Riflescopes Blog

Leupold Ultimate Slam Deer Season

2008-12-16T11:53:00.000-08:00

I drove with my friend Scott. We motored a few hours to Cass County, Illinois, for Muzzleloading deer season. I had an either sex and an antlerless tag. We met a couple folks down at the home we stayed in that also had tags. The house was only a few minutes away from the Illinois river, which we had to cross to get to the island where we were to hunt. Crossing a pitch black river would be fun in an unfamiliar boat.

The first morning we were up about 5AM. The wet gusts were making the 17 degree weather feel a whole lot colder than the thermometer said. Before I threw the covers off me I had a few minutes of deer hunting self hypnosis. "Deer hunting is fun...deer hunting is fun...." I was well prepared, though, with good polypropylene underwear and windproof clothes and my new Irish Setter Snow Claw Boots. The boots were my Christmas gift from My Shirley, and they're worth every penny for treestand use. Of course, buy the proper size as with any boot, and use disposable heat packs inside them. Bring enough Heat Factory warmers for your gloves and chest and kidneys if you are so inclined.

The Leupold 3-9x40 Ultimate Slam riflescope I used is one of the best and most user-friendly scopes available for a muzzleloader or slug gun. It offers a reticle with hold over points for use with different muzzleloading sabot loads or various slugs. It is born as a VX-II, and the quality of Leupold products is at least on par with any riflescope manufacturer, bar none. I rely on them and have recommended them for years. And I don't baby my stuff. If you want a scope that will last lifetimes, buy one. At all power levels before dawn I was able to see significantly more through the scope than with my naked eyes. My scope was mounted in a DNZ (Dednutz) mount on a T/C Omega, and it's a good gun. The trigger is clean, it's easy to load, and without experimentation with loads it gives me under two inches. I could probably chop that in half with some homework. I like the DNZ mounts quite a bit. These one piece bases and rings are machined beautifully, and a couple quick passes with a Wheeler lapping bar shows almost no wear. I used a BLACKHAWK! sling on this trip and liked it a lot. Sorry there's no picture in the link. It's easily adjustable and doesn't easily slip from a shoulder, even over backpack straps.

I also used a Leupold RX-III rangefinder. This is typical Leupold quality, but I must admit that I am not savvy enough to use most of the features in this model. Fortunately, when you insert the battery and turn it on, the default mode of operation is TBR, which means "True Ballistic Range." This means it gives a factual horizontal distance to your target instead of line of sight. This could be a useful feature in many instances, and I've had a few on trips this year. When changing modes and experimenting and things get confusing, like they often do for geniuses like me, just hold down the power button and it defaults to the TBR setting. Easy. It's waterproof, has 8x magnification, and has myriad options for smarter people than me to use. It's not hard to find those people, though, especially when technology is involved. There are many choices in a Leupold rangefinder, but this RX-III is an excellent choice with a maximum reflective range of 1200 yards.

Scott must have night vision behind his eyes, and he led me through the woods like it was freakin' daytime. I just stepped mostly in his tracks. Some of the land was his, and he was familiar with the terrain like most people are with their living room. I cheated a bit at times and used my superb Browning Tactical flashlights with a red lens. My favorites for a long time, and the best buy in a superb light. Walk in with as little clothes as possible to prevent sweat. Sitting in your perspiration for a few hours in below zero weather in a windy 20 foot treestand leaves a bit to be desired. Once you get up there, zip up a bit at a time. Most hunting injuries have to do with treestand falls, so be careful and always use a belt. Do what I say, not what I do. One of those kinds of things. I use a safety belt, but usually use them to drag deer out of the woods. I recommend you try it if you haven't.

I saw a few magnificent bald eagles through some bright, small and handy Leupold Katmai binoculars, and the week before, Scott and his sons Jake and Eric spotted snapping turtles through the ice. Never heard of such a thing and would be thrilled to catch some some time. I love turtle meat.

Scott was the only one of us to shoot a deer. I busted two out of their beds before dawn on the way to a stand, but that's all I saw. That's why they call it "hunting" instead of just "killing."

Sunday morning was the last time in a tree this trip, and it was one of the nicest times you can imagine. Still wet and windy, but the temperature was in the high 30s and it was beautiful and pleasant and comfortable. I talk to my maker a lot at times like those.

Bob and Brad were a lot of fun, and not a lot of the humor and witticisms were lost on us. We went to church one night, but it was converted to friend Tim's extravagant hunting lodge, complete with mounted monster deer and alcohol. God bless hunting.

Scott forced a hind quarter and a backstrap on me (wasn't hard), and I cooked a dinner that night with his venison, and a potatoes-in-foil concoction that he taught me along with some frozen corn on the cob from a friend's farm this year. I sure gave My Shirley the meat that night. Don't read anything else into that statement if you can help it.

I hope you all had a fun season hunting, and that you brought some meat home from your own kill. It does taste a bit better when it's yours. My thanks to Scott for everything.

FastFire on Flattop AR

2008-12-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

The latest equipment on my black gun is my varmint set up, with a change or two. I installed a Leupold VX-III 4.5-14x50 in a pair of Burris XTR rings. This superb quality scope gives this half inch gun the capability to hit very small targets as far as I can see them, certainly in the several hundred yard range. The rugged 6 screw XTR rings are rock solid, and with the one inch height give me an optical center of 1.5 inches, which is perfect for a comfortable cheek weld. In place of the rear ring I installed the Burris XTR Picatinny ring top which has a moulded in mount for accessories. The accessory I installed is one of the highest quality red dots I know of... the Docter mini red dot. This sight uses Zeiss glass, and under it I have a weaver base made by Burris. The Burris FastFire mounts interchange with the Docter sight. The Burris FastFire sight is a quality sight that will work almost equally well for a lot less money. With this set up, the dot clears the objective bell cleanly, and with just a slight repositioning of my head gives me a clear sight picture for the unexpected close shot for sneaky dogs. This set up with a scope with smaller magnification is also ideal for close quarter defensive work, with the opportunity to use variable magnification for longer shots. I like this set up quite a lot for my current purposes.

Leupold Reticles

2008-12-02T11:18:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of misinformation out there about Leupold reticles. Even a google search states that most are wire. Not true. This was mostly true many years ago, but technology grows. All Leupold illuminated reticles are etched. All Mk IV, and VX-III, and VX-L, mildot, Boone & Crockett, and Varmint Hunter's reticles are etched. The Duplex is not wire, either. It is a metal form stamping made out of a single, solid piece of steel. About the only wire reticles left are the CPC, target crosshair, and target dot. Not that it makes much difference; it really doesn't for most of us for most applications. Keep in mind that the etched reticles add another lens, also. It is a glass lens, very thin and not much bigger in diameter than a turret dial. This piece of glass is coated appropriately as the other lenses in the particular system are, Index Matched or not. It also has an anti static coating on it. Leupold scopes are among the most reliable optical systems made, period. I rely on them regularly, and they are worth every penny. Keep a look out for some very exciting new improvements and options on the 2009 line I can't talk about yet. Recently, the Leupold mandated MAP (minimum advertised price) has been removed on the VX-III and VX-L scopes, making them superb deals until they are gone and the new ones have taken their place. They make great Christmas gifts!

A Merry Red Dot Christmas

2008-11-20T13:55:00.000-08:00

Red dot sights always make great gifts because they are adaptable to so many applications. Some special deals going on this season are represented by the Burris Fastfire with the picatinny mount, or if you need the sight without the picatinny so you can choose a different Fastfire mount, you can do that too. Another great choice and an excellent value is this single ring version of the Tasco Propoint. The Bushnell HOLOsight is a proven performer, and made by EOTech, a main provider of holographic sights for our military. All make great gifts.

Fobus Holsters and Accessories

2008-11-19T16:04:00.000-08:00

It's hard for the average consumer to choose a holster by themselves. There are seemingly countless choices available, and fit charts seem to get exponentially more confusing as pistol models increase. Even I have a hard time reading charts from some manufacturers. The Fobus holsters and accessories are among the easiest to peruse because of their excellent holster fit chart available on OpticsPlanet.com. Magazine pouches are listed in their own category as well. I use Fobus products regularly and think they are some of the most durable and user friendly products available. They even make holsers that hold guns with lights and lasers installed. I highly recommend them.

Riflescope Tracking

2008-11-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

I got an email the other day about a customer who bought an inexpensive riflescope and wanted to return it because it wouldn't "shoot a box". Shooting a box is a good test of riflescope tracking. Here's how I do it. Sight in in the center of a large target. The target should also have aiming points in each of the four corners some distance away. My aiming points are 10 inches away from each other. When you're sighted in, move your elevation turret 10 inches up, or forty clicks on a 1/4 minute scope. Aiming at the lower left aiming point, shoot a three or five shot group. Your group should be centered on the upper left aiming point. Now, still aiming on the lower left aiming point, move your windage turret 10 inches right and shoot a group. Then move elevation down 10 inches and shoot, then windage left 10 inches and shoot. You should have a group in each of the corners, without moving your point of aim from the lower left aiming point. There are as many variations of this as you can think of. Good scopes will move the appropriate amount each time. Inexpensive scopes will not do this.

If you want your $100.00 scope to shoot a box, here's how to do it. Sell it and use the money to replace it with a scope that costs several times as much. Simple. Don't expect a cheap scope to do this. It may do it a bit at a time, or go too far, or exhibit any number of quirks.

This being said, if your scope won't shoot a box, so what? Most people will only be concerned with their scope holding zero which is more important. Cheap scopes work fine if mounted properly and sighted in correctly. They are rarely moved too much, if at all, except for different ammo or conditions. Your scope does not have to shoot a box to be useful and practical.

Bushnell Elite 3200s for Airguns

2008-10-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

I picked up a new airgun scope for a favorite spring gun, my Beeman R1 in .20 caliber. I decided on a Bushnell Elite 3200 4-12x40 #324124A. This is a rugged, bright, and repeatable scope, marketed as going down to 10 meters for official airgun competition. Unfortunately, I found that the 10 meter parallax advertising for this scope is not true. It's really about 12 meters, making it useless for my needs. I swapped it for another 3200, the 5-15x40 #325154T. This also has some advertising issues. This scope has tall target turrets. Nowhere is this described in the Bushnell literature, and there are no photos of it that I found. It has mildots that I can live without, but the subtension is okay, and the knobs are useful move to previously known settings for different distances or pellets. I'll install it soon and let you know how it performs.

Chuck, a Leica, and a Leupold

2008-10-06T16:28:00.000-07:00

My buddy Chuck the vet is back from his hunt. A mulie and a couple antelope. His Leupold VX-III 3.5-10x40 was mounted in Leupold Dual Dovetail rings and bases and everything worked superbly like good equipment does. His Leica Rangemaster 1200 rangefinder was the envy of all. You get what you pay for. Good job, Chuck. Three shots and three animals. Seems like all that practice paid off.

Swift High Recoil Riflescope on Airgun

2008-09-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally crashed my 720039 Bushnell Sportsman on my Beeman R1 air rifle. This is the scope I spoke about in the Sportsman Surgery blog. It's been a fantastic scope for way too many shots for quite a few years. I'll send it in under warranty for a new one, and when I get it back I'll put it on a .22 rimfire or a lower powered airgun. Worth every penny, and I'm sorry to see it go, but the FF eyepiece started to wiggle a bit, and being a second plane scope, the reticle moved with it.

I'm putting a Swift Premier High Recoil 3-9x40 airgun scope on the gun now, and these scopes have proven themselves as good performers, even on high-recoiling spring guns. The field of view is good, the picture clear, and the target knobs offer easy and repeatable adjustments. I can only hope to have the same longevity out of this scope as I had with the Sportsman.

New NightOptics Website

2008-09-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

There's a new sister website we're associated with that needs mentioning. Night Optics is primarily a source for night vision optics and related products. Take a look at the ATN J169W weapons mounted light. $169 bucks, 169 lumens, remote and mounts included. From first to fourth generation night vision and thermal viewing equipment, it's worth a look.

Leica Rangefinders for Chuck the Vet

2008-09-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

My veterinarian buddy Chuck is at it again. After his first experience with pronghorn last year he was hooked. He's going again at the end of this month for antelope as well as mule deer, and his old rangefinder didn't perform well enough for him. He doesn't like to spend money if he doesn't have to, but knows what money gets. Quality.

He asked me for a recommendation on a rangefinder. Knowing he's not broke, I forced him to spend the money on the Leica CRF 1200, the finest rangefinder I am aware of for hunting purposes, in my opinion. Super small and crazy bright, it is also simple to use. He won't need to upgrade again. Superb product.

Benchrest Scopes

2008-09-10T16:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a forum post I answered for a customer from France. His question was:

"Steven L, MRgman and other experts Ive been readnig your informed responses for quite some time now, and as such i realise that my question doesnt have an easy answer. Hey, i may as well ask it anyway

I live in France and target shoot often. I have several great scopes inc NXS 12-42X, Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20X, Weaver T36 (truely a great scope for the money) and a Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24X. I have other scopes too, but these are far and away the best. I have ordered a custom 6BR rifle that will deserve the best of the best scope. I shoot at 200m and 500m in a 'type' of benchrest position. Its not the same as the US benchrest where both the front and back of the rifle are on sandbags, but here, we just rest the front and the back is held via our shoulder. As such breathing control plays a large part in our accuracy. Due to this i like a very high power scope so that i can use it to control my breathing, at the very least 25X. I never hunt, so the scope doesnt have to be variable. I also like the high power so that i can see where i have hit, and looking at a small dark hole in a black target at 200m is not easy. With my T36 and NXS i am JUST about able to see most of the holes. I know i cuold buy a great spotting scope, but these cost around the same as a good scope, so i dont see the point. Recticles....Many great companies like Zeiss make awsome optics, but they dont design their scopes for precision target shooters. The recticles are so thick that at 500M they cover the target so you cant get good consistency. 1/8 MOA turets would be nice, but not essential. As i live in France i have to buy my scopes mail order, so i dont get the luxury of trying before i buy. Given my requirements, could you suggest what you think would be the 'ideal' scope? Money is not relevent as i know how much the most expensive are, and if thats what i need, thats what ill have,

Thanks in advance, and i look forward to reading your replies.

Frazzle"

I answered:

Monsieur Frazzle, you use excellent equipment, as you know.

If your Nightforce has the CH-1 reticle, you have the finest optical system I am aware of for long range shooting with one of the smallest subtensions. The Nightforce Benchrest 12-42x56 is not made for the kind of abuse an NXS is made for, and the forward adjustable objective is a bit more prone to dust infiltration, but the optical quality is the same, except for one more lens in the NXS with the side focus. Not an issue. The BR also has 1/8" clicks. The CH-1 has among the least subtension (.016) of scopes that I am aware of, and maximum magnification. As you probably know, they are used on the 1000 yard record holder packages, and win most of the long range competitions of any kind.

Another superb choice is the Leupold Competition Series 45x45 for less money and a similar subtension of .10, and also 1/8" clicks. Either of these are world class. And I agree the Weaver is excellent for the money.

Good luck and aim hard. Au revoir.

Aim Hard!
Steve at OpticsPlanet

Sportsman Surgery

2008-08-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a reprint from a couple years ago:

My favorite spring piston airgun is a Beeman R-1 anniversary model in .20 caliber. It has an ivory grip cap and used to wear an older Leupold 3-9 EFR without click adjustments (current scopes have clicks). The scope had my name engraved on it from the Leupold Custom Shop, and it was perfect and sexy and sighted in with Crosman Premiers at 25 yards.

I now shoot this rifle at three different distances, and wanted a scope with click adjustments and target turrets. I installed a Bushnell Sportsman 3-9 AO in a Beeman one piece mount and sighted it in at 10 meters in my basement range. I set the turrets to zero at this distance, and proceeded to sight in again on my spinner target outside my kitchen window at 17 yards, marking my new zero with some white-out. I then went to my other kitchen window and sighted in at 24 1/2 yards at my most used targets and marked another dot with white-out. The clicks are audible, tactile, and precise, and after thousands of rounds, I can still go from one zero to another and back again with perfect repeatability. These scopes are made to withstand the dual recoil of a spring piston airgun, but not necessarily with the significant recoil of a magnum air rifle like the R-1 or any 1000 FPS type gun. Maybe this scope is an anomaly being as perfect as it is, but I couldn't be happier with it and consider it one of my favorites, and a steal for the low retail price I paid.

My normal airgun targets are the dots left from a paper puncher, or Keno cards from Vegas, but I came across a new target last weekend. TOMATO TERRORISTS! To my horror, tomato hormworms were wreaking havoc in my Shirley's garden on her Early Girl and Beefy Boy Tomatoes. The buggers were as big as my middle finger and their handiwork was showing on a number of our succulent fruits. I plucked one off and sequestered it in a target area.

My turret was set at the appropriate distance, and the heft of the familiar gun steadied me as my heart pumped hard with the exitement of lead scalpel Sportsman surgery. Jesus hates revenge, but I am not him, and a tight smile curled my lips as I slowly pressed the trigger with a smooth incremental pressure until the sear broke and my follow-through continued the pellet on its way to my target. Exploding hornworms are not too dissimilar to exploding prarie dogs, except the liquid is green instead of red, and instead of crimson chunks and gore and fur it simply looks like someone spilled a key lime smoothie.

All in all, it was an effective way to sharpen shooting skills and vanquish vegetable vermin on a steamy suburban Saturday.

The Amazing Jonathan and the South African Gas Station Meat Pie Adventure

2008-08-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

Some people just have guts. Jonathan is one of them.

We left our hunting lodge for a 5 hour trip to the Johannesburg, South Africa airport for the trip home after a long and draining safari. We were all exhausted. The van was crowded but reasonably unstinky even though crammed with hunters recently released from the wilds of the bush. Hygiene does not always take priority. We had to stop for fuel, and since we weren’t making good enough time to stop for lunch we would have to do with whatever we could find to eat at the gas station.

I bought some ostrich jerky called biltong and a bottle of water. One thing to avoid at the beginning of a thirty-something hour trip home is diarrhea. Some guys bought chips and pop and candy. We joked about the runny meat pies they had sitting on the counter under a light bulb. When we got back in the van there was a strange odor. Jonathan had actually bought one and was planning to eat it. The horrid implications were bewildering. I pictured liquid stool and the accompanying smells violently squirting up from Jonathan’s waistband sitting next to me on an airplane for a day. Projectile vomit splashing from an overflowing air sickness bag. Maybe I would yell “bomb” and hope that a hidden air marshal would shoot us and put us out of our misery.

The pie had a rancid stink, and brown puss-like gravy oozed out when Jonathan bit into the crust. The mystery creature in it was certainly aged beyond it’s time. Some sinew was strung between his teeth and the offending delicacy. He smiled at me as he chewed, and the noxious coating from the soggy crust on his lips made me retch. As he continued to eat, the collective stomachs in the van turned acidic and boiled with displeasure. He ate the whole thing and seemed quite proud of himself. Some silverskin or something was stuck in his teeth that he couldn’t get out. I was disgusted down to my 5.11 socks.

The trip home was uneventful and Jonathan never got sick. He was dubbed “The Amazing Jonathan” and will have that title evermore.

Red Dot Shapes

2008-07-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest reasons that people return red dot sights is because the dot is not perfectly round, or there is some glare around the inside of the tube. I have news for you. You won't get a perfectly round dot. That's just the way it is. The brighter you adjust the dot, the fuzzier it will get. Simple solution: turn the intensity down. The brightest settings are for the brightest ambient conditions. If you turn up your Aimpoint Comp C32X and you see a halo inside the tube, this is normal, not a flaw. Same with cheap units. If you're in the middle of a snow field at noon with a bright sun you'll be glad you have the option of such a bright setting, but that's all it's used for. If you're using such a bright setting at the indoor range, turn it down. The dots also appear different from eye to eye. Look at one with your left and then your right. They most often appear different. This will happen with superb sights like all Aimpoints and EOTechs, as well as cheap imports. This is how they work. Also, the glass ocular lens on a reflex sight is not broken because it is installed crookedly. It's supposed to be crooked to reflect the dot back to your eye.

Holsters 101 Featuring Bianchi, Blackhawk, Fobus, Galco, Etc.

2008-07-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

Last training class was Holsters 101. I spoke about construction and materials, applications, real world daily carry, and my favorites. I started the class wearing an Uncle Mikes Bandolier with a scoped Freedom Arms in it over a Galco Miami Classic with a Glock. Inside my 5.11 tactical shirt was a Star PD. My ankle held a Kel-Tec in an Uncle Mike's rig. On my belt was a Galco Phoenix Crossdraw with a model 10 in it, next to a left hand Blackhawk Serpa with another Glock, then a Galco SOB with another Glock, then a Galco Yaqui Slide with a Beretta, then a #5 Uncle Mike's hip holster with thumb break with the straps removed and a cocked and locked 70 series 1911 in it, then an Uncle Mike's inside the pants with another Kel-Tec. A Jennings was in my pocket in a Galco horsehide Front pocket holster. A J frame was in an Uncle Mike's fanny pack. I did this to explain how each holster is different, and these visual aids helped the employees engrain the information. In the Democratic Republic of Illinois, one of the most restricted states we have, most folks have never touched a holster or a handgun, and certainly have never put a handgun in a holster and actually worn one. This was another fun class, and it's not often I get to wear a dozen guns at once and get paid for it.

Safari Synopsis

2008-06-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

Safari Synopsis

6-3-2008
8 AM. I’m leaving today from gate L-9. Airport’s not too busy. Guns got checked in okay. TSA had a tough time closing my gun case and a few items came out. Of course they wouldn’t let me help put it back together. Altogether it went well for Chicago O’Hare.

Flew to Atlanta fine. Transferred to another flight and then on to Dakar, Senegal, a 9 hour flight across the Atlantic. Felt like it. At Dakar a bunch of security people came on and sprayed disinfectant and checked every chair and bag for contraband going to South Africa. This took a couple hours, then another 9 ½ hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa.

Eventually landed in Johannesburg. Scarier than I remember it last time. I would last 5 minutes on the streets by myself. A 6 hour drive to the Northernmost part of South Africa to hunting camp in a pair of vans crowded with scraggly and anxious hunters with luggage and guns. This camp borders Zimbabwe. 35 hours total travel time. One road block with no incidents.
Finally slept. Can’t do it on a plane, never was able to. Saw a lion coming in. They roared until I fell unconscious . There’s a shower in my cabin with hot water and a toilet. Both were extremely appreciated.

6-5-2008
Up early. Working on about 3 hours sleep for two days. I’m glad I brought an obnoxious alarm clock with. Some people had a tough time getting up. My neck and back are burning pretty good. Ibuprofen and coffee should fix it. No heat in the cabin, temperature in the 40s. Bird noises this morning were indescribable. Quick breakfast, then out to the range to check zero. I oiled my bore before I left, so threw a fouler first, and my next shot was on the X. I’m ready to hunt. Got to know some of the guys a bit. Several gun magazine editors and photographers. Lots of nice guns.

Several people commented on the nice wood on my Howa. This happens often, but too bad it’s not wood. Just an old synthetic Bell and Carlson with wood grain. Gun’s been a good honest friend on a lot of hunts. It’s never lied to me. Boring and wonderful old 1906 cartridge does everything I ask of it. My 1500 is wearing a Nikon Monarch 2.5-10x42 with a BDC reticle in Leupold 2 piece dual dovetails. Browning X-cellerator sling, one of my favorites for years. Easily adjustable for shooting and carrying. I also have with me my Stony Point Expedition bipod with the clamp and pivot kit and a third leg. Worth it's trouble carrying around. Especially when someone else carries it for you. You simply cannot shoot sitting here, and there are no trees to rest against, just heavy, thorny brush.

We’re in a Toyota pickup outfitted for the bush. I sat in back in the bed on one of two bolted on padded chairs with the PH (Professional Hunter) Eddy driving and his tracker Elifas in back of me. A local tracker was beside him. Saw kudu, impalas, zebra, nyala, gemsbok, warthog, steenbok, and a zillion colorful and raucous birds and rodents. I had taken many of these animals on an earlier safari or didn’t want them. I really wanted a red hartebeest, ostrich, blue wildebeest, and warthog mainly on this trip.

Back from the evening hunt. Stalked some wildebeests but lost them. Very thick here. Unlikely to take a very long shot. I was asleep on my feet. Hard to stay awake, even in the hot seat holding a gun. At the main lodge I continued to get to know my hunting partners with a few drinks and war stories. I had been reading some of these guys for many years. We were all ready for dinner and bed. One of the guys shot a nice buffalo today.

6-6-2008
Lions roared me to sleep and woke me this morning. Pretty surreal. I slept well. Jet lag not really an issue, and I feel recharged and ready. To the lodge for breakfast. We are on the Limpopo river, and on the opposite shore about 80 yards away I’m looking at 3 rhinos eating. There are several hippos in the water snorting not 40 yards away. Unreal. Crocodiles upstream. Eggs and bacon and coffee taste so much better here than at home. It’s still a bit dark and there’s a sliver of moon over the trees with baboons barking underneath it. We’re not in Kansas anymore.

Shot a big male baboon this morning out of a tree at about 150 yards. He fell at least 50 feet. Nice shot, but unfortunately the bullet entered his back and deflected and knocked a portion of a canine tooth off. I took him just after he was done mating. He didn’t even have time for a cigarette.

Stalked a nice impala, about 24”, a good trophy. I didn’t need another, but it was a fine example and they don’t cost a ton. We stopped the stalk when we saw a red hartebeest, an animal I really wanted. Put on several stalks with no success. My legs are telling me I’m an office worker.
These trackers and PHs don’t make noise when they walk. It’s an acquired skill you had better learn quickly. To spend hours on a stalk and blow it because you snapped a twig or kicked a rock is not acceptable.

Later we saw more hartebeests, worked a good stalk and I made a perfect shot in the chest of a large one facing me at about 125 yards. I had time to turn the scope up to 10x and shot him using the guide’s shoulder as a rest. He dropped cold. I hoped to recover the bullet but the skinners didn’t get it. Saving the skull. No room in the house or money for more shoulder mounts, even on a beautiful animal like this.

Noon. Sat hidden in a quickly assembled hide in comfortable folding chairs under some acacia trees about a hundred yards from a water hole waiting for warthogs. Had lunch with my PH, chewing on some dried sausage and a sandwich with some yellow meat. Didn’t care what it was, and didn’t ask. Probably better off. Acacia thorns are perfect toothpicks. Bottled water only when you travel. Or pop or beer. Bugs were driving me nuts, swarming my face and ears. At the hole at one time there were eland, giraffes, baboons, monkeys, impalas, guinea fowl, and later on, even a jackal, but the only warthogs we saw were small. Giraffes are my favorite creatures here. Gargantuan and magnificent. I even watched three of them spread their legs to drink, with several red billed ox pickers running up and down their necks snacking on ticks. What a sight. Having a blast. The trackers took the truck and left. Here we sit. No talking, no moving. A change of pace from walking and stalking and glassing.

One impala ram keeps chasing off several smaller ones, protecting his heard of females. They are so vocal. I think they are the noisiest animals here besides birds. I have a giraffe 20 yards to my left, 20 yards to my right, and 30 yards in back of me. They know something is here, but don’t know what we are, and don’t seem to be afraid of us. Guinea fowl all around us. I’d like to shoot the jackal, but I really want a warthog, so I’ll wait. I may have other chances for a dog. A herd of wildebeest thundered by on the run about 20 yards away. We must be on a highway.

Getting dark now and it cools off FAST. On the way back we’re going to an orange orchard and shine for warthogs. What a blast. Better be on your game and be able to shoot quickly. My Browning Tactical flashlights are the best value on the market and absolutely my favorites. I also use their Night Seeker PRO cap light constantly. Everyone needs one.

This country is like an old man’s face with scars. Rugged and harsh and used and only pretty in a tough way. June 21st is the first day of summer at home, but the first day of winter here. From 40s at night to 80s in the day so far. Bright, strong sun with no clouds. Gotta watch for sunburn. My wide rimmed hat and sunscreen are effective, as are long sleeves.
Drinks and dinner and war stories around the fire.

6-7-2008
Up before dawn again. Clear and chilly, about 40F. Coffee and breakfast. I had to wear earplugs to sleep last night. The lodge was rocking pretty late. Interesting to see the conditions of different people in the morning. Hippos are blowing in the river. Today we look for wildebeest. My clothing and equipment is performing perfectly. Most of my pants and shirts are 5.11 and BLACKHAWK! and are made for this kind of environment.

I normally use Nikon Monarch binoculars, but this trip is about the new EDG binocular, and we all have prototypes to use. I have never used anything better. We are the first people to use them in the field besides in the earlier commercials I filmed. I’m using a 10x42 model here.
Hornbills, baobab trees, chacma baboons, fervet monkeys, all new to me. I saw an ostrich and wanted one for the leather, but no opportunities. Too bad, I already had myriad projects envisioned.

Lunch at an outdoor camp. Steaks and sausage and raw vegetables. Lots of protein around here. The animals normally siesta during the hottest parts of the day. Hunting stories all around and a couple of cold beers. There’s an outhouse nearby. Better to use it now with the spiders here than out in the bush. Baby wipes are not just for babies.

My thighs are burning. Damn mountains give a good perspective for glassing, but you have to climb them first. Small steps in granny gear. Breath in through the nose, out through the mouth. Repeat until you’re at the top. Watch your footing. Tough for a flatlander.
Back at camp. Made some stalks. Sunburned a bit. Tired. I’m used up and cut up and sore and feel great. Beer is good. Dinner is satisfying. Company is fun. Gonna get a good night’s sleep.

6-8-2008
Sunday. Cold this morning. No heat here. No windows on the cabin, just screens. Windy. Hot coffee and breakfast will be devoured. It’s fun watching the PHs speak among themselves. They talk about their clients like all cliques do, but they speak Afrikaans, so we can’t understand them. Hippos in the water again. Lions are loud. Coffee tastes good.

10:30. Spotted a nice wildebeest through the brush. About 70 yards away. Scope was set at 2.5x. Shot him quickly. Called the shot a bit high. Found him about 25 yards away piled up. Nice animal. I recovered the Winchester Accubond. It lost the front but retained the back. Shot was perfect. Saving the skull and the beautiful brindle flatskin.

Drums in the bush all morning calling the Christian natives to worship. Lots of Moslems here also, and many folks that rely on strange practices (to us) and witch doctors.

Lunch at a chalet with lots of protein again. No luck in the evening. We all met at a mountaintop camp when finished with the day’s hunt. Classy tables and china and delicious South African wine in crystal stemware. What a treat this was. Gourmet food in the bush under the Southern Cross, with native dancers and music and way too much to drink. When in Rome…. Got to know some folks fairly well. More war stories. We all got a special engraved Benchmade knife with Nikon EDG Africa 2008 on it. Very nice.

My gun is so dirty and dusty I’ll have to clean it before I hunt tomorrow.

6-9-2008
Hurting a bit, but first one up at the lodge. Lot of folks fairly green today. Funny. Builds character. Pony up.

Nothing this morning. Back at lodge for lunch, hunting locally. Cool today, maybe low 60s and humid and windy. A beer and a bit of reading and a short nap before we go back out.

3:30 PM. Shot a monkey at around 200 yards out of a tree at 10x. He must’ve fallen 75 feet. Gonna use his skull for a paperweight.

5:40PM. Shot a nice impala at around 100 yards at 10x. I was on him for the longest time, but his vitals were completely hidden by a tree. Had only a second to shoot when he moved. Dropped him in his tracks.

Saw lots of game today. Cleaned up and met at lodge for war stories. Hippos everywhere, some not even 30 yards away, blowing like steam engines. I brought some Spiderwire and topwater baits and hooks with me in case I had the opportunity to fish. I found a reel with some light line on it that worked and baited a hook with some fish from an appetizer and dropped it in the water. If I got a nibble I would respool with my good line, but not before. I set the drag light and left it. I would check it again in the morning with no luck.

6-10-2008
Dropped a baboon at 175 yards at 10x. The trackers do not like touching these creatures, not only because a wounded one will easily kill you, but it’s also religious. They think of them as quite human. If you look at one skinned you would believe it also. Later we stalked zebra with no success. Lunch was some kind of meat pie. Yesterday some kind of lasagna. Rained a bit today, just a few drops. My clothing is excellent. Still overcast and windy. A big difference from the first few days of blistering sun and heat.

One of the PHs stepped down off a rock onto the head of a puff adder. Lucky he stepped on the snake’s head. Another guy saw a 10 foot python and freaked. I saw what was probably the biggest spider of my life in one of the editor’s rooms when we talked shop. A lizard dropped from the rafters on one of the guys taking a shower and scared the hell out of him. Funny. Just think what kind and how many creatures would be around in summer. We also found that lions and crocodiles love monkey carcasses.

Saw huge monitor lizards, a bushbuck, duiker, steenbok, springbok, klipspringer, mountain reedbuck. Yellow billed hornbills everywhere as normal. Stalked more zebra. No luck. I came across a few times on cliffs I could’ve used a slope meter on my Monarch Gold 1200 rangefinder.
Back at lodge. War stories. One of the guys shot a cape buffalo with a 500 S&W. The hard cast bullet penetrated 5 ½ feet. Several buffalo were taken altogether. A leopard. A record book warthog. I won’t name names for good or evil. Drinks were flowing. Guitar and drums and even singing “Southern Cross.” May not sound too butch, but I will never forget it. Some of the best music I have ever heard. I contributed by playing the Leatherman on an empty wine bottle.

A PH’s montra:

Kill them all,
Big and small,
Let them fall,
That is all.

6-11-2008
Killed a lamp in my room last night. Oops! Jaku is my PH now, Eddy had to leave.
Zebra stalk. All bits of flavor were represented. We spotted him from the truck, a Mazda this time. We went after him. After a while I set up the sticks but had a bad angle and brush. Couldn’t shoot. My crosshairs were on him for minutes. Finally he moved and I could’ve shot, but another zebra was in back of him and I was concerned about a pass-through. They bolted after getting our scent. Then started about a two hour stalk with crawling, tracking, duckwalking, sweating, hard breathing, and getting poked and cut by everything. We finally saw them about 500 yards away, too far for me to shoot. We took our time and inched closer. They felt safe and came back our way. I fired off the sticks at 255 yards and he fell nicely. Good zebra. I will get amorous on his skin covering my guest bed. I saved some of his liver to use for fishing bait. Something broke the line a couple times later on, but I never saw what kind of fish it was.

After we dropped off the zebra at the skinners with instructions to save the bullet, we went to make a hide by a waterhole for warthogs. Jaku and his tracker Johannes built the blind in about 30 minutes. I’ve been building them for years for deer and couldn’t have done nearly as well in hours. What professionals. The trackers often just wear sandals but don’t seem to know it. Without my boots I would be helpless. We propped the sticks to comfortably position my rifle for a shot and settled in for another long wait. Ants crawling all over us made it uncomfortable as hell. Saw only one small warthog and a couple jackals. Should’ve shot a jackal, but really wanted a warthog. Didn’t get one last trip. Turns out no luck on the warthogs here either, but if I would’ve shot the jackal I wouldn’t have had a chance at all.

Back at camp. The gut pile on a zebra is HUGE! Tomorrow is the last full day of hunting. I’ll bring my 870 with for some birds.

6-12-2008
Last full hunting day. Brought the shotgun for dove and grouse and guinea fowl. I’ve always been a bird hunter primarily and get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Ammo was provided, but an open choke with number fours is not optimum for dove. Still, a real kick in the pants and memorable shooting from the back of a moving pickup.

9 AM. Had a few seconds to turn up my scope and shoot a warthog at about 150 yards down a road. He went about 20 feet, but the brush was so thick we didn’t see him until we were right on him. The trackers treat these pigs with a ton of respect. The tusks will rip a person to shreds. Got lucky seeing this one in this area, it wasn’t expected.

10 AM. Riding through the bush we came upon two South African soldiers that stopped us. They were checking for smugglers. We were alongside the Zimbabwean border, and if you follow the news you have heard about the troubles in that country. The soldiers were friendly and spoke some English. I was looking at their rifles and they were looking at mine. Incredibly, one of the soldiers traded guns with me. The select-fire R4 rifle is similar in design to an FAL but in a 5.56 chamber. We shot each other’s guns and we both got a kick out of it. I told them I was old U.S. Navy and they wanted to know if I had any contacts. I didn’t know if they wanted me to call in an air strike or what. Turns out they wanted to join the U.S. military and go to Iraq where the pay is better and steadier than what they have. Meeting these guys was a pretty memorable slice of my trip. We spoke about politics, AIDS, landmines, etc. Some people in South Africa now believe that if you have AIDS and have sex with a virgin you are cured. Now babies under a year old are being raped. There is no death penalty.

Some of my clothing was on the bed of the truck along with my backpack. My warthog bled all over it and it soaked through everything. I was able to find water and wash most of it off. I’ll do a better job in my washing machine when I get home. They wash clothes here every other day for us, which saved some packing room in my luggage.

Back at lodge for lunch. Afterwards I went on a birdwatchers walk by myself. You’re supposed to go with a group and a guide, but I figured it wasn’t necessary. I got a few hundred yards into the bush with only a small path to follow and a tall canopy of trees when something fell from the branches on my left and my right about 10 yards away. It sounded like someone dropped two sacks of potatoes from a roof. It was two huge baboons and they were barking and shrieking bloody murder with constant eye contact. Scared the holy crap out of me. I would’ve felt a lot better with a pistol or howitzer or something. Tarzan I am not. They followed me for a while, all the time woofing at me. They maybe could sense that I shot a couple of them this week. They eventually got tired of playing scare the human and left.

There was a golf course next to the main entrance to the lodge, and I wanted to say I played in South Africa, so a companion and I went to play 9 holes with a PH and his tracker. We should’ve brought a rifle since it was okay to hunt while on the links. The tracker was downrange and actually spotted our balls for us every hole. If you lose a ball in the rough it’s gone forever. The acacia trees and wait-a-bits will rip you to shreds. The wait-a-bits are bushes with rose-like thorns that curve backwards and stop you in your tracks. I’m still picking out some pieces from my hands and knees. On the seventh hole you have to hit across a river filled with hippos and crocodiles and take a boat to the green. Craziest hole I’ve ever heard of.

When I got back we had a boat ride planned down the Limpopo. Lots of birds and hippos and crocks. Beautiful scenery. Inspiring.

6-13-2008
Leaving today. In Benidorm, Spain in the navy I fell in love with a girl and stayed with her for a week until my ship got under way again. I was mournful and missed her badly for quite a while. I felt the same way about leaving the Limpopo river and Tshipisi Safaris at the Popallin Ranch. We shot some group photos with the hunters and the scores of animals taken this trip. My Nikon Coolpix camera worked superbly throughout every ordeal, and fit my pocket perfectly. Don’t ever leave without lithium batteries.

Typical of South Africa we had to grease a few palms at the airport to stumble our way less hazardously through customs and the police station. It took forever and we almost missed our plane although we were there three hours before flight time. Didn’t get a chance to buy any trinkets there, although we did stop on the way at a small place, so my Shirley and a couple folks got gifts upon my return. The total travel time home was 36 hours, and felt a lot longer than the travel time on the way there. I watched a total of 10 movies on the flights, countless mind-numbing sitcoms and documentaries, and read three books. Almost 18, 000 travel miles total.
Mercifully and finally I returned to my residence and my beloved wife Shirley and my boy Radical Lee von Dundee. Fast food and a proper toilet and shower were gratefully utilized to their fullest.

Great trip.

8 shots, 8 animals. Didn’t get hurt. My equipment and I performed well. I got to know a lot of people I’ve admired for years, and garnered friendships that I will cherish. I learned a lot, and every moment of it was delicious. I hope all of you get to experience something similar once in your life.

Aim Hard,

Steven K. Ledin

Safari

2008-05-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day at work for a couple weeks. Safari time. I'm going with some heavy hitters. Nice to be included in their group. My Pelican case is cut and filled, and got my Accubond ammo from Winchester to sight with. I'll do it Saturday at a friend's place where I can get a good long zero and check the BDC circles in my Nikon Monarch. Several guys hunting cape buffalo, another for leopard. We'll all shoot birds.

Scope Mounts and Mounting

2008-05-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

Here's the handout I gave the class during the last basic training session, here shown optimized for web use:

Choosing and Installing Bases, Rings, Mounts, and Scopes

The bases and rings used to connect a riflescope to a firearm are often the weakest link in a shooting system. Without a properly fitted connection, the very best scope and rifle combination is rendered useless. Often it is impossible to tell if you have an unsecure or ill-fitting connection until you’re at the shooting bench or in the hunting field, where a poor mount or installation may show itself as inconsistent at best, and at worst cause an excess expenditure of valuable time and ammunition or a wounded animal. Think of scope mounts as the lug nuts of the shooting world.

Once installed you should never have to trouble over a loose wheel. Choosing rings and bases is not the time to pinch pennies or just make due with “good enough.” The money spent will be more than made up for in reliability, ruggedness, and peace of mind. Glossary: These terms are thrown around everywhere quite loosely. Take them with a grain of salt.

Base: A simple steel or aluminum platform in one or two pieces that connects to a firearm receiver via clamps or screws and accepts scope rings into them or onto them secured by clamps, screws, or friction secured dovetails. Some receivers have bases built into them, notably many Ruger/Sako rifles, target and hunting handguns, and various military long guns like the M-4 type.

Rings: Circular clamps used to hold a riflescope and connect it to a previously installed base on a gun. The ring inside diameter must match the scope’s outside diameter. These are mostly one inch or 30mm. The height of the ring must be chosen in regards to the objective lens outside diameter, the ocular bell size, scope length, eye relief, bolt lift, and barrel contour.

Extension rings: Rings of any style with a cantilever portion that allows for a shorter mounting distance between rings. Extension rings are useful to mount short scopes on long receiver rifles or to manipulate eye relief slightly. Normally extension rings offer another ½” of mounting leeway.

Tipoff rings / .22 rings / 3/8” dovetail rings: 3/8” dovetail rings are normally used on grooved receivers. Grooved receivers have cuts running lengthwise in the top of the gun deep enough for the claws of the rings to firmly grip onto. Grooved receivers are normally found on .22 rifles and airguns (although some European .22s and air rifles have grooves that are 11mm or 13mm). Sometimes there is actually a 3/8” base screwed into the receiver instead of grooves cut into it, often because of lack of metal thickness of the receiver. These 3/8” rings may have a circular diameter to hold a scope with a main tube of 30mm, 1”, 7/8” ¾” or others. A standard .22 ring may be called a “one inch tip off”, a “one inch .22 ring”, or a “one inch 3/8” dovetail ring”. Some grooved receiver .22s are drilled and tapped for Weaver style bases. It is prudent to use these much larger bases if available. Weaver style bases simply offer more area for the rings to grab onto.

Weaver style bases: Basic aluminum rails to fit the contour of the firearm receiver. Probably the most commonly used type for sporting firearms. These are inexpensive, and readily available for most guns. Sometimes found manufactured in steel. These are 7/8” wide and vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer. The slots running crossways are called recoil slots, and on Weaver style bases will measure around .180” wide.

Weaver style rings: Everyone makes a version. Some are aluminum, some are steel, many are a combination of both. They are made to clamp onto a 7/8” wide base. There is a metal bar or connection screw underneath these rings called a recoil lug that fits the corresponding .180 wide recoil slots on Weaver style bases. Recoil lugs under rings prevent fore and aft movement of the scope during recoil and handling. Most Weaver style rings are detachable from their bases with the scope still in them, and can be reinstalled without major loss of zero. Swapping scopes for different purposes is also facilitated.

Quick detachable / Quick release rings: These systems incorporate some kind of lever to quickly and easily remove your scope for transport, cleaning, exchanging scopes, or other reasons. Some are Weaver style, some are proprietary and require matching bases. A perfect return to zero is normally not accomplished when reinstalled.

Picatinny/1913: These rings and bases are similar to Weaver style. The main difference is that they are based on specifications standardized by the U.S. Picatinny Arsenal in 1913. The main physical difference is in the size of the recoil lugs on the bottom of the rings and the corresponding larger size of the recoil slot in the top of the base. This size is .206”, much bigger than the .180” in the Weaver style. Therefore, a Picatinny ring will not fit into a Weaver base, but a Weaver ring will fit into a Picatinny base. Some manufactures label their products as Picatinny/Weaver but are actually Weaver style. Some Picatinny rings are tightened with an inch-pound torque wrench to ensure a return to zero when reinstalled. Our military M-4 carbines utilize Picatinny rails.

Leupold style: The Leupold style of bases (also Redfield, Burris, and others) are a standard that non-Weaver style mounting systems are measured by. They can be one or two pieces, and are steel, sleek, and strong. They are reliable and trouble-free. There is almost as much interchangeability between manufacturers with the Leupold style as there is with Weaver style systems. Unlike Weaver style rings, the Leupold system is not easily detachable. The top half of the rings must be separated to remove your scope. The front ring is kind of a press fit, with a protruding, beveled rectangle of metal under the ring, turned tightly into a corresponding dovetail slot in the front base. Normally, the two halves of the rings are loosely assembled, and a scope ring tool or a one inch wooden dowel or a screwdriver handle is inserted between the pieces to gain leverage to turn the ring into the base. This is a press fit and cannot be done by hand.

The rear ring sits flush atop the base and is held there by two opposing screws tightened into it. The screws have a leading edge that fits into corresponding slots in the ring. The base screws are tightened into each other, squeezing the ring between them tightly and immovably. By backing out one screw and tightening the other, the ring moves laterally on the base, effectively acting as a windage adjustment. This is of minimal importance unless your base holes are drilled off-center, or there is some other problem that makes your gun shoot left or right so much that it can’t be easily corrected with minor internal scope adjustments.

Dual dovetails: Dual dovetail bases are the same as the standard Leupold style, but instead of the windage screws holding the rear ring to the base, they are omitted, and the rear ring is turned in, just like the front. This system does not offer the extra windage adjustments that the standard bases offer, but it is normally not of major importance, and you may prefer the cleaner lines and fewer parts that the dual dovetail system offers.

Mounts: Mounts generally are a ring and base combination in one piece. See through mounts are common, as well as saddle mounts for shotguns. Mounts from companies like B-Square, NcSTAR, and DedNutz normally do not require gunsmithing to install, and are easily removed without harm. Older handguns and longguns may utilize these mounts, making the gun a much more useful and fun firearm that can be shot more accurately.

STANAG: STANAG means “standard agreement” and is a standardized mounting system used by NATO forces. This system is not widely used in the U.S. STANAG rings and bases must be used together, although there are some STANAG mounts that incorporate a Picatinny style rail that will accept Weaver/Picatinny rings as well as STANAG rings. STANAG rings will not install on standard Picatinny bases.

Ring height:

Scopes should be mounted as low as comfortably possible without touching the barrel. A slightly higher ring may be used to provide clearance for scope caps.

50mm scopes will generally use high rings. Heavy barrels may require extra-high. Mediums may occasionally work with standard contour barrels.

42-45mm scopes will mostly use medium rings with standard contour barrels.

40mm scopes will generally use low rings with standard contour barrels.

Flattop rifles will need super-high rings with an optical center of 1.5 inches or just slightly less for a proper cheek weld.

If you choose to mount the riflescope yourself you will need a few things first. A gun vise of some kind and a clean, well lit area. Remove any filler screws in the top of your receiver with a properly fitted screwdriver. Degrease the holes. This of course does not apply to grooved receivers or integral Weaver/Picatinny bases. Degrease all mount parts, then reapply a light coat of oil to the top of the receiver and the bottoms of the bases or rings. Check the instructions for your particular mounting system. Some manufacturers that use Torx screws suggest a light coat of oil on the screw threads. I normally use Loctite on all base screws. Never Loctite ring screws. Always apply to the screws, not in the threaded holes. Some bases will have screws of different lengths. Check them first visually. Make sure the screws are in the correct places. Screw threads should protrude about the same amount from the underside of the bases. Putting too-short screws in the wrong places can result in a scope being torn off by recoil or handling, and screws that are too long can bind a bolt or result in a loose base. Install the bases using Loctite or oil, depending on what the manufacturer suggests. A tiny dab of fingernail polish works well when Loctite is not available. Tighten securely.

Next, install the bottom half of the rings onto the bases. If you have a Weaver or Picatinny system you may tighten them securely with a properly sized screwdriver or wrench. If you have a Leupold turn-in style you will need to assemble the top half of the ring onto the bottom ring, place it in the base, and use a wooden dowel or non-marring screwdriver handle to turn the ring 90 degrees. This is a press fit and cannot be done by hand. Do not remove the factory applied grease on the mating parts. Every time a Leupold system is installed it gets a little looser. Reapply grease if needed. A Leupold ring wrench is worth its weight in gold for installing rings.

If using a dual dovetail system, repeat this procedure for the rear ring. The adjustable rear base on a standard Leupold system has two opposing screws that allow for significant windage adjustments. Center the ring onto the base by eye and snug the opposing screws.

This is the time to use a scope ring alignment tool if you have one. Those sold by Wheeler Engineering are excellent, and prevent damaged scope tubes caused by misaligned rings. These tools are two piece 1” or 30mm rods. Each one has a pointed end. Install the alignment tool between the ring halves and move the front and rear rings using the alignment tool until the pointed tips of the tool are almost touching.

Remove the top halves of the rings and place your scope in the bottom ring halves. The scope should fall to the bottom of both rings. You can lightly install your top ring halves.

Remove the bolt of your rifle if possible and look through the bore at a target placed at least 25 yards away and adjust your scope so your crosshairs are pointing at the same place you see when looking through your barrel, or use a boresighter of any kind. Results are about the same with any type of boresighting. I prefer a magnetic boresighter such as the Leupold, which does not require specific arbors or lasers, and a target set some distance away is not needed.

Remember, boresighting will simply get your shots on paper at shorter distances so you can sight in by actually shooting at a certain distance with a certain load. No boresighter can sight in a gun. Period.

If you can easily adjust your scope when boresighting to approximate center without significant manipulation of the windage and elevation knobs on your scope you are ready for the next step. If your windage is off a lot and you have standard Leupold type bases with windage screws, take your scope back out before you move the bases accordingly so you don’t misalign your rings and damage your scope. Move the rear base and realign both rings with your alignment tool or place your scope back in the bottom ring halves and ensure the scope drops to the bottom again. Lightly install the top halves of your rings and check the boresight again. With dual dovetail systems you have no option for base adjustments, so if your adjustments are at their maximum, switch to a base with windage screws. If you have a Weaver/Picatinny system and your windage is off, some manufacturers like Millett offer rings that are windage adjustable. If elevation is an issue with any system you may have to place a shim under your front or rear base, or get a base with built-in elevation.

If you don’t have a boresight or alignment tool just do the best you can by eye. You can use a 1” or 30mm bar or an old scope that you won’t mind a scratch or two on to see if it falls to the bottom of the rings. I still sometimes use a piece of an old Harley handlebar that measures .9997 and is perfect.

If your boresight looks good you may now lap your rings if you like. Lapping polishes the inside of your rings. Lapping tools are available from Wheeler Engineering and they not only ensure maximum scope to scope ring contact, but remove any sharp edges on rings that can scratch scopes. Instructions are provided with these lapping tools. The Tipton gun vises and the Wheeler Engineering screwdrivers, alignment tools, and lapping bars are an important part of any firearm workspace and are inexpensive investments that will last a lifetime.

If you have lapped your rings, take care to remove all traces of the abrasive lapping compound with a solvent, then degrease with a moistened patch. Place your scope in the bottom half of your rings and loosely install the top ring halves. With your scope at its highest magnification, aim the scope at a bare wall some distance away or at the sky, and adjust the eye relief. To do this, move the scope gently fore and aft until you get the maximum distance the scope can be from your eye and still give you a full sight picture. At lower magnification you generally have more eye relief available, so remember to set the placement of your scope when it’s at its highest magnification.

This is also the time to level your crosshairs. Again, Wheeler Engineering sells a neat leveling product that rests on your gun and your scope that takes the guesswork out of this procedure. Adjusting the crosshairs by eye is loads of fun. You’ll often have to loosen your ring screws to re-level several times until you’re satisfied that the reticle is straight. Tightening your ring screws also moves your scope slightly one way or another. Tighten the top half of your ring screws evenly from one side to the other, just a bit at a time and always from one side to the other, trying to keep the gap between the rings even. There will be a gap. Tighten your ring screws securely, but don’t try to tighten the screws enough to close this gap.

With your scope now securely mounted, check the function of your gun to make sure the action is not bound by too-long base screws and that the ocular bell does not interfere with the manipulation of your bolt on a bolt action rifle.

Boresight your gun and shoot! Check the tightness of your ring screws occasionally. Have fun!

Aim Hard,

Steven K. Ledin

OpticsPlanet Technical Sales Manager

Getting Close to Africa

2008-05-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Only about 10 days left until safari. Scrambling. The folks I'm going with had two years to prepare. I got three weeks. Had three more training sessions for the crew this week. About 50 people. Scope mounts and mounting. Lots of visual aids and guns everywhere.

Gotta get a rough 100 yard zero this weekend with whatever ammo I have. Next weekend I'll go long. Leave Tuesday morning. Winchester is one of the sponsors, and I'm waiting to see what kind of ammo they send for me to use. Should've been here already, but that's the way it goes. I'm going with some gun writers and people in the industry. Cape buffalo for them, plains game for me. I'm strung as tight as a piano wire right now getting ready and still working hard. Too bad work has to cut into hunting time. The current political unrest and violence is a bit troubling in Johannesburg, as well. I'll be there for a couple days. I didn't plan to be a war correspondent.

Guatemala or Africa

2008-05-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

Early last month I was invited on a bird watching expedition to the cloud forests of Guatemala in early June. I was learning Spanish through discs in my Jeep on the way to and from work. They were pretty useful and were working well. My new trail boots are comfortable and were waiting to walk on Central American soil. I actually watch birds for Cornell university every year. I don't just watch birds through my oven window. I was very much looking forward to the trip. Then a strange thing happened. I got invited to Africa on safari at the same time. Bird watching is fun, but I'd rather be lugging guns through the bush with grubby shooters on the dark continent. So I'm going to Africa instead. Only a few weeks left until I leave, which leaves me with very little time to sight in and get familiar with a new gun, so I'm bringing my old go-to Howa in '06. It killed everything just fine last time down there including dozens of varmints, some over 500 yards away when they let me walk up my shots. Some bird shooting also, so maybe I need a new shotgun. Good excuse to give My Shirley, anyway. Not that I need an excuse; she's very understanding about my needs. I'm a bit out of shape and could lose a few pounds. I have a bit of time to correct that. I ordered a Nikon Monarch 2.5-10x42 with BDC for glass. I don't like big scopes. My Monarch Gold 1200 rangefinder and Monarch glasses are ready to go. Needless to say this is a Nikon trip. Gotta get some range time in. I'll keep you guys posted.

New Nikon Rangefinders

2008-04-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

I did some filming last week for our site as well as YouTube. New Nikon products represented were the Riflehunter 550 (one of the very best new laser rangefinders on the market), the Nikon Monarch binocular, and the most technologically advanced binocular available, the Nikon EDG (pronounced EDGE). Nikon's introduction of the EDG is going to reset the optical standard of high-end glasses, and the Europeans had better be well aware of the capabilities of this new offering. I have never tested optics that rated as high on a resolution chart. My normal go-to binocular is a Monarch, and has performance far outweighing its selling price.

Riflescopes 101 and a Full Day

2008-04-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday started the first two Riflescope 101 classes. Almost 40 attended alltogether. Lots of scoped guns and targets for visual aids, and instructor Steve bouncing around like a monkey. Classes were great and enjoyable and not boring in the least. A big load off my mind completing this section, it was lots of work and very important. After class yesterday I shot a pistol match. It was a no light match, so I chose to use a Glock 19 with a Streamlight TLR-1. This is the first time I used a weapon light in a match and it certainly contributed to me winning. After that, I won a couple dart games and made a nice dinner for my Shirley. Certainly was a full day.

Riflescope Recoil Ratings

2008-04-09T10:15:00.001-07:00

A customer asked the other day for recoil ratings on a few different scopes. For the most part, there aren't any. Some manufacturers will say that they take "1000 thumpings with a .375 H&H", or rated to .454 Casull, but this is largely marketing hype. What is the weight of the gun? Who determines what recoil factor this is? Manufacturers also do not test for recoil the same way. The best way to determine recoil resistance of a scope without bells and whistles is price and reputation. Why do most rifles in gun magazines wear a few certain brands of riflescope? This is not hype. Some people use a variety of different products all the time and know what breaks. This is how a reputation is formed. Don't put tons of faith in recoil ratings if you can find them.

2008 Training Schedule

2008-03-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

OpticsPlanet strives to furnish constant, meaningful product education for our sales/customer service agents and other related job titles in an effort to provide a better understanding of our products. This relates directly to the experience our customers get when ordering, and it's my job to see that this happens. Our Senior Product Specialist, Jne, will teach some non-gun-related classes, and as a professional educator, we use her classes as a template for others. Ryan will teach a couple, and the balance goes to me. This is what it looks like so far:

Binoculars 101
Riflescopes 101
Red dot sights 101
Riflescope mounts 101
Binoculars 201
Spotting scopes 101
Holsters 101
Night vision 101
Night vision 201
Radar guns 101
Laser rangefinders 101
Telescopes 101
Telescopes 102
Microscopes 101

I wish a lot of you readers could attend these basic classes. They're a lot of fun, and the tests at the end of these classes are graded and used for annual review purposes. Each employee will have to learn the basics, and be able to use them in their every day dealings with our customers. This is a very positive program.