. It was a great scope in it's day, but scope technology has advanced quite a bit. They zoom now, gather light better, and generally just have way better optics.
Over the last three years I've had several long range run ins with moose. One I shot, but it was long. Two others I let pass. Talking with other hunters led me to believe I could have shot them provided I had a range finder and knew what my rifle would do. I also decided to add a new scope to the mix.
I stayed with Bushnell, mostly out of brand loyalty. The new scope, instead of being a 4x magnifier, is a 3x to 10x scope. It's got a better reticle and gathers way more light. Interestingly, it's still a little smaller than the old scope.
Comparing scopes isn't easy for the uninitiated. The sales staff let me look through lots of them, but couldn't really explain why triple the cost was warranted. Obviously spending more money gets you a better product, but without knowing exactly what you're getting it doesn't instill a lot of confidence.
The upshot is that when I bought the scope and heard that mounting it would cost $100, I decided I'd do my own. It can't be that hard, and if I'm going to meat hunt I want to be capable with the rifle. That means doing as much gunsmithing as is reasonable.
Now, swapping a scope isn't the same as mounting a scope. All you do is swap the rings. There is no need, in this case, to fool around with the mounts.
The scope is attached to the rifle with a combination of rails, bases and rings. The rails are screwed to the receiver. The rings attach to the bases by a system of hooks and screw compression. The bases slide onto the rails and are cinched tight by screws.
Switching the scopes can involve changing both rings and bases or just the rings, or just the bases. It depends on the size and lengths of the scopes you are switching. For me, I had to change both. The old scope was longer and the bases had no room for adjustment. The new bases allowed me to slide the scope around until it was a perfect fit.
The job was completed quickly. All that was required was to swap the bases, and screw them down, which was two screws. Then, four more screws tightened the rings to the bases, holding the scope securely. The only thing left is sighting the weapon in.
And that's all there is. If all you're doing is changing a scope on existing mounts it's that easy. Mount the scope, fire up your airplane and go hunting.
I use a .308 for moose hunting. It's a Model 70 Winchester Featherlite, pre-64. It was my fathers, and before that, my uncle's. It's been in the family a long time and there is some sentimental value. It's a nice rifle.
Like most high powered rifles, this one has a scope. It's a 4x Scope Chief, by Bushnell. It was a great scope in it's day, but scope technology has advanced quite a bit. They zoom now, gather light better, and generally just have way better optics.
Over the last three years I've had several long range run ins with moose. One I shot, but it was long. Two others I let pass. Talking with other hunters led me to believe I could have shot them provided I had a range finder and knew what my rifle would do. I also decided to add a new scope to the mix.
I stayed with Bushnell, mostly out of brand loyalty. The new scope, instead of being a 4x magnifier, is a 3x to 10x scope. It's got a better reticle and gathers way more light. Interestingly, it's still a little smaller than the old scope.
Comparing scopes isn't easy for the uninitiated. The sales staff let me look through lots of them, but couldn't really explain why triple the cost was warranted. Obviously spending more money gets you a better product, but without knowing exactly what you're getting it doesn't instill a lot of confidence.
The upshot is that when I bought the scope and heard that mounting it would cost $100, I decided I'd do my own. It can't be that hard, and if I'm going to meat hunt I want to be capable with the rifle. That means doing as much gunsmithing as is reasonable.
Now, swapping a scope isn't the same as mounting a scope. All you do is swap the rings. There is no need, in this case, to fool around with the mounts.
The scope is attached to the rifle with a combination of rails, bases and rings. The rails are screwed to the receiver. The rings attach to the bases by a system of hooks and screw compression. The bases slide onto the rails and are cinched tight by screws.
Switching the scopes can involve changing both rings and bases or just the rings, or just the bases. It depends on the size and lengths of the scopes you are switching. For me, I had to change both. The old scope was longer and the bases had no room for adjustment. The new bases allowed me to slide the scope around until it was a perfect fit.
The job was completed quickly. All that was required was to swap the bases, and screw them down, which was two screws. Then, four more screws tightened the rings to the bases, holding the scope securely. The only thing left is sighting the weapon in.
And that's all there is. If all you're doing is changing a scope on existing mounts it's that easy. Mount the scope, fire up your airplane and go hunting.
About the Author:
Looking to find the best deal on keyword #1, then visit www.yoursite.com to find the best advice on keyword #2 for you.. Check here for free reprint license: Swapping A Scope.
