It has been argued that using a rifle scope is perfectly safe and OK for scanning/glassing for game, rather than using binoculars. One excuse I've heard is that even though the rifle is loaded, it has an open bolt so it is ok.
Do you consider it safe to use a rifle scope, on a loaded rifle, instead of binoculars or a spotting scope when glassing for game animals?
Why or why not?
No,I don't point my rifle around looking for game or pointing it toward a sound. If I see a deer or a group of deer at a distance,I may very well look at them with my scope before deciding to shoot.
I don't really understand where this thread has gone with everyone talking about someone pointing a rifle at them. Where I hunt I've never even carried binoculars. You can rarely find a place to see for 300 yards and I can see well enough with my eyes to tell if it's a deer or a man. I'm not going to point my rifle scope at anything I can't identify.
