Scope Mounts on Hunting Rifles...Back-up plans?

I have two rifles in similar configurations, similar scopes, etc. If the 30-06 fails I can use the 35 whelen or vice versa. About to add another 30-06 to the stable to round this out even better. Also, all of my scoped rifles either mount picatinny rails or are quick detach with backup sights, so I always have a few options if something bad happens to a scope...

Picher said:

Some of you astute gun buffs probably noted that I often use Weaver Detachable mounts on about all of my hunting rifles. There's method to my madness. Maine's deer/bear hunting season is during cold, often slippery seasonal conditions, not to mention the normal root tripping conditions on old haul roads, etc.

The mounts are part of a plan. I have two Remington 700 BDL rifles with the same model scope and mounts, so if I fall and the rifle is impacted, I can swap scopes quickly/painlessly, and be back in business with a few sighting shots behind the house.

My son's rifle fell in the house a few years ago (dog did it) and we quickly replaced the scope with one from one of my rifles with little fuss. (Of course he had missed 6 broadside shots at a nice buck before he realized that he had a problem.) I took a scope off one of my rifles and replaced...it/sighted it in and he was back in business that day.

Having had a gun repair business years ago, I've seen close to the worst rifle problems and have tried to compensate for problems in the family. For instance, I own two similar Rem 700 BDLs with the same kind of scope in detachable mounts, so I can be back in operation very quickly.

What backup plans have you folks made?

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a half different rifles that serve the same purpose....

If i do loose a scope, and want to use that particular rifle, i usually have a few spares in my cabinet. unfortunately, theres been a run on friends needing scopes and my spares are depleted. I actually need to order a few more for guns I rarely use that had theirs stolen.

I agree with having a back up plan, on my muzzle loader deer rifle went with Kimber quick detach rings and Swarovski scope.....should the unforeseen happen, slide it off and use the open iron sights.

Always have a extra rifle in the truck, plus more at home. Prefer to have sights on every gun.

I don’t have a spare gun. I have spare guns. As many as I feel is sufficient.

I also have scopes that have long histories and reputations for durability under harsh conditions.

Yeah, I know that may not be enough as I am sure folks have had their high dollar and supposedly bomb proof scopes fail but so far statistics have been in my favor.

Funny thing is that my carry guns don’t have back up sights and I only carry one of those usually.

Another member on another thread on this forum had informed me that the Weaver rings commonly used are a decent indication that a rifle hasn't been excessively used (as in competition). I had no idea because aside from the Ruger factory rings, all I'd ever used were Weaver rings. Have never had a scope come loose with them but have definitely had some clamp marks though. I do appreciate being able to switch scopes easily if I decide or need to.

While not the most aesthetically pleasing I have no issues with Weaver rings and bases. They simply work, and having the ability to use them as QD mounts is a plus. The older style could easily be taken off with the back of a pocket knife blade in an emergency to use iron sights. Or to have 2 scopes zeroed for the same rifle. If care is taken to re-mount them properly I've found them to be close enough to zero for hunting at normal hunting ranges. I've used the same strategy in the past.

But anymore I simply don't worry about it. I've been hunting since the 1970's and never once had a riflescope fail to work. Anymore I'd rather spend a little more on a rugged quality scope and not even have irons. I've used Leupold an awful lot. They may not be the best in a lot of ways, but they are rugged. And don't cost a fortune. About 4 years ago I got careless and caught my foot on a root and took a bad fall. My rifle and Leupold scope landed on the rocky ground 1st, then I landed hard on the rifle. I didn't use that rifle for a few days until I could get to a range and verify zero. It was still perfect.

I do almost all of my hunting on public land in the GA mountains and I've hunted in Colorado a couple of times. The air is thinner there, but the mountains aren't any steeper. I've taken bad falls, and had rifle actions freeze shut, but I've never had a scope let me down. I have had iron sights fail. Anymore anything but the military type iron sights are more fragile than a modern scope.

I do own multiple rifles and use several over the course of the season, often choosing one or another for no particular reason. There is a lot of overlap in what they are capable of doing and if I'm hunting out of state, or even in state if I'm camping I do always bring a 2nd rifle. Just in case.

For big game hunting where distant shots can occur traditional iron sights are out for me these days. I can muster enough usefulness out of them for close range small game hunting and plinking but that's about it. Can't focus well enough anymore. Peep sights are good but 200 yds would be my limit for effective results. Therefore a backup rifle in the truck is the norm for me. A 30-06 with good glass and zeroed with 165gr bullets is a perfect backup rifle for anything I hunt big game wise in Mo. (Whitetails)
As a primary rifle I have more choices than Hillary has ugly so that's never an issue.
I might have to pass on a shot on the way back to the truck but at least the entire hunt isn't buggered. If I have no issues and are successful with the primary rifle, I trade up and take a second with the ole '06 and add another notch on the sling. Just how I do it, others have their way of doing things. Interesting how others operate though. No real wrong way of going about it if it works for you.
Happy shooting folks!

I still appreciate Cooper's Scout concept. The Scouts I have all have back-up irons. Having said that, I have never broken a rifle scope after it has survived the first few dozen rounds, so don't consider it a critical issue.

My big bore dangerous game rifles have only irons or backup irons and QD rings.

For small bores, I'd just switch to another rifle if a scope was damaged. I use robust scopes like the Nightforce 2.5-10x42 and thus far it's never happened to me although a hunting buddy dropped a rifle and trashed a Leupold VX-Freedom last year.

I tend to centralize on caliber, rather than having one of everything. So in 30.06, I have several. Though ugly, most have EGW rails and Warne rings (I really want Talley, but I have not made the jump). Some of the rings are QD, some not. Regardless, moving a scope is not terrible.

I've also standardized on Weaver/PicRail mounts, and most of my rifles have back up irons. On my Kimber Hunter, the backup to the 1-4x scope is a Bushnell TRS-25 red dot with a QD lever -- takes up about as much room in a pocket as three loaded rounds and I can swap between the two sights in a minute or so.

I always have two rifles. I’d like to have a back-up scope for every rifle in QD Mounts but don’t have the coin.

For years I took one rifle to hunt camp and that was it. Its all I had. About 15 years ago I bought a muzzle loader and would take that along as a backup. I've since purchased other suitable rifles and always take two to hunt camp now. It must be catching because two years ago three of us had 6 rifles in hunt camp, We all bring two now

-Jeff

The only scope problems I have had in the field are ID10T problems of my own doing due to inexperience at the time or just being bone headed. I don't have backups on my woods rifle and removable or quick release on my other. I hate see through mounts. They are too high for me.

I believe see through mounts cause more problems than they solve.

I've got several hunting rifles with QD mounts: Steyr's, Leupold's, Warne, and Larue. My Steyr's also have irons as does one of my REM M7s.

I've yet to have to use any of them. I just buy quality optics and don't worry about it. I've got multiple hunting rifles for each game "category" so my solution for travelling hunts is to just bring a back-up gun.

My ARs all have QD mounts (Larue & ADM) and BUIS, but they're set up for a different purpose.

When I installed my scope on my Marlin 336 I used see thru mounts in the event that either the scope failed or if the game is closer that I need to use the scope. I have used my iron sights on a few big game that were close.

Like most others here, I always take two rifles when I head up into the mountains to hunt. I'm usually hunting in snow on significant slopes, so falls are pretty common. If I bang my rifle or scope hard enough that I'm concerned, I switch to the backup for the rest of the hunt until I can check zero on the first rifle. I actually had one hunt where I banged both rifles pretty good last year, but luckily neither of them got knocked off.

I do always bring a 2nd rifle. Just in case.

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Me, too.
A few years back I was hunting in Wy. The first morning, I left the cabin to hunt in the fresh snowfall from the night before. Within 200 yards of the cabin I slipped on a rock and my Rem. 788 in .308 Win. flew off my shoulder and buried itself in the snow. I pulled it out of the snow and it was a solid chunk of ice as the warm rifle and the snow melded into one. My spare Tikka in .270 Win. saved the day and I shot my deer later that day.

Duplicate copies of Ruger tang safety's in a few useful chamberings. Identical pairs as it were. Although none of 'em have irons sights, I wish they all did.

Iron sights. If I buy it or build it, it has irons. If it doesn't, I have them installed. Always prepare for Murphy.