Swapping Scopes on the TC Contender

[Leadmelter]

Group
I have several barrels with scopes of different manufacturers. I am thinking of getting of mounts for some barrels that I like to shoot but have iron sights. The eyes are not what they were 40 yrs ago.
So if a swap a scope from Barrel A to Barrel B, how much time, ammo a grief am I going to incur going back and forth.
I was always a believer in one barrel, one scope set up but that is not possible in our new economic system.
Thanks in advance.

Gerry

[fourarmed]

I would settle on one type of mount. Weaver is the cheapest and arguably the best for returning to zero. Make sure the notches for mounting the rings are the same on all of them. (They've made a lot of different ones over the years.) Make sure the ring height for each scope is adequate to clear the barrels. Buy a collimator so you can record the reading on each barrel when zeroed.

[leadman]

I have swapped scopes on barrels and they are usually close. Another way to reduce sighting in ammo is to get something solid to hold the loose barrel with scope installed. Look thru the barrel at something downrange, line it up, then without moving the barrel check the scope. If it is off adjust it.
Then you can shoot it while aiming at a target from a rest, secure the gun so it is lined up with your original aim point, without moving the gun adjust the crosshairs to the bullet hole.
Takes longer to write it than to do it.

Or just look for good sales on scopes. I've used some of the imported ones and unless the gun has substantial recoil they do o.k.

[bobthenailer]

A+ on the collumator ! im switching scopes & red dots or mounting scopes on guns at least 10 times a year and it saves alot of time and ammo enough to pay for itself in a few years .

[Larry Gibson]

I've been switching a Bushnell pistol scope back and forth between 4 Contender barrels of different cartridges (32 H&R, 357 Mag, 44 Mag and .45 ACP). All have the Weaver Base on them. The same zero setting on the scope is, of course, not even close between the barrels so a range session and about 20 rounds is necessary to get a precise zero at 25, 50 or 100 yards. I have, however, made not of the scope elevation and windage adjustments and if i set those for the correct barrel/load I've found it's pretty close to zero. Not exactly zeroed but within a moa or 2two of adjustment. I've done it enough that I'm confident I would miss a deer at 100 yards if swtching the scope and not able to rezero. Takes a reliable scope to do that though.

The collumator's I've tried don't work well on short barrels and low powered scopes. They work fine on rifle Contender barrels but on 10" or shorter they don't work for me.

Larry Gibson

[jhalcott]

C'mon man, you KNOW you NEED the practice! So spring for the few rounds to RE zero the scope. I know where your at! I've been thru it a bunch myself. I used to take a spare scope on out of state hunting trips JUST IN CASE! Sadly , no body can predict how close barrel A and B are going to shoot. Even swapping scopes on identical TC barrels does not mean they will be correctly zeroed. My buddy and I have 10" 7TC/U barrels. We tried the swap trick(MY 2x7 Burris, his 2x Leupold) and had to make a correction for him to hit the x ring. Both sets of rings are Weavers!

[Four Fingers of Death]

The Leupold QD mounts with the levers on the base are way better than anything else I have ever used. Most of my rifles have Leupold Weaver style bases with QD rings, the ones with the levers on the bases are the most expensive of course, but you pay your money and you get your goods.

There are a lot of good cheap scopes out there at the moment. I was given a 3-9 Simmons which is a really nice little scope. They are mega cheap and the optics and the quick focus at the rear was easy to use. I really like it and am trying to decide which rifle it should go on, It came on my 270Win Remington 700 SPS, but I alreday had a top flight Leupold scope foe that one. I think it will end up on my T/C Encore 308W.

[aaalaska]

I know what you mean about the eyes, hard to admit we can't see like we could 40 yrs ago. When I first noticed the need for scopes I started the swap game, and it can be and is done. But a scope for each barrel is the way to go, and we all know it, but the cost hurts, so we try to find a way,well I found that by watching adds there is a steady supply of barely used scopes sold by those that ended up with something they couldn't use.Usually they are variable scopes in the 2- 6 or 2-8 or some 4X or 6X scopes, if you can use them many can be had at reasonable prices. My favorite has become the 2-8 power models and I have picked up 6 of them the last few years,only one was new and it was on clearance.Another thing since I've started ,I find myself turning the power up every time I'm at the bench, now sitting at the bench and breaking clays at 200 yrds seems normal, before the scopes I could barely see them and hitting one was pretty much an accident.Even when hunting I now carry a shooting stick and often turn the power up a little while shooting at longer ranges.

[exblaster]

I use a B&L Balvor 2.5 to 8 on My Contender carbines. The adjustment is in the mount so the scope is on target from barrel to barrel. I use a one piece mount for model 88 and 100 Winchesters and re locate the mounting holes to fit the barrels.

Exblaster

[Wayne Smith]

Ditto on the Leupold rings with the levers. I have them on my Encore barrels - one 45-70 and one 500 S&W and switch one scope back and forth. If the boolits are going at the same speed I'm within an inch or so at 100yds.

[canyon-ghost]

Weaver High Mount rings and a 92A base are what I use, all the same. I use the farthest forward notch on the front of the base for Quik Release rings. I usually lap on a set of steel topped weavers.