Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles To keep classic or upgrade optics?

I have a k2.5 which has been on my 35 Whelen for 35 years. I have had to clean the rust off it a few times (it gets wet often), but it has never failed me. The same goes for a bunch of others. One Bushnell Scopechief fogged, and another suffered a broken crosshair. The other two are still fine. The oldest one is sixty years old and has been used plenty. Leupold M-8 series have served me well.
The way I look at it, if the scope has served well for twenty years, it will probably work next year too.
I have one 6X weaver which needs to be re-sealed. One old one I have which has been exceptionally good is an old J-4 Weaver (3/4 inch tube). It is about 70 years old, has never fogged, and is perfectly reliable. It sits on my 03 Springfield.
When I go hunting, I never feel like my scope is going to be a problem, regardless of the vintage. GD

I like Lyman Alaskans and griffin howe mounts and most people think they ruin the value fine with me

Considering putting something on my grandfather's 1950s 740.
Steel but plate with engraved silver grip cap...on a 740.
He made about 30 bucks a week working for Colonial in Arkansas. No telling how long he had to save to buy it. Or who in Arkansas he got to engrave and install a silver cap.
I'd like to find an old Balvar 4x and Kuharski brothers mount.

I put modern mounts and glass on my vintage rifles that will accept them. Optics technology has improved by leaps and bounds compared to rifle tech.

Even the top-of-the-line scopes of yesteryear sucked compared to modestly priced scopes today. Now, consider those same scopes with 50+ year old seals. It's not worth the performance compromise.

Right! .... I put a M8 4x on my old 721 300H&H and am looking for a 2-7 for a Browning/Sako 222. Gloss scopes are not going down in value, esp the Leupolds.

Also looking for a Bushnell Scopechief VI 2.5-8. Used to get them easy. Not any more.

If I’m going to seriously hunt with it, I replace vintage scopes with modern optics.

That just looks fitting on that rifle. I have a couple older rifles that have Leupolds on them. Even the old Weaver rings look good.