Hey y’all. This time I am going to be writing about optics.  There is nothing better to start an argument with than optics. But before we start the arguing; I have a couple of items.  They deal with the trip to sporting goods store and the possible nightmare that awaits.

It was always the practice that quality sporting goods store employed personnel that were trained or at least had experience in the items that they were in care of. Then came big box mentality and a new meaning for customer service. I am sure many of you have agonized, trying to get a simple question answered about a product you were interested in, only to have the clerk tell you they were filling in at the Sporting Goods counter, usually they were in the golf shoe department…aahhhhhhh!

I guess I would not be a good marketing person, because if a person did not know anything about Sporting Goods…they would not be in there. Just last week I was in a large chain Sporting Goods store looking through the rifles, for a steal. I do find them every once in a while. I wanted to see a particular weapon and asked the clerk for assistance. His name tag indicated he was the Hunting Lodge Manager…ok…so could I see the 799 Remington that was advertised? Well, his response was “Ah, is that a rifle or shotgun?” Friends that is your clue to leave immediately and look for a local mom and pop shop to spend your hard earned money at. I cannot fathom a store or chain of stores so ignorant to have a totally unqualified person in charge of selling lethal weapons. How can they answer an inexperienced person’s questions if they do not know the answer themselves? All too often, they simply  fabricate a plausible and believeable answer, even if it is out of left field.

I have observed this a number of times. It reminds me of a used car lot in the late 1960’s. All the clerk needs is the yellow and green plaid sports coat.

“Do we have deer rifles? Of course we do! We have some of the best deer rifles in the county. This is a Winchester…(he looks down)…I’m sorry, Remington. It’s the long hours, I swear sometimes I don’t even know my own name. That’s why I wear a name tag…hahahaha…This rifle is in 338 Winchester Magnum, perfect for whitetail deer and it’s on sale! Why yes, your 12 year-old will be to handle this little beauty. I sold one of these to a lady at my church just last week and she loves it!”

No sir, I will be happy to pay a few dollars more to get the service I expect when hunting items are concerned. No one wants to spend less on anything than I do. But there are times that spending less actually costs more. If you know exactly what you are looking for and how to properly use it, then the big box store can, sometimes, save you money. What many people do not realize is that quite a bit of the “sale” merchandise can very well be last year’s stock from some other store or warehouse. Buying left-over merchandise only makes sense if the priced cut is dramatic. I am not objectionable to buying certain outdated items, as long as that item is not scents, attractants or other items that lose there potency with time, which is why many scent manufacturers tell you to discard the scents at the end of your hunting season. Come next season, they have lost their punch. You have to ask the clerk if they are fresh for this year. If you are lucky, some manufacturers, that they carry, date their products.

I am about 5 Maine miles off my topic for this column. A Maine mile can be anywhere from a mile to 15 miles, depending on who gave you the directions! “It’s abow ta mile, ayuh”

Now folks are thinking about new optics for hunting season, instead of last January when those optics were collecting dust on the store shelves. That’s okay, optics are necessary for many folks, me among them. Where the arguing comes in is over which optics are “best”. Good grief, how I despise that word. Best for who? The only person who can say what optics are best for you is…you. Do not listen to some guy on a hunting channel that says his scope is the “best”…he is paid to say that. Do not listen to some friend who tells you what you should buy. And especially do not listen to the kid from the golf shoe department telling you which one is the “best” buy.

I am asked that very question all the time. My answer is always the same. I can only give you an idea of the optics, in your price range, that I find are good quality and will do the job. I would do that if I worked for the big box store. Tell me a range for your optic budget and I will suggest some for you to physically look through. See which one suits you best, as far as clarity and brightness. That’s what it boils down to folks. Forget the ads and hype. Yes Zeiss scopes, generally, are superior in optic quality to a low end scope from anyone. Does that mean you should run out and buy a Zeiss…not at all. Optics, more than many items, are priced according to the quality of the process that produced the lenses (the optic in optics). But if you have $50, $150, $350, whatever your budget says you can spend, to buy a scope or binoculars, it is imperative to find items in that range, pick them up and look through them. Then you can make an intelligent decision. “These will work,” I am attempting to put together some optics in the various price ranges and let you know what I feel about them. All this will be is a guide. How they look to me may not be how they look to you. Here is a quick case and point: Back in the late 80’s, a gunshop owner friend of mine convinced me to order a Leupold 3-9X40 Vari-x II for $349. He said it is the “best” scope going. Ok, I ordered it and he mounted it for me. I sighted in on an overcast day, but I felt the scope was a little dark and had a brownish tinge to it. I mentioned this to my friend who told me it was a design feature, great in snowy conditions. I have not purchased anything there since and the Leupold went down the road. Those scopes and the models that followed enjoy a large fan base. But, my eyesight does not match up with them.

A couple of years ago, I needed a cheap scope for my son’s muzzleloader. He could only hunt a couple of days (he is in the Army and was in Afghanistan at the time). I went on EBay and won a BSA Catseye 3.5-10X44 and installed it on Tyler’s smokepole. I was shocked! It is extremely bright, extremely clear, adjusts perfectly and was $35!! The scope works so well, Tyler wants it left on his gun. Sure, I might have gotten lucky. But I would have still felt better if it were not as good than I felt with a $350 scope I could not use!

That is what prompted me to put together a “guide”. That and listening to a clerk at the big box store tell a customer he should buy the Nikon 4-12, that was on special (it was over-priced to begin with and now they were scrambling to sell it). He looked the customer in the eyes and said “You are new to hunting, then yes sir, THIS is the perfect scope. Sight it in at a 100 yards and, look here, see where it is marked 4, 5, 6, right up to 12? Well, there you go. You see a deer up to 400 yards just hold right on him. Further than that, just match how far you think he is with the number on this ring, right up to 1200 yards.” You cannot make up something like that. 1968 Used Car Salesman, alright. “Yes sir, this little beauty will do everything you want a car to do, and at the best price in town, my word on it. I will even throw in a hat, breeze and tunes at no charge. Whadda ya say?”  In case you were not around then, hat, breeze and tunes translates vinyl top, air conditioning and radio.

When you head outdoors, take a youngster with you. Remember, enjoy the outdoors, just do it cheaply. God Bless.

http://www.camospace.com/nmcowboy

Hey y’all. Last time I spoke about “good” hunting rifles that hunters on a budget should consider. I appreciate the response I received. It seems there is no shortage of folks who cannot spend $900 – 1200 on a hunting rifle. The problem has been getting reliable comparisons and information on weapons in the working person’s spendable range. I did hear from a couple folks that thought I was off base and that quality firearms are not expensive because they hold their value, are built better, last longer blah, blah, blah. Of course they are built better…but the point is that if you cannot afford to buy one without taking food off your families’ table, you are not going to buy one of the those high dollar pieces.

Don’t misunderstand me. If you can afford a custom rifle, fine, go for it. This article is not about you. My CamoSpace friend, Bob Hart, builds some sweet custom rifles that shoot incredibly well. But you are not going to get one for $400-500. The situation is that a working class family has a need to purchase a rifle for Dad or a son or daughter just starting out. I gave some excellent alternatives for them last time. Today, I am going even further down the firearm evolution scale and talk about what can be bought to hunt deer with for LESS than $200. I swear I just heard someone say they would not be caught dead with a deer rifle that costs less than $200. For the record there are some excellent deer/pronghorn/elk class rifles available in that range. I see them every day. I am talking about good, well made bolt action rifles. The guns I am referring to saw their reputations built over two world wars, in dreadful conditions and in many corners of the world.

Ahhh, he’s talking about those dadgum military rifles….

YES, by George, I am. When you have made a science out of hunting and fishing on a budget (for nearly fifty years), you leave no stone unturned. All it takes is a little research. One of those military actions is the most copied action ever made, the Model 98 Mauser. Keep in mind, saying 98 Mauser is like saying Chevrolet. It doesn’t really narrow down what we are referring to, but is a starting point. Variations and a few predecessors of the 98 are available today for less than $200, if you shop around. The calibers will vary from 7X57, 8X57, 7.65 Argentine, 6.5 X55 Swedish, 7.5 Swiss, 308 Winchester and 30-06. Any of these calibers are commercially available and very lethal. If you pick up one of these weapons in full military dress, you will probably remove some of the excess wood to lighten the rifle. The sights that come on these weapons are adjustable out to over 1000 yards and are very accurate and serviceable. A couple of my favorites are the Model 95 Chilean Mauser (produced by Lowe in Berlin) in a 7X57 carbine and the K31 Swiss in 7.5 mm. The Swiss has the original straight pull bolt, now used commercially by Mauser and Blaser (pronounced like Mauser). It is fast, fool proof and utilized on an extremely accurate firearm. The caliber is fine for deer and deer-sized game out to 300 yards, for the average hunter. The little 7X57 carbine is a joy to carry and 300 yards is a piece of cake. Eleanor O’Connor, wife of legendary outdoor writer Jack O’Connor, used a 7×57 to take virtually all major game animals around the world, including an elephant. This is not to say that a 7X57 is that powerful, on the contrary. It is a testament that its excellent power can be used to its maximum because of its mild recoil and barrel jump. You may remember that Jack, the consummate champion of the 270, equaled his wife’s feat (except for the elephant) with his Winchester 270.

Another favorite in this category is the 7.65 Argentine. Most often it is found in the Model 1891. Well made, very accurate but like the Mosin-Nagant K-31 Swiss, the 1891 has a fixed box magazine that extends down to near the base of the trigger guard. It doesn’t affect function; it merely uglies the weapon up a bit. If you can locate a decent Model 1909 Argentine, it offers a truncated magazine (how about that fancy word – truncated – just means flush to the rifle stock). This is a boon if you want to put an after market stock on and dress it up a bit. These rifles are mostly German built, but there were some external contracts given to produce the rifle. The Argentine and Peruvian versions are considered by most military enthusiasts to be the preferred Argentines. If you can grab a good Model 1891 that has not been altered, you can have it sent direct to your house (California and New York residents check your state laws). It does not come under the 1968 Gun Control act as it was made prior to 1898 and is not considered made for modern ammo. The caliber fits the bill on deer and with some handloading and tweaking can be serviceable on elk out to 300-350 yards. The variable with the 7.65 and the other military calibers is if a bullet is produced that is designed for thicker skinned animals like the elk. At this writing I could make an elk rifle out of any of the above calibers.

Next on the list is the 303 British. It is most often found in the Lee Enfield SMLE version. The caliber is a bit below 308 in power; however Hornady offers a light magnum 303 British that puts it solidly in the factory 308 range. This is a good deer load but the 139 grain bullet is lacking muscle for elk, etc. Factory loaded 174 grain loads out to 200 yards (basically muzzle loader range) will dispatch an elk. The weapons are very well made and are still available inexpensively. Again, it may come with a beat up military wood stock, but you can dress that stock up easily. A difference from the Mausers, I believe that the Enfield’s cock-on-close cannot be altered to the cock-on-open. But I do not find that a problem.

My ultimate favorite in the military class is usually the cheapest to purchase and most unknown. However, lately it has become very collectable, in certain versions. The caliber is 7.62X54R, or as I call it….the 308 Russian. The rifle is the Mosin-Nagant bolt rifle co-developed by a Belgian and a Russian. These are extremely well made and very dependable. Every one that I have fired has been very accurate. The round falls between 308 and 30-06 in power. The most common models are the model 91/30 and model 44.

The 91/30 is a full length rifle with a 29 inch barrel. The model 44 is the Russian version, with folding bayonet affixed to the muzzle. Either can be bought for under $100 and require very little to be huntable. However, the bayonet on the 44 is troublesome, at best, to neatly remove. The model 38 Finnish does not have the bayonet and makes for less work. All the variants of the 44 are carbines with 16 inch barrels.

They will flat shoot at 300 yards with the military ramp iron sights that come on them. I did this with five consequtive rounds from a Model 44 at the city range in Las Cruces, NM. I simply slid the well-marked sight ramp up to the number “3” (300 yards), laid the front sight blade in the slotted rear sight and carefully squeezed. All five rounds hit the silhouette target (a ram) behind the shoulder. These guns are starting to be discovered, however. In a few years the Russians will get their due on building quality weapons in the WWII era, as they have for the ones they now produce.

One thing that all of these weapons have in common and can be a stumbling block is the triggers. They all employ a two-stage works-regardless-of-how-much-mud-is-in-it trigger. These triggers can be annoyingly stiff with a long trigger pull. The problem is very easily correct on most of them by a 6/48 screw. If you get one or have one and needs help on the trigger, contact me and I will be glad to help. There are after market triggers available, but you know how much I hate to spend money.

Should you want to use a scope, all of these weapons have scope mounts readily available, although the rifle will have to be drilled and tapped. Virtually anyone can afford one of these pieces. They may not be pretty, but they sure beat not hunting. I would have no reservations taking any of these models hunting for any game animals in North America, except perhaps the biggest bears. Lets face it, if your pick up looks like it escaped from the junk yard and people hand you money when you stand beside it at Winn Dixie…you really don’t mind that your deer rifle won’t win any beauty contests. All you know is that it cost very little and killed the buck in the back of that prize pickup. That’s being a Frugal sportsman. An, hey, if you already have one or seven of these rifles, let me know about yours.

When you head outdoors this summer – take a youngster with you and pass it forward. Remember, enjoy the outdoors…just do it cheaply. God Bless

Hey y’all. A number of folks have posed the question to me: What is the best cheap gun? I have been around long enough not to step into that one. Once a writer invokes the word “best” he is proclaiming superior knowledge on that subject. The readers, many times, will disagree with the expert in whole or in part. I will, instead, address what are some “good” cheap weapons.

The first thing the prospective buyer should do is answer some basic questions: What is your budget? Who is the gun for? Are they experienced in the handling of firearms? What amount of felt recoil will they be able to tolerate? What type of game will be hunted with it? What type of sights will be necessary? There are other questions, but these are the main ones that need to be addressed. If you find a great deal on a 338 Winchester Magnum and your 14 year-old needs a deer rifle, the deal is not necessarily good because the caliber is over kill and most 14 year-olds cannot withstand the recoil of this round. A deal is not always purely about money. Many hunters get caught by this, which explains why a lot of firearms are for sale in the classifieds. There is any number of mismatch pieces available. Those are guns with too much scope or insufficient scope mounted on them, rifles with magazines missing (a magazine can run over $50 real quickly), a weapon with a “slight’ crack in the stock (unless you are competent to properly repair the crack avoid this weapon unless the price is incredibly low), the bore is dark but just needs cleaning (I would only buy it after I saw it clean) or other qualifying statements you see in an add.

So what do I feel are some “good” cheap rifles? Well, now we need to know a budget. In the $200 to $450 range, you will find many acceptable pieces. In that range I would look for a Savage or a Ruger first. The Savage has an undeniable reputation of being ugly but shooting exceptionally well. It’s sort of like finding an unattractive person to date, but they cook, clean wild game and own a 4X4. Rugers are better looking but do not command the price of a used Winchester or Remington. Is that deserved? Not to me, personally, but to many it is. Next would be a top brand weapon that was mistreated, i.e., scratches, exterior rust, adjustment caps missing off the scope. These obvious indicators drive down perceived value. On the other hand, if you are handy and can clean the weapon up or resurface the stock, then you can get a real deal

It comes with a scope…man, what a piece of bait that statement is. There are a lot of very poor quality scopes on the market that do not add any value to the weapon. Dealers call them throw-aways. Their best purpose is to hold a window up. If the gun has a low end scope (if you are unsure…ask someone), bargain as if there were no scope on the gun. If it is a decent scope, ask the seller if they will warranty the scope. I always do that. If they are unwilling to warranty the scope then it is not worth what they thought it was. I hear someone saying “I’m not going to ask anyone that. They’ll think I am an idiot.” Guess what, you walk away with a gun you paid too much for and you know what the seller thinks? “Idiot” So as long as I am going to be an idiot, I might as well be an idiot with extra money in my pocket.

Buying in person is always best. That way you can check the mechanical workings of the weapon making sure that the bolt functions properly, the safety engages, the clip is there and functions properly and the scope is clear and undamaged. If you purchase online, as I often do, or are purchasing through an out-of-state ad, you must have window of opportunity to examine the gun, usually three days. If the buyer is unwilling to extend the privilege of inspecting the weapon subject to returning it, stay away from that purchase. Without a written examination clause in the purchase, you would have no legal grounds to recoup your money, should the weapon, indeed, be faulty beyond reasonable repair.

Next time I will be talking about some “good” weapons that can be purchased in the $150 or less range. I love being cheap…I mean frugal.

Hey and check out this site: http://www.camospace.com/nmcowboy It’s a myspace for hunters!

Remember, when you go outdoors this summer, take a youngster with you and pass it forward. God Bless