Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics To Mount, or not to mount?

I dumbed across what I believe is an unused/mounted Redfield Sportster 4x 3/4" tube scope with rings, the rings are in their own box, still wrapped in plastic. The scope is in the box w/lens caps and the instruction manual. I did a little looking when I got home and it appears that there is at least somewhat of a collectors market for these, or, everyone who has one left unmounted is asking a king's ransom for them.

I bought it with full intension of mounting it on either a Win 61 or 63 both of which have grooved receivers.

So, mount it or flip it? Whatsay the peanut gallery?

I'd sell it and buy a modern scope, but I don't "collect" guns or scopes as my hobby. I don't own any guns I haven't fired either.

I inherited the 61 and a pair of 63's. I've shot them all somewhere along the way but it's been better than 30yrs (I've had them for 15).

I'd trip it, personally. To a collector, it would really be something special, but to a shooter, it's just a disappointing scope. I would think just about any modern scope would out perform the 3/4" tube, if you're really interested in shooting the rifles.

I’d buy a browning SA-22 to mount it on

Yep.

Good input. It would be a win/win.

While both a 61 and a 63 have side ejection, neither one was invented back when scopes were in vogue. Both have rather low combs, so the factory irons or a low mounted peep were better for a good cheek weld. I did drill and tap my older pre-groove 61 receiver to mount a 1" 2-7x28 Leupold rimfire which worked out pretty well, but I'm sure a 1" 2-7x scope will have a larger exit pupil diameter (eye box) than your 4x 3/4" Redfield. All my .22's have 1" diameter scope tubes and I'll never go back to using those old 3/4" scopes. I had the old 3/4" C6 Weaver on a .22 magnum Mossberg Chuckster and it had a mind of it's own as to where the poi would be when I took it out of the gun case each time. If the 3/4" scopes worked well, they would still be making them.

Decided to mount it, collectors be damned!

I don't know why that scope is presumed to be such a collectors item. I bought a very nice/like new older gloss Redfield 3-9x40 the other day, and paid $29.95 for it. I put it on my 788 30-30. I still need to take it out and dial it in..

The scope looks good and proper on that rifle horse1

I guess I can only go by what I see on Gunbroker, EBay, and Vintage Gun Scopes. Now I realize that many of these scopes on the sites are won't be sold @ their asking price but let's say that the one I bought that appears NIB, including rings that are certainly NIB was significantly less than anything I see for sale. Again, I understand there can be a mile between "For Sale" and "Sold".