A 60 year old Westernfield ?

[3Crows]

Would you trust it? The scope is a 3X9X33 and hails from the year of the Lord of circa 1962. The scope is in good condition externally and is bright and clear, fine cross hair. My father bought it new in the box when he was store manager of Montgomery Wards. It rode atop a sporterized 1903 and then in 1982 was moved to my then brand new Ruger M77 .270 Winchester where it has been now for 38 years or so. It has been hunted and this rifle, I bore sighted it in my parent living room and then the next morning took a buck at 50 yards, first shot through the rifle. This particular rifle is very accurate, sub MOA with just about anything unless I get it hot, it is not free floated or bedded, just as it came from Ruger.





Thing is, I may use the rifle this fall and I just got an on sale Leupold 3X9X40 American Marksman and traded a no name generic scope for an additional $30 off the sale price. It was a good deal and my intention was to install it on the Ruger M77. But, here comes the issues, the Leupold is all super cool tactical smactical matte black instead of a nice and classy gloss black and the Westernfield has sat atop of this rifle for decades and served well decades before that on the 03 and it was bought and used by my dad so there is some sentimental/historical value and it has a number of critters to it's count.

Would you switch scopes out and retire the Westernfield (made in Japan)? I bet this scope cost my dad near a weeks salary back then because I recall my mother telling him it would be okay, just get it.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Keep the Western Field on the gun and have the Leupold in reserve for the future.

 

[WestKentucky]

That scope has found its home. Let it stay put. Put that Leupold on something else.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

That scope has found its home. Let it stay put. Put that Leupold on something else.

Yep, what he said...

 

[LoonWulf]

If the biggest buck you ever seen walked out.........

Would you rather have a picture with the Leupold? Or your dad's, now your scope and rifle?

I'm no scope snob, but I would almost always use a modern optic given a choice. That said

Yep, what he said...

Yep, yep.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

Agree with everyone, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

It's also bad joo-joo to ruin a pairing that has already meshed so well.

 

[3Crows]

If the biggest buck you ever seen walked out.........

Would you rather have a picture with the Leupold? Or your dad's, now your scope and rifle?

I'm no scope snob, but I would almost always use a modern optic given a choice. That said

Yep, yep.

I am conflicted, too bad Ruger rings are not quick release type. I wonder if I got another set of Ruger rings how close to zero they would return? Set the Leupold up as a spare ready to go, several of my riflers have dedicated back up scopes on Warne QR rings.

I am pretty sure this old scope is a Tasco product and would have been considered a decent medium level scope at the time of purchase, . It just looks at home on the rifle with the gloss finish and snazzy leather covers. I think I will leave it be for now.

 

[cdb1]

I’d mount the Leupold with new rings. Slotted ring screws scare me.

 

[3Crows]

I’d mount the Leupold with new rings. Slotted ring screws scare me.

Curious, why so, gun screws have traditionally been slotted? And these are Ruger rings that used to come with the rifles specific to the Ruger receiver. Just curious about your concern with the rings?

 

[Nature Boy]

Plenty of time between now and opening day to get it out to the range and see if it tracks and holds zero. If it does, no reason not to use it

 

[3Crows]

Plenty of time between now and opening day to get it out to the range and see if it tracks and holds zero. If it does, no reason not to use it

Oh, it operates fine now, this is not it on my range, but I have put 20 rounds through it recently and it is dead on. The rifle has been in more or less continuous use save for maybe the last few years it has been passed over. My 100 yard target set:



But, my concern is, it is kinda old, had wondered if it was too old or maybe there was some tribal knowledge concerning these old rebranded Tasco scopes?

I am growing this one for a nice cook out this fall , at 150 yards:

 

[LoonWulf]

The seal can harden, shrink and fail, the tension/return spring for the erector tube is a leaf, and may fail sooner than a coil would, screws strip......
Those old japanese scopes were actually really well made from what I've seen. If it doesn't fog I'd be comfortable using it, tho for the cost of second set of Ruger rings you can have your Leupy set up and ready to go as insurance.

 

[3Crows]

The seal can harden, shrink and fail, the tension/return spring for the erector tube is a leaf, and may fail sooner than a coil would, screws strip......
Those old japanese scopes were actually really well made from what I've seen. If it doesn't fog I'd be comfortable using it, tho for the cost of second set of Ruger rings you can have your Leupy set up and ready to go as insurance.

Yeppers, that is what I am going to do. As soon as I can pry myself from and quit my latest addiction of chasing after Walmart deals on rifles I will get another set of proper Ruger rings to set the spare scope up with.

 

[cdb1]

Curious, why so, gun screws have traditionally been slotted? And these are Ruger rings that used to come with the rifles specific to the Ruger receiver. Just curious about your concern with the rings?

Because a slotted screw head strips easier than a torx head.

 

[LoonWulf]

Because a slotted screw head strips easier than a torx head.

+1
I keep a Pachmayr screw assortment around just to replace the slotted heads with.

On guns/scopes I'm positive are never coming off, the slotteds are fine, but anything I'm at all unsure about removing they get changed out.
The slotteds are also fine if you grind a bit specifically to fit that brand (say Weaver, tho they tend to vary on slot width enough it doesn't really matter), which is what I did for my Ruger rings when i had a few of them.
Only ones I ever butchered were my 80 dollar leupolds on my mini, those had to be rediculously tight, or the thing would shake them loose.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Because a slotted screw head strips easier than a torx head.

The classic gunsmith screwdriver sets are a hollow grind assortment so you can find the proper fit for the slot. Also, you can then "clock" the screws for that old school craftsmanship effect.
Torx screws are nice tho...

 

[3Crows]

The classic gunsmith screwdriver sets are a hollow grind assortment so you can find the proper fit for the slot. Also, you can then "clock" the screws for that old school craftsmanship effect.
Torx screws are nice tho...

Yes indeed. I tend to torque and clock, if the torque range allows for it, in aircraft work (I was/am and A&P) I would clock fasteners, again, as the range allowed, correct torque being more important, it does sooth my OCD. This scope was mounted by me 38 years ago before I had professional "abilities" and tools, back then I was a geology grad student, rocks were more my thing.

I have several sets of rather expensive smithing screwdrivers, torque drivers and hollow ground drivers, they make a huge difference. Many rifles, Marlin for a good example, have weird slot sizes so I have a set of Grace Marlin screw drivers and every single screw is slotted on those dang Marlins. I am used to it. That said, save for fine rifles and classic rifles, Torx is the way to go 100%. I could not disagree with that statement, except where it looks wrong .

A few things, always run your fine screws backwards until the threads find home and then go forward and even with quality drivers you can use a fine lapping compound on the driver (be careful there) to further reduce the possibility of slippage and ruining the screw head/slot.

 

[LoonWulf]

Times slotted screws are sexy, I do them on some guns but usually those are only on my "nice" ones, and ones I don't take apart.......which for me are few and far between.

 

[cdb1]

I don’t time screws. If I had a Rigby or best shotgun I would. When mounting scopes for customer’s I’ve had issues with slotted screws when taking the old scope off. Not that I’ve never had an issue with Torx but they are few and far between.

I also have Grace screwdrivers in addition to a Wheeler Gunsmithing Set.

 

[cdb1]

My issues with slotted screws are when I’m unscrewing ones installed by someone other than me, usually long ago. I have no issue when I’m installing them.

 

[3Crows]

I don’t time screws. If I had a Rigby or best shotgun I would. When mounting scopes for customer’s I’ve had issues with slotted screws when taking the old scope off. Not that I’ve never had an issue with Torx but they are few and far between.

I also have Grace screwdrivers in addition to a Wheeler Gunsmithing Set.

Clocking or timing the screws can be a PITA. It becomes needed, on things like scope cap screws, to sometimes rock the cap to get a favorable position if the torque range is exceeded. Not worth it and often is a good way to ruin something that was just fine had it been left alone.

 

[jmr40]

For local meat hunting I'd use it. I'd not trust it for an out of state once in a lifetime trophy hunt. The glass may be fine, but rubber seals dry rot and will eventually leak. They even put date codes on tires now and recommend replacing them after 6-7 years regardless of miles due to dry rot.