Using a riflescope as binos?

[boom]

Bored last night. Watched an Alaska "reality" show. They were black bear hunting. No one had a pair of binoculars. Instead they would scope around with their rifles. What is your opinion ? As a kid I did this. Didn't take to long to realize I was aiming a rifle at everything. It breaks one of the gun rules.

I've had other hunters scope me out in the wilderness. I don't like it. I hope they didn't have a round chambered. At least I like to think they didn't.
Opinions? You still seeing this?

 

[colonel00]

I would be lying if I said that I have never done it but it is not something that you should do for the exact reason you mention. You are aiming a firearm at something that you may not intend to shoot.

 

[KHNC]

Reality shows are thick with dumb ass`s

 

[ScottP]

I had a guy intentionally scope me this year in CO at 150yds. He also scoped 2 guys that were hunting the same area (I ran into them in the parking area and asked if they knew the guy in the only other car there). I reported him to CPW.

A friend of my Dad's was shot and killed by someone scoping him on public land while deer hunting. So I have zero tolerance for using a rifle as a bino to look at other hunters.

 

[Pilgrim]

I can honestly say I've never scoped a PERSON. That is flat out idiotic. That's worse than just getting flagged, and us military folks know what the F happens when you accidentally flag someone, or a group. Being scoped means you're the target. I'd be furious. I hope I never experience that.

 

[ScottP]

I can honestly say I've never scoped a PERSON. That is flat out idiotic. That's worse than just getting flagged, and us military folks know what the F happens when you accidentally flag someone, or a group. Being scoped means you're the target. I'd be furious. I hope I never experience that.

Yeah, its not a good experience. I dropped my binos and got low real fast.

 

[JG358]

I've had other hunters scope me out in the wilderness. I don't like it. I hope they didn't have a round chambered. At least I like to think they didn't.
Opinions? You still seeing this?

My thoughts on it are very simple.... Scoping someone is a threat of lethal force, their fore the use of lethal force is an acceptable response.

 

[Pilgrim]

My thoughts on it are very simple.... Scoping someone is a threat of lethal force, their fore the use of lethal force is an acceptable response.

There's a fair chance that would hold up in court.

 

[dotman]

I do wonder though if on that show they are on private ground, I've done it on our private ranch growing up but never on public.

But what is your opinion of doing it when you know no one should be around and if they are they are clearly trespassing on your property? Who is to say that what you saw on that show wasn't on private ground? They do own a cattle ranch there.

 

[charvey9]

I would never intend to use my scope instead of binoculars, and would certainly never scope another hunter or person. However, I can recall forgetting my binos before and having to rely on my scope to do a little glassing if that is what you are asking.

 

[krueger]

I do wonder though if on that show they are on private ground, I've done it on our private ranch growing up but never on public.

But what is your opinion of doing it when you know no one should be around and if they are they are clearly trespassing on your property? Who is to say that what you saw on that show wasn't on private ground? They do own a cattle ranch there.

I don't see how anyone could justify intentionally pointing a deadly weapon at another person for trespassing. Sounds like a great way to get thrown in jail. I mean they are in the wrong for trespassing but unless they pose some sort of threat you can't just go around pointing guns at people. That's called menacing.

 

[FreeRange]

There's a fair chance that would hold up in court.

I want to agree with you but the reality is if a hunter mistakenly shoots someone because they thought they were a mule deer buck there is no legal repercussion for that actual use of force. Which is crazy, but the truth.

Correct me with I'm wrong but I've never heard of charges being files under such a circumstance. The instance of the boy who shot a woman in Washington a few years ago thinking she was a bear comes to mind.

 

[dotman]

I don't see how anyone could justify intentionally pointing a deadly weapon at another person for trespassing. Sounds like a great way to get thrown in jail. I mean they are in the wrong for trespassing but unless they pose some sort of threat you can't just go around pointing guns at people. That's called menacing.

The action in question wasn't at anyone, they used the scope to scan for animals. Again if on public it is stupid as you could scope someone but on a large private average where you are the only person supposed to be there is it still a horrible act?

Some places in MT landowners will shoot at trespassers. It is illegal to go on another's property armed and many states have the cassle law which allows trespassers to be shot if someone's life is threatened, just saying that you treaspasing could be deemed as a life threatening act especially with a high powered rifle.

I'm not saying scope someone but if you trespass and sorry but I have no problem with a guy on his own property scanning for animals on his property, you get scoped that's your problem for breakin the law. Also who do you think the Sheriff will believe or cite the trespasser or landowner that scoped the trespasser from far away. Landowners word vs trespassers and only one caught in a crime is the trespasser.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

I've done it when I was newer to hunting but even then I made sure I had nothing in the chamber.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Regardless of private property or public, using your scope in lieu of binoculars is flat stupid. It clearly violates one of the four fundamental firearms safety laws. Whether anyone should be there or not, it's a very poor practice.

I've been scoped several times and it pisses me off to no end.

 

[Bmcox86]

It's a dumb idea, I know the show in question and I don't get it. They had spotters and binos on their moose and sheep hunt and the one brother has different sitka gear in every episode but they can't use binos on your bear hunt? They just used brand new dewalt tools to build a food stash!?

 

[husky390]

My thoughts on it are very simple.... Scoping someone is a threat of lethal force, their fore the use of lethal force is an acceptable response.

I would agree with this, especially in CO since we have to wear blaze orange. There's absolutely no reason for someone to scope another person.

 

[charvey9]

I agree with everything being said about not scoping another person, tresspassing or not, it is unacceptable unless that person is putting you or someone else in Danger. In Oregon we can't even use a firearm to protect personal property. A life needs to be in danger to legally justify the use of a firearm.

The 4 basic principles of gun safety are critical, and I agree that none of them should be completely ignored. However, 100% compliance to all 4 rules 100% of the time is near impossible when handling a firearm in the field. At some point while crossing through, around, or over obstacles your muzzle will sweep in a direction that IF it went off and IF an unintended target where in the path it COULD be hit. This is where the 4 rules of gun safety work together, along with a little common sense, to prevent accidents.

The best example I can think of is the protocol for crossing through a fence with a firearm by yourself, which is taught in every hunters safety class. One part of this process requires passing the firearm through the fence, where at some point the barrel will be parallel to the ground as it is placed down on the other side. In most cases, the range of a rifle far exceeds your ability to see any potential targets it may hit if it is discharged while being passed through the fence. As a result, additional precautions need to be taken to make sure it can be done safely. Specifically, making sure the firearm is unloaded before passing it through the fence, crossing through at a location away from the firearm, and not reloading until you are safely on the other side. Following the letter of the law, rules number 2 and 3 were just violated while passing the firearm through the fence, but since extra care was made to ensure number 1 and 4 were followed we are able to do it safely.

This is just one specific example, but there are many times in the field your firearm is pointed in a direction where you can not verify everything that is potentially in the path of your bullet if the gun were to discharge. In fact anytime you are in the mountains, a rifle pointed in just about any direction could impact an opposing ridge, draw, or valley if fired. Yet, we still manage to hunt safely because we are smart about making sure a round is not chambered and handle the firearm in a way that does not engage the trigger.

I did not see the show, and I'm not advocating the use of a rifle scope in leiu of binoculars. However, there is a big difference between using a scope to glass a bear and pointing a firearm at a person. Even when binos are used to identify a target there is still some inherent risk in positioning the firearm to take the shot, which is why we need to be aware of how all the firearm and hunting safety rules work together to prevent accidents.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Been scoped while predator calling, put my binos down and gave him the bird. As for that show, they were down low facing thick brush looking for a bear nearby so in that scenario knowing nobody else was around they were okay. I certainly wouldn't wanna be holding my binos when a bear comes charging in from 50 yards.

 

[LaHunter]

I agree with Jason Snyder 100%. It is a dumb ass act to use your scoped rifle as binos.
Use binos to i.d. the object / animal or scan the area. If you have no binos, get closer.