Vintage Scopes with Modern Quality

[JDZ]

I’ve got a few vintage rifles from 1970s to the mid 80s. I really like my modern scopes like the VX-5HD and such. But I’d like to mount some of these rifles with period-correct scopes. What should I be looking for that will be even close to modern optical quality? I’d like to be able to use them reliably in the field and at the range.

Redfield Traditional or Widefield 2-7 or 3-9?
Leupold Vari-X (I or II) ?
Weaver V7 or V9?
Others?

 

[Formidilosus]

I’ve got a few vintage rifles from 1970s to the mid 80s. I really like my modern scopes like the VX-5HD and such. But I’d like to mount some of these rifles with period-correct scopes. What should I be looking for that will be even close to modern optical quality? I’d like to be able to use them reliably in the field and at the range.

Redfield Traditional or Widefield 2-7 or 3-9?
Leupold Vari-X (I or II) ?
Weaver V7 or V9?
Others?

Vintage Gun Scopes

Vintage Weaver, Redfield and other Vintage Rifle Scopes, Guns, scope rings and mounts for sale.

www.vintagegunscopes.com

They have vintage refurbished, reglassed, and restored scopes.

 

[JDZ]

Vintage Gun Scopes

Vintage Weaver, Redfield and other Vintage Rifle Scopes, Guns, scope rings and mounts for sale.

www.vintagegunscopes.com

They have vintage refurbished, reglassed, and restored scopes.

Right. Thanks. But which ones should I be looking at purchasing?

 

[Formidilosus]

Right. Thanks. But which ones should I be looking at purchasing?

The Weaver K4’s are what I would be looking at. For a traditional scope, they were generally pretty solid.

 

[Macintosh]

The 1980’s is vintage? Damn.

 

[Butcher8]

Leupold Vari-X I for the win when it comes to cheap old scope with excellent feat and performance.

 

[KenLee]

Right. Thanks. But which ones should I be looking at purchasing?

Bosch & Lomb 2-7x32 from the 80s are still pretty decent. I picked one up for a lil BLR 243 and they look great together.

 

[flatelk]

Vortex or Burris. Leupold if you feel like splurging, although they have some cheaper options too.

 

[JDZ]

The 1980’s is vintage? Damn.

Ha ha. Not really. Just looking for quality scopes in gloss to match some some rifles with beautiful blued steel and finished wood.

I’m guessing I’ve got to be looking for stuff that was very high end for that era.

 

[ericacymcdonald]

I had a Kowa scope with on a model 99 that was great. They are tough to find though

 

[SDHNTR]

I bought a refurb’d Weaver K4 from Vintage Gun Scopes. Works as it should.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I still have 2 mid-80's Redfields on a couple of my rifles that I use every year. The one on my BAR has not been adjusted in probably 15 years or more and has taken probably 60-70 critters.

 

[JDZ]

I bought a refurb’d Weaver K4 from Vintage Gun Scopes. Works as it should.

Can you compare it to something you have that’s less than 10 years old?

 

[SDHNTR]

Can you compare it to something you have that’s less than 10 years old?

Not really. It’s in a class of its own. They don’t make em like that anymore. Steel tubes and fine wire crosshair.

 

[Moose83]

@Formidilosus , what's your opinion of the zeiss diavari 4x32's. I passed one up today at a gun show for $200 Can. I didn't really need it but I'm wondering now if I should kick myself lol.

 

[JDZ]

Not really. It’s in a class of its own. They don’t make em like that anymore. Steel tubes and fine wire crosshair.

The qualities that ares important to me I think are generous eye box and forgiving eye relief.

 

[Weldor]

I have a few Japanese Bushnell 3x9x40 widefields. Both have Ballistic turrets for caliber. Even have the boxes. Can't help being a pack rat. Have a old K2 also.

 

[SDHNTR]

The qualities that ares important to me I think are generous eye box and forgiving eye relief.

Zero problem then. Plenty.

 

[TaperPin]

I have plenty of fixed Leupolds of older vintage - their advantage is good eye relief and fairly good lens coatings.

My second choice would be fixed Nikon or Burris - again, good eye relief and fairly good coatings and just a few ounces more than similar Leupolds.

Third would be a fixed Weaver. Micro trac adjustments were brought out in the late 1970’s, so I’d avoid older models. I have two older k6 scopes and they have good eye relief and so so clarity. The Japanese made aluminum bodied scopes must have come out in the 1980’s - on paper they looked good, but had short eye relief. Teenage me had a new steel k4 and the year the aluminum k4 came out quickly bought one, but it wasn’t an improvement and it was quickly sold. A fixed aluminum 15x would be a good varmint/plinking scope.

Tied for fourth would be fixed Redfield and fixed B&L - these aren’t bad, but have eye relief that’s quite short - good for up to 243, one of the creedmoors, or a 270. The B&L is essentially a Bushnell with upgraded lenses - it should have been a good scope, but the eye relief held it back.p

The German brands of this age range have good reputations - at the time, these were at least two or three times the cost of a new Leupold so they were rarely seen in person - you just have to watch out for weird European reticles.

 

[Formidilosus]

@Formidilosus , what's your opinion of the zeiss diavari 4x32's. I passed one up today at a gun show for $200 Can. I didn't really need it but I'm wondering now if I should kick myself lol.

Haven’t used one that I remember. However, other fixed mag Zeiss were good scopes for the day.