Keep Your Scope Free of Debris
Removing dust and debris from the interior helps to rid the lens of unnecessary obstructions. Begin by dismounting the screws that are attaching the scope to the rifle – but be sure to use a properly sized screwdriver. From there, you can use an optical cleaning wipe or some fluids and cloths from a specifically designed kit. When the scope is remounted, you should notice a marked improvement, which will improve your marksmanship.
It’s certainly no secret that a scope vastly improves a hunter’s ability to zero in on potential prey. In order to squeeze off the best shot, accuracy and precision need to be optimized. All too often, hunters align their rifle scopes and then proceed to forget about basic maintenance procedures. With some minimum care and effort, you can keep your scope in pristine condition for years to come.
There is a point where people have to learn to realize that there are a great many firearms manufacturers out there that are making suberb firearms. I’ve heard people claim that a certain firearm was superior in reliability over another. Well, that is true to some degree, but I’d have to say there are some firearms that are in the top tier category and the durability and reliablity differences may vary in extreme circumstances. Take a Glock 17 and put it up against a Sig 226 and you’ll see what I mean. I’m sure the Glock will reguire less lubrication, but there won’t be much difference in 98% of circumstances.
I have a friend that was in Iraq that mentioned that magnification was what helped them identify IED wires at a distance where guys with irons and Eotechs couldn’t seem them. I’d have to say that the ACOG is still an advanced combat sight, but they are expensive. The thing that makes the ACOG work so well is having the right ammo matched up to the bullet comp. Once you figure out where the hold overs are, this optic is fast. At rifle competitions at my club, I always notice that the guys that could nail target the fastest all had Acogs.
I’ve seen so many people on firing lines with spotting scopes complain about the optics they have and what they should have gotten or what they wish they knew before getting a scope. Sometimes people have this idea that having an optics magnify 45x will make things easier to see at great distances and any experienced observer know that isn’t true. Magnification can become void due to heat and mirage and even zero magnification can cause you to have trouble hitting an object at certain distances.
Another thing to think about whenever looking for a good optic is clarity. Some people seem to think that high magnification is better for long distances, but it’s not true. There is something to be said for too high of magnification and even on dark rainy days, you may notice the difference between a cheap scopes ability to see in low light in comparison to higher end scopes. A good 3-9×40 scope can be better than a cheap 6.5-20×40 in low light.
Modern combat optics are becoming more and more advanced. Back in the day people just used the European pole or standard crosshairs for rifle scopes, but not anymore. These days combat optics may be red dots, green dots, illuminated reticles, bullet drop compensators etched in glass or Mil-dots. Combat optics like IOR scopes may have a reticle that is almost a sizing guide for range estimation where you just simply hold the target into a range estimator and then make adjustements on your target knobs or just hold over.
There area a lot of good upgrades one can do to a firearm, a fighting rifle should be customized to fit an operator. Advanced Technology makes some quick and easy upgrades for your shotgun or carbine that can give you better grip or balance. Shotgun shell holders on the buttstock or riding side saddle is a practical tactical upgrade you can do on your remington 870. The fiberforce stock for the MAK90 is a way to legally get around some firearm bans and are a big step up compared to the stupid thumbhole stocks. Attach a rifle sling that fits yoru purpose from Blue Force Gear, they come in 1 point, 2 point and 3 point attachements. Minor firearm modifications make need to be done to attache rifle slings, but do some research on various rifle sling configurations to see what works for you.