I have 3 rifles of my grandfather that are 50 years old approximately. I still hunt with them and have my whole life ( I'm 51). They work great and I killed a nice buck with one this year. However the scopes are the same ones he got with them gun when he bought them. They work fine but obviously a lot of improvements in scopes since then. Would you guys keep them old school for sentimental reasons or upgrade to something new scope wise. I'm having a tough time deciding. I like hunting with them and remembering the good times but part of me says he would have upgraded himself by now and gotten a new scope.

I would say it depends on how you hunt, the rifle's capabilities, and how "nice" or "fancy" the rifles are. Most of the newer scopes will give you a clearer sight picture, a bit more low light capability and A LOT more long range capability. But you need to ask yourself if you'd benefit from any of those. If all you do is hunt at relatively close ranges, the scopes you have on them will probably work. Likewise, if the rifle is something really nice or fancy, you may want to preserve that period correct look.

My personal opinion here unless your gonna spend the money to get a nice scope, nightforce/ leupold vx5-6 or better the older weavers and red field scopes are better than anything budget out there today. I have a 50 plus year old all steel weaver on a rifle that is a old favorite of mine and it’s held it’s zero since before I was born.

If you want something new school get a new rifle and scope, otherwise don’t fix what’s not broke.

I can definitely see a major difference when I use my new rifles with current day technology. Huge difference. That said most of my shots these days are closer. The deer i shot with the old scope was out maybe 250 yards close to dark and the scope worked but it was getting touch and go. At the time I was wishing for a newer scope definitely.

That's what these are. Old school weavers and a redfield. They always are right on between after you site them in. Rarely have to adjust or change things. I kind of like your thinking. May just keep it as is. You make a good point

You're using the rifles. That's good enough. Put scopes on them that would make you enjoy using the rifles more.

You say that you have three of them, and can't decide whether or not go get a new scope for them? Get a new scope for one of them...or two of them... The old weavers and redfields are popular, and you could sell them to help finance the new scope. I recently had an issue with a scope. I could see the deer clearly through my zeiss binos, but it was too dark to see through my scope. Missed opportunity. Scope came off the rifle the very next day. It now wears a nice new leuopld with much better glass.

If a new scope is going to make you use the rifle more, put one on it.

I'd keep the old scope, you may want it back on there one day.

I have my grandfather's Savage 99 in .243 Win.

It wears the Weaver K-4 with Post & Crosshair reticle.

My eyes just don't handle an old K4 like they used to... I'm putting a Leupold 2-7x33 on it so I can enjoy hunting with it again.

Definitely will keep the old scopes for sure. I'm not good at getting rid of sentimental stuff. All the input is appreciated. They old scopes haven't cost me a deer yet but was close this year. Spent the year hunting with the older guns so maybe it had me thinking more because of it. Next year may be back to using my newer stuff.
It is a good lesson though to take care of your guns and they will take care of you for a long time. Doubt my grandfather figures I'd be using them 50 years later.

Yeah, keep the old scopes. They're worth more to you than they are anybody else. Besides that, they are decent scopes. When you retire those rifles permanently, put the old scopes back on.

I have my first deer rifle. I wanted to kill some pigs with it after it sat idle for 25 years. I bought a donor stock and put the shiny 700 BDL stock in my safe. I get some decent use out of that rifle now. When I put it away for good, it will go back on the original stock. Swap the scopes out for something new and improved, you'll enjoy the rifles more.

If they are quality old scopes I would probably take them off and keep them but get a new scope if I wanted to.

One of my buddies inherited his grandpas old 243, the scope looked like it was filled with tea when you looked through it. He raplaced the scope with a swaro and its one of his favorite rifles to hunt with now.

Replace them with Burris Fullfield scopes. Not very expensive, good quality. That’s what I used to replace the old dim Bushnell on Dad’s old 270.

I've never heard a country song about grandpa's old scope.

Not new but a 15-20 year old VX-II in 3-9x40 can be had for around $200 and still look period correct in gloss. It’s a significant upgrade.

Correct!

I still have my dad's Remington 721 in 30-06 with a K4 Weaver sitting on top of it. In the early 50's this was the cats a*s.

Yup.
One of the few good things about Ebay. Those older scopes can be bought all day long.

This.

I'd be interested in the old K-4, I've got an old 722 that would go nicely with it.

You can swap it out if you like, but I would hang on to the old one... Just in case!

I still shoot my dad's ole 25-06 with a Weaver six on it occasionally. He bought the scope in El Paso on a mule deer hunt in the early 60's for a song. It's plenty good during legal shooting light. That rig has knocked a bunch of stuff down, a long ways off, for a long time.

Gloss VX-II as mentioned above for $200.



https://texashuntingforum.com/forum...-reloading-and-other-random-stuff#UNREAD

its still the cats azz

I bought a old J C Higgins 30-06 and people laughed. Scoped with a Picar 4x and leather caps for the ends. If you look on the left of the action ,it says FN commercial and under the rest scope it says Husqvarna. Shoots under 1\2 inch with factory loads. Scope is clear as any make. They still make Picar but too costly for American market. Would not change a thing on it.