Vintage scopes and their use

[greg vess]

I have come to admire my vintage scopes on some of my older guns and a couple newer rimfire rifles. On my Savage Mark ll 22 mag I have a 70's era Redfield Fullfield ( 2×-7× ) scope that just simply rocks. Now as most of you know I am not a huge new age optics guru. Infact I know little to nothing about todays high end scope market. I do however, appreciate an old, simple, well built scope. I paid roughly 120 bucks plus ship for this old Burris and I can't believe just how dependable and consistent this scope is. I know when take that gun out of the safe and feed it the same ammo used when it was zeroed it will put rounds in the red every single time. Vortex should be envious. Their 300 and 400 dollar offerings barely hold a candle to this old scopes performance. You can feel it just in the weight difference alone between them.

I just finished a short range visit with the old Savage that I haven't shot in well over a year and a half ( that has been banged around a bit in the safe in a cover of course ) and it was still cutting the heart out the target and I didn't have to touch an adjustment turret.

Does anybody else have old scopes that just work like they were intended to without a hiccup every time you take them out. Scope snobs need not apply! 😁

 

[basstracker89]

I like a good, old well built scope. I had one on a model 61 Winchester, should've kept that one. It had a period correct steel tube scope on it. Fine duplex. Can't remember who made it. Still worked fine. I have an old Redfield 2x7 TV scope on a Israeli 98 Mauser. A late friend of mine built that rifle. He was a retired machinist. That one will shoot one hole groups at 100yds. I have other old Redfields too. They work well as long as you don't need good adjustable turrets for super long distance shooting. The glass is as good as Leupold VXIIIs. I've had a couple Bushnells fail on me. Supposed to be a lifetime warranty, no good. That's why I'll never buy another of their products. One lost zero, one fogged up. I have a Simmons that fogged up as well. I have an old tasco that's still good. And one Bushnell still in service. It's on a 22LR bolt. Maybe it can handle that. My Dad has a old Winchester model 70 with an old steel tube 4x on it. I guess if I wind up with it and it works well, I'll keep it like it is. I think the 2 Wini scopes are and where Weaver. I've gotten to where I like Leupolds. Never had a problem with them. I know they're not the best, but they're good for the money. And the warranty is rock solid. The adjustments are spot on too. Have a Nikon, no complaints

 

[greg vess]

Mine has fine cross hairs as well. It's beauty lies in it's simplicity and ability to hold zero. The gun I have it on is a Rimfire and doesn't need adjustable turrets and it shoots hole in hole hits as well. I can always count on that gun/ scope combo to make consistent hits every single time. Also the glass is phenomenal. Much better than anything Vortex puts out at 4 times the cost of this one.

I also have a older Bushnell Banner 3-9×40 with a 30 cal bullet drop compensator. It has a little window that the elevation turrets can be set by individual clicks or in 50 or 100 yard increments. So only the elevation turret moves. It's a old Japan made model. It's super clear and on top of a late 70's early 80's Remington 700 BDL 30-06. That scope is jam up as well. Surprisingly enough it is dead on by the turrets. Both these older scopes have steel tubes and amazing glass. It just exudes quality by its weight and construction. Nothing is plastic and they have been kept very clean and well cared for. I try to measure a new scope off their clarity and feel. They are hard to beat by any of the newer scopes that cost in the multiple hundreds and then they still didn't come close to the crystal clear glass. It makes one appreciate just how good these older scope names were at one time .

 

[basstracker89]

Mine has fine cross hairs as well. It's beauty lies in it's simplicity and ability to hold zero. The gun I have it on is a Rimfire and doesn't need adjustable turrets and it shoots hole in hole hits as well. I can always count on that gun/ scope combo to make consistent hits every single time. Also the glass is phenomenal. Much better than anything Vortex puts out at 4 times the cost of this one.

I also have a older Bushnell Banner 3-9×40 with a 30 cal bullet drop compensator. It has a little window that the elevation turrets can be set by individual clicks or in 50 or 100 yard increments. So only the elevation turret moves. It's a old Japan made model. It's super clear and on top of a late 70's early 80's Remington 700 BDL 30-06. That scope is jam up as well. Surprisingly enough it is dead on by the turrets. Both these older scopes have steel tubes and amazing glass. It just exudes quality by its weight and construction. Nothing is plastic and they have been kept very clean and well cared for. I try to measure a new scope off their clarity and feel. They are hard to beat by any of the newer scopes that cost in the multiple hundreds and then they still didn't come close to the crystal clear glass. It makes one appreciate just how good these older scope names were at one time .

Well there you go. Quality in the days past. Only scope I've ever had that the clicks were accurate is Leupold. I didn't start using scopes till the 90s. So unless I bought an older rifle with a scope already on it, it was new. My first new scope was Bushnell. After they started failing, Redfield. The older Redfield, USA. Then they went out of business due to EPA fines. Then I went to Leupold. The older Redfields and Leupold have been good. The Nikon I bought on a rifle. It's been good too

 

[atscott]

I've got 2. The first is an old Burris fixed 20x that came on an older Ruger No. 1 I got for a steal several years ago. Both gun and scope are early 80's vintage. I had initially planned to replace the scope but after shooting the combo I reconsidered. 100 yard shots are just plain boring with it and it makes 300 yard shots with ease if I do my part.

Second is an older Leupold 2-7x32mm that came with a Browning medallion I bought. This one is late 80s or early 90s. It stayed on it until my wife nagged me into letting her hunt with it but wanted a more modern scope. It now resides on a .300 BO I built.

 

[greg vess]

I've got 2. The first is an old Burris fixed 20x that came on an older Ruger No. 1 I got for a steal several years ago. Both gun and scope are early 80's vintage. I had initially planned to replace the scope but after shooting the combo I reconsidered. 100 yard shots are just plain boring with it and it makes 300 yard shots with ease if I do my part.

Second is an older Leupold 2-7x32mm that came with a Browning medallion I bought. This one is late 80s or early 90s. It stayed on it until my wife nagged me into letting her hunt with it but wanted a more modern scope. It now resides on a .300 BO I built.

Anybody else notice a trend here. Everyone here responded to this thread have one scope that shines and that's the older Burris scopes. With all these cheap Chinese scopes offering a lifetime warranty seem to be flooding the market and the quality is severely lacking.

I recently purchased a Athlon 6-24×56 scope that is really, really clear and the illuminated reticle is awesome. Now further testing and time will determine a complete and accurate assessment but so far so good. Retail on that scope was just under 700 but a member with massive discounts turned me on to his discount program. I compared it side by side to a 400-500 dollar Vortex Diamondback Tactical ll scope and it blows the Vortex out of the water in clarity, color and light transmission. Even though it will do for range time the old Burris still shines when it comes to crystal clear glass. I am considering looking at another older Burris to fit in a different rifle. I paid 120 bucks for the vintage Burris but it was worth every penny.

 

[GFB]

I’ve owned many older scopes. Several Leupold M8s and a handful of made in CO Burris scopes. Some old Redfield and Swarovski scopes too. I agree that there is something “right” about having something closer to period correct on an older rifle. Leupold will honor their warranty on anything. And I still have a couple older scopes mounted. But newer stuff is just generally better all around and less likely to give problems.

 

[greg vess]

I’ve owned many older scopes. Several Leupold M8s and a handful of made in CO Burris scopes. Some old Redfield and Swarovski scopes too. I agree that there is something “right” about having something closer to period correct on an older rifle. Leupold will honor their warranty on anything. And I still have a couple older scopes mounted. But newer stuff is just generally better all around and less likely to give problems.

Oh crap! My scope is a Redfield on that rifle. Here I am talking up Burris and mine isn't one. 🤣 Oh well! Getting old does impair the mind.

 

[basstracker89]

Oh crap! My scope is a Redfield on that rifle. Here I am talking up Burris and mine isn't one. 🤣 Oh well! Getting old does impair the mind.

Did you get a head start??......... 🤣

 

[Asbestos]

Scopes are like phones, Greg. Just because you know how to call your buddy on a pay phone doesn’t mean you’ll be able to take advantage of everything an iPhone can do.

But there are people in the world who can… and they’re better with it than we are with our pay phones.