Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires 3/4" scopes

Thinking about using the Weaver side mount on a old savage 4c and it takes a 3/4" scope. I know that there are lots of old weavers out there. Any Good modern manufactures?

Not that I am aware of Sir, I would try for a nice old Weaver as they can be had for very little most of the time.

Was there ever a "really" good 3/4" scope? The early Weavers don't turn me on, but I can get by with a 7/8" Lyman Alaskan. Back to the question, no, I don't know of any, but I have a NIB 4x Springfield (Savage) that you can have for $25 shipped.

Jeff

Probably the best of the 3/4" scopes (other than the Lyman, Unertl, etc. target scopes) that is also the most modern, is the little Redfield scope designed mainly for rimfires. These haven't been made in a long time and the prices have been very high in the last few years if you can find one for sale.
There is nothing wrong with many of the old Weavers. You just have to find one that has been treated well by an adult. I like the J2.5 and J4, but would not turn down a low-priced 330 or 29S, which also have risen in value to collector status.

I could also "get by" very well with a Lyman Alaskan. If you can find one in good shape for less than $250, then it's a good deal in today's market.

I think that I have 7 or 8 loose Lyman Alaskans around, so if I ever need 1, I can probably find 1 without too much trouble. I doubt that I paid more than $200 for any of them, even those that are still NIB.

You're right about the Redfield Frontiers, but they are intended to be mounted forward, as a "Scout" style scope, a format that I don't care for.

Jeff

Some of the 3/4 inch Redfields were designed for conventional mounting over the action.

Here:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=185082586

http://cgi.ebay.com/Redfield-3-4-4x-Rimfire-scope-V12400-/150501642637

The Frontiers I've seen all had an elongated eyepiece like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Redfield-2x-3-4-tube-Frontier-Rifle-Scope-NIB-/300475244924

Bruce

The Weaver J2.5 and J4 were economy centerfire 3/4 inch scopes with long eye relief. They also work fine on a rimfire and don't overpower a slim 22LR action.

There are some store brand rimfire 3/4 inch scopes that look very similar to the Weaver J scopes but have rimfire eye relief. Most I see have brass colored adjustment housings. I would guess Weaver made them.

Bruce

Lyman & Leupold Alaskans have a 7/8" (22mm) tube not 3/4".
An excellent Lyman All Weather model, especially if a dot or post will push $400 on Ebay. The Leupolds as much or more (they came in 2.5, 4 and 6X)
A J 2.5 or J 4 (Weaver) is a nice scope for that rifle and has a 3/4" tube. Be sure to inspect it or have a money back guarantee as some were used on high powers and can suffer lens delamination.

The other 3/4" options are a B4 or B6 (Weaver & Sears) but inferior to J series.

If you REALLY look you might find a Weaver N mount (what goes on that rifle) with a 7/8" or 1" tube diameter. Rare birds!

The only Redfield 3/4" tube scopes that I've seen have been mounted forward, in the "scout" style, on Remington 600s and Winchester 94s. I've never seen any in the field or at the range, just in cataloges, on the net, or at gun shows. Never a popular scope anywhere that I've lived or hunted.

I have a couple of Weaver Js, including 1 J2.5 with an 8x Litschert tele-converter installed in a Weaver N mount. I don't think that the Weaver Js are very good, when compared to most of today's average quality scopes. Small FOV and marginal light transfer when compared to most 1" tubes. More of a collectable antique then a practical hunting tool.

Jeff

Montana Vintage Arms is coming out with a remake of the Winchester 5A or is that A5? I forget which is which. Anyway, it will be top drawer like all things MVA.

Thanks for the info guys and Thank you for the savage scope offer Jeff.

Im still pondering the rifle. I took my 7yr old out with a savage 23a this summer and he loved shooting but the 23 is a little big for him. The 4c is a little smaller so its tempting.

I've got an old Weaver 29S on a Savage 5, side mounted. Not a dawn or dusk scope but fine in good light. Looks right.

Yeah they are nice but $1000 ? You can buy a 2" Unertl Ultra varmint in mint condition for less than that. The Unertl is a far superior scope although it would look odd on a side hammer Sharps.

If you want to put a Unertl Ultra Varmint on such a rifle - go ahead. I wouldn't. The Unerlt is NOT a far superior scope. Not at all. They are pretty much equivalent. I might even give the edge to MVA optics. They are modern and things have changed a lot since Unertl built the UVs.

Unertl is probably the most overrated of the 3/4" scopes, though they are fine scopes. The Lyman STS and Feckers are just as good or better and less money.

The only scope from Unertl for this purpose is the "Small Game" and it is pretty pricey these days. and NOT the equal of the MVAs.