Bushnell is now offering rebates on popular rifle scopes and spotting scope. Through this “Bushnell Bonanza” promo, you can save up to $75.00 on Elite, Legend Ultra HD, or Trophy XLT Riflescopes and Spotting Scopes. An Elite would be a choice for an affordable optic for your hunting or varminting rifle. Bushnell’s Elite series of scopes are pretty darn good for the price, and Bushnell offers a ‘Bullet-Proof’ money-back gaurantee — if you don’t like the scope, send it back, and Bushnell will refund 100% of the purchase price. Can’t argue with that.
To get your rebate, you must purchase a qualifying product before the end of October. Then you must complete a REBATE FORM and mail it (along with Sales Receipt, and Package Barcode tag) back to Bushnell before 11/15/2012.
Promo Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
Hey Burris, Leupold, Sightron and Weaver — are you reading this? If you want to dominate the market for varmint scopes, give us a large elevation knob offering at least 20 MOA in a single revolution. IOR and U.S. Optics already offer this “one-rev” option on tactical scopes and it is clearly superior when moving back and forth between multiple yardages. Schmidt & Bender offers a single-turn option on some S&B PMII Tactical scopes, along with a color-coded, double-turn elevation turret option.
IOR’s big 9-36×56 scope offers 25 MOA of elevation in ONE ROTATION (and about 75 MOA overall). If you use the zero stop, that one rotation (25 MOA) will get most rifles to 850 yards with ease (and very few varmint shots are made beyond that). That means you should never loose track of your elevation setting. Right in front of your nose is a large visible number that corresponds to your actual come-up: “7” for 7 moa, “12” for 12 moa, and so on. Wow–this is so easy compared to other systems that require multiple revolutions and leave you staring at unlabeled hash marks wondering how many clicks you just dialed in or out.
When this Editor first tried a one-rotation elevation knob I had the same reaction I did years ago when I watched a ultra-high-grade flat screen TV for the first time. Then I thought… “wow, this flat screen is just better in every respect and, eventually, will change everything.” Scopes aren’t TV sets, but I think the large one-rotation knob IS a huge advancement — a breakthrough in scope design. When used with a come-up table showing the elevation needed for various yardages (50-1000 yards), the one-rev system makes it really hard to be “way off” in your elevation. With conventional elevation knobs it is very easy to lose track of clicks (and whole revolutions) as you move up and down to different yardages.
The IOR and U.S. Optics products offering 20+ MOA in one-revolution are large, heavy, expensive scopes. The big elevation knob on the IOR Ultra Long Range scope has about 125 MOA total elevation (25 MOA per turn) with 1/4-MOA clicks. The large flat EREK (Erector Repositioning Elevation Knob) on the U.S. Optics scopes offers 22.5 MOA per revolution, with a total of about 62 MOA in a 5-25 SN-3 model with 1/4-MOA clicks.
Scope-Makers Should Adapt Technology to Varmint Scopes
It’s time for the mainstream scope makers to bring this techology to the market. Adding a one-revolution elevation knob (with 25 moa of travel) to a $600.00 varmint scope would make a huge difference in practical functionality in the field. You could reliably click back and forth between yardages all day long and never lose track of your elevation setting. This is almost as easy as a yardage-calibrated elevation knob (but not limited to a single load.) So, you scope makers out there… How about giving us a one-revolution elevation knob on an affordable hunting scope?
Do you have a nice scope mounted to a “safe queen” rifle that never gets used? Or maybe you have a set of premium binoculars you bought for that Alaskan hunting trip you never got to take?
Now you can convert those valuable optics into cash with the SWFA Trade-In Program. You can either sell your gear outright to SWFA, or trade your items in on new products. Just fill out an online appraisal form, upload a photo, and SWFA will evaluate your submitted product. You can designate whether you want to sell your item outright, or trade it in on new gear.
Trade Your Pre-Owned Optics or Firearms
While SWFA specializes in optics, you can also trade-in firearms, or even barter hunting holidays. SWFA says: “We gladly accept trades on just about anything of value (firearms of any type, scopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, hunts). You never know unless you ask!”
Note, you must submit an Online Appraisal Form for all items submitted for trade-in. In addition, SWFA needs a digital JPEG photo of each item, 400 pixels wide and 300 pixels high.
Forum member Roy Bertalotto did a real nice off-set scope installation on a bolt gun to help a sight-challenged shooter. Roy explains: “A friend of mine shoots left-handed and has lost the sight in his left eye. I built him a scope mount so he can still shoot left-handed, but now use his right eye.” Roy’s fabrication work is impressive and we praise his efforts to help a fellow shooter stay in the game.
Roy bolted a plate to the existing scope rail on the top centerline of the Rem 700 action. This plate extends a few inches to the right. On the outboard end of the plate, Roy fitted a second scope rail, aligned with the bore. Weaver-based rings are then clamped to the outboard (right side) auxiliary rail.
Be Careful of Canting Issues with Offset Scope Installations
We’re pleased to see that Roy developed a solution for a shooter with an optical disability, but we want to stress that this is a specialized installation that can create some problems with point of impact shift if the gun is not maintained perfectly level. With the amount of horizontal offset (between the scope’s optical axis and the bore axis) built into this rig, if the rifle is canted, point of impact can shift rather dramatically. For a southpaw who is willing to adapt his/her shooting style, it may be better, in the long run, to learn to shoot right-handed if his/her right eye is the only good eye. Likewise, if a right-handed shooter can only see well through his left eye, he may benefit from learning how to hold the stock and work the trigger with his left hand. The shooter could still work the bolt with his non-trigger hand. Changing from right-hand to left-hand shooting (or vice-versa) may require a stock swap if the stock is not ambidextrous.
The June Digital Edition of GUNS Magazine is now available for free online. Just click this link to view the June Edition. NOTE: When the log-in screen appears, simply click the “CONTINUE” button. You do NOT have to fill in your name or email address. You can also read previous monthly editions by clicking on the Archive Tab. The last three (3) years of GUNS Magazine can be accessed for FREE online.
Articles by Jake Gottfredson in June Edition
The June Edition of GUNS Magazine contains two interesting articles by our friend (and AccurateShooter contributing writer) Jacob (“Jake”) Gottfredson. In the first article, Some Basic Riflescope Theory, Gottfredson identifies key principles of optics and shows how they apply to riflescope design and construction. He explains the term “Modulation Transfer Function” (MTF), and how this can be used to quantify both contrast and resolution. The author also explores the topics of color correction, chromatic aberration, and color fringing. Jake notes how color correction and focus precision are directly related. Jake also explains the difference between “clarity” and “resolution”. You can have a scope with good clarity but poor resolution or vice-versa. If a scope shows cloudiness it lacks clarity. If the scope can’t show a test grid in sharp focus, it lacks resolution. There are many other important insights Jake provides in this well-written article. We recommend you read the article and perhaps event print it out for future reference. If you are shopping for an expensive scope, Jake provides specific criteria by which you can judge a scope’s quality and repeatability.
600-Yard Playing Card Shoot — Tiny Target, Far Away
The second offering by Gottfredson in the June issue of GUNS Magazine, is an entertaining report about a 600-yard fun shoot using playing cards. Regular-sized 2.5″ x 3.5″ playing cards with a 3/4″ red dot are placed in the center of an 8.5″ x 11″ target sheet. To help aiming, the target sheets have a black ring about 5″ in diameter. After a sighter session, shooters are allowed 10 shots in 7 minutes from 600 yards. That’s a pretty tough challenge, but with a very accurate rifle, multiple card hits are possible. Jake reports that, at his “card shoot”, the two top competitors, Gary Chaney and Andrew Smith, each hit the card six (6) times, with Gary breaking the tie by hitting the 3/4″ red dot. If this sounds like fun, read the full story, and perhaps you can set up a similar match at your shooting club. Gottfredson even includes “10 Tips for Success” such as: “7. Shoot fast, trying to get all rounds downrange in the same wind. Stop when it changes and wait for it to return or hold off if it does not….”
In addition to two Gottfredson articles, the June Edition of GUNS Magazine has a helpful feature on the .243 Winchester by John Barsness. This provides a short history of the cartridge and Barsness discusses 6mm bullet options for hunters using the .243 to harvest game.
In this NSSF Video, Ryan Cleckner, a former Sniper Instructor for the 1st Ranger Battalion, defines the term “MilliRadian” (Milrad) and explains how you can use a mildot-type scope to range the distance to your target. It’s pretty simple, once you understand the angular subtension for the reticle stadia dots/lines. Cleckner also explains how you can use the milrad-based reticle markings in your scope for elevation hold-overs and windage hold-offs.
Even if you normally shoot at known distances, the hold-off capability of milrad-reticle scopes can help you shoot more accurately in rapidly-changing wind conditions. And, when you must engage multiple targets quickly, you can use the reticle’s mil markings to move quickly from one target distance to another without having to spin your elevation turrets up and down.
GOOD RESOURCE: If you want to learn more about using Milliradians and Mildot scopes, we suggest the excellent article The Truth about Mil Dots by Michael Haugen. This article explains, in considerable detail, the use of U.S. Army and U.S.M.C. Mildot scopes. Haugen begins with basic definitions: 1 radian = 2 PI; 1 Milliradian (Milrad or ‘Mil’) = 1/1000th of a radian; 1 Milliradian = .0573 degrees.
Carl Zeiss Sports Optics has introduced a “No-Fault Policy” to supplement its current limited lifetime transferrable warranty. This “No-Fault Policy” is being initially offered to customers who purchase new Conquest HD Binoculars or Conquest Duralyt Riflescopes from Zeiss dealers in the USA or Canada. Under this new No-Fault Policy, Zeiss will repair or replace any of these new models for free for the first five years of ownership if they are damaged during normal and intended use. NOTE: The new policy is for original owners only and is not transferrable.
“This policy is being introduced at a time when customer service expectations are at their highest level in history. Asking consumers to pay for a repair soon after they have just invested a considerable amount of money for a high quality product is simply no longer acceptable,” said Michael A. Jensen, President of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics. “Anybody who purchases equipment at this quality level always takes great care of it. However … serious hunters and birders are hard on our optics, and accidents happen. This new policy simply allows those who purchase Conquest HD or Conquest Duralyt products to pursue their passion with extra peace of mind.”
Product Registration Required for “No-Fault” Coverage
Customers must register all new Conquest HD Binoculars and Conquest Duralyt Riflescopes with Zeiss within 60 days of purchase to qualify for the No-Fault Policy. Scope owners will then be covered for five (5) years from the initial date of purchase. Visit www.zeiss.com/register to register these products online. This No-Fault Policy is in addition to the limited lifetime transferrable warranty. To learn more about the No-Fault Policy for Conquest HD Binoculars and Duralyt riflescopes, visit www.zeiss.com/sports or call 1-800-441-3005.
If you’re an airgun or rimfire shooter, you need a scope with the ability to focus at short distances, since you’ll typically be shooting at targets from 10 yards to 55 yards (50m). Scopes used for centerfire shooting may not be able to focus sharply at these close ranges. That’s why various manufacturers have developed EFR (Extended Focus Range) scopes.
Add Nikon to the list of EFR scope-makers. Nikon just introduced the ProStaff Target EFR 3-9x40mm riflescope featuring an adjustable objective lens that can focus from 10 meters to infinity. That’s right, Nikon’s affordable ($189.95) new 3-9X EFR scope goes all the way down to ten meters (about 33′). That makes it very useful for Airgun and BB gun shooters.
The waterproof, fogproof, and shockproof EFR boasts Zero-Reset turrets with 1/4-inch adjustments at 50 yards (i.e. 1/2″ at 100 yards). Make note of that — if you are shooting mostly at 100 yards and beyond, you don’t want this scope — it really has been set-up for the short stuff. Total adjustment at 100 yards is 80 MOA; that give you an adjustment range of about 40″ at 50 yards. Nikon’s new ProStaff 3-9x40mm Target EFR scope comes with a matte finish, and retails for just $189.95.
Like all Nikon riflescopes, the Target EFR is optimized for use with Nikon’s Spot On™ Ballistics program. The Spot On program can be purchased for iPhone, iPad and Android or utilized for free at nikonhunting.com/spoton.
Idaho-based Hooker Tactical Safety & Defense has introduced an interesting new product that records images and video directly from your scope’s eyepiece, while still allowing the shooter to look through the scope. This system, dubbed the Third-Eye Sharp Shooter Eye-Cam (“Eye-Cam”), fits a small (8 oz.) video camera directly to the eyepiece of a riflescope. The Eye-Cam outputs live video to an iPhone, lap-top computer, or DVR. One can easily imagine the benefits of such a system for tactical and law enforcement marksmen, as well as game hunters. The key elements of a tactical engagement can be recorded, in real time, for later review and analysis. Or a hunter can record the results of his shot at a “once-in-a-lifetime” bull elk.
No Scope Modifications Required
The water-, shock-, and dust-resistant Eye-Cam is easily installed, with no modifications to your scope. Your scope’s zoom, elevation, and windage controls are not altered, and there are no changes to point of aim or point of impact. Unlike most other video adapters for scopes, the compact Eye-Cam does NOT block off the shooter’s view through the eye-piece. You can continue to use the scope normally. Hooker Tactical claims that the Eye-Cam does not distort or change the image viewed through the scope: “The clarity of the image… is as accurate and dependable as if the [Eye-Cam] was not there.”
Comment: Despite Hooker’s claims, we do suspect that the shooter would notice a slight reduction in brightness, and possible softening of focus at the edges — simply as the result of having another piece of glass placed between his eye and the scope’s actual eyepiece.
Sharp Shooter Eye-Cam Costs $2370.00
The Hooker Tactical Eye-Cam retails for $2370.00. It weighs just 8 ounces. Hooker offers a variety of flexible collars that fit over scope eyepieces, allowing the Eye-Cam to be adapted to most popular scopes. Eye-Cams ship with collar of choice, video cables, power cable, 9-volt power supply, and a handy storage pouch. Hooker Tactical stands behind its product with a 2-year unconditional warranty for repair and replacement “with proper usage”. For more info, visit www.HookerTactical.com, or call Hooker Tactical at (208) 527-3395.
Editor’s Comment: This is an intriguing product. While the Eye-Cam’s utility for hunters and law enforcement marksmen is obvious, we think the Eye-Cam could benefit competition shooters as well. The Eye-Cam could be particularly effective in shooter training, allowing a coach to see how well his student actually responds to hold-off calls and wind reads. The recorded video could also allow a shooter to review the effects of mirage as he proceeded through a course of fire. Video would also help a shooter develop techniques to hold the gun more steady and have a better follow-through.
While the Hooker Tactical Eye-Cam is very expensive ($2370.00), we think this is the predecessor of future products that will provide a variety of digital viewing/recording options for rifle shooters. As such products evolve (and become more affordable), we predict digital viewing technology will benefit precision shooters in many ways.
Low-Cost Alternative MeoPix iPhone Adapter for Spotting Scopes
The Third-Eye Sharp Shooter Eye-Cam costs a whopping $2370.00. For a tiny fraction of that price (about $70), Meopta’s MeoPix digi-scoping adapter lets you record stills and movies directly to an iPhone from a spotting scope.
Though you won’t be able to record what you actually see through your riflescope, the Meopta adapter will perform many of the functions of the Eye-Cam, such as recording the results of hunting shots — so long as you’ve got your spotter aimed at the target. Meopta’s simple but cleverly-designed MeoPix lets you easily record photos and videos from your range and hunting sessions. Anything you can see through the spotting scope can be captured by an iPhone. Hunters can capture images of distant prey, and record successful shots on game.
The MeoPix bracket is a universal-type device that was developed to allow the iPhone 4 or 4s models to interface with ANY binocular or spotting scope eyepiece (fitted cup required). When mated to a long-range optic, the MeoPix transforms a smart phone into a handy, long-range photo and movie capturing tool. The Apple-approved MeoPix adapter attaches securely to the iPhone. Meopta claims the MeoPix bracket ensures precise alignment and excellent image quality.
Eye-Cam Tip by EdLongRange. We welcome reader submissions.
Background: Last year, when Leupold introduced its 1.1-8x24mm FFP Mark 8 CQBSS scope at a whopping $3,999.00 price, jaws dropped in the shooting world. Folks rightly wondered whether anyone (other than Uncle Sam) would pay four grand for a small, compact scope, even if it did offer a broad magnification range and other innovative features.
U.S. Optics SN-8 Is Thousands Cheaper than Mark 8
Well U.S. Optics has just undercut Leupold by a couple thousand dollars, providing a much more affordable 1-8X option for tactical shooters and 3-gunners. If you were thinking about the Mark 8, you better take a close look at the new 1-8x28mm SN-8 from U.S. Optics. From what we can see, the SN-8 performs on a par with the Mark 8, plus it features a true 1X magnification on the low end — which is best for fast, both-eyes-open target engagement. The new SN-8 is offered in two models. The 1-8x28mm SN-8 Standard version retails for $1945.00, while the higher-end version with Red Dot-equipped eyepiece runs $2445.00, still substantially under the cost of Leupold’s Mark 8. These new SN-8s should start shipping in June, 2012.
New “Slim-Line” Hunting Scopes from U.S. Optics
For 2012, U.S. Optics is bringing out a series of compact, light-weight “Slim-Line” hunting optics: 1.5-6X, 1-4X, and 3.2-17X. Though they offer a significant weight-savings over typical hunting scopes, these new Slim-Line hunting scopes are built for hard use, and U.S. Optics backs them with an impressive, transferrable, “full lifetime” warranty. Prices start at $1100.00 and the Slim-Line Hunting scopes should hit the market in late March or April, 2012. We like what U.S. Optics is doing with this “Slim-Line” scope series. For daylight deer and varmint hunting, many hunters are better served with a compact 1.5-6X variable, than with a large, bulky high-power scope with a relatively small field of view.
At SHOT Show, in addition to its all-new SN-8, U.S. Optics also showcased its innovative dual-focal-plane tactical scopes. Offered in 1-4X and 1.5-6X, these offer the best of both worlds. The FFP reticle allows consistent ranging at all magnifications, while the Second Focal Plane functionality allows more precise aiming, since reticle line thickness does not increase as the magnification goes up.
The IOR and U.S. Optics products offering 20+ MOA in one-revolution are large, heavy, expensive scopes. The big elevation knob on the IOR Ultra Long Range scope has about 125 MOA total elevation (25 MOA per turn) with 1/4-MOA clicks. The large flat EREK (Erector Repositioning Elevation Knob) on the U.S. Optics scopes offers 22.5 MOA per revolution, with a total of about 62 MOA in a 5-25 SN-3 model with 1/4-MOA clicks.
Forum member Roy Bertalotto did a real nice off-set scope installation on a bolt gun to help a sight-challenged shooter. Roy explains: “A friend of mine shoots left-handed and has lost the sight in his left eye. I built him a scope mount so he can still shoot left-handed, but now use his right eye.” Roy’s fabrication work is impressive and we praise his efforts to help a fellow shooter stay in the game.
The 
In this NSSF Video, Ryan Cleckner, a former Sniper Instructor for the 1st Ranger Battalion, defines the term “MilliRadian” (Milrad) and explains how you can use a mildot-type scope to range the distance to your target. It’s pretty simple, once you understand the angular subtension for the reticle stadia dots/lines. Cleckner also explains how you can use the milrad-based reticle markings in your scope for elevation hold-overs and windage hold-offs.
Sharp Shooter Eye-Cam Costs $2370.00
Low-Cost Alternative
