Hey Roksliders! I’m back with another installment of the “1 Thing” theme, this time focused on the huge topic of hunting scopes. I think most of us make a mistake over and over again. We go on a hunt, but don’t make the effort to think critically about 1 thing we learned and will do different next time.
Think about it, how often do magazines write about a hunt, but fail to single out an action item to change in the future? Just 1 thing, maybe something you learned about elk behavior, your rifle setup, clothing, or camping system. We can consume all the information we want, but if we don’t change anything, did it really do us any good? I’d like to continue the series of discussions to get us in the habit of reviewing our hunt, and share highlights about the 1 thing we learned on a particular topic. To start, 1 thing I learned is about SCOPES.
About 10 years ago I jumped on the bandwagon of scopes with externally adjustable turrets. With a new Vortext PST mounted atop my 300 Win Mag, I eagerly chased after mule deer and elk. Then to my disappointment I noticed the windage and elevation turrets getting moved once a day as the rifle rode around in vehicles and went in and out of gun cases. Even if the turret wasn’t moved, my confidence was shaken. The hard lesson I learned was to leave scopes with exposed turrets to target shooting or varmint hunting, and only use glass with locking turrets like the new Leupold VX5 or Vortex LHT.
So what is the 1 thing you have learned about selecting the right scope for hunting? Is it simple is better, the most useful magnification range, or even specific gear suggestions so that we can make the most out of our time in the field!
Think about it, how often do magazines write about a hunt, but fail to single out an action item to change in the future? Just 1 thing, maybe something you learned about elk behavior, your rifle setup, clothing, or camping system. We can consume all the information we want, but if we don’t change anything, did it really do us any good? I’d like to continue the series of discussions to get us in the habit of reviewing our hunt, and share highlights about the 1 thing we learned on a particular topic. To start, 1 thing I learned is about SCOPES.
About 10 years ago I jumped on the bandwagon of scopes with externally adjustable turrets. With a new Vortext PST mounted atop my 300 Win Mag, I eagerly chased after mule deer and elk. Then to my disappointment I noticed the windage and elevation turrets getting moved once a day as the rifle rode around in vehicles and went in and out of gun cases. Even if the turret wasn’t moved, my confidence was shaken. The hard lesson I learned was to leave scopes with exposed turrets to target shooting or varmint hunting, and only use glass with locking turrets like the new Leupold VX5 or Vortex LHT.
So what is the 1 thing you have learned about selecting the right scope for hunting? Is it simple is better, the most useful magnification range, or even specific gear suggestions so that we can make the most out of our time in the field!
