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.
My weapon of choice is a pre-64 Featherlite. That's a Winchester Model 70, and mine's in a .308. My dad got it from my uncle back in 1965, so it's got some history. I inherited it almost 20 years ago.
Like most high powered rifles, this one has a scope. It's a 4x Scope Chief, by Bushnell. It was a great scope in it's day, but scope technology has advanced quite a bit. They zoom now, gather light better, and generally just have way better optics.
Once in each of the last three years I've been presented with a long shot at moose. One I took, and two I didn't. I think that I could have been successful with both of the ones I passed by if I had a rangefinder and a good scope. For that reason I decided I would buy both. I started with the scope.
I picked up a new Bushnell Elite. Where the Scope Chief would magnify things by 4 this one ranges from 3x to 10x. It gathers lots of light and just looks way superior to the old technology. Much as I appreciate and respect the old scope, this one is a big step up.
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.
Mounting he scope would have cost me $100. There was no way I was throwing that money away without a good reason. It didn't look that hard to mount a scope, so I decided I'd do it myself. Besides, I like being well acquainted with all aspects of my gear.
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.
Switching the scopes can involve changing both rings and bases or just the rings, or just the bases. It depends on the size and lengths of the scopes you are switching. For me, I had to change both. The old scope was longer and the bases had no room for adjustment. The new bases allowed me to slide the scope around until it was a perfect fit.
The job was completed quickly. All that was required was to swap the bases, and screw them down, which was two screws. Then, four more screws tightened the rings to the bases, holding the scope securely. The only thing left is sighting the weapon in.
It's that easy. If you're using the same rails just swap the scope and sight it in. After that, throw your gear in the plane and hit the backcountry for some self guided hunting.
My weapon of choice is a pre-64 Featherlite. That's a Winchester Model 70, and mine's in a .308. My dad got it from my uncle back in 1965, so it's got some history. I inherited it almost 20 years ago.
Like most high powered rifles, this one has a scope. It's a 4x Scope Chief, by Bushnell. It was a great scope in it's day, but scope technology has advanced quite a bit. They zoom now, gather light better, and generally just have way better optics.
Once in each of the last three years I've been presented with a long shot at moose. One I took, and two I didn't. I think that I could have been successful with both of the ones I passed by if I had a rangefinder and a good scope. For that reason I decided I would buy both. I started with the scope.
I picked up a new Bushnell Elite. Where the Scope Chief would magnify things by 4 this one ranges from 3x to 10x. It gathers lots of light and just looks way superior to the old technology. Much as I appreciate and respect the old scope, this one is a big step up.
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.
Mounting he scope would have cost me $100. There was no way I was throwing that money away without a good reason. It didn't look that hard to mount a scope, so I decided I'd do it myself. Besides, I like being well acquainted with all aspects of my gear.
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.
Switching the scopes can involve changing both rings and bases or just the rings, or just the bases. It depends on the size and lengths of the scopes you are switching. For me, I had to change both. The old scope was longer and the bases had no room for adjustment. The new bases allowed me to slide the scope around until it was a perfect fit.
The job was completed quickly. All that was required was to swap the bases, and screw them down, which was two screws. Then, four more screws tightened the rings to the bases, holding the scope securely. The only thing left is sighting the weapon in.
It's that easy. If you're using the same rails just swap the scope and sight it in. After that, throw your gear in the plane and hit the backcountry for some self guided hunting.
About the Author:
If you want to learn to fly you'll need to study the PSTAR. This is very important for bush pilot training. You can find out more at www.bushpilotintraining.com.
