doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Good Vintage scopes

What would you consider quality vintage scopes to use or search for? Kinda wonder what to keep an eye out for

Ive been browsing for more vintage scopes maybe to buy at a pretty cheap price

I already have a few that came on old rifles, 3 old weaver K4s, 1 K3, and a Kollmorgen 4x, all about '50s vintage and in outstanding condition.

This Weaver K3 60B I kinda like.

Rick B.

The 3X Weavers are prized as are the 3X Leupolds. I have a few Kollmorgans and they compare favorably to low end modern scopes.

I have a B&L Scope Chief that's also a nice little scope for hunting.

The real quality is in the older imports from Germany, Zeiss, Kahles, etc.

It's rare to see a vintage hunting scope over 6X, seems as though hunters had better eyes back then. They didn't need a 4-12X variable to shoot a whitetail deer at 85yds in the woods as seems all the rage now.

Then again, perhaps they wounded more game...

I like all the pre-war Zeiss and Hensoldt, for American the Lyman Alaskan is hard to beat.

Id have to disagree with that statement. The Kolmorgen I have is way, way beter than a low end modern scope

Found this link

http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=9834

In the higher-priced spectrum I like Unertl and Lyman Alaskan, in the lower-priced area I like Kolmorgen, Lyman All-Weather Perma-Center and some earlier Leupolds like the 3x, 4x and 7.5x(this one is not really low-priced). Most early European scopes are high quality but frequently are hard to mount properly and relatively inexpensively. JMO.
Regards, Joe

I always look for Redfield steel-tubed 2 3/4X scopes. They seem to work for me in a wide variety of applications and are compact and sturdy. Perfect for the Ruger #1 in a variety of calibers without wierd extension rings, for example, and don't have the "cachet" (read "price jacked up by trendy reputation") of the 3X Leupold. And you can sometimes find them with "old fashioned" but very useful setups like fine crosshairs for little creatures or stout posts for big 'uns.

I also like 1X or 1.5X Weaver scopes on combination guns--especially the old scopes with dots. With a little practice you can look thru the scope even on wingshots with the shot barrel (I have to admit that this doesn't work for me on birds that fly away at sharp angles fast, like quail and grouse--better on phez and jump-shooting ducks....I tend to lose the little fast movers out of the field of view).

The current trend toward "HUGE super-powered incredibly expensive variable power illuminated reticle laser range finder made in some place where they speak German" scopes just leaves me cold. But then, I'm a cheapskate and a retro-nut. If my eyes were what they were in 1985, I wouldn't look at--let alone thru--ANY scope.

Do any of the American makers still make a plain staight-tubed 2.5x fixed power scope any more? The "Leupold/Lyman Alaskan" adventure was noble, but seemed to fail in spite of all of us old gasbags.....

My favorite modern scope is what used to be called the Leuopld 2.5 X Compact. It was discontinued but eventually reintroduced at the 2.5 X Ultralite, I believe. About 6.5 ounces, with almost 5" of eye relief. It is a little short for standard length mauser action ring spacing, but it can be made to work. It is extremely light, strong & reliable and can be mounted very low.

Ken

Perhaps our ideas of a "low end modern scope" differs.

I was referring to Leupolds Rifleman series, entry level Burris, Japanese Weavers, etc. I think the old Kollmorgens are as good as these but not near high end Zeiss, Leupolds VXIII's, etc.
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Ken, I'll look it up! Thanks.

I have one of those in the IER version setup with Leupold Detacho mounts on a 1955 M94. It's the first "scout scope" setup.

It's kind of handy but ruins the balance of the 94.