Thoughts on having several scopes for one rifle.

[Loosenock]

I've been thinking about having multiple scope setups for one rifle. I think this would give a shooter more options for use out of one rifle. For example:

Say you have a .300 Win Mag. with a 3 x 9 variable scope you use for elk hunting. It sits in your vault for 357 days out of the year. Just for fun you would like to take it out and do some 1000 yard plinking at a gong. Boy, a 24x or 36x target scope would be nice. Or your planning a dangerous game hunt in the thickets of northern latitudes. There, a 2 1/2 powder scope with a post reticle seems like the thing to have. Maybe you would just like to shoot it with open sights!

Seems like I've read or have seen where European shooters routinely carry scopes separate from their rifles and attach the scope when needed.

My limited knowledge on the subject tells me that maintaining zero is going to be a problem swapping scopes around What are some of the best mounts and ring systems that would work? Anyone really do this?

I hear the tried and true Weaver bases and rings work OK. I have no experience with them though. Now if I mount a base on my rifle and have scopes and rings set for that mount. Are these "in the rifle chamber" cartridge laser bore zeroing devices accurate enough for re-calibrating zero on the remounting?

Any thoughts, experiences or knowledge you care to share would be appreciated.

Thanks
'loose

 

[maxxhavoc]

When I swap my weaver on and off, it stays within 1/2" at 100 yards usually. 1.5" at the worst. It still needs to be sighted, but it is almost there.

The laser bore devices (assuming you use it correctly - i.e. compensate for scope offset at distance) will get you on paper at 25 yards. The good ones, on paper at 50 yards. You still need to sight in.

 

[taliv]

if you're contemplating dangerous game, then you may not be overly concerned with budget, but in any event, one high quality scope would be preferable to 3 cheaper ones.

more specifically, one scope could do the 3-7x and target work fairly easily. i'd say any of the good 5-25x. then for the fast up close shots, take a page from the 3gun/PRS crowd and put a red dot at 45*

 

[Derek Zeanah]

Taliv has it. There are pretty solid 1-10x scopes out there as well that offer superb optical quality, and I've dinged 10" steel plates at > 1,000 yards in the past with a good quality 10 power scope.

Something like this might cost more than your rifle, and it's not exactly light, but it's a solid do-everything choice.

 

[hq]

Something like this might cost more than your rifle, and it's not exactly light, but it's a solid do-everything choice.

...except for a breathtakingly narrow 36' FOV at 100yd at its lowest magnification. Most 1.5x BG/DG and driven hunt scopes almost double that at 60-65' and I consider my own compromise, Zeiss HD5 2-10x42 and its 52' FOV a bare minumum if not outright inadequate.

 

[Loosenock]

The power of the scope is one consideration for sure. But the reticle needs to be considered also. Say on a 3x9 or 4x12 general purpose scope for open and mountainous environment a 4 plex reticle (although not my personal favorite) would work. But at 1000 yard plinking a fine cross hair would be better IMHO. And in thick alders or tall, dense desert cactus I can see where I would want a low powered scope with a German type 1 or post and cross hair reticle mounted low on the base.

I think at one time there was a scope company who made a scope with crosshair with a pop up post. A lever in the elevation turret could be moved to bring up the post.

I have and used electronic dot scopes but the dot seems like a red fuzz ball to me. Also I have had a hard time trying to find the red fuzz ball in the scope and getting it on target. Just me I know. I'm 70.

Your comments are appreciate, thank you.

'loose

 

[Varminterror]

I have lived various forms of a modular life with multiple rifles, from optics to A2/3 handles for Service Rifle competition AR's, hunting AR's where the optic stays with the lower and different uppers are transplanted in the middle, DGR's with QD optics over irons, coyote hunting rifles with interchangeable NV and day scopes, student loaner rifles with "kid friendly" optics options replacing adult compatible options, even a couple switch barrel rigs where I have barrels and optics for North American game, plus barrels and low mag optics for DG. I've done exactly as you described, running a low magnification optic for hunting, high mag for plinking.

Most QD mounts, or even non-QD, fixed rings/bases will come back within a quarter MOA when removed and reinstalled, if they were properly installed the first time. I've frequently popped a scope and rings off of rifles, dropped on another scope for a day, then gone right back with the old one, nary a shift, as long as the bases are torqued the same and given the same forward dead stop position when reinstalled. I've also removed a scope from its rings, using tape as a physical stop and witness marks for leveling, taken the scope out of the rings, and gone back later without a significant shift. Less shift than a significant temperature change between two days of shooting.

In your paradigm where you have a lower magnification scope for hunting and a higher mag for range work, frankly, you'll be at the range - pull the hunting scope, put on the range optic, confirm zero, then play to your heart's content. Before you leave, put the hunting scope back in place and confirm zero... Easy.

I personally like a lot of magnification - I can shoot at lower power, but don't always love to do so, and if I'm shooting with a spotter, I don't worry about seeing my own splash or trace, I just shoot. If I'm shooting alone, I'll run 10-15x and make my own reads and calls, but if I'm in front of a skilled spotter, I zoom in and aim small.

 

[Skylerbone]

I always pictured Europeans with one really amazing scope and multiple rifles, not the other way round.

If you’re going to go with multiple set-ups, then I’d choose 1-piece 1913 rails by the same manufacturer and all matching rings so any optic can mount to any rifle. If you mount a scope, hopefully it will still be near its center of adjustment and you can log what it takes in click value to zero then mark the mounting location on the rail. When removing (if it’s going on another rifle), re-center and log the new rifle’s adjustments.

If it’s only one rifle, just mark the rail slots for it.

 

[Skylerbone]

10/22 TD with markings for Nikon scope and Vortex RD. No discernible shift in POI on what is a 3/4”-1” at 50yd The Warne QR rings have clockable levers to ensure repeatable tightening.

 

[SamT1]

I used to swap between a N/V and scope on an AR15, it’s always within the margin of error for field shooting. Minute of beer can at 100. I use white paint pen to make some alignment marks so you make sure everything goes in the same position.

There was a guy building AR rifles with open sights on 45* built into the receiver.

 

[Chuck R.]

I have QD mounts from: Styer, Warne, Leupold, Larue and American defense. I have a couple rifles with two scopes: "open country & woods" with the woods having heavy duplex reticles, and I have a "load development scope" for my ARs, since their main optic is either a RDS or a 1-6X.

All pretty much remain within .25-.5 MOA when removed and re-installed. There's a consistency technique to reinstalling like "push FWD and to the right" when clamping, but as long as it's followed all of my QDs have been GTG for practical purposes.

Chuck

 

[Danoobie]

Why not just get the higher powered scope, then set at the lowest power for
Elk hunting? Save you a lot of costly scopes, time and zeroing.

 

[SamT1]

Why not just get the higher powered scope, then set at the lowest power for
Elk hunting? Save you a lot of costly scopes, time and zeroing.

That’s how I do it. Vortex 6-20x44 on my daily carry. I run it on 14 most of the time. I don’t realky have any issue getting coyotes in target trotting at 100. I can’t imagine high power being an issue finding an elk. I prefer to zoom in and thread the needle.
A 45-70 guide gun would be cheap as a descent scope for a dangerous game hunt.

 

[Sav .250]

I seriously doubt you`ll find numbers worth noting about guys who do just that. j s/n.

 

[z7]

I have one scope that goes on multiple rifles, a vortex pst 4-16 in an American Defense Manufacturing QD mount. I have the notes somewhere, but from gun A to gun B is 12 clicks left and 6 clicks down or something like that. reverse that process when I remount it. both are AR platforms that shoot about right at 1moa when I do my part, sometimes better, sometimes worse depending on ammo.

my experience says it is possible, and you wouldn't need to compromise on features with multiple scopes, but I would need to test that out before I took a gun hunting with a scope that I put on with no checking of zero.

 

[Loosenock]

Why not just get the higher powered scope, then set at the lowest power for
Elk hunting? Save you a lot of costly scopes, time and zeroing.

Because I already have a load of scopes, mounts and rings that I would like to get some use out of. So far the helpful comments I have receive have been encouraging. I've mounted one scope and laser bore sighted in. I'm going with Weaver bases and rings.

'loose