SWFA SS Scope for hunting?

[Robert.Connell]

I thought it was funny for him to say simmons. He did not do any testing just his thoughts on the scope. I aint gonna listen to him. I dont even think he heard of swfa.. I called him about mounting the scope rings bc i seen a video on midway with a guy putting rings on and it impressed me. He made sure they were straight and lapped them with lapping compound. It seemed more of a solid way to go then my way bc I have never been able to do that.. I gonna check out them burris rings out in a little bit. how does everone else mount a scope?

Thank
Rob

 

[16Bore]

Garden hose washers stacked 2 high I believe.

 

[16Bore]

Not much to it. Torque proper, space accordingly, square the crosshairs.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

The reason your smith said Nikon, Leopold, and Simmons is bc that's what he sees everyday at bass pro, wal mart, his local hangout gunshop...etc. I wouldn't worry about it. The SWFA 10x are hard to beat for the money and the overall quality. I just experienced the same thing at bass pro. I bought a vortex 4x16x44mm HST and the guy behind the counter was trying to talk me into a Nikon 3x9x40mm pro staff! guys just recommend what they are used to and comfortable with, not what's necessarily better. I had an argument with my long time hunting buddy about his Leopold vx1 and the difference between it and a nightforce NXS. Do what makes you happy.

 

[MudRunner2005]

well thanks guys. Im going to stick with the plan on buying the swfa ss scope. The 10x or 6x is what i was planning on getting. I thought 10x for my 30-06 and the 6x for my muzzleloader. There the ones that cost $299.99 for the rear focus. sounds like a scope ill be happy with. cant wait to get it all together.

Im gonna stay with the ruger american for now bc it hasnt failed me yet So no need to upgrade as long as it does the job..

Any strong scope ring recommendations.

Seekins Precision rings and an EGW rail. Then you'll be set.

Here's my Rem 700 5R .300 WinMag with a SWFA SS 20x42 MilQuad, mounted in Seekins Precision low-height rings, and an EGW HD 20 MOA base.

 

[Hondo64d]

I called a local gun smith to see gow much it cost to have a swfa ss scope mounted on my 30-06 ruger american. I use this gun to hunt deer out to 500 yards and would like to shoot out to 1,200 yards playing around for fun NOT competition. Will the swfa ss scope work for what I wanna do? This gun smith tells me I am wasting my money on this scope. I need to go with a nikon or leupold even said simmons. I have been researching swfa ss scope for a while and saving the money to get it. I just got a leica crf 1200 Now im working on the scope and the gun smith makes me feel like im wasting my money on the scope and the rifle. I know its a hunting rifle so it wont win competitions but i will primarly be hunting with it and i like the swfa ss scope. Will it work as a hunting scope and part time target scope. Gun smith here says no but he is the first and only guy I heard say it.. what do u guys say?
Thanks
Rob

My first thought is to say that your gunsmith is an idiot… But, that would be rude, so I'll just assume he's uninformed. Your SWFA SS is head and shoulders above ANY of your 'smith's suggestions. The reticle could be a little bolder for low light hunting, but other than that, it is a heck of a scope. Long range shooting is all about mechanical reliability and accurate tracking. The SWFA SS scopes have that in spades. There are very few competing brands at ANY price range that will hold up better than an SWFA. Some will be AS good, and may have brighter glass, but none will track better you will pay many x the $ for that brighter glass. There is no better value for the dollar for a long range scope than the SWFA line.

Your current rifle will be fine to learn with. Use it until your own abilities surpass that of the rifle's then think about upgrading.

John

 

[MOA Chaser]

Adn one more thing. Ask that "gunsmith" of yours if that Simmons scope will handle the recoil of a .50 BMG?

SWFA SS scopes are .50 cal rated.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I have to agree... The gunsmith sounds kind of like a moron, if he would suggest a Simmons over an SWFA...

I would be finding a new gunsmith that I can trust their judgment.

If your current smith thinks a Simmons is anything other than a low-end optic, then he also probably doesn't see the point in buying Devcon, and uses JB Weld to bed an action...

 

[Bravo 4]

When I have a minute I'm gonna a measure the turret diameters of my SS and see if I can't find some rubber washers to match and make me a po' mans zero stop for them.

Fixed SS shims:
Outside 1.0"
Inside .510

 

[Robert.Connell]

Everyone mounts the scope your self? Does anyone use the alignment bars and use laping compound on the rings. If you dont know what im talking about then type in How to properly mount a scope.. the video from midway is the video i watched and i never mounted a scope like that. It looked like it was a very solid way to mount the scope and make sure its straight and the scope has 100% contact with the rings. Does no one do this. If not what do you do?

Seems like it would help shrink groupings a little as well..
Thanks
Rob

 

[MudRunner2005]

Everyone mounts the scope your self? Does anyone use the alignment bars and use laping compound on the rings. If you dont know what im talking about then type in How to properly mount a scope.. the video from midway is the video i watched and i never mounted a scope like that. It looked like it was a very solid way to mount the scope and make sure its straight and the scope has 100% contact with the rings. Does no one do this. If not what do you do?

Seems like it would help shrink groupings a little as well..
Thanks
Rob

I mount all my own, and I've never lapped a set of scope rings a day in my life. And most of my rifles shoot sub-½ MOA. I have all the tools to mount optics and work on my guns and fishing reels and stuff, but I have never bought any scope ring lapping tools. If you use a picatinny rail style mount, then it's pretty **** close to being as perfectly aligned as you can get. About the only thing to adjust is the cant of the scope (left/right twist) while it's sitting in the rings before you tighten it down. If you run a good precision set of rings, like TPS TSR's or Seekins. And you buy a quality rail, like an EGW, Seekins, Nightforce, etc... You shouldn't have to lap the rings, unless you just want to ensure that you have 100% surface contact. But I've got some pretty heavy recoiling rifles, and none of my scopes have ever slipped in the rings from poor contact.

If you use the Pic rail setup, then about the only specialty tools you'll need are a scope leveling kit, boresighter, and wheeler FAT wrench (torque wrench for inch-pounds made specifically for guns).

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/52...vel-level-level-scope-crosshair-leveling-tool

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/71...m-accurizing-torque-torque-wrench-screwdriver

There's lots of boresighters out there, but this is the one I started using when I was 16 and working in the gun store, and what I bought for my own personal work bench, many years later down the road.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/21...ght-with-15-fixed-arbors?cm_vc=ProductFinding

 

[Hondo64d]

I use alignment bars to check alignment. If they show any misalignment then I lap the rings using a lapping bar.

Another way to go that works extremely well is use Burris Signature Zee Rings. If you follow the directions and correctly use the offset inserts, it is very effective at correcting any misalignment. They hold the tube very securely and also will not mar the scope tube.

John

 

[Bravo 4]

After watching many gun shops and "gunsmiths" mount scopes and bore sight them, I would rather just do it myself. They usually half-***** the job.
A couple of things I don't do that the video shows; level off the mount and level off the turret/caps. The mounting holes may not be lined up or straight with the bore. Turrets/caps may be slightly off as well, or the reticle canted inside the scope.
You may get really close or maybe even spot on but the way most company QC is I won't trust them.
I want the reticle as close to straight with the bore as possible, so I level off the action rails and after mounting the scope I use a straight edge to insure the reticle is level as well. This involves a line with a weight on the end of it hanging from a tree or, lucky me, I have a fence post that is perfectly straight and level looking out the back door from the kitchen table.
The ring lapping is up to you, I have never felt the need with a good set of rings. Another way to get around that is by using the Burris Zee rings as mentioned earlier. One of the many pluses with those rings. Unless the scope is moving I don't see how lapping rings will make your setup more accurate. The biggest problem I see is guys torquing the rings down on the scope. This can damage the scope, both outside and in.
After mounting everything I take it out back to my 100 yard bench and check how true the adjustments are and that the reticle moves straight up-down-left-right.

 

[lancetkenyon]

I love my SWFA SS HD 5-20x50. I used it on my .25-06 Ackley last year on my deer hunt, and it currently sits atop my .223 AR.

Nikon & Simmons have NOTHING that compares. Simmons.....what a joke.

Here is my 12 year old daughter shooting (and hitting) at 1371 yards with my .25-06 Ackley and the SWFA SS 5-20.