Great Quote

[Steelhead]

"Rifle scopes are aiming devices, NOT observation devices."

ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!   Worry about that GREAT glass on your binoculars and spotting scopes.

[Squeeze]

Scott,

I guess I use to think along those same lines, when I first started hunting, many moons ago.
Back in the mid 70's, I had the pleasure of spending a couple of days with a guy, that
was a shooting nut, with a 220 Swift, a big old scope, and a Jeep.  We cruised the
back country of Kentucky, looking for chucks.  One morning, the shooting nut slams
on the brakes and says, "See that chuck?".  Way out on a stone pile, I see this little
dark blob.  My friend sets up the rifle on the hood of the jeep, and says, "325 yards",
and says to me, "Right eye or left eye?".  OK, so I humor him, and say, "Right eye".
He pulls the trigger, and the chuck cartwheels.  We walked all the way across this
chigger infested field, to see what eye...The right side of the chuck's head was missing,
so I am going to assume it was very close to the right eye...My point is you may not
need optics quality in your "aiming device", but that doesn't mean I don't.  One never
knows when it will be time to shoot small, and then optics quality will let one choose
between "Right eye or left eye?" :grin:  

One more point, there have been several times that I used my "aiming device",
to measure up a whitetail rack, before I decided to pull the trigger.  I hate
"ground shrinkage", and really appreciate a good set of optics, to help me
avoid that problem.  And when it comes time to take the shot, I can say,
"4th rib, or 5th rib?"...:lol:

Squeeze

[Redhawk1]

"Rifle scopes are aiming devices, NOT observation devices."

ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!   Worry about that GREAT glass on your binoculars and spotting scopes.

I would have to disagree. It is nice to see what you saw in your binoculars.
If there are several deer or what ever game you are after and you glass them and find a good one. Then you put a piece of crap scope up to see it. It may not be the one you wanted. If you can afford it get it.   I just so happen to have good binos and scopes.  :grin:

[Graybeard]

I totally agree with the quote but believe it is being taken out of context in this case.

Scopes are indeed aiming devices and not observation devices. That means you don't use your scoped rifle as a binocular to check out that movement you saw over in the brush. You use your binoculars. But because it is not an observation device in that regard does not mean you should scrimp on the quality of the optics. I would argue you want the most quality you can afford in them. I lost the largest buck I've ever seen in the woods due to poor optics or at least I feel it was lost for that reason.

He came down into the hollow where I was about 75-100 yards from me running from another hunter I think. He was behind a screening wall of brush but it wasn't all that thick. I just couldn't find an opening with the el cheapo Weaver scope on the rifle. I fully expected tho he'd step out eventually and give me a clear shot as it was just a single patch of brush that hid him and was open all around it. Well he didn't step out. He ran 180 degrees directly away from me with the brush still between us. I'm confident that with top quality optics I'd have found an opening to shoot thru but not with the cheap optics my rifle wore.

I pulled that Weaver scope from the rifle and bought a Leupold. I stayed with Leupold exclusively after that until I rediscovered Bushnell Elite scopes. None of my guns wear Weavers and won't. Nor Swifts or Simmons or any of the cheaper brands. Not ever again.

[Redhawk1]

Graybeard, my thoughts exactly. Also in low light conditions, rainy days and cloud cover. If you have a quality scope you won't have that problem. If I can see it with good binos and pull up a cheap scope and I can't see it, I can't shoot it. :-D

[Steelhead]

The point being that TOO many people make decisions about scopes because of an extra percent light gathering, or because the picture is so crisp. Dependability count's so much higher in my book. I am not talking about $25.00 mart scopes. All of todays mid-priced and up scopes have ALL the light gathering ability anyone might need. I have no doubt that a Ziess costing $1200 has a MUCH clearer picture then a $200 Leupold VX1. But who cares, I know the Leupold can survive many a mountain, and do what I need it to do.

Of course the same can apply to other brands, at least so I am told

It just tickles me when A CRISP picture is the most important thing to people when the pick out a scope.

One more point, there have been several times that I used my "aiming device",
to measure up a whitetail rack, before I decided to pull the trigger. I hate
"ground shrinkage", and really appreciate a good set of optics, to help me
avoid that problem. And when it comes time to take the shot, I can say,
"4th rib, or 5th rib?"

Damn I hope I never become that jaded a hunter, that entire quote reminds of what I hope a hunter NEVER becomes.  Oh well..............

[Squeeze]

Scott,

At the risk of confrontation, what makes you think that comment came from a
"jaded" hunter?  Maybe I need your definition of a "jaded" hunter.  If "jaded" means
I don't harvest every mature whitetail, that I see, yup, then I am "jaded".  I have a
bunch of nice whitetail racks, decorating the cabin walls, so I see no point to shoot
a nice 2.5 or 3.5 year old buck, to add one more, just to say, "I got my buck".
I only shoot truely impressive mature bucks, wounded deer, or management does.
If this, to you, is "jaded", I then raise a toast to all the "jaded" hunters, may they
live long and prosper.

Squeeze

[Zachary]

I also agree that scopes are "aiming" devices, but even then quality optics are a must.  I don't take chances when I go hunting, so quality optics is added insurance for success.  

I'm not a big fan a leupolds simply because they are over-priced and not even as good as some of the competition.  I own several Nikon Monarchs and Elite 4200s and their optics are noticeably better than the Vari-X IIIs, and I mean the Vari-X IIIs were a real dissapointment.  Now, I have heard that the new VX-IIIs have much better glass, but I haven't had an opportunity to compare them to the 4200s and Monarchs.

Personally, I would never buy a scope below an Elite 3200 or Nikon Buckmaster, even for "aiming" purposes. :wink:

Zachary

[dukkillr]

squeeze i'll back you up that one... i don't shoot, nor do i want guests to shoot immature bucks on any of my places because i want them to have a chance to reach full growth... apparently that makes me jaded too, but i sure don't feel jaded... i don't need the meat, i'm not shooting a small buck or a doe unless it's needed to balance the herd... then i do shoot the required number of cull deer

[Donaldo]

Squeeze,
Guess I must be jaded too.  I am not out to impress anyone.  I had much rather get in their face about their misguided preconceptions. :lol:  :lol:
Most of all because I am a misguided preconceptor myself. :-D  :-D