I posted this in February...
There is a lot of discussion about using a riflescope on a dangerous game rifle (DGR) for close shooting. The options are instead using metallic sights, or a red dot reflex sight. The following are my observations based on substantial shooting experience and a couple trips to Africa. I am...
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There is a lot of discussion about using a riflescope on a dangerous game rifle (DGR) for close shooting. The options are instead using metallic sights, or a red dot reflex sight. The following are my observations based on substantial shooting experience and a couple trips to Africa. I am still learning Africa hunting but will share what I've learned about optics.
I have Trijicon SROs and RMR models mounted a third of the way down the barrels of doubles and a bolt action rifle. These are exponentially better than metallic sights for anyone who needs reading glasses. I remember Jack O'Connor writing 50 or 60 years ago that when a man needs reading glasses it's time for him to buy a riflescope. Great advice!
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Heym 88B with Trijicon SRO with 1 MOA dot
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1-4x Swarovski on Custom M70 Classic .416 Remington
I also have Aimpoint H1s mounted on Accuracy X target 1911's and a Pardini .22 for NRA Precision Pistol competitions. When I compete in the US Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) matches for Service Pistol and International Pistol (.22) I am required to use metallic sights. For those I have shooting glasses made special with my focus on the front sights. The targets are blurry when wearing them. I am actually more "competitive" in CMP metallic sight matches than in NRA any sight matches. Go figure...
I have a lot of experience shooting Trijicon and Aimpoint reflex red dot type sights on pistols and dangerous game rifles. On the rifles, the reflex sights being very much smaller than a riflescope making carrying those rifles easier. I wrap my hand around the center of the action and start walking. Or, balance the rifle over my shoulder with the muzzle pointing to a little bit aft and a lot to the side. The reflex sight is on the other side on my neck. With a scoped rifle, sometimes the scope rubs and bites into my neck over the many miles tracking game.
Okay, I like, shoot, compete, and hunt with quality red dot reflex sights. On a bolt action rifle I prefer an illuminated low power variable optic (LPVO) riflescope with a true 1x at the lowest magnification.
Why you may ask?
1. A riflescope gathers light for a crisp, clear sight picture especially in low light conditions such as dawn, dusk, or in thick brush.
2. The opposite of the above riflescope, a reflex sight must reduce the available light to function. Why? They need a coating on the lens such as the tritium used by Trijicon. The red dot is reflected off the tritium coating to make it viable to the shooter. This reduces the amount (intensity) of light to the entrance pupil of the eye. Think of this as a F-stop on a camera lenses. The higher the number F-stop, the less light entering the camera. In most shooting conditions this doesn't matter. At dawn, dusk, and in thick brush it may, at least it has for me!
3. The illuminated dots within my Leupold, Trijicon, and Nightforce riflescopes have a lot of different intensity settings. They are also ALWAYS well defined perfect dots. My Trijicon reflex sights do have many adjustment setting but their dots are a little fuzzy to my eyes, with or without glasses.
My slightly larger Aimpoint H1s have more well defined red dots than my Trijicons. The H1s, and I assume the newer H2s have accurate elevation and windage adjustments. I would NEVER consider using one my my Trijicons in a Precision Pistol match. Never! Their dots are not as crisp as those in the Aimpoints, and the windage and elevation adjustments are not precise. The miniature reflex sights are great for action pistol competition and for those desiring a reflex sight on a carry gun.
I mounted a Aimpoint on a saddle mount on my Blaser S2 double rifle. It's a great zero to 200 yard setup. I prefer a quick release (QR) scope on this rifle because it is so accurate. The Aimpoint however is small and weighs only a few ounces.
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Blaser S-2 .375 H&H with Aimpoint H-1
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Blaser S-2 375 H&H with Nightforce NX8 1-8x
4. The riflescopes have magnification.
Of course they do! For fine work a 1x to 4x, or 6x, or 8x scope will allow the shooter to increase magnification and make more accurate shots through brush than an unmagnified reflex sight. Also the light defusing coating of tritium on the lenses on reflex sights does not help in these situations. How much magnification one needs is up to them.
Jack O'Connor recommended, before variable scopes were dependable, mounting a 2x or 3x scope on a rifle for an African safari. Back when I was a kid, about 50 years ago, a 4x scope on a .30-06 could in the hands of a good shot, take woodchucks out to 200 yards! That's what we did on summer evenings in Potter County, Pennsylvania. It was good practice! A 1-4X quality riflescope should be sufficient in the hands of a skilled marksman. If you can afford a high quality, higher magnification range scope, then buy once , cry once!
5. Rifle handling is to most experienced shooters feels better without a scope attached to the rifle. This especially true of mounting a scope on a double rifle. The scope adds about 20 ounces or more compared to a reflex sight that adds about 3 ounces. That extra pound my turn your prize London best into a fencepost. The same 3 ounce reflex sight on bolt action DGR for close range will provide better handling characteristics than adding an extra pound or half kilo of riflescope. One has to determine their requirements and select the best option for them.
6. Finally, I prefer quick release (QR) scope mounts. "There's nothing tougher than a Talley" is Talley's tag line. As long as one properly installs Talley or other quality QR rings and carefully reattaches their scope, they will not have problems. Rumors of QR causing problems point to operator error in reattaching the scope. Okay, I admit I did that once when reattaching a scope in my shop... Looking through the scope into the old Bushnell collimator showed a WFT! I looked again and discovered my operator error. It can happen! Practice everything we may do in the field until it becomes ingrained in our subconscious!
