has anyone took a fall or dropped their gun while hunting and had to use iron sights? Ive never really fell other than with a 22lr and the tasco scope took a crap on me. I'm debating if I want to remove my marlin 45-70 rear sight or just go with medium rings. part of me says keep the sights or get a good set of fiber optics incase the scope fails but ive only had it happen once on a bushnell banner.
gun/scope failure when hunting?
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Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
I've never had a scope problem in the field--and that's a bunch of years of wandering "out yonder".
I've not had a case of lost zero from a rifle bouncing around in my truck, either. Kudos to Leupold. A couple of times through the years I've had a rifle fall onto the floor--but no lost zero.
The only time I ever had any sort of problem was the clamp screws of a Weaver ring came loose--but that was my fault, not the ring's. I didn't tighten it properly. Tightened it, and it was right back on zero.
I've not had a case of lost zero from a rifle bouncing around in my truck, either. Kudos to Leupold. A couple of times through the years I've had a rifle fall onto the floor--but no lost zero.
The only time I ever had any sort of problem was the clamp screws of a Weaver ring came loose--but that was my fault, not the ring's. I didn't tighten it properly. Tightened it, and it was right back on zero.
ColtPythonElite
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Never
Captcurt
Member
Had a crosshair break in an old Bushnell 40 years ago and had a cheap Tasco fog up after a rainstorm 25 years ago. A cheap scope will not grace one of my rifles again. Not even a rimfire.
I went leupold last week for this very reason. bushnell broke and wounded a deer. took a spill and tasco broke. I am deer hunting a lot more than I used to so leupold will be on deer guns from now on.
well I just tinkered a little bit and if I could file about 3k off the site groove when its folded flat I would be able to use low rings but in this case and wanting to shoot this gun ive had for a month I took the sight ramp out for now.
I gun hunt about 3hrs from home and an hour from the closest town so part of me says keep the irons just in case.
I gun hunt about 3hrs from home and an hour from the closest town so part of me says keep the irons just in case.
MCgunner
Member
I've had one scope failure, not from a fall, but from being pounded to death by recoil from a 7 mag. It was a Simmons Whitetail. No more Simmons.
I've had GREAT luck with Bushnell, the new Weaver, and have one Weatherby Supreme which is awesome. The Bushnell trophy series are pretty decent scopes, especially for the money, But, they're not really bargains. You can get a Nikon for about the same money, or a VX 1 Leupold. The Banners are okay, nothing special. Sportview is their cheap line. I have a couple of Sportviews that are still going, though, on .22s.
I've had GREAT luck with Bushnell, the new Weaver, and have one Weatherby Supreme which is awesome. The Bushnell trophy series are pretty decent scopes, especially for the money, But, they're not really bargains. You can get a Nikon for about the same money, or a VX 1 Leupold. The Banners are okay, nothing special. Sportview is their cheap line. I have a couple of Sportviews that are still going, though, on .22s.
Captcurt
Member
Grabbed some Leupold 3X9X40 VX-ll's for less than $200@. I'm a happy camper.
JackSprat
Member
The only time I ever had a scope fail in the field was on an old Weaver Marksman that was on my old 222..It was in spring gobbler season,and it was drizzling rain,and the scope fogged up..I probably first thought it was on the outside of the lenses,but when I went to wipe them off,I noticed the lens in the eye piece was loose,and the scope was full of moisture...I don't care for Chinese glass,but I have had some pretty decent Japanese scopes,I still have an old Japanese made 4-14 ao Bushnel that has served me well..
FL-NC
Member
I tend to keep my "extra" rifle with scope mounted and zeroed and a few rounds (marlin 30-30) in the truck, which isn't too far from the stand. But I've never broken a scope.
MCgunner
Member
My .257 Remington M722 and its Bushnell Banner bailed me out on that trip that my Simmons bit the dust. I got a deer, anyhow.
You know, I had a Bushnell Sportview on that 7 mag that never gave me a bit of trouble. I'd hunted New Mexico at 17 degrees in the snow, no fogging at all, great little scope, but it came with the rifle as a combo. I thought I needed to improve on it. HA! The scope I ended up with is awesome, though, and I never use that rifle anymore, not out here in the woods. The scope is a Weatherby Supreme, were selling 'em out at a supplier in "Shotgun News" for 150 bucks about 20-25 years ago. I figured, if it was a Weatherby, it had to be rugged.
I've read up on it, was Japanese built. It's as good as any VX3. I've looked through better scopes, Schmidt and Benders, that cost many times more, in the thousands. Old fart in the gun club had Kleingunthers and Schmidt and benders. They were nice.
You know, I had a Bushnell Sportview on that 7 mag that never gave me a bit of trouble. I'd hunted New Mexico at 17 degrees in the snow, no fogging at all, great little scope, but it came with the rifle as a combo. I thought I needed to improve on it. HA! The scope I ended up with is awesome, though, and I never use that rifle anymore, not out here in the woods. The scope is a Weatherby Supreme, were selling 'em out at a supplier in "Shotgun News" for 150 bucks about 20-25 years ago. I figured, if it was a Weatherby, it had to be rugged.
I've read up on it, was Japanese built. It's as good as any VX3. I've looked through better scopes, Schmidt and Benders, that cost many times more, in the thousands. Old fart in the gun club had Kleingunthers and Schmidt and benders. They were nice.i have thought about that too but we gun hunt a very remote part of the state and locals aren't too friendly so i try to keep the tuck as empty as possible.
Only scope I ever had fail was actually a Leupold Vx-3. Still to this day don't know what happened. Never dropped or anything. But I called Leupold and they sent me a brand new one. I didn't lose any faith in Leupold. Sometimes things happen. Everything I have wears Leupold, Nikon, or Vortex.
I've dropped rifles, had them fall to the ground while leaning against a tree, bounced around in the truck, etc. Never has the scope lost zero from this.
I've dropped rifles, had them fall to the ground while leaning against a tree, bounced around in the truck, etc. Never has the scope lost zero from this.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I've had several cheap scopes fail, all on rimfires and none were dropped or otherwise abused. From wandering zero and loose glass to cock-eyed and broken reticles.
MCgunner
Member
Reminded me of something. My buddy and I were in the Guadalupes hunting. Actually we went up there a week before season and scouted every day, then hunted the two days of the season. We were on a rough, rough road in my Toyota 4x4 truck. We got down in this creek bed and drove up the other side over boulders that looked like bowling balls. As we were bouncing up the other side, I looked back in the bed of the truck and the gun cases were coming up near the level of the rails and coming back down to WHACK on the bed. When we got back to camp, both guns were way off. I zeroed 'em. Thankfully, we had lots of ammo with us, always take a lot of ammo.
I had the cheap Bushnell the Savage came with on mine and he had a Zeiss on his Browning BAR in .300 win mag. He swears by Zeiss, but he has a lot more money than me. In this case, neither scope held zero. I'm not sure there's a scope made that could go through that and hold zero, many would be beaten to pieces. This is one reason I still regard Bushnell as a good affordable choice. I know it ain't the best, but I've owned quite a few of 'em and they've all impressed me mechanically, maybe not the best optically, but they held up.
I have this Bushnell Trophy on a .22 mag I traded a small motorcycle for. That scope, Japanese manufacture, is pretty impressive optically. It's really clear and sharp. The Trophies run around 150 bucks, like I said before, up there with VX1s and Nikons, but they're really good and under-rated on most threads like this.
I bought a new Banner the other day for my SKS to be used for night hunting pigs. I have this green laser with a really nifty scope clamp mount that adjusts to aim the beam exactly to the scope's field of view. The laser's beam is also adjustable to concentrate the beam for a more powerful spot and you can match the spot to the field of view. This allows me to see over 200 yards just fine and, supposedly, the green wave length doesn't bother the pig. We'll see about that. I've always used a red light and it was, well, it worked okay if you got your shot off quickly enough.
This laser is just awesome, though, and a whole lot cheaper than a FLIR. I'd considered spending 50 bucks more for a Trophy. The Banner is Chinese and optics not as sharp as the Trophy, bu the Banner had a lighted reticle and I considered that important in a night scope. There are times when you can see on a bright full moon night, but can't quite make out the reticle. With the lighted reticle on those nights, I don't need the spotlight at all.
FL-NC
Member
Bushes near truck?
ZeroJunk
Member
I usually hunt with the same rifle I have hunted with for 30 years and it still has the same Leupold on it. Other than moving it a few clicks for different loads it is the same as it always has been. Probably a couple hundred days in a scabbard on a saddle, numerous airplane rides, UPS trips, more falls on slippery snow in the mountains than I would like to admit.
no its all open hardwoods and hollows.
I've had iron sights fail me twice. Years ago, back in the 1970's, I had a cheap scope fog up in rain, but it never lost it's zero. I've had cheap scopes not maintain zero from one range trip to another without ever falling. Never had a decent mid-grade or better scope fail me. And I've used them in some pretty harsh conditions and taken a couple of bad falls.
I always felt that many of the less expensive Japanese made scopes were pretty good for the money. The 1st scope that I ever bought that I considered decent was a Japanese made Tasco World Class. Not exactly sure when they started making them in China, but those weren't nearly as good. There are some decent optics coming out of the Philippines today.
I always felt that many of the less expensive Japanese made scopes were pretty good for the money. The 1st scope that I ever bought that I considered decent was a Japanese made Tasco World Class. Not exactly sure when they started making them in China, but those weren't nearly as good. There are some decent optics coming out of the Philippines today.
One thing to remember is that having open sights is only usefull if you can get the scope off (i hate see thru mounts). If your rings dont allow you to remove them with something youll have handy, say your fingers, the back of your knife blade, or a coin, than sights wont do you any good.
Personally ive broken two scopes, a nikon m-223, and a leupold vx-3. Both were fallen on the nikon crushed the tube and dented the steel leupold ring, the vx3 dented the front of the objective and cracked the lense, as well as denting the scope body.
I couldnt get either scope off at the time so home i went.
Only had one scope fail, and it was bad strait from he box. Bushnell trophy on my muzzy, fired 20ish shots, took it off sent it in.
The replacements holding fine.
MCgunner
Member
I always carry a Leatherman Wave. The leather pouch has a flashlight holder on it and I carry a Bushnell single AAA powered flashlight. That flashlight is more handy than the leatherman, tell ya the truth. I have a hard time reading stuff like instructions on boxes, the light really helps. Living out here in the sticks, there's not a lot of light around at night, either, and I always have that light in the pouch.
I'll be using that light less after November when I get these cataracts fixed. Meanwhile, I can still use rifles and my crossbow with optics. FORGET the iron sights. The scope breaks, I'm out. LOL
I do have a set of millett "scope toppers", iron sights that mount above my Weaver scope on my .308. The sight radius is pathetic, but I've practiced with it and to about 50 yards, I can hit a paper plate every time. I bought those scope toppers for a pistol scope, actually, but ended up putting a 30mm scope on that pistol, so they were just laying around when I set up the Weaver on my .308. I don't think Millett makes the scope toppers anymore.
The leather pouch has a flashlight holder on it and I carry a Bushnell single AAA powered flashlight. That flashlight is more handy than the leatherman, tell ya the truth. I have a hard time reading stuff like instructions on boxes, the light really helps. Living out here in the sticks, there's not a lot of light around at night, either, and I always have that light in the pouch.I'll be using that light less after November when I get these cataracts fixed. Meanwhile, I can still use rifles and my crossbow with optics.
FORGET the iron sights. The scope breaks, I'm out. LOLI do have a set of millett "scope toppers", iron sights that mount above my Weaver scope on my .308. The sight radius is pathetic, but I've practiced with it and to about 50 yards, I can hit a paper plate every time. I bought those scope toppers for a pistol scope, actually, but ended up putting a 30mm scope on that pistol, so they were just laying around when I set up the Weaver on my .308. I don't think Millett makes the scope toppers anymore.
I took a fall coming down a steep snowy slope a few years ago and threw my rifle in the process. It landed in the snow but was thrown a fair distance at the time and managed to bore through the snow to the ground. My Leupold VX3 mounted in Burris Z rings didn't move a tick.
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Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
Sort of a thread drift: Anybody here who's old enough to remember Bausch & Lomb's ad about their scopes being tough enough to use to drive nails? Early 1960s, IIRC. Anyhow, my gunsmith uncle mail-ordered a BalFour for a customer. Checking it after arrival, he saw that the crosshairs were both S-shaped. Still centered, but nowhere near being straight. All hail the ability of USPS.
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Barbary Sheep hunting in NM once I jumped down off a boulder and smashed the ocular lense of my Redfield 2x7 wide field on a rock. It completely destroyed the rear lense. I did not have irons on that rifle and my hunt was over. Ever since then I like to have a spare sighted in scope in rings ready to swap out with me in camp. Either that or a spare rifle if possible.
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