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.
I use a .308 for moose hunting. It's a Model 70 Winchester Featherlite, pre-64. It was my fathers, and before that, my uncle's. It's been in the family a long time and there is some sentimental value. It's a nice rifle.
The rifle has a scope, and in 1965 it was a good quality scope. The problem is, it's not 1965 anymore. Scopes today are much better simply as a result of improved technology. The glass is better, and the scopes offer zoom technology.
Over the last three years I've had several long range run ins with moose. One I shot, but it was long. Two others I let pass. Talking with other hunters led me to believe I could have shot them provided I had a range finder and knew what my rifle would do. I also decided to add a new scope to the mix.
I stayed with Bushnell, mostly out of brand loyalty. The new scope, instead of being a 4x magnifier, is a 3x to 10x scope. It's got a better reticle and gathers way more light. Interestingly, it's still a little smaller than the old scope.
Comparing scopes isn't easy for the uninitiated. The sales staff let me look through lots of them, but couldn't really explain why triple the cost was warranted. Obviously spending more money gets you a better product, but without knowing exactly what you're getting it doesn't instill a lot of confidence.
The upshot is that when I bought the scope and heard that mounting it would cost $100, I decided I'd do my own. It can't be that hard, and if I'm going to meat hunt I want to be capable with the rifle. That means doing as much gunsmithing as is reasonable.
Changing one scope for another can be very easy. In this case I use the same mounts, and only change the rings. The result is that all I'm doing is undoing screws.
The scope is attached to the rifle with a combination of rails, bases and rings. The rails are screwed to the receiver. The rings attach to the bases by a system of hooks and screw compression. The bases slide onto the rails and are cinched tight by screws.
The swap scopes you can use the same rails. However, you may have to change either the rings or the bases. In fact, sometimes you have to change both. In my case that's what happened. The new scope is shorter, and so it needed new bases. The new bases allow the scope to slide forward and back. The old bases didn't allow for any adjustment.
Still, the job was quick and simple. I did it on the kitchen table. Six screws were all that was required. Two to secure the bases to the rails, and four to secure the scope and rings to the bases. All that's left to do is sight it 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.
I use a .308 for moose hunting. It's a Model 70 Winchester Featherlite, pre-64. It was my fathers, and before that, my uncle's. It's been in the family a long time and there is some sentimental value. It's a nice rifle.
The rifle has a scope, and in 1965 it was a good quality scope. The problem is, it's not 1965 anymore. Scopes today are much better simply as a result of improved technology. The glass is better, and the scopes offer zoom technology.
Over the last three years I've had several long range run ins with moose. One I shot, but it was long. Two others I let pass. Talking with other hunters led me to believe I could have shot them provided I had a range finder and knew what my rifle would do. I also decided to add a new scope to the mix.
I stayed with Bushnell, mostly out of brand loyalty. The new scope, instead of being a 4x magnifier, is a 3x to 10x scope. It's got a better reticle and gathers way more light. Interestingly, it's still a little smaller than the old scope.
Comparing scopes isn't easy for the uninitiated. The sales staff let me look through lots of them, but couldn't really explain why triple the cost was warranted. Obviously spending more money gets you a better product, but without knowing exactly what you're getting it doesn't instill a lot of confidence.
The upshot is that when I bought the scope and heard that mounting it would cost $100, I decided I'd do my own. It can't be that hard, and if I'm going to meat hunt I want to be capable with the rifle. That means doing as much gunsmithing as is reasonable.
Changing one scope for another can be very easy. In this case I use the same mounts, and only change the rings. The result is that all I'm doing is undoing screws.
The scope is attached to the rifle with a combination of rails, bases and rings. The rails are screwed to the receiver. The rings attach to the bases by a system of hooks and screw compression. The bases slide onto the rails and are cinched tight by screws.
The swap scopes you can use the same rails. However, you may have to change either the rings or the bases. In fact, sometimes you have to change both. In my case that's what happened. The new scope is shorter, and so it needed new bases. The new bases allow the scope to slide forward and back. The old bases didn't allow for any adjustment.
Still, the job was quick and simple. I did it on the kitchen table. Six screws were all that was required. Two to secure the bases to the rails, and four to secure the scope and rings to the bases. All that's left to do is sight it 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.