I'm learning to fly so I can do more moose hunting. I like flying, and I like the backcountry, and I like hunting moose. It's a natural fit. I've wanted to do it for a very long time.
I hunt moose with a Winchester Model 70 Featherlite. It's a .308, and I got it from my dad. He, in turn, got it from his brother back in 1965. It's been around a while. I don't know a lot about guns, but I know I like this Featherlite.
It's a good firearm, and it came with a great scope for the time. It's a Bushnell 4x Scope Chief. The thing is, scope technology has progressed a lot since 1965. Scopes today have better optics and magnification. They also zoom, typically from 3x to 9x.
Over the last three years I've had several long range run ins with moose. One I shot, but it was long. Two others I let pass. Talking with other hunters led me to believe I could have shot them provided I had a range finder and knew what my rifle would do. I also decided to add a new scope to the mix.
I stayed with Bushnell, mostly out of brand loyalty. The new scope, instead of being a 4x magnifier, is a 3x to 10x scope. It's got a better reticle and gathers way more light. Interestingly, it's still a little smaller than the old scope.
Scopes and scope talk seems more confusing than it is. The sales staff didn't clear much of it up. They seemed to just be waiting for me to tell them how much I'd spend. While they agreed that more money got you a better scope, they didn't really explain why.
The upshot is that when I bought the scope and heard that mounting it would cost $100, I decided I'd do my own. It can't be that hard, and if I'm going to meat hunt I want to be capable with the rifle. That means doing as much gunsmithing as is reasonable.
In this case, of course, I'm jut swapping a scope. I don't have to mount any bases. All I need is new rings to accommodate the shorter body.
The scope on my rifle attaches to what are called Weaver bases. These bases are attached to rails that are screwed directly to the receiver. The bases are secured to the rails by larger screws that run perpendicular to the rifle. The rings hook onto the bases by small screws.
To switch scopes you can sometimes use the same bases and rings. Sometimes the rings have to be changed. Sometimes the bases have to be changed. Sometimes you have to change both. This time I had to change both to make everything work.
It was a quick job. Two screws secured the bases to the rails. Then, four more secured the rings to the bases. The scope is sandwiched between the rings and the bases. Next step? Sighting in.
And that's all there is. If all you're doing is changing a scope on existing mounts it's that easy. Mount the scope, fire up your airplane and go hunting.
I hunt moose with a Winchester Model 70 Featherlite. It's a .308, and I got it from my dad. He, in turn, got it from his brother back in 1965. It's been around a while. I don't know a lot about guns, but I know I like this Featherlite.
It's a good firearm, and it came with a great scope for the time. It's a Bushnell 4x Scope Chief. The thing is, scope technology has progressed a lot since 1965. Scopes today have better optics and magnification. They also zoom, typically from 3x to 9x.
Over the last three years I've had several long range run ins with moose. One I shot, but it was long. Two others I let pass. Talking with other hunters led me to believe I could have shot them provided I had a range finder and knew what my rifle would do. I also decided to add a new scope to the mix.
I stayed with Bushnell, mostly out of brand loyalty. The new scope, instead of being a 4x magnifier, is a 3x to 10x scope. It's got a better reticle and gathers way more light. Interestingly, it's still a little smaller than the old scope.
Scopes and scope talk seems more confusing than it is. The sales staff didn't clear much of it up. They seemed to just be waiting for me to tell them how much I'd spend. While they agreed that more money got you a better scope, they didn't really explain why.
The upshot is that when I bought the scope and heard that mounting it would cost $100, I decided I'd do my own. It can't be that hard, and if I'm going to meat hunt I want to be capable with the rifle. That means doing as much gunsmithing as is reasonable.
In this case, of course, I'm jut swapping a scope. I don't have to mount any bases. All I need is new rings to accommodate the shorter body.
The scope on my rifle attaches to what are called Weaver bases. These bases are attached to rails that are screwed directly to the receiver. The bases are secured to the rails by larger screws that run perpendicular to the rifle. The rings hook onto the bases by small screws.
To switch scopes you can sometimes use the same bases and rings. Sometimes the rings have to be changed. Sometimes the bases have to be changed. Sometimes you have to change both. This time I had to change both to make everything work.
It was a quick job. Two screws secured the bases to the rails. Then, four more secured the rings to the bases. The scope is sandwiched between the rings and the bases. Next step? Sighting in.
And that's all there is. If all you're doing is changing a scope on existing mounts it's that easy. Mount the scope, fire up your airplane and go hunting.
About the Author:
If you want to learn to fly you need to study the PSTAR. This is very important for bush pilot training. Find out more at www.bushpilotintraining.com.
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