I am in the process of replacing some scopes I have robbed off of various Rifles in the past couple of years!
I have just about completed this lengthy, multiple scope switch and am satisfied that I have the correct scopes on the correct Rifles - AGAIN!
That is all except my nifty little German made Weatherby in 224 Weatherby Magnum caliber!
This Rifle is very handsome and the blue on the action and barrel is the HIGH gloss type!
I had two scope options for this Rifle one is a Weaver KT-15 (straight 15 power) and the other choice is a Weaver V-16 (4 to 16 power variable). I laid the scopes in the rings on the Rifle and they both looked "to big" or overwhelming for the semi-dainty little Weatherby action!
I guess I could live with the odd look of the larger scope on the small Rifle but I am just not enthused at all with these choices!
In the back of my mind I have two thoughts gnawing at me! I know the 224 Weatherby can sure put the "power" of these scopes to good use. But my uses for this Rifle will be mostly as a calling Rifle and a walking around type Varminter. And I greatly prefer adjustable objective scopes, preferably variable powered also!
I am thinking seriously about one of Leupolds VX-II 3x9x33mm Ultralight EFR scopes! This compact little scope would suit the use for my 224 but dang it they list this scope as an air Rifle scope!
Anyone have any thoughts or experiences with this EFR air Rifle scope on a centerfire Rifle?
Or does anyone have any other suggestions for a 3x9 or 4x12 small or medium bodied scope in high gloss finish with the adjustable objective feature?
Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG

I have a small 600 Remington. Not a large rifle also a carry rifle. I looked around and thought it over just like your doing. I wound up getting a 2.5 X 10 Baush and Laum now Bushnell 4200. The 2.5 gives a great view and the 10 will still bring things in close enough for a calling rifle. It's not EFR.

Leupolds VX-II 3x9x33mm Ultralight EFR scopes would be a good fit also.

quote:

Originally posted by VarmintGuy:
I am in the process of replacing some scopes I have robbed off of various Rifles in the past couple of years!
I have just about completed this lengthy, multiple scope switch and am satisfied that I have the correct scopes on the correct Rifles - AGAIN!
That is all except my nifty little German made Weatherby in 224 Weatherby Magnum caliber!
This Rifle is very handsome and the blue on the action and barrel is the HIGH gloss type!
I had two scope options for this Rifle one is a Weaver KT-15 (straight 15 power) and the other choice is a Weaver V-16 (4 to 16 power variable). I laid the scopes in the rings on the Rifle and they both looked "to big" or overwhelming for the semi-dainty little Weatherby action!
I guess I could live with the odd look of the larger scope on the small Rifle but I am just not enthused at all with these choices!
In the back of my mind I have two thoughts gnawing at me! I know the 224 Weatherby can sure put the "power" of these scopes to good use. But my uses for this Rifle will be mostly as a calling Rifle and a walking around type Varminter. And I greatly prefer adjustable objective scopes, preferably variable powered also!
I am thinking seriously about one of Leupolds VX-II 3x9x33mm Ultralight EFR scopes! This compact little scope would suit the use for my 224 but dang it they list this scope as an air Rifle scope!
Anyone have any thoughts or experiences with this EFR air Rifle scope on a centerfire Rifle?
Or does anyone have any other suggestions for a 3x9 or 4x12 small or medium bodied scope in high gloss finish with the adjustable objective feature?
Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Though it might suprise you a spring powered air rifle can easily be as abusive as many centerfire rifles and more abusive to the scope than many more....

The Barrel cocking kind of air gun is as abusive as some mag calibers, so I wouldn't
worry about putting what some would consider an "air rifle" scope onto a 224wby, which is a ballistic twin to a 22-250.

Ask on the airrifle forum about people breaking magnum rifle scopes on spring piston air rifles.

The Side-lever "Recoilless" air rifles are much kinder to scopes.

AllanD

VG- a couple of thoughts coem to my beady little mind first off.

First I would giv serious thought to the Burris BP, nice scope, fairly small and yet it brings a lot to the table. It would work very well on that 224.

Secondly if you're not gonna be using it to shoot a bunch of smallish rodents then a 6x42 Leo would be tough to beat as well.

Mark D

Did you get to the Livingston show? And there is a sport show at MSU this weekend are you gonna make it to it? If so, I'll be there with my Grandson and we'll buy you a coke.

VG, I went through the same thing with a Brno 611. Small gun and I finally choose a Leupold 3X9 compact. Makes for a great walk around gun and plenty of power range and also light.

Allen DeGroot: Perhaps my air Rifle scope "concerns" are misguided. I have received several E-mails regarding the strengths or ruggedness of the scopes so designated. In fact the gist of the info I have received here and elsewhere is that the air Rifle scopes are stronger internally in a couple of ways than "standard" Rifle scopes?
Thanks for your input.

Mark Dobrenski: Yes small rodents and other Varmints will be primary fare for this Rifle.
Coyotes and Fox will also be on the menu. I could probably figure a swap with someone for my Weaver KT-15 vs. a Leupold 6x! Good thought there.
Negative I wimped out on the Livingston Show and had planned on making the Bozeman Sportsman Show. I got a call late last night that may lead to a return trip to the west coast post haste. I will let you know if I and my "homies" are gonna be at the Sportsman Show. I should find out today if I am headed for the coast!
Damn!
I hate the traffic out there.

Jay Johnson: Thanks for that bit of direction and I am fresh out of Bushnell (Bausch & Lomb) catalogs. I will hit the town today and see if I can find a catalog for them.
Mother was re-hospitalized last night and I may be headed to your town if it looks like she will be in the hospital long!
Its always something!
By the way I once shot a three shot 100 yard group with this pencil barrelled German Weatherby that measured .350"! But normally it shoots 5 shots in the 8's or 9's with my handloads. I had a Leupold 4x12 variable scope on it before but "robbed" that scope a year or two ago!
I tend to want that higher power for those Coyotes and Fox that won't come any closer!
The Fox around here have a habit of falling asleep (with one eye open it seems!) on the lip of their den hole mounds. Neccessitating a head shot from afar to anchor them outside the den shaft.
More than once have I and my main Fox Hunting partner have had to resort to finding a length of barbed wire and making a "fishing" tool out of it to retrieve the then dead Fox from its den! This sort of activity wastes time and makes one wish they had not lung shot the Fox but had head shot them!
As another aside the brass from this 224 Weatherby Magnum seems to last a long time even with my peppy but not over maximum loads!
I have grown to like the Weatherby cartrdiges that I have and have used in the past. And have found that accuracy and brass life are at least good to "liveable".
Long live the 224 Weatherby!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

i don't know if they are made anymore but the burris 4-12 mini scope works out great on a walking gun. I had some really poor experiences with burris so i don't attention to them anymore, but that little scope works out

Butchbloc: Just came from the Burris site where I looked up the 4x12 compact. That scope may just suit my purposes to a "T".
Thanks for the tip.
I am going to be looking for a 4x12 Burris compact "in person" to look it over real closely.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG-I would take a close look, personally I kind of always wanted one for my lil Kimber SA in 223. I looked at them several times and they did not cut it for me.

IMO heavy and not great optically, but then again I've never liked the compacts.

I did turn into a 3-9 Burris compact for cheap and I do mean cheap. I've got it on the lil 223 but I am no fan of it.

Take a close look.

Compare it to a standard Burris with the BP in a 3-9. I gotta believe you would love this one in comparison.

Just my thoughts.

Mark D

VG,, This may be the perfect oppurtunity for you to finally check out the Nikon Buckmaster 4.5-14 sf!!! With the side focus vs the front AO, the lines of the scope are drastically changed along with weight! And you have enough power at 14X for a good carry rifle and you've heard from me on the clarity and definition as well as brightness, so now go try one out!!!! GHD

VG

Sorry to hear about VarmintMom we're still fighting the same battle here. But the last couple of days have been encouraging.

This may hold you over until you find that catalog.

Bushnell

Mark Dobrenski: Thanks for your hands on insights! I appreciate them mucho grande.

Jay Johnson: Yeah - dang its always something. Late last night they took the VarmintMom from her regular room to intensive care for lung liquid removal! They are hoping she will perk up after that and get back home. I may wait til she is discharged to head out to the old "hometown"! Few days is the current guess. The VarmintMom joined the N.R.A. at age 62 (shes now 80!) and she gave me a commemorative coin that the NRA sent her for a recent donation she made to them! Not bad for a former Democrat from the depression era!
Hope to see you when I get back out there.
Dan Chavre just called me from a morning traffic jam in south Seattle and said the weather was nice at least!

Groundhog Devastation: Super suggestion there and it has plenty of top end power for my 224 Weatherby! I will get on the Hunt for the Nikon. Speaking of Nikon I got a super deal out on the coast on a Nikon Monarch 6.5x20x44 with Duplex type reticle. I just mounted it up on a previously "scope robbed" Rifle and can't wait to resight it in.
Yes the Nikons are amazingly clear and bright - I have one Nikon 6.5x20 already and have been using it for almost two years now. The only test it has not yet endured is the inclement conditions tests of Montana (78 degree truck into 15 below zero outside weather and the snow, sleet, rain tests etc!) and those will come soon enough.

Thanks again all.

Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG, Sorry to hear of the health issues with your mom! My dad has been falling and very unsteady on his feet so we don't leave him alone now!! He'll be 80 in April!! Sad to see the decline!! I turned 50 today and daddy told me he hoped I was in better shape at 80 than he is!! I told him he'd be all right in time to plant the garden!!!
As far as the Nikon 4.5-14, John Jakoviac at theopticzone.com will be hard to beat on price!!! And as far as the Monarch 6.5-20, that's what sits on my .204 VLP!! Dial it up, dial it down.......repeatable!!!! Love thm Nikons!!! GHD

quote:

Originally posted by VarmintGuy:
Jay Johnson: Yeah - dang its always something.
Hope to see you when I get back out there.
Dan Chavre just called me from a morning traffic jam in south Seattle and said the weather was nice at least!

VG I'm going to hold you to that. Gee it seems something always happens and we don't make a connection.

Ilene had her best day in weeks today we're hoping shes turned the corner.

The last two days here the sun has been out and the temps in the mid 50's.

But I want you guys from California to know the rain is coming back in couple of days so don't head north.

VG,
On my 22-250 varmintmaster I have a Leupold Vari x II 4-12x40 in gloss. The rifle has the 24" slim barrel.

I have a .224 wby with the #2 26" barrel. I was like you, robbing scopes for other guns. I started with a burris plex 3x9 but it wound up with a burris signature gloss scope in 3-12. I think the higher power does it justice. However for those coyotes that sneak up on me, I didn't want to sacrifie anything on the low end. Both of mine are japanese models, and they shoot very well.

Here's a pic of my 22-250

Keith

VG:

First of all, our prayers are with your mother and her health.....

I'll have to second GHDs recommendation of the Nikon Buckmaster 4.5 x 14... It is also available with a Mildot reticle... I have horsetraded for a new one locally... but I haven't mounted it yet, strictly for the one reason, that I am sure at least you and GHD could relate too.... which rifle to put it on.... and then after that, wishing I could have put one on a couple of other rifles also....

I intend to sell off a couple of older scopes, that I have outgrown...and replace them with the Nikon Buckmaster Mildot 4.5 x 14...

Don't you have a Sportsman's Warehouse in Missoula? If not, the next time you are over in Washington State, they have one in the Tri Cities, One in Spokane and one over in Silverdale by Bremerton....A good place to check them out at.. and they also have a decent price on them.. I think they are about $279.00 anywhere...

While I love the Weaver 4 x 16, I love the Nikon all the more....and they run about the same money... I'd go with either one of them over a Burris Mini Scope...

I am sure you will make the right choice tho....

cheers
seafire

Seafire, groundhog devastation and Johnny Johnson: Thanks all for the well wishes and concerns on the VarmintMom!
I appreciate it very much.
I just got home last night and brought the VarmintMom home from the hospital earleier in the week - and she has seemed to perk up some of late.
By coincidence groundhog devastation MY mother will also be 80 in April (13th).
Had some time in between chores out there to check some gunshops in the Puget Sound area while.
Seafire/B17G: Look for my post on Sportsmans Warehouse big sale!
Thanks again all for the wishes and prayers!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG-I sure do hope and pray for the best for V-Mom, hope it all works out.

Keith that is one nice rifle. I carried a 22/250 Wby for years. I had a Canjar in it, lost it in a divorce, I miss the gun...

Mark D

Mark: Thanks for the good thoughts!
Your mention of the "lost" Weatherby reminds me of a divorce situation I worked on when I was on the PD.
I'll make it quick.
Guy is served with papers and must vacate his home! The only thing he can remove from "his" home at the serving of the papers were his work tools and work clothes (law at the time!). "His" long guns were left in the "little womans" care!
The Rifles and shotguns are left in the house pending adjudication of the marriage and settlement of property. When it appears ajudication of assets and the final divorce decree was nearing, the wife takes his long arms out to the curb of the street in front of "his" house, puts the barrels on the curb the butts in the street and drives over them with "the family car"!
Neighbors called PD (and the husband!) and I responded. I nearly fainted when I saw the dozen or so long guns all destroyed! The husband went beserk when he saw the carnage and realized (perhaps again!) the vindictiveness of the "little woman"!
No crime though - as at the time the long arms were community property and you can't be arrested for destroying your own stuff!
Lesson to be learned - be careful, BE VERY CAREFUL whom one marries!
Mark - I hope someday you get a good deal on another Weatherby in 22-250!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG-rest assured that lil rifle is in my goal list book.

I had a 26" tube but that lil 24" is so sweet.

Mark D