Now there’s a topic that each of us is concerned about in virtually every facet of our lives – protection. If my bank account is not secure, it doesn’t matter how much or how little I have in that account if it can be wiped out in an instant. When my computer is not secure, a virus or hacker can wipe out everything I’ve been working on in the blink of an eye. If I don’t take care of my health, I could lose my life. I’m not trying to be overly dramatic here, but without adequate protection in every area of our lives, we are very much at risk.
Times have changed since I first started shooting and hunting in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Back then, you could buy an inexpensive scope like a Bushnell 3×9 for $25.00, and be ready to hunt. If you could afford it, you’d watch the sales and pick up a new Leupold for $100.00 to $150.00. Looking through Cabela’s Fall 2013 catalog, the least expensive rifle scope listed went for about $100.00. The least expensive Leupold rifle scope going for well over $200.00! High end scopes routinely sell for over $1,000. Whoa, BABY!
A couple of things I learned early on:
Protect your equipment, and your equipment will protect you. Mistreat and abuse your gear, and you WILL get what you deserve. Always buy the BEST equipment you can afford, but never let your pocketbook stop you from doing what you love. If you’re like me, you love to hunt. You may not be able to afford the top dollar guided hunts, or the African safaris, but you hunt what you can, where you can, and thank goodness you’re able to do it.
My first big game hunting rifle was a Ruger 25/06 that I topped off with a Bushnell 3 x 9 scope. If I protected it as best I could, I’d get my deer. If I didn’t protect it well enough, the lenses would get wet, or it would fog up, and I’d miss my opportunity. Eventually, that old Bushnell fogged up one time too many, and I replaced it with Leupold 3 x 9 Compact, which is still on that rifle.
Now, that Leupold was not as prone to the interior fogging as the old Bushnell was. But dust, raindrops and snow on the lenses were just as much a problem as with the old Bushnell. It’s a common denominator that all scopes share. If you don’t keep the lenses clean and dry, you will have a difficult time seeing through them. Modern scopes are sealed and coated much better than the scopes we had 20 or 30 years ago, but you still need to keep them clean.
An inexpensive scope, with clean lenses and properly sighted in, will get you your game. Do your part, and your equipment will do its part.
I know the difference between a quality set of optics, and an inferior set of optics. Compare some of the newer, high quality scopes, and you’ll see what I mean. Do your research, get the best you can afford, and you won’t regret it. You’ll see detail that you never saw before.
The Point
Here’s a short story to illustrate my point. Several years ago, I was standing on the porch of my cabin in S.E. Alaska with my good friend, Bill Rivas. At the time he was working with one of the old hunting TV shows, The Northwest Hunter. I had my uncle’s custom 30/06, made back in the mid-60s, fitted with a Leupold 3 x 9 scope, one of the finest scopes made at that time. It is still serving me well.
Bill had a Remington in 300 Ultra Mag, set up with a new Swarovski 3 x 9 scope. He was telling me what great optics his Swarovski had, and while I didn’t doubt him, I’d always been more than satisfied with my good old Leupold. He agreed, Leupold made fine scopes, but he urged me to take both the old Leupold and the new Swarovski out on the front porch and compare.
I took my uncle’s 30/06 out and sighted on an old dead snag about 80 yards away down the driveway. It was a nice, sunny day, and I could see a few small birds flying from the branch to the ground. I could see enough detail, that had I wanted to, I could have picked off one of those little birds off the branch. I was satisfied, but then I picked up his Remington and looked through the Swarovski.
There seemed to be some insects in the air near the old snag that I hadn’t noticed at first when I looked through the old Leupold. So I put the Swarovski down and sighted back through the old Leupold. NO BUGS! They simply weren’t there! Or should I say, NOT VISIBLE. I picked up the new Swarovski, and once again, I could see the bugs, plain as day. A cloud of “No-See-Ums”. And I could see not only the cloud but the individual insects. Amazing!
Now, had there been a Sitka Blacktail Buck right there, I could have easily picked him off using either rifle and scope, but that graphic example told me that, OPTICS-WISE, TIMES HAD CHANGED!
Full Circle
Coming back full circle to the topic of PROTECTION, here’s the main gist of the whole shebang. When you’re using a rifle scope, you need to protect your scope lenses from wear, dirt, dust, and all forms of moisture. Either that, or prepare to fail.
Beyond that, your rifle scope is a financial investment that needs protecting too. If you keep your gear in both good working order, and protect your scope finish from scratches, dings, wear, and other damage, you’re also protecting your financial investment.
We’re in some tough financial times. Few of us are immune from financial setbacks. I’ve been through my fair share. I had a time when I had to pawn off a treasured rifle and scope, and due to the fact that I had protected that old scope and it was in good condition, I was able to pawn it for the exact same amount that I had bought it for new. I hated to do it, but since I’d protected that scope through many hunting expeditions, it served yet another purpose and protected me during a financial down time.
Protect yourself. Protect your scope. The investment of a ScopeShield Rifle scope cover will protect your whole rifle scope, non-stop, while hunting, in storage, during transportation, and it will pay you back many times over.
Think about it. Whether your scope is top of the line or the only one you can afford, PROTECT IT. A ScopeShield will help the most expensive scope retain its value and will make even the most inexpensive scope remain functional and allow you to harvest your game. After all, isn’t that what we all want?
