The conditions this year in Casper were downright awful. On Tue the wind started out relatively light at 15 mph. However, we all knew what was coming; 30-40 mph, switchy winds with reported gusts up into the mid 50’s. The wind was blowing so hard that the target crew could not move the target frames for the next day’s 300 yard match. The target crew had to wait until Wed morning at 6 am when the wind had slowed down to the mid 20’s. Trying to hit the 10 ring proved to be more than difficult for everyone. Heck, we were lucky just to hit our target when you pulled the trigger on some of the bigger gusts.
With this wind came flying dirt, debris, and sand; lots and lots of sand. Sand was getting everywhere. I had to empty my range cart out two times each day due to the sand piling up inside of it. The wind and sand were relentless. Every shooter had to do something to protect their action and scopes. Many were stuffing rags in their actions and putting towels over their scopes for protection. They were trying everything to keep their scopes and actions clean. Even with all those precautions, a few shooters still galled their bolt lugs.
Dust and debris can damage your action and trigger. When you’re out in the field, you need fast protection against the elements.
I simply used the prototype that Scope Shield had sent to me earlier in the month. This cover worked great. It was very quick and simple to use, yet protected my scope, action and trigger from all the sand and debris. I would leave the cover on until the recording said “insert bolts”. At that command, I would grab the loop on the back of the prototype and simply lift the cover off with one hand and insert the bolt with the other hand. There was literally no time loss at all, yet my scope and action were protected while I was not shooting. When I had finished my target, anywhere from two minutes to the full seven minutes, I simply replaced the cover. I had zero bolt issues and no damage.
This shoot was the proverbial “acid test” for the prototype. The conditions that we shot in were as bad as it gets. This was a real world test with no safety nets. The prototype passed with flying colors. I had 100% peace of mind that my scope, action and trigger were safe.
The scopes, actions and triggers that we use in Benchrest cost thousands of dollars. Protecting them is an absolute must. The Scope Shield Prototype did this. I am thankful to Scope Shield for producing this product.
Jason is a father, husband, avid outdoorsman, Benchrest shooter, and science teacher. Jason is our go-to for learning about Benchrest Shooting, loading techniques, and hunting. Feel free to ask questions in the comments, and if you like this post make sure you hit the like button.
