Spring has sprung. Get out and shoot your Henry
Lever Gun Scope Rant
- JEBar
- Town Marshal / Deputy Admin
- Posts: 19349
- Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2016 10:58 pm
- Location: central NC
Re: Lever Gun Scope Rant
the types of sights a person chooses to put on a rifle is very much a matter of personal preference .... I don't believe there is a one size fits all choice .... in my case, I can only think of only two situations where I wouldn't want a scope on my rifle .... one, when hunting under conditions where I would be shooting at very close ranges which require almost instant target acquisition .... two, for a wall hanger that to me would look better/more natural without a scope .... I don't have a single wall hanger so that's not much of a concern
2 x
-
- Cattle Driver
- Posts: 725
- Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2016 6:53 pm
- Location: Shenandoah Valley, VA
Re: Lever Gun Scope Rant
Has anyone ever seen or heard of a brass scope? I think a small brass "old-time-looking" scope would look good on a brass Henry. Brass is probably too soft of a metal for a scope, so there may be a durability issue, but I still think it would be cool to see one on a Henry....
1 x
US Submarine Service 1976-2006
Henry H001TLP,H001TLB,H003T,H004,H006R,H006M,H012R,H012AW,H012MRCC,H010CC,H015-357,H015-44,H015-4570
Winchester 9422,1873,1885,1886,1892
Marlin 39A,AS,CL,D,M,Mountie,TDS,1897CB,Texan,1894CB,1895CBA,1895SBL
Ruger #1 44Mag
Henry H001TLP,H001TLB,H003T,H004,H006R,H006M,H012R,H012AW,H012MRCC,H010CC,H015-357,H015-44,H015-4570
Winchester 9422,1873,1885,1886,1892
Marlin 39A,AS,CL,D,M,Mountie,TDS,1897CB,Texan,1894CB,1895CBA,1895SBL
Ruger #1 44Mag
- CT_Shooter
- Administrator emeritus
- Posts: 5156
- Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2016 8:42 am
- Location: Connecticut
Re: Lever Gun Scope Rant
A company called Dixie Gun Works sells one. There are likely others that do, too.tractortad wrote:Has anyone ever seen or heard of a brass scope?
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_i ... 9pkk06vg36
0 x
H006M Big Boy Brass .357 - H001 Classic .22LR - Uberti / Taylors & Co. SmokeWagon .357 5.5" - Uberti / Taylors & Co. RanchHand .22LR 5.5"
Re: Lever Gun Scope Rant
Leupold 2.5-8 works well for me. One on the 444 and the 41. 2-7 should shoot great groups.
0 x
I love all God's creatures, some are better with gravy.
- North Country Gal
- Firearms Advisor
- Posts: 6094
- Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 12:46 pm
- Location: northern Wisconsin
Re: Lever Gun Scope Rant
Nikons are famous/infamous for having large bell housings, front and back, but the Nikon Prostaff series is just so hard to beat when it comes to optics for the dollar. You can go to a Leupold, which is a trimmer scope for a given size, but you'll pay a lot more to come in at the same level of optics as the Prostaff. Usually takes at least the VX-II level in the Leupold.
Those 40mm and, especially, 50mm scopes offer a brightness advantage in terms of exit pupil, but in order to take advantage of it, you have to crank your scope up to 6x or more. Under 6x, those big scopes are delivering more light than our old eyes can use.
Oh, yeah, I've been fighting the old eyes thing for years and it's been a fight, make no mistake. I love shooting iron sights and will continue to do so until my shooting days are over, but there are days now when shooting iron is just plain frustrating, all the more so because I have high expectations for my shooting. The fact is that scopes and even red dots allow me to stay in the game, even on days when my eyes aren't the best and/or on days when lighting conditions are marginal, which they often are, up here.
I get around this by keeping a few rifles setup with peep sights or even open sights for those days when the eye are cooperating or for those days when I just want to shoot iron, but the hard cold reality is that, even for may offhand shooting, now, my scores are better with a scope. (I practice offhand shooting with a scope almost on a daily basis via my air rifles.)
Those 40mm and, especially, 50mm scopes offer a brightness advantage in terms of exit pupil, but in order to take advantage of it, you have to crank your scope up to 6x or more. Under 6x, those big scopes are delivering more light than our old eyes can use.
Oh, yeah, I've been fighting the old eyes thing for years and it's been a fight, make no mistake. I love shooting iron sights and will continue to do so until my shooting days are over, but there are days now when shooting iron is just plain frustrating, all the more so because I have high expectations for my shooting. The fact is that scopes and even red dots allow me to stay in the game, even on days when my eyes aren't the best and/or on days when lighting conditions are marginal, which they often are, up here.
I get around this by keeping a few rifles setup with peep sights or even open sights for those days when the eye are cooperating or for those days when I just want to shoot iron, but the hard cold reality is that, even for may offhand shooting, now, my scores are better with a scope. (I practice offhand shooting with a scope almost on a daily basis via my air rifles.)
0 x
- ditchparrot
- Cowhand
- Posts: 262
- Joined: Fri May 27, 2016 10:32 pm
- Location: Humboldt, AZ
Re: Lever Gun Scope Rant
I'm right there with you, RR. None of my lever guns will ever see a scope – just doesn't work for me.RanchRoper wrote:I just can't do the scope thing. Not for me. But I get the purpose.
0 x
Henry Big Boy Rifle .357
Henry Classic .22
Henry Lever-Action .410
Henry Big Boy Revolver .357
Henry Classic .22
Henry Lever-Action .410
Henry Big Boy Revolver .357
- JEBar
- Town Marshal / Deputy Admin
- Posts: 19349
- Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2016 10:58 pm
- Location: central NC
Re: Lever Gun Scope Rant
if it works for you and you are happy, that's all that matters ....ace73 wrote:Here's my H001 with a Simmons 22 Mag scope!
It does look a little big for the rifle, but it's working for me so far!
0 x
- Les
- Cowboy
- Posts: 1913
- Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2016 2:31 am
- Location: Runcorn, UK, via Africa and parts unknown.
Re: Lever Gun Scope Rant
I don't think a lever action or pump action rifle looks 'right' with a scope, but ........ I know in my case it is really a necessity. My MkI eyeballs aren't what they used to be, so iron sights are generally out of the question.
I have used a Pedersoli tang sight on rifles before, and it is quite unbelievable how I can focus on things without my spectacles through the peep sight, but the same thing without using the sight is a total blur. I can imagine the Marbles tang sights would be equally good, but they cost as much as a half decent scope over here, so it's no contest.
I always try to get the maximum accuracy out of myself and my rifles, and one of the only ways I can do that is by using a scope. People may snigger, but I don't think it looks 'odd'. I prefer 'eccentric'.
I have used a Pedersoli tang sight on rifles before, and it is quite unbelievable how I can focus on things without my spectacles through the peep sight, but the same thing without using the sight is a total blur. I can imagine the Marbles tang sights would be equally good, but they cost as much as a half decent scope over here, so it's no contest.
I always try to get the maximum accuracy out of myself and my rifles, and one of the only ways I can do that is by using a scope. People may snigger, but I don't think it looks 'odd'. I prefer 'eccentric'.
0 x
- RanchRoper
- Forum Ambassador
- Posts: 12692
- Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2016 12:14 am
- Location: Land of Shining Mountains, Alberta
Re: Lever Gun Scope Rant
Most of the people in my local club are learning to duck and cover when I shoot, so it's all good.ditchparrot wrote:I'm right there with you, RR. None of my lever guns will ever see a scope – just doesn't work for me.RanchRoper wrote:I just can't do the scope thing. Not for me. But I get the purpose.
3 x
1860 Colt SA Richards Conversion Revolver .45C
1860 Henry .45C
1885 High Wall .45C
1820-1840 Frontier Percussion .50
1790-1820 Frontier Flintlock .50
Ohkínohkomit - Shoot skillfully
1860 Henry .45C
1885 High Wall .45C
1820-1840 Frontier Percussion .50
1790-1820 Frontier Flintlock .50
Ohkínohkomit - Shoot skillfully