Model 70 Safari Express Optic Limbo

[One Day...]

added to this, very few human pupils can open to 7mm, most going to more like 5mm.

We are of course talking about 7 mm at full dilation in low light...

more magnification is better, but only with a sufficiently large objective to give the exit pupil.

Absolutely, and wider objectives too. A 56 mm objective of course gathers more light than a 42 mm. This is why European scopes for night shooting of wild boar were/are 56 mm instead of 42 mm and this is why their upper magnification was/is generally 8x (56 mm / 8x = 7 mm). The upper limit becomes bulk and portability...

forget shooting a rifle like a shotgun unless you have a stockmaker that absolutely can put the right amount of cast, cant, comb height and thickness, etc to allow the gun to point.

Undoubtedly true. This is why it makes sense for most of us who cannot afford custom measured stocks on our rifles to adjust at least the factory stock length with more or less spacers. Then, truth be told, extensive practice with at least a proper length stock will do wonders...

The nice thing is that as with other shooting form practice, a large amount of practice can be had with a .22 LR that has sensibly the same stock configuration. The man-sized bolt actions Winchester 52 or Remington 540 with iron sights added, or the CZ 452, 455, 457 and of course Anschutz and Walther .22 LR full size sporters are great for that. The fit will never be exactly the same, but for me at least it is close enough...

 

[Alistair]

@Alistair ,

What reticle will work best for old eyes? I generally like something fairly heavy such as Swaroski BRH or NF SHV Forceplex (the latter in a 3-10x42).

This would be for a 9.3x62 and no DG on the menu. The Meopta R2 1.7-10 is also a consideration.

Apologies for the hijack.
Thanks,
Joe

Mine is just a basic 4C reticule with an illuminated central dot. I don't like anything cluttered or complicated unless it's a long range target rig.

I guess it's fairly heavy? About the same as the S&B A7 I suppose.

Works fine for my young eys at least!

Al.

 

[RayAtkinson]

I prefer a 3X or 4X Leupold fixed on all my big game rifles with QD option, mostly Talleys and Leupolds. Ive never seen need for more power, in fact all a scope does to suit me is allow me to put the X on the biggest part of the animal, works for over 70 years so far, and no mishaps, and I like shooting and hunting with irons also. Like most curmudgeons I grew up shooting irons and in later year used Weavers, like most, then moved to Leupold and never changed scope brands and still like to hunt with irons, even for DG.