Rules for Rifles

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 10/21/2019 | P Atkins

[w1n1]

They say a Rifle is only as good as its scope but my father never used a scope, did fine and still does fine after all these years. So perhaps choosing a rifle for big game in Alaska, or anywhere else, is really a just matter of choice.
I don't pretend to be a rifle expert and don’t want to be. I just know that after spending 20-plus years in the Arctic and successfully hunting pretty much everything that walks the tundra up here, I know what works and has worked for me. So take my observations for what they're worth.

CALIBER SIZE FIRST
First of all, it isn’t so much about the rifle brand itself, even though that has a lot to do with quality of any gun. More specifically, it’s about the round or caliber you choose to hunt with.
I know many guys and gals who hunt with a variety of calibers and have had tremendous success. I know hunters who take a .375 on every trip, as well as many who hunt with the newer 6.5 Creedmores. Read the rest of rifle calibers.

[Disambiguator]

It’s “Creedmoor.” Just sayin’....

[yarddog]

Iron sights are better than a lot of people think.

One of my first and best rifles was a 1903 Springfield which the previous owner had installed a Redfield receiver rear sight and a sourdough front sight. A great combination.

I also picked up a used Sears version of the model 94 Winchester. It was one of my all time favorites. The reveiver had an awful looking mottled color of what was once, some sort of bluing. It was a post 64 model but was smooth as silk in functioning.

It also had a Redfield receiver sight. It was also the only model 94 I have ever owned which was accurate.

[semaj]

“Iron sights are better than a lot of people think.”

Iron sights are more robust and reliable than a finicky scope. Scopes are nice to have, but a true rifleman knows how to shoot and score at a distance without one.

[Dutch Boy]

The first rifle I every shot larger than a .22 was a 1903 Springfield. I was 12 or 13 and pencil skinny at the time. I remember thinking I broke my shoulder. No, I wished I could get one and not pay a small fortune for it.

I had an M1A back in the early 2000s that I could shoot holes though coins at 200m using open sights. I’d staple a quarter or a dime to the center of an 8”x8” target that was stapled to a 12”x14” piece of plywood. At 200m the plywood was about 1/4 the width of the front post. I just centered everything up and it was dead on. Now my eyes are old and I am out of practice.

[eastexsteve]

Many people will run out and buy a scope to mount on their rifle without first realizing there are many issues to buying and shooting a scope gun. To start with, you need to spend some serious money to get a good scope, and then you need to learn how to shoot with it. But, all the money in the world won’t automatically make you a good shot. That takes both practice and study. If you can’t fairly consistently be on target at 300 meters with A2 sights on an AR10/AR15 or standard sights on an M1A, then leave the scope on the shelf. You’ve got issues that a scope won’t fix.

[yarddog]

The first AR-15 I owned was extremely accurate with the iron sights. I bought a Colt 4X scope and a mount that attached to the carrying handle with a large thumb screw.

I was disappointed that it was less accurate with the scope than with iron sights. I eventually learned that there was a bit of play between the upper and lower receiver. The weight of the scope caused it to move easier.

I later learned there is a cure but at the time did not know.

[Redcitizen]

What is the cure should I ever encounter the same situation with a carry handle mounted 4x scope? I saw one from Brownells that is for sale.

[Paal Gulli]

"It’s “Creedmoor.” Just sayin’...."

Your complaints are falling on deaf ears. I can assure you that no one at American Shooting Urinal can read.

At least they write as if they're illiterate.

[Paal Gulli]

"One of my first and best rifles was a 1903 Springfield which the previous owner had installed a Redfield receiver rear sight and a sourdough front sight. A great combination."

The original Ought-Threes came with vernier iron sights calibrated to 2800 yards. I don't even have a scopre that can see that far, much less hit something at that distance.

[Paal Gulli]

"...Scopes are nice to have, but a true rifleman knows how to shoot and score at a distance without one...."

Ah, the "No true rifleman" logical fallacy.

Decent quality and properly installed telescopic sights increase every shooter's error budget. Period. Full stop.

[yarddog]

I have never used it but they call it a wedge which removes the play between upper and lower.

Probably should check your individual gun first. It might not need it.

[gundog]

$200 Leupold 3-9x40. .

[semaj]

“Decent quality and properly installed telescopic sights increase every shooter’s error budget. Period. Full stop. “

Point taken, But what do you do when your scope is inoperative, broken, etc...?

[Redcitizen]

Oh now I understand. The fit between my upper and lower is very tight. Will not need a wedge even though I bought one many years ago. I do appreciate you illuminating my brain.