Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Need info on my 15x Unertl Scope

Hello all:

Need some help for those of you who are knowledgeable on Unertl scopes. I have had this scope for about 10 years but didn’t use it at all. It was part of a package of stuff I wanted. Anyways..

The one I have here is in excellent condition. It has the silver mounts, spring and the steel lens caps. The glass is perfect to my eyes. Is this a “Varmint” model? Or another type of model? It has the plain crosshair. Bluing is very strong all around.

I have the book on scopes/sights but I cannot find it at this time.

Ultra Varmint?

One more thing.

There are 5 viable options for the future of this scope.

1. Find the Pre-64 220 Swift I have been looking for, and mount it.
2. Sell it.
3. Trade it.
4. Keep it, and do nothing.

5. And the least desirable, I kick the bucket and it becomes the wife’s problem.

Believe it or not Jeff, but the only 15X Unertl I have ever seen in the flesh was mounted on a custom built Arisaka

I am interested if you decide to sell.

RAS,
Your Unertl is the Ultra Varmint model. This is distinguished from the target models by the shape of the ocular housing. Great scope. An old long range shooting friend used to say with an accurate rifle and one of these scopes, you could write your name!

Excellent, thank you for the information.

RAS: That scope is indeed an "Ultra-Varmint" model and if I recall correctly it was also offered in 20 power and I know it was also offered in 12 power - all with similar dimensions.
I have owned several Ultra-Varmint Unertls in 12 and 15 powers - they hold P.O.I. surprisingly well, I learned over the years, despite their "three point" rings contacts and the external recoil return spring set-up.
I am down to just three Unertl scopes these days but I have spent a "ton" of time peering through their lenses (without eyestrain!) at Colony Varmints of all types, and at targets, over the last 55+ years.
Not a lot of new factory guns come "target scope" ready and finding the target blocks of the right contour and height can be time consuming anymore.
Good luck if you decide to sell it.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
P.S.: I jogged my own memory (bumped into the door jamb!) and I think I also recall the Unertl Ultra-Varmint Model being offered in 8 power - again same dimensions IIRC.

Nick Stroebel's book indicates that the Ultra Varmint was introduced in 1953 & in 1958 was offered in 8, 10 & 12x; all 24" in length. No info on date of discontinuation. My guess would be your 15x was made after that. Stroebel's book is a wealth of information, but often spotty.

RAS, finding a pre-64 Swift sounds like a plan to me.

RAS I concur with the group that it is an Ultra-Varmint Unertl. Great scopes in my opinion.
Mounting blocks of various heights are easy to find at Montana Vintage Arms in Belgrade.
They do have a website. It will look nice on the 220 Swift but mounting will require 2 holes
drilled in the barrel for the front mount which may or may not mean anything.
If you decide to sell I would be interested.
Since 2003 I have run one of the Target models on my CPA Stevens 44 1/2. It has never failed.

These are expensive scopes even today, and the mounts can be just as valuable. I've bought unertl, fecker, and Lyman target-spot scopes in the past. Unertl scopes are often the most expensive. If this includes the screw-in protective lens caps, and the lenses aren't delaminated, and the reticles are good, then it being ultra varmint model will cost even more.