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First horseback hunt and want to make sure I am going to make life hard on myself.

Will I have any issues with a typical scabbard with a NXS compact 2.5-10x42 OR a Leupold 6x36 w/M1 turret?
Both scopes have exposed elevation and capped windage. Both rifles are twin custom Win Mod 70's (280rem/300wm), Talley lwt lows.

I don't anticipate dialing on this hunt but I hate breaking rifles down once a rifle is properly setup.
If the turrets pose a problem I would probably just consider a different rifle that is already setup without turrets.

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I assume that you are talking about the scope turrets. So yeah. I agree that you don't want to breakdown your rifle once you've got it setup properly. Maybe try a different scabbard, one that is designed to hold a scoped rifle.



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I would think that as long as both have zero stops you'd be fine.

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Make sure the scoped rifle fits well BEFORE you head out smile

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It's just not that hard to get in the habit of checking your turrets when you pull it out......

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or you can cheat and put on a neoprene cover.....

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I put a piece of tape on the Leupold turret. Works...

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If those turrets stick out more than regular scope caps, the rifle isn't going to fit in any standard scabbard .Even guys using horses found out that those big bell objective lenses don't fit either,.

Interesting bit. A few years ago I guided a gent that had those twirly turrets and an expensive range finder. I got him all set up and told him to watch for elk up in a bowl at day light.Sure enough it got light and a bull with several cows were feeding. He ranged it, twirled those turrets and commenced to shoot about 15 times, missing every time. Since the elk didn't know where the shots were coming from, they just kept milling around.They were about 400 yards. He must have ranged over their backs and the ranger finder said 700 yards and by God that is how far he was shooting.The elk finally left


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Buy one of the oversized scabbards and take it with you.

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Saddlesore,

I second your sentiments. A scabbard gun needs to be a basic and compact carbine. Even protruding bolt handles can be a problem.

A savage 99, Winchester model 88 or BLR carbine would come to mind.

The leupold fixed 2.5, is an ideal, compact scabbard scope.

Those low profile turret caps leave nothing to hang up.

Like the long rangers tune their rifle set-ups for the long shot, a scabbard gun should get equal consideration.

Leave the long ranger stuff at home.

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I'd read too many stories about the horse falling and breaking a stock or hooking the rifle out of the scabbard in the brush. I just slung the rifle over my head and shoulder which seemed to me a better alternative to being separate from my rifle. One of our guys missed out on getting a shot at a big mule deer because the heat from the horse melted the snow down into the rifle's action and the firing pin froze up. That guy put his bolt in a camp fire to melt it out. Not recommended. I could never see the need for those exposed turrets myself because 225 was the farthest I ever shot an elk and Kentucky windage worked well enough.


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Originally Posted by Windfall
I'd read too many stories about the horse falling and breaking a stock or hooking the rifle out of the scabbard in the brush. I just slung the rifle over my head and shoulder which seemed to me a better alternative to being separate from my rifle.


Not to hi jack this thread ,but:

If you carry your rifle like that, you essentially strap a 3 foot piece of re-bar to your back.When you come off that horse unexpectedly, the rebar does not bend, but your back does, but not in the right direction.This does not even consider that rifle bouncing around on your back if the horse breaks in a trot or spooks into full blown gallop. A broken stock or lost rifle is a small price to pay for safety. There are several ways to mount a scabbard so you rifle won't come out or get caught on brush. Butt to the rear with a loop of saddle string around the stock is one. I probably have carried rifles in scabbards for 50+ years of hunting seasons and have never lost one but broke one. A green mule did break one ML stock I unwisely had the butt forward and it lunged into a tree with the tree being between the mule and the scabbard. A few years ago, I cautioned a hunter on putting the rifle across his back, but he rode of from the trail head anyway. About 1/2 way into their camp, the horse reared, the guy went off backwards, broke the stock and fractured his back.Flight for life helo took him out.

Bad things can happen around or on horses and they happen fast.The stupid things don't even need reason to spook or act silly .


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Yep, slinging rifles while operating animal power is a no-go.
Just plain dangerous.

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Leupold hunting scopes with low and covered adjustment dials would get my vote. Also, prefer the Leupold style focus adjustment without the Euro style rubber focus rings that can sometimes grip the case as your trying to pull it out, especially if it is soft leather.

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My rifles have turrets, and I use them in scabbards on my horses. They work fine. As huntsman said, just give it a quick look when you pull it out. Capped elevation and windage would be best.

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Originally Posted by mainer_in_ak
Yep, slinging rifles while operating animal power is a no-go.
Just plain dangerous.




Same with backpacks......

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Good tip about slinging my rifle. As a flat lander the only thing that I knew about horses I learned from watching westerns or the pony ring at the fair. I.E. not much. Everyone I know that ever had a horse had a the horse hurt me story. I appreciated one horse power and my buddy Gary who brought them a whole bunch when I had an elk down, but I saw more elk when I left the horse back at the tent.


My other auto is a .45

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And take the sling off before you put it in the scabbard. I carry my rifle horseback under my left leg, butt to the rear. With an attached sling, too easy to hook it on a limb and have it pulled out.

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I signed a peace treaty many years ago in which I agreed to not ride horses any more and they agreed not to try to drown me, trample me, clothesline me, or bite me. It has worked out well. I can not give advice as asked but I can tell you that after 50 plus years hunting elk, quidding dudes for 9 of those years, I would not be caught dead using large turrets or scopes for that matter. Way too much to go wrong for that once per season chance at an elk. I saw many failures of rifle and scopes over the years. Big scope are far easier to get knocked out of alignment and turrets I assume would be the same. My serious hunting rifles are scoped with fixed power Leupold scopes with proper rugged scope mounts. Scope mounts are mostly horrid design and prone to failure these days.

Last edited by stuvwxyz; 07/13/20.
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A great horse back hunt is one that has NO wrecks!!!

3x9 sighted in at 200 yards
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First shot should be in the BROWN part. Way to many shots go high.


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