Do you travel with an additional scope pre-zeroed and set in rings? If so, do you have identical scopes for backup purposes or is each scope for a separate application?

Thanks for your input.

I have 2 scopes for some of my Traveling guns.
Many times they will be slightly different.

I might bave a bigger heavier more powerful scope for some applications and a lighter trimmer scope for others.

I take a spare scope and rings. The scope is a 4X fixed so far I have never needed it.

BigB

I always have a back up scope in QR mounts pre-sighted in. While I haven't had a broken scope yet, two different buddies have and only my spare scope saved their hunt as they didn't bring a spare. The scopes aren't necessarily the same but similar enough. I don't expect to swap scopes unless one breaks.
I missed a chance at a 44" buffalo because I tried to swap out my Plains game ammo for heavy bullets. It just can't be done silently. That was the first morning of my first hunt and I'll never make that mistake again. I now use gun, scope and ammo for the biggest animal I plan to hunt and it works fine for everything else.
What scopes I've seen broken were that way when they came off the plane.

Extra scope is a cheap insurance for a hunt that may cost several thousand dollars and/or a trophy of a lifetime.

I carried an extra scope for my rifle on my first safari because I read somewhere that it was a good idea to do so, and it certainly could come in handy if something happened. However, after several hunts, I have slimmed down what I carry quite a bit, less is better in my opinion. You can really load yourself down if you carry everything you might need. I have found that in most parts of the world, you can improvise in many situations. I think you could arrive at your destination with not much more than the clothes on your back, and still have a pretty good hunt. You PH if he is good at what he does can usually come up with a spare rifle to use if yours gets lost or broken. If you have room and want to take one, it might come in handy, if not - don't.

Yup ... for at least one of the guns I take to a far away place, usually both. They're on quick change mounts and have been sighted in.

Cheap insurance.

Always! Unless carrying an extra rifle with a scope mounted. Have also started to mount iron sights on rifles used in the far-away. Just a precaution, but handy with little bulk or weight.

I always provide for an alternative sighting method. In the case of some rifles, it is iron sights. When using a scoped rifle under circumstances where the scope must be used for some game, I take a spare scope.

On a typical plains game hunt, I always have an extra scope ready to drop on at least one of the rifles I am taking. (I try to avoid taking rifles with two different size scope bodies mounted on them; therefore, I can put it one the second rifle with effort.)

As mentioned above, it is very cheap insurance. Most of these scopes are 2.5x or 4x fixed powers. Kudude

I always take two scopes and two sets of rings.

I ALWAYS carry 2 rifles that are scoped except once when I took a double. I always carry a spare scope. I pack it in a mailing tube with closed cell foam around it. It is usually without mounts and therefore not sighted in. On 2 occaisons I have had to change scopes on my primary rifle due to failure of a scope. I always carry a tool set to change out scopes and always carry a laser boresighter to sight it in with. Has been a very successful method for me. Spare scope is ALWAYS a Leupold VariX-III 1.5x5. Doesn't really take very long to remove the ring caps and replace scope and sight it in. As an aside both scopes that failed were Leupold VariX-III 1.5x5's and failed on the same 375H&H Mdl 70 with Warne Premier mounts.

On my Namibia trip I had 2 identical 1.75-6 Leupold VariX III's in Warne QD rings for my Ruger 77. I also had the NECG aperture sight that mounts on the Ruger dovetail base. All fit nicely in a Pelican case that I handcarried on the plane.

Always. The scopes are not necessarily the same. Sometimes that allows you to choose which scope is the most suitable for the hunting conditions encountered - e.g. sitting over bait at night vs. hunting in the thick brush in broad daylight.

I use QD scope mounts, and return to zero after replacement is usually 100% (or very close), but I still check zero whenever possible. The QD mounts also allow me to travel with my scopes (as well as the rest of my optics) in my handluggage.

- mike

In the past I have taken two scopes, but usually travel with just one rifle. If I take the .375 H&H I use primarily the 1.5-5x Leupold and also take a fixed 6X42 which I would use in open country or for lower light conditions. I've not used the 6X yet.

If take the .416 Rigby I will take two 1.5-5 Leupolds.

I'll be taking 2 scopes for the 9.3 X 62 CZ550FS to Namibia in May matched up with Warne QD rings. The main one if you will is a Zeiss 4.5 X 14 X 44 zeroed at 200 yards and the back up, maybe for Leopard as well, is a Vari X 111 in 1.75 X 6 with a 100 yard zero. At this point don't know that I'll take another rifle, but if I do, see no real reason for 3 scopes. One rifle in my Tuff Pak leaves lots of room for boots, daypack and other bulky clothing items. This means I can do with a lot smaller duffle as my second bag. Planning, packing and repacking is part of the adventure, love it.

Larry Sellers

I've always taken a spare Leupold 4X, but I've never needed it.

On my trip to Moz. I took only one rifle but an extra Leup. 2.5x zeroed in QRW rings. If I'm taking two rifles, no.

It is a rare occasion for me to take just one rifle. If I'm on a backpack hunt or Alaskan drop hunt, I'll take one rifle two pre sighted in scopes in Talley rings. If you have a spare, you'll never need it.

You betcha take an extra scope. and an extra set of mounts and rings. AND MOUNTING TOOLS !

If it's a remote area, chances are excellent that any tools you'll need will be just the ones they don't have.

7 trips to Africa, all with 2 scope sighted rifles. And I always take one backup scope and mounts, etc. for both rifles. Haven't needed them yet, but do know (as we all do) buddies who did need the extra scope. Most didn't bring one either.

Guess I am the only one who likes to travel light?

Always, travel lite a pound is being a pound foolish.

ALWAYS!!!
I have a M 70 which has bases to take RUGER RINGS, this is a brutally strong but simple set up, change of scopes does not reqire sighting in
A SPARE 4x leupold always accampanies the zeiss 3-9 x 36...how ever i have never had to use it
daniel

M 98
Interesting. What bases are these?

quote:

Originally posted by akpls:
On my Namibia trip I had 2 identical 1.75-6 Leupold VariX III's in Warne QD rings for my Ruger 77. I also had the NECG aperture sight that mounts on the Ruger dovetail base. All fit nicely in a Pelican case that I handcarried on the plane.

Speaking of the Warne QD's, I was browsing through Cabela's bargain cave last week and they had them for the Ruger 77 on sale for something like $45.

I'm with those that take two rifles rather than one rifle and a spare scope. I have never had any problems on the last four Safaris. Knock on wood, right?

It only takes once to make a bad day. How hard is it to go really prepared?

If I take 2 scoped rifles I will usually have 4 scopes total, in Rings, sighted in.

As others have said, it is cheap insurance.

quote:

Accuratereloading.com The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting Do you travel with an additional scope?

yes with extra mounts tools etc, the whole lot, i leave it in africa with my friends but i would carry it back and forth if i had to, it makes zero sense to travel with one scope, anything happens and your using a borrowed gun.