The greatest shooting aid since rifle invention

[ozark]

Nothing during my long lifetime equals the rifle scope in improving our shooting accuracy. A Quality scope properly mounted and sighted in to match the trajectory of a rifle makes accuracy a simple matter. Yes, one has to have a steady hold and a skilled trigger finger to be super accurate but the scope often means the difference between hitting and missing.
Many shooters assume that a new scope is properly adjusted to mount and shoot. The eyepiece often needs adjusting to match the shooters vision. This means unlocking the eyepiece and looking at the sky or a distant mountain and rotating the eyepiece until the crosshairs or other reticle is sharp and distinct. This should be done with the scope placed away from the eye about three inches as a rule. I do this before ever attempting to mount it on a rifle.
Mounting is a task that requires careful attention to details. Questions must be answered regarding how far forward or rearward the scope sits in the rings. How level the scope is mounted to the rifle and careful attention paid to the torquing of the base and ring screws. One shooter showed up to sight in his deer rifle at our recent egg shoot with the elevation adjustment knob on the left side and the windage adjustment knob on the top. I thought about that a bit and it would be confusing to me. Back to the subject.....If you will properly mount and sight in a quality scope you will be giving yourself a real crutch for shooting accurately. Yes, I know everyone knows this but I would bet that even members of this fine forum could maybe find their scope lacking in some particular. By being aware that scopes permits us to adjust them to match our individual vision we are several steps ahead of the crowd. ozark.

[Jon]

Ozark. Up till a no. of years ago I hated scopes. Now with out one I couldn"t shoot . It is to me a big learning curve. If it wasn't for people on this board I would not have pulled a trigger again.
Jon

[artjr338wm]

Ozark, superb observation. For my first eight years of deer hunting I used a iron sighted smooth bore 870. I could no BS hit 1 gallon paint cans at 100yrds with this set up. Thought, what the he!! do I need a scope for?

That was until I had a big old buck standing at about 140yrds from me, and I simply could not aim accurately enough with the iron sights to make the shot. Before second shotgun season I was using a scoped slug gun.

The very next year Marlin came out with its bolt action model 512 slug gun. I bought one had a trigger job done and muzzle re crowned. Toped it with a 3-9x40mm VariX-II. Used it to drop a fine 10 pointer with a single shot, at a laser confirmed 198yrds. Buck was DRT using 12ga 2.75" Winchester Partition Gold sabot slugs.

Could have NEVER EVER made that shot with a iron sighted slug gun.

Scopes ment to rifles what smokeless powder ment to the self contained metallic cartridge.

[whelenman]

I'd always used iron sights on muzzleloaders. As I got older the eyes of course didn't focus closely as before. The straw that broke the camel's back was when I had a nice buck fifty or sixty yards from me down a hollow one morning. I mounted the rifle and couldn't pick out the sights in the conditions......Lost that buck. I went home, mounted a scope and have never looked back. You've got to adapt to what happens. I did however put a peep sight on my long barrelled traditional round ball gun and that helped keep it closer to traditional but still useable.