proTecT Your Glass scopes are tough, but accideNts happeN. B JacoB GottfreDson olt-action rifles, for example, will take a lot of abuse in a hunting or competing situation. But glass is a different matter. The optics are delicate instruments that can be easily damaged, ending an expensive adventure. I was born and raised in the Rocky Mountains and hunted there for years. Still do every year. I have hunted Africa, Alaska, and Canada. During all that time, I have fallen down slopes, run over two rifles with my truck by mistake, and damaged several pieces of expensive glass. I have damaged the objective lens on an expensive binocular and put huge dents in expensive riflescopes. After one of the falls, my scope was dented. I decided I had better see if it was still zeroed. It was way off. The dent was in the vicinity of the erector tube, and reticle travel was restricted. Another time, my scope did not seem visibly affected after the fall, but I found it, too, was way off. Most hunts these days put a huge dent, your pocket book, and they may only be for a few days. On a hunt to Alaska for caribou, three of us were flown to a remote location in the interior of Alaska, dropped off, and left there for 8 days. Weight was restricted, thus each of us only took one rifle. You can imagine how you might feel if your scope was damaged beyond repair the first day out. You can imagine a hundred other scenarios. Strange things happen to mounts and rings as well. Now I travel with a small set of tools for just such a problem. I also carry small hex and torx wrenches in my wallet, which, by the way, the TSA confiscated after they were noticed on the X-ray. Go figure. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to avoid damaging glass. You might get by with the loss of your binocular, spotting scope, or rangefinder, but a The Talbot mount is by far the best return to zero, quick detachable mount Jacob has evaluated. Put the bar on the rifle and a ring set on both the primary and secondary scopes. Zero both with the same mount on the rifle. You can take the scope off and on multiple times, and it will be in the hole. The backup scope will be in the hole as well. Removing and putting the scope back on takes about 3 seconds. Talbot sells them for just about any rifle you might wish to mount them on. riflescope being damaged beyond repair ends the hunt or the competition. All of these items come with lens covers, which do add some level of protection. If they don’t, many companies provide them for just about any glass on the market. Still, they don’t offer complete protection. After several such incidents, I now carry a backup riflescope. Return-ToZero mounts have solved much of the problem. Both scopes are zeroed with rings attached to each scope prior to the hunt or the match. If the primary scope is damaged, simply mount the second scope. It will probably be back in camp and one day will be sacrificed, but that is much better than being at the house, This Nosler M48 is a beautiful rifle, and it is made for carry in the high country. This one is mounted with a Leupold scope. A slight fall in the rocks might not bother the rifle, except for a scratch or two. But the scope might easily be damaged beyond repair in the field. Then what? 22 W W W. G U N S M AG A Z I N E . C O M • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3
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